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KRIEGER: Hawkins' family tree blossoming for Buffs

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 1, 2008 at 12:31 a.m.

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Josh Smith and Cody Hawkins celebrate after Smith ran a kickoff back for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Photo by Brian Lehmann © The Rocky

Josh Smith and Cody Hawkins celebrate after Smith ran a kickoff back for a touchdown during the second quarter.

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Even when the Colorado Buffaloes weren't very good, Dan Hawkins' postgame rants were must-see TV.

When his son, Cody, started playing as a redshirt freshman last year, the Buffs still weren't exactly a juggernaut, but the postgames got even better. If calculation and regimentation are what you expect from football families, this one will throw you a bit.

Which brings us to Sunday night, when the elder Hawkins, carrying a record of 8-17 into his third season with the Buffs, delivered CU's most convincing victory over in-state rival Colorado State since 2001. You might have expected a note of vindication, an "I told you so" or two.

Instead, we got the younger Hawkins making fun of himself, as he often does. Somebody asked if he was now a running back, having rushed for two of CU's five touchdowns.

"Not a running back," Cody Hawkins said. "I think everyone who was watching can tell that."

His inquisitor persisted: But did you enjoy it?

"I really enjoyed it," he said. "I get to look unathletic in front of millions of people."

This might have slightly exaggerated the TV ratings for a rivalry without much appeal outside Colorado's borders, but it was classic Cody Hawkins. The kid's level-headedness at 20 tells you something not only about CU's first football family but also about the Buffs' chances of beginning to fulfill the promise his father brought from a superior program at Boise State.

Anyway, the kid, who is often criticized as a small quarterback for being unable to make plays with his feet, ended up blaming his genes. I asked if that was his father's fault.

He went through his whole family, complementing the athleticism of every member. "It's my fault, it's my fault," he finally confessed, as if breaking down.

"I can tell you one thing," the elder Hawkins said without prompting when he followed his son to the podium. "His old man would not have got stopped that short of the goal line" - he held his hands about eight inches apart - "bad genes and all."

On the first possession of the second half, the younger Hawkins had supervised an eight-play, 45-yard touchdown drive that put CU up 14. When he tried to run it in from the 8-yard line, he was stopped just short of the goal line. He carried it in on the next play.

Beyond the healthy tone set by the head coach and his son, the 5-foot-11 quarterback Â? 5-11 and a half, Cody insists - the Buffs are beginning to show off the sort of talent the elder Hawkins' recruiting record suggested when he first arrived.

Sophomore wideout Josh Smith, returning kickoffs for the first time, delivered a 93-yard touchdown return, watched CSU respond with a 90-yard touchdown return on the next play, then almost took another to the house to start the third quarter.

"I wanted to be electrified on that kick," Smith said on the field afterward. "Once I hit the seam, I wanted to go outside but it sort of seemed like the kicker had a head start on me and I never want to get tackled by the kicker so I went ahead and took an early cut, a lot earlier than I should have. I should have baited him a little bit more to the sideline, but you know, it's my first year playing kickoff return ever in my life and I'm getting a really good handle on how to make a good game of the kickoff return."

Then there was his nephew, the highly-touted tailback recruit Darrell Scott, who carried only once in the first half, but ended up with 11 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown.

"I can't even describe it," he said. "When I first came out here, it was half full for our warm-ups. And then the second time we came out here it was full, they were shouting, 'Darrell, let's go,' this, that and the other. Me and my uncle had a little prayer before the game and just came out here and tried to represent."

For CSU, the opener was not nearly as encouraging. Even when his program was slipping the last several years, Sonny Lubick always managed to keep this one close. For a guy with an NFL offensive coordinator's pedigree, new CSU head coach Steve Fairchild ran a remarkably prosaic offense.

For CU, the question is whether Hawkins' rebuilding program is still too young for great expectations.

"I always have great expectations," he said. "I don't know why you would ever have the bar low. We've had some unbelievable young teams in the past," he added, referring to his career prior to CU.

"I think we can get exponentially better each week . . . If you win your first game, typically you're going to win 70 percent of your games."

Seventy percent of 12 is 8.4, which is at least one more win that most observers expect from CU, and at least two if you round up.

Whether the Buffs are ready for that remains to be seen. But we already know they're likely to keep their heads about them along the way. Somebody asked the younger Hawkins about his lone interception on the evening. He looked shocked.

"I don't know if you guys saw my sweet tackle right after that," he said.

Comments

  • September 1, 2008

    12:44 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    R8R_H8R writes:

    8-17? That is not very good. But the program is headed in the right direction. Many fans will be impatient at the end of this year and call for a change because they're gonna lose at least half their games, but that will be wrong. Coach Hawkins is building a program and, even though I expect them to get beaten pretty bad with the schedule they have this year, and where they're at right now as a team, I think they will compete for the Big 12 North title next year. And by Coach Hawkins 5th season, I expect them to contend for the Big 12 Title and go to some top knotch Bowl Games. Be PATIENT peeps! Hawkins & Hawkins are capable of doing great things.

  • September 1, 2008

    3:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    buffben writes:

    its 8-4 not 8-17. If we finish at an 8-4 record we will be ranked in the top 20, considering our schedule. This team looked very strong. I am excited to see how our team matches up with west virginia. If we make it close, then we could have ourselves a better team than expected.