- After upsetting visiting Kansas on Oct. 17, 34-30, the Buffs head to the road to play Kansas State Saturday. Hansen may have impressed fans with his first start of this season, but more wins are necessary if CU hopes to compete for the Big 12 Championship. (CU Independent/Lee Pruitt)
Don’t call Tyler Hansen a savior just yet. Even Hansen says he doesn’t want to be labeled as such.
“I have to get a couple of more wins and give our team a chance to get to the Big 12 [Conference] Championship Game,” the Colorado Buffaloes sophomore quarterback said.
The next step toward Arlington, Texas – the site of the Big 12 Championship Game pitting the Big 12 North and South division winners — comes Saturday at 10:30 a.m. MST in Manhattan, Kan., where CU will attempt to tame the Kansas State Wildcats.
In his first start of the season last weekend against the Kansas Jayhawks, who brought with them a sparkly-clean 5-0 record and the No. 17 ranking to Folsom Field, Hansen tossed and ran for a touchdown to help the Buffs shock KU 34-30.
While Hansen said the Buffs have improved, he said he believes more work certainly needs to be done.
“We’re taking some steps in the right direction,” Hansen said. “But it’s going to take some more wins.”
Both teams will look to make an early statement in the Big 12 North. KSU (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) is currently the division leader. Three other teams, including CU (2-4), are nipping at the Wildcats’ heels with 1-1 records in conference play.
“This is a big game,” Hansen said. “It’s going to be a battle.”
Hansen could be asked to go aerial a bit more against KSU as sophomore running back Darrell Scott is out with a knee injury.
CU head coach Dan Hawkins didn’t speak much about the extent of Scott’s injury.
“We just have to clean up some stuff,” Hawkins said.
According to www.cubuffs.com, Hawins said Scott could miss up to three weeks once he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday.
Sophomore running back Rodney Stewart, the Buffs’ leading rusher with 418 yards and five touchdowns, will look to offset Scott’s absence by heading the ground attack.
“I can definitely carry the load,” Stewart said. “That isn’t a problem.”
As far as Hansen is concerned, Hawkins said he expects “more good things.”
“He’s got a lot more experience,” Hawkins said. “He’s a lot more comfortable, so he’s a way different player than he was last year.”
The Buffs’ defense, which surrendered 806 rushing yards in its first four games, has allowed a mere 38 in its last two contests.
CU defenders will have their hands full against KSU junior running back Daniel Thomas, who ranks 17th in the nation in rushing with 669 yards. Thomas is a sure-handed ball carrier as he hasn’t put the ball on the turf all season.
Luckily for the Buffs, who were gashed for 401 passing yards by Jayhawks senior quarterback Todd Reesing, KSU hasn’t posed much of a passing threat.
Junior Carson Coffman and senior Grant Gregory have combined to throw five touchdowns. They have also been intercepted five times combined.
Hawkins said he wasn’t sure which quarterback would start, but “it really doesn’t matter.”
“They will probably play both of those guys,” Hawkins said.
CU limped past KSU last year 14-13. Hansen, who made his first collegiate appearance against KSU in 2008, said he is not looking past the Wildcats.
“You can never be less prepared,” Hansen said. “The more prepared you are, the better you will be on Saturdays.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alex K.W. Schultz at Alexander.schultz@colorado.edu.
It’s not too big of a deal that Scott’s out for a while. His only strength is his returns. And even then, he’s not good enough that it’ll be any of a loss. He had so much potential coming in, then he and Hawkins did absolutely nothing to ensure that he lived up to his potential. Hawk didn’t get him enough carries last year, effectively wasting a year of eligibility. Scott came in overweight, out of shape, and with an attitude. Now with this new injury, half of Scott’s eligibility has been wasted. What a way to handle the number 1 high school prospect of 2008. Way to go Scott and Hawkins