CU report: Homework on Buffs' plate

By B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 8, 2008 at 4:35 p.m.

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Photo by Jeff Gentner / Associated Press

Versatile West Virginia quarterback Pat White is playing under a new coach in Bill Stewart, and a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Mullen.

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With 10 days before No. 25 West Virginia visits Folsom Field, the Colorado Buffaloes are trying to zero in on the offensive changes wrought by the personnel changes in the Mountaineers' coaching staff.

Where to start?

On a recruiting trip in the spring to Florida, secondary coach Greg Brown had a chance meeting with South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, whose team beat West Virginia in 2006 and 2007 in Big East Conference play.

But Brown, a longtime friend of Leavitt, says that meeting might not have paid the dividends originally hoped for.

When former Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan, he took offensive coordinator Calvin Magee with him.

Rodriguez's successor, Bill Stewart, hired Jeff Mullen from Wake Forest as West Virginia's new offensive coordinator, leaving Brown and the Buffs waiting until the 2008 season started to see how Mullen utilized quarterback Pat White, tailback Noel Devine and the Mountaineers' other skill players.

"Schematically, we don't know how much (of the former offense) applies now," Brown said Monday. "One thing that plays a part in it is how comfortable (White) is in a totally new system. What was his input? Did he say, 'I want to keep this, this and this'? There's no way of knowing."

But Brown is certain of White and Devine's ability, comparing White's athleticism to former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and noting Devine's perimeter speed made his high school highlight reel "look like a video game."

West Virginia's spread frequently uses White in an empty backfield, daring defenses to employ an extra man as a run stopper.

"Then, if you're honoring the run, he'll throw behind you," Brown said, adding the Mountaineers favor "choice routes" - routes that allow White and his receivers to react to the defense.

Mullen, a quarterbacks coach for five seasons at Wake Forest but a first-time offensive coordinator, apparently wants to expand West Virginia's offense enough to prevent defenses such as South Florida's or Pittsburgh's, which stuffed the Mountaineers 13-9 in one of the bigger upsets last season, from rendering it one-dimensional.

CU's defensive coaches will take what they can from East Carolina's 24-3 win against West Virginia on Saturday, as will Stewart, who told The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette, "What I want to get back to is that belly option, where Pat can read it, pull it or pitch it. We need to do more of that, and that's what we're going to work on very, very hard this week. The (zone read for White) has not been too bad, but the belly option is what we're lacking."

Just one more thing for CU to ponder.

Brown honored

Buffs cornerback Cha'pelle Brown, whose 27-yard interception for a touchdown with 1:44 to play helped lift CU to its 31-24 win against Eastern Washington, was chosen the Big 12 Conference's co-defensive player of the week.

Brown, a junior from La Puente, Calif., also made six solo tackles, including two third-down stops, and broke up two passes. He is the first CU player to be honored by the Big 12 this season.

Brown shared the weekly honor with Kansas State junior defensive back Courtney Herndon, who returned a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown, blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown and intercepted a pass that set up another score in the Wildcats' 69-10 rout of Montana State.

CU coach Dan Hawkins said Brown, in addition to having "good ball skills," has "always been a tough, smart player - people underestimate him."

Back to work

Given Monday off, the Buffs will resume work today through Friday, take Saturday off and start game-week preparations Sunday. Hawkins said the extended preparation time for the Mountaineers would focus on "cleaning up little things. We're so young, different issues crop up. But they're battling, and their attitude is good."

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