2002 Statistics

WON 34-14

written by Ryan Hockensmith

Barnett's most gaping hole is at quarterback, where Craig Ochs transferred to Montana and senior Robert Hodge departs. That leaves the job to top candidates James Cox and Joel Klatt. Cox, an athletic redshirt freshman, is an elusive pocket presence who can make short to intermediate throws and has the legs to scamper. Klatt, a true freshman walk-on who threw for a whopping three 2002 incompletions, figures to be his main competition. The worldly 21-year-old has a strong, accurate arm, one the former 11th-round draft pick used for two years as a third baseman in the San Diego Padres' farm system. He adds leadership quickly, if a starter. Both Cox and Klatt should split snaps in spring, with Klatt possibly holding a slight advantage. Neither will be expected to win games so much as monitor them, like Craig Krenzel masterfully did for Ohio State. But they'll get competition from three wild cards. Eric Greenberg returns this season after a two-year Mormon mission to Bolivia, and recruits Bernard Jackson and Brian White aren't established quantities. Depth is an understatement at QB, huh. Development is another story.

The new quarterback will rely on a solid ground attack that finished 9th in I-A with 230-plus yards-per-game, most of which came from not-to-be-too-missed work-horse Chris Brown. With talented but smaller backs returning, look for the Buffs' rushing offense to be more finesse than the bulldozing backfields of the recent past.

Senior Bobby Purify spelled Brown and racked up 739 yards (5.6 yards per carry) on the ground, and the slender 6'0" 200-pound slasher is a dangerous receiver. But Purify won't be a one-man backfield. True freshman Brian Calhoun got thrown into the fire late when Brown and Purify were dinged up. Calhoun looked fantastic in gutting Oklahoma and Nebraska for a combined 259 yards on 40 carries. He has 10.5 100-meter jets and can make the first guy miss. Even with a healthy Purify, Calhoun is too good to sit - he'll get his touches. Depth is again the word at hand.

There is a wild card whom could be that next stellar third-string back. Barnett is enamored with 18-year-old, 220-pounder Daniel Jolly, a scouting combine marvel who Barnett says will play this season. The nimble martial arts black belt has a 4.48 40-yard dash speed, 340-pound bench press and a 35-inch vertical leap. He should be a welcome change-of-pace from the smallish Purify (200 pounds) and Calhoun (185) and good for short-yardage situations.

Sophomore FB Lawrence Vickers, a converted tailback with good speed, might be a better running threat than the last FB, but he'll be hard-pressed to open up lanes as deep into the secondary as Drumm did.

At wideout, senior Derek McCoy is the top, and practically only, option. McCoy led Colorado in receiving categories, and can stretch a defense (15.7 yards per catch). But with a rookie quarterback, deep backfield and nobody else to break up double coverage, he'll be lucky to get to those numbers again. Other starting candidates include senior wideouts D.J. Hackett and John Donahoe, or junior Oregon State transfer Ron Monteilh.

Massive senior tight end Quinn Sypniewski looks good on paper (6'7", 250 pounds) but he'll be a block-first, catch-one-pass every-other-game option. Olympic skier and special teams sparkplug Jeremy Bloom would have been in the mix for increased offensive snaps, but he probably won't be back. Expect Purify to finish second in receiving as play-action and swing passes will pepper the game plan..

Even with that stable of backs, running the ball might be tougher than in past years. Three senior offensive line starters are gone. Senior Marwan Hage, a 6'3" 295-pound emotional backbone, will anchor the line from his guard position. He'll pace a starting group from veteran candidates Karl Allis, Gary Moore, Clint O'Neal, Derek Stemrich, Drew Shader and Clint Werth. But those six players combined for just 130 snaps last season, and the last three will miss spring practice after major off-season surgeries. Parade All-American Brian Daniels (6'5", 280 pounds) was a top-25 interior linemen recruit and Barnett says he's so advanced he could see playing time this season. With the devastated depth chart and inexperience along the line, Daniels is a good bet to see major snaps and be a core around which to build. Fellow fresh Edwin Harrison, a 6'5" 300-pounder who produces more pancakes than Emeril (70 dominant blocks as a prep senior), will play if needed. Bottom line is, Barnett's rebuilt an offensive line before. He has the pieces to put together an above-average group in 2003.

TB Bobby Purify

written by Ryan Hockensmith

Defensive backs Medford Moorer, Clyde Surrell, J.J. Billingsley, Phil Jackson and Brian Iwuh are back, so Colorado should be good against the pass. Moorer will start at free safety again and provide valuable help in the box for an undersized defensive front. The 6'2" 195-pounder has big-play ability (four INTs, two TDs), height so bigger receivers cannot out-size him, the physicality of a nose guard, and the instincts of a linebacker (107 tackles). Moorer will be the defensive spine of this team, but he'll have familiar faces, plus a few dynamic newcomers, surrounding him.

Cornerback Surrell returns opposite fellow probable starter Jackson for a pair of solid corners. Surrell is a smallish-5'10", 180 pounds, and Jackson goes 6'1", 190 - but both are good in coverage and capable of making big plays. Billingsley, a Sporting News all-freshman selection at safety, finished with signs he will develop even further in 2003. A standout hurdler and hoopster in high school, Billingsley is a future star. Colorado utilized five DBs most of 2002, even sometimes going with only one linebacker, with frosh Iwuh effectively playing the nickel back spot at times. Against teams that spread it out and throw the ball more (i.e., Texas Tech), expect the same this year. All five likely starters are dangerous blitzers, with instincts individually as well as in the group, which gives ample options for additional backfield pressure.

Gem recruits Lorenzo Sims (cornerback), and safeties Chris Russell and Dominique Brooks also could contribute. All are sub-4.5 40-yard dash guys and will provide excellent depth, if necessary, and the foundation for a top-tier secondary for years to come. Barnett is sure to rotate them in for this seasoning. Growing pains early will be fruitful by 2003's end.

Any and all backfield presence the secondary can provide will be welcomed by an undersized front seven. Heart-and-soul defensive tackle Tyler Brayton is gone, taking the crew's veteran leadership with him. Tower Sam Wilder, a 6'5" 265-pound converted defensive end, will start at one tackle spot a year after posting 10 TFLs. His interior cohort will come from the trio of DeAndre Fluellen, Brandon Dabdoub and Matt McChesney. Fluellen dropped 20 pounds last year, yet maintained a team-best 475-pound bench press and played 301 snaps in 2002. He's the favorite, but Dabdoub, second-best on the team with a 445-pound bench, pushed him last spring and summer, and probably will probably improve on last year's 184 plays to help keep the Buffalo line fresh. Junior McChesney, coming off a redshirt year, is the X Factor. His 6'4", 280-pound frame ought to be a nice space-eater in the middle, but he's versatile enough to play defensive end, too. Lining him up unpredictably will bode well for penetrating success(es). JUCO transfers John Guydon and McKenzie Tilmon will push everyone and make this position's competitive nature a plus.

On the perimeter, Barnett has bookend returning starters Marques Harris and Gabe Nyenhuis. Harris stands only 6'2", 230 pounds, but plays much larger. The former prep state champion wrestler is so versatile (how versatile is he?)… Colorado tinkered with him at outside linebacker last spring, and Harris played nickel back as a frosh. Nyenhuis, a 6'4", 260-pound physical specimen, won Colorado's speed-strength and conditioning championship for the entire team last spring, but he hasn't yet translated all his athletic ability onto the football field (four sacks last season). He should be dangerous off the edge in 2003, though. Sophomore James Garee's abilities have also been slow in developing.

Linebacker Sean Tufts will be relied upon to have a bounce-back year and pace the second tier of Colorado's defense. A high ankle sprain put Tufts on the sideline for the first half of 2002, but he returned for the final six games and tallied 34 tackles. He has the ability to be a Butkus Award candidate. His flanks will come from a crowded pack of sophomores Chris Hollis, Andrew Ward and Akarika Dawn, redshirt frosh Thaddaeus Washington and incoming recruit Travis Berry. Injuries forced back ups Chris Hollis, Andrew Ward and Akarika Dawn into action last year, but the three played only 69 combined snaps. Depth here is inexperienced and, if injuries prevail, could be an Achilles' heel for this squad.

DE Marques Harris