It's a Holliday homecoming

CU tailback passed over by Nebraska out to make a point

B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 23, 2006 at midnight

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BOULDER - If he is as sharp and well-grounded as Darian Hagan believes he is, Mell Holliday will pay close attention during the next couple of days to his position coach.

Holliday, a senior tailback at the University of Colorado, is anticipating a family reunion/homecoming/ watch party of sorts Friday in Lincoln, where the Buffaloes play No. 23 Nebraska.

After a high school football career in Omaha, Holliday tried unsuccessfully to walk on with the Cornhuskers but wound up playing at Wayne State before finally settling at CU last year.

An eligibility problem cost him the 2005 season, making this season his last. Friday marks his only trip to Lincoln in a Buffs uniform. Family and friends - 34 by Hagan's count - will be in Memorial Stadium to watch and wish Holliday well.

Forgive Hagan for flashing back to a similar scene in 1990, when CU played Tennessee in the Pigskin Classic in Los Angeles - Hagan's hometown.

"I'll never forget that," he said, recalling the family members and neighborhood buddies who arrived in newly minted CU/Hagan T-shirts. "I'm trying to show out for the boys I hung with in the summer. They get there expecting good things from you, too."

A disappointing time was had by all - at least for a half. Pumped to put on a show, Hagan flopped in the first half of the 31-31 tie.

"I played outside the scheme of things and I was horrible," Hagan said. "I've got to have that talk with (Holliday), and I'm expecting him to listen."

Chances are, he will. On the heels of Holliday's most productive day in Division I-A football - 126 yards in a 33-16 win against Iowa State on Nov. 11 - Hagan believes "everything just hit him all at once . . . he ran with passion."

Everything? His last home game, the uncertainty of whether he'll ever play football again, the Buffs being mired in a two-win season.

"Guys in the locker room said he was in there 'focused up,' " said Hagan, advising other players "to take note of his determination. Everybody needs to be like that every day."

Holliday expects the momentum gained from the Iowa State win to push the Buffs into Lincoln.

"It did build us some confidence," he said. "I think we've been good through the whole season; we just have to put it all together in one game. Unfortunately, we've just had two (wins) where we put it together for four quarters."

Of CU's season-best 463 yards in total offense against the Cyclones, 263 were gained on the ground. Holliday credited a "fast start" by the entire offense, particularly the line, for the productivity that opened a 20-7 halftime lead.

"That pumped everybody up and gave everybody confidence," Holliday said. "We just exploded and went for it."

In addition to having family and friends in the stands, Holliday will meet a relative on the field. He and Nebraska starting safety Tierre Green are cousins.

Holliday also knows another handful of Cornhuskers, including starting cornerback Cortney Grixby, who, like Green, is a junior from Omaha.

With Nebraska already having won the Big 12 Conference North Division and CU seeking only its third overall win, the game isn't as pivotal as in years past in the league standings.

But don't tell Holliday any of the luster is missing.

"Oh, yeah, it's big," he said. "We've even had more seniors stepping up and voicing their opinions about some things. It's still a big game, and we're going on a business trip this time."

To Hagan, Holliday still "has a lot to prove. (Nebraska) didn't give him an opportunity, didn't feel he was good enough. He comes here and is playing his butt off and doing some good things."

One opportunity remains to do something even better.

ETC.: Practices last week and this "went OK," coach Dan Hawkins said. "We practiced hard, got some guys healed up and had plenty of time to game plan. But the litmus test is what happens in the game, our response." . . . Former Buffs receiver Michael Westbrook addressed the team after practice Tuesday. He was the only former player to speak to the Buffs during Nebraska week this season . . . Hawkins said he isn't eager to see this season end. "I've had people ask me that," he said. "I've never been like that, never. You embrace every day; tomorrow is going to come soon enough. Every day, you try to get things done, make progress. I hope the tack we've taken over the year sows seeds for guys to go, 'Winning and losing count, but you've got to strap it on every day, regardless.' " . . . CU will have a final walk-through this morning, eat Thanksgiving dinner at 11 a.m., then board buses for the Nebraska trip at noon. The Buffs don't plan to practice in Memorial Stadium today.

brooksb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5466

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