Clete, as in Cheat

Take it back to the peoples, leanin gettin rec room punch
We in them authentic alley switchin joints…

PROPS and DROPS from the Buffs' crazy loss to the ISU Cyclones and the Broncos impressive victory over the Chiefs this weekend:

***DROPS: The officials in Ames completely caused the end of the CU game to be a complete clusterfuck. For those who don’t have Fox Soccer Channel and didn't get to watch the game, here’s the quick review:

-The Buffs had the ball on the ISU 34 with a 3rd and 2, no timeouts, about 20 seconds on the clock, down by 3 points. The play is run with a one yard pass and the TE didn’t get out of bounds. Chaos. The Buffs go Jason Elam and run on the field, the umpire sets the ball on the hash. Long snapper Justin Drescher snaps the ball with about 2 seconds left, and Broomfield kicker Kevin Eberhardt drills it through. The refs get together and conclude the Buffs should be assessed a ‘delay of game’ penalty because they snapped the ball ‘before the ref said they were allowed to.’ They put one second on the clock and said the clock will start on the ref’s signal. Buffs line up, and dill a 55 yarder this time. Refs get together again and this time say the Buffs’ didn’t snap the ball soon enough, that the game is over, Buffs lose 31-28. (READ the Boulder Daily Camera piece here)

Yes, this is a football game, not the 1972 USA-USSR Olympic hoops’ final. Before everyone spouts that, “well they shouldn’t have been in that position,” well, get over it, they WERE in that position, so let’s focus on that. It is particularly frustrating for us who have seen the Donks rush on the field twice to make that same type of kick, and witness the Colts do the same thing. Others have said a delay of game penalty is a dead ball foul and therefore the clock starts ON the snap. How about if the game clock had expired on the second kick, why was there no whistle blown while the kick is in the air to signify the game is over?

The refs screwed the end of the game up like they were awarding a fifth down or like some left fielder not touching the plate.

(Note: The referee, Clete Blakeman, is a former nebraska QB. Not saying he’d have it out for CU, but that’s what I’m saying.)

***PROPS: Brandon Marshall is emerging as a star for the Broncos offense. In the Chiefs game, he made the hard catches (especially on high Cutler throws) and ran impressively after the catch. He sheer size is beginning to make match up problems, and if Javon Walker ever returns, the Donks could be a real threat from beyond 15 yards anytime they are on the field.

***DROPS: Adam Vinatieri is arguably the best kicker in NFL history, winning Super Bowls, hitting clutch kicks, hauling in the highest kicker salary. That is why his 29 yard miss in versus the Chargers last night is so harder to swallow than a Lemonhead dousing in Budweiser. Broncos need all the help they can get in the mediocre putrid AFC West, and Vinatieri was just one kick away from putting the Donks in first place.

***PROPS: The Broncos secondary came out very stout at Arrowhead. Hazma Abudullah continues to impress at the safety position (maybe he is Lynch’s successor?) Although Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard don’t remind anyone of Joe Montana, the backs were in the receivers’ face all day, hitting hard when catches were made and took out former Bronco weenie Eddie Kennison. The good coverage helped the young Bronco front to get to the statue-esqe QBs and further pressure them.

***DROPS: With the Buffs up 21-0 early in the 3rd quarter, gambling Dan Hawkins decided to go for a 4th and 1 on his own 43 yard line. The run play was stopped, and ISU proceeded to score 31 straight points. I have no problem with Hawkins going for it, and the whole “momentum” changing thing on that play is out of proportion. The problem was the play call: a misdirection to 4th string tailback Demetrius Sumler. One, Sumler hadn’t played all game. Two, why waste any time to let a misdirection develop? Three, Sumler is the biggest back, but Hugh Charles had been running strong all game. Yes, Sumler is the “big back,” so why not just pound him up the middle? Why not let the more elusive Charles run up the guy where it is harder for the defense to see the smaller back?

***PROPS: Selvin Young has everything Travis Henry has, minus the dozen kids, the multimillion dollar salary, and the NFL breathing down his back. The undrafted rook looked completely at home yesterday running behing Denver’s still-pacthwork line. He showed he could hit the hole hard, get into the secondary, and he knew not to dance around like an idiot (ala Priest Holmes) when nothing is there and just take a 1-2 yard gain. Dare I say, dare I say, he looked like a young Terrell Davis out there yesterday. Blasphemy! Yes, it is, but running for 100 at Arrowhead and I’ll say he looked like Jim Brown.