Heat hotter on coach in 2009

The Denver daily is talking CU coach Dan Hawkins this Sunday, talking about the pressure on the Buffs' leader to produce. They're right.

Hawkins cannot afford another sub-standard year. Yes, athletic director Mike Bohn is in Hawkins corner and apparently former CU coach Bill McCartney is too (so am I) but for the good Hawkins is doing (recruiting, culture) he is simply not winning enough or fast enough and the lid of discontent is going to be blown off come December if the Buffs don't show themselves as a Big 12 North power again.

I don't see the Buffs competing with Kansas or Nebraska in 2009 but being within a game of the leaders, working hard to get a leg up on Missouri again would be helpful. Hawkins can't sleep well at night with a season that produces less than 7 regular season wins. If he want's to be able to have any peace at all amongst the majority of the Buff faithful he better put an 8-spot of wins up on the board, regular season plus bowl victory. That would buy him some fan support.

There is adequate talent to win in Boulder now. It's not overwhelming talent but improved. Injuries to higher profile players and off-the-field bugaboos continue to be a problem but they are obstacles that must be overcome.

The Buffs should be a better running, better run offense. If the receivers step up there is hope for some explosive game days. The defense and special teams are still question marks. Not necessarily negative units, just unknown. Hawkins too is unknown but he and new offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau must shine in '09 for there to be a happy household of Buff followers.

Henderson's view

John Henderson of the Denver daily wrote an in-depth piece that at first glance was attacked by sensitive CU fans. However, Henderson's work stands strong in that storm. It is not, as one poster wrote, an assassination piece. Was it slanted? Probably. But it is the prevailing thought amongst many followers of the program. When was the last time you saw Dan Hawkins for governor sign? Some interesting points to Henderson's article were former CU quarterback Bobby Pesavento's 100 proof statements about being impatient for success, Bohn's refusal to give Hawkins a 100 percent endorsement and former Buff quarterback Joel Klatt's statesments about the offensive approach last season.

Some might attack Henderson but there are many more uncomfortable with Hawkins production.

Hawkins secret is no secret

Buffs coach Dan Hawkins is telling the media that he won't publicly name a starter at quarterback before the season opener against Colorado State.

Any educated follower or fan of the Buffs already knows who the starter is going to be, hands down.

Commander Cody, the offspring of Misti and Dan.

Tyler Hansen is not mentally ready to take Cody's job so he will likely sit all game long unless the game develops into a blowout on one side or another, Lil' Hawkins gets hurt or offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau goes for a little, as Reece Davis of ESPN says, trickeration.

Scott and Stewart key to offense

Darrell Scott and Rodney "Speedy" Stewart must carve up defenses behind a big, healthy, effective offensive line for CU's offense to score points and this team to have a chance to win games.

If the running game is cranked up, whomever Colorado throws out there at quarterback -- Cody Hawkins or Tyler Hansen -- is skilled enough to complete enough passes to keep the offense moving.

The more successful the backs the less pronounced the quarterbacks' warts, whether those lack in size, arm strength, mobility or ability.

Scott and Stewart, if healthy are more than capable backs. Throw in Demtrius Sumler as a relief pitcher and you have a solid start.

Coach Dan Hawkins may not have all the talent he needs to contend for a Big 12 championship but it's clear he has more talent than he's ever had in Boulder. He should feel optimistic, even if guardedly so.

Hawkins still an unknown

Cody Hawkins is smart. He breathes football. He cares about winning. He works hard. He's easy to like. We get it. So does this reporter. The issue for CU is does Hawkins have enough talent around him to help the quarterback drive this offense and does Hawkins have enough physical skills, as in mobility and arm strength, to get detractors off his back?

Those are questions that to this today are still unanswered. The good news is that sometime this season fans (see: fanatics) and followers both gain a better understanding on whether Commander Cody is top shelf quality or a dime-store knockoff.

The book here says that Hawkins can be loved by many if the talent around him is better and with the backs (Darrell Scott, Rodney Stewart) and offensive line the Buffs have, there is hope. The question is can the tight ends (Ryan Deehan) and wideouts (Markques Simas, Andre Simmons especially) step up and become campus heroes.

Simmons gets into school, quarterbacks better

In a shocker of shockers, a junior college recruit has been cleared to play football for the Buffaloes. No, this isn't unprecedented news, just a rare gift. The present is a big, fast and talented wide receiver, Andre Simmons, who could very well be that field stretcher and pass grabber to greatly aid the Buffs' offense, giving it an outside explosive presence to go with the numerous possession receivers on the roster.

Coach Dan Hawkins has seen his trials in Boulder so this is a real positive. In Markques Simas ever decides that football is a priority, at least enough of one to get on the field during a game to show what all the hype was about, then CU might have the size and talent at the position they've lacked for a while.

Success often comes in small steps. Getting Simmons into CU was a small, but important step toward success.

One thing is for certain -- quarterbacks Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen just got a lot better today.