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Lincicome: Chapter and curse: Buffs' nightmare over

Published December 28, 2005 at midnight

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ORLANDO, Fla. - Turn the page.

Of all the things Colorado's bowl obligation was - bad football, shoe wipe, wave goodbye, grim duty, step up from recent humiliation, fourth defeat in a row - it was mostly and blessedly over, the last line in a bleak epitaph.

The Clemson folks, overwhelming the place with their huge numbers and their loud dress, sang their sons off the field of the Citrus Bowl as if something essential had happened, and so it had to a college community free of angst and censure.

Clemson got to play a football game while Colorado had to stumble around the baggage of disorder, with temporary coaches, an overwhelmed and inexperienced quarterback, with a team depleted in numbers and approval.

To be, then, within one stop of possibly winning, Colorado was clearly outkicking its coverage.

"I think the players should be able to hold their heads high," said provisional coach Mike Hankwitz. "It wasn't a win. It wasn't what we came to do, but it's hard to explain all the distractions and all the turmoil and all the things that have happened and the effect it could have on these kids. For them to come and play like they did, I'm extremely proud of them."

Hankwitz can send his warm wishes by mail since he and most of the residue of Gary Barnett's staff will be next admiring someone else's kids.

As a final punctuation mark for the Barnett Era, this loss counts against Barnett, and not Hankwitz. But, still, against Colorado.

And where the Buffs go from here? To repeat the notion of stand-in quarterback James Cox, "I can't wait to see what happens."

Eager optimism may not be the first thing to take away from a 19-10 drubbing by Clemson, worse than the score but in light of what Texas, another team in orange, did to the Buffs, practically a skip in the park.

Certainly for Cox, this was not the audition for what happens next that he might have wished for. And evidence of what Hankwitz sees as a bright and promising tomorrow - the team's, not his own - must be taken on faith.

For most of an unhappy evening, Colorado looked like a team traumatized by life, which it, no need to remind, certainly has been. With three first downs and 38 yards of offense through three quarters, what there was to admire was the Buffs' ability to take more slaps in the face without just leaving.

It seemed, to anyone trying to be generous, that Colorado was trying some devilishly clever recruiting ploy. Any high school player considering his chance of playing college ball soon had only to look at the Buffs to be convinced every job is open.

As Hankwitz tried to sum up later, the good things that happened, he settled on punting and lack of turnovers. He could have added a blocked punt and a blocked extra point. From such small blessings, Colorado will need to grow.

"This is bittersweet moment," Hankwitz said. "I was extremely proud of our team, the way they fought in the most difficult situation, amidst all the distractions, all the things that happened."

Hankwitz spoke wistfully and in the past tense when he spoke of a future that will be under the direction of Dan Hawkins, as soon as Hawkins dusts off his own obligations in Boise.

But, for what it is worth, Hankwitz promises a first-rate defense next season and a better offense, not that Hawkins has to be measured against that pledge.

The defense is back pretty much intact, and the offense can not be as bad as it was for three quarters Tuesday night nor for the games against Nebraska and Texas. Hankwitz promises there are actual wide receivers coming out of the pile for next season.

When quarterback Brad White came off the bench to get Colorado's only touchdown, a pass to tight end Quinn Sypniewski, it was the first touchdown the Buffs had scored in 14 quarters.

White's performance can be taken as encouraging, and one has to wonder if these coaches were really committed to next season, instead of as they must be, to their next jobs, would they not have started the quarterback who most probably will be the quarterback next season?

Loyalty to Cox, or to Barnett, or merely a nod to indifference, gave the Colorado offense the dynamism of lawn furniture until White came into the game with 9 minutes to play.

But blaming Hankwitz or Barnett's loitering caretakers for bad judgment is merely piling on, when the best thing for what happens next in Boulder would have been for Hawkins to be in Orlando, not in Idaho, with as many of his staff as he could get here.

But all that's over now. That book is closed. And none too soon.