Buffs Lay A Brick

PROPS and DROPS from the Buffs' season opening loss in Hawaii:

DROPS: Silly penalties, no offensive imagination, gimmicky pep talks, and crazy substitution patterns. Three hallmarks of the Dan Hawkins era/error in Buffland. But all three were front and center in the first half last night. Offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy looked like he was calling plays from the Stone Age and looked a bit overwhelmed early. Think about it, EB came from the Minnesota Vikings. Did the Brad Childress Vikings of the last few years remind anyone of the 1999 Rams on offense? That what the Buffs' play calling gave us in the first 5 minutes.

DROPS: The Buff offensive line was borderline manhandled. The pocket didn't simply collapse on Tyler Hansen, it disintegrated in an instant. And this is Hawaii, not Ohio State or USC, having their way with the OL, especially the left side of the ball. Ryan Dannewitz looked like he was lost out there. Buff coaches need to go camp out at the top OL prospects schools on Tuesday morning (which will be tought since the top OL in Colorado has already pledged to play for Auburn.)

DROPS: Embree made each player bring a brick to the game, this being a "brick game" to signify the building of the program. Now, do you check the brick in your luggage? Can you carry it on or will TSA get all pissy?

PROPS: Hawaii is like that dude you knew a few years back who was a happy-go-lucky dude who rocked a funky Suzuki Samurai, wore crazy flowered shirts, and had bleach blond hair. Then you see him recently and he has a shaved dome, a white t, and is covered with tats. He's "hard" now. The tattoo artists on Oahu have a built in clientele with the football team.

DROPS: The Buffs cut it to a TD lead with nearly the whole fourth quarter remaining and get teh ball back. The above mentioned OL gives up sacks to pin the Buffs back and the ball is kicked from the end zone. That series you have to get creative and the Buffs didn't. Paul Richardson (hands down the team's best player) end around, an option play, a trick play, anything to keep that momentum going.

PROPS: East Coast Buff fans: the game is still on at 1:30 in the morning and the commercials are for catheters. There can be an analogy there but it makes most of us shudder.

DROPS: To Tyler Hansen and his QB coaches the word "progressions" is from a 1960's social studies class. The Buff QB locked onto his first receiver all night, and it was mainly TE Ryan Deehan or freshman Tyler McCullough. Even Tim Tebow was scoffing.

DROPS: The defense had its moments with creative blitzes and a steady rush on Hawaii (LB Doug Rippy was all over the field.) But let's be real, that was a WAC team with a passing QB running up and down the field in the first half. Andrew Luck could set records against this defensive backfield. The Buff D Coaches disguised their lack of playmakers in the back with the LB and CB blitzes, but opponents will figure that out real quick.

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