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.