CU's offensive line takes positive steps toward lofty goal

B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 4, 2007 at midnight

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BOULDER - Consider the bar raised. In fact, consider it maxed out.

The NCAA doesn't keep statistics, per se, on this kind of thing, but the University of Colorado's offensive line is pushing to be the toughest up-front bunch in the nation.

How to measure meanness? It's not that complicated: by the offensive output and how redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins holds up for the long run.

After one game, CU's front-end loaders and their coach believe they were fairly successful in accounting for themselves and keeping Hawkins out of harm's way.

"I think we came out strong but had some technique issues in the second half," senior left tackle Tyler Polumbus said in critiquing his unit's play during CU's 31-28 overtime victory against Colorado State. "If it was our third game, I know (coach Jeff Grimes) wouldn't be happy, but it was the first. We've got a long way to go to reach our goal of being the toughest group in the nation; we need to be finishing more guys on the ground. And he's made a pretty big point about that."

Grimes, also CU's running game coordinator, said his group fared "pretty well" in line-of-scrimmage communication and pass protection, but he will be looking for running-game improvement when the Buffaloes play Saturday at Arizona State (8:15 p.m. MDT, FSN Rocky Mountain).

Of CU's 330 yards in total offense against CSU, 129 were on the ground, with 60 of that total gained in the second half. Starting tailback Hugh Charles (strained hamstring) was lost in the first quarter and remains day to day.

Hawkins was sacked once in the second quarter, and he came away complimenting "the way my guys took care of me. . . . They overcame a lot; a lot of guys were getting dinged up (and) you could tell some guys were hurting.

"But they toughed it out, persevered and stuck together for us."

Grimes' five starting interior linemen - Polumbus and Edwin Harrison at tackles, Wes Palazzi and Devin Head at guard, and Daniel Sanders at center - played every snap.

Hawkins attributes some of that endurance to only six linemen being available during spring practice, when scrimmaging was limited by the line's meager body count.

"Those linemen got used to going all the time," Hawkins said. "They became a really cohesive unit, got used to playing with each other and playing tough."

Realistically, Grimes knows his "Iron Five" can't play every snap. The master plan is to redshirt as many of his eight true freshmen as possible, but two, Kai Maiava and Ryan Miller, continue to push for playing time.

"A lot of times people get the impression that you've got to make a decision on those guys at the beginning of the year," Grimes said. "Given injuries, how certain guys are playing and the growth of those young kids, that could change a lot - even by the time we get to conference.

"And there are a couple of guys pushing who could be close to be playing in the next week or two. We'll see how they develop and how the (overall) health holds up."

ETC.: Asked to grade his debut, Hawkins said, "Right now, the only grade I know I got was a 'W,' and that's all I really want." . . . Coach Dan Hawkins said his son's first game would be "average if he was a junior or senior, but the bottom line is, you have to play. There's the intangibles of being a winner and making plays, and he did that.'' . . . Dan Hawkins said the Buffs are "miles ahead of where we were last year. We spent a tough year pouring concrete, putting a foundation in."

brooksb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5466

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