Big opportunity for Buffaloes

No. 3 Oklahoma is highest-ranked team in Hawkins' tenure

B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 28, 2007 at midnight

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BOULDER - To say they have been counting the days until this rematch would be a stretch; to say the University of Colorado football team has anticipated it would not be.

A season after losing 24-3 in Norman, Okla., the Buffaloes - contrary to the opinion of oddsmakers - believe they are better equipped on several fronts to confront Oklahoma.

The chance to prove it arrives Saturday (11:30 a.m., Folsom Field, FSN Rocky Mountain). And it is a chance never before offered to a Dan Hawkins-coached team; the No. 3 Sooners will be the highest-ranked opponent he has prepared a team to face.

"They are really good," Hawkins said of an opponent confidently perched in the top 10 in six NCAA Division I-A statistical categories, including first in scoring (61.5 points a game).

Continued Hawkins: "There are no real weaknesses; they can throw it, they can run it, they are big up front, they've got speed, they have receivers, running backs. Same thing on defense - big and fast. . . . They are a very complete football team."

Others think so, too.

After watching his Conference USA team succumb 62-21 last week, Tulsa coach Todd Graham said Oklahoma "is in a different league" - and he was referring to something on a plane above the Big 12 Conference.

"We tried to blitz the quarterback early and make some things happen and, you know, you kind of roll the dice because the two wideouts are so good," Graham said. "We bracketed, double covered, (Malcolm) Kelly early, and then they went to (Joaquin) Iglesias. Then we balanced it back up and they went back to Kelly.

"The biggest matchup we had was their wide receivers one-on-one with our corners. . . . When you blitz, you have to play one-on-one coverage, (and) when you're playing a team of that caliber with that type of athletes, it really accentuates your mistakes."

Kelly (17 catches, 349 yards, seven touchdowns) and Iglesias (27 catches, 444 yards, two touchdowns) will be the best pair of receivers the Buffs have faced this season.

CU's best cover corner is Terrence Wheatley, who leads the Big 12 in passes defended (seven) and is tied with six other players for the interception lead (two).

But CU defensive coordinator Ron Collins says Wheatley won't be "singled up" on either Oklahoma receiver.

Instead, the Buffs will continue to play "sides," with Wheatley primarily on the left and Benjamin Burney on the right.

"I've expected teams to come at me more than they would at 'T-Wheat,' " Burney said. "But as the season's gone along, it's kind of evened out, for whatever reason."

Still acclimating to a new coach, new coordinators and new scheme, the Buffs went into last season's game against the Sooners "with two base (defense) calls," Collins said. "We'll have more this time, and we understand more of what we're doing."

Plus, CU figures to not be as limited offensively this time. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops recognizes the upgrade redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins has brought to the offense.

"There's more (for the Sooners) to deal with," Stoops said. "There's good balance in what they're doing (and) their defense is one of the better ones we played last year. They're a solid football team."

Or at least they're trying to be.

Beating a ranked team would be a start. CU hasn't done that in five seasons (14-game losing streak), with the most recent win over a Top 25 team coming Nov. 8, 2003, against Missouri.

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