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The University of Colorado comes into the season in unfamiliar territory. No longer a part of the Big 12, the Buffalos of Boulder are facing a new challenge, being a part of the newly formed Pac 12. One of the two new additions, Colorado faces the challenge of relocation into a new conference, albeit a weaker one than their previous home the Big 12. A humbling 3-9 season, including 2-6 in the conference last year, leaves the Buffalos hoping for a new opportunity in the upcoming seasons. Their schedule will include familiar Big 12 teams this season, but after this they will have fully relocated and play the likes of the Trojans, Ducks, Beavers, and Cardinals.
The Warriors from the University of Hawaii have struggled to
get back to peak form after a great run in the 2007 season.
Finishing 7-7 and 6-7 the previous two seasons, the Warriors know
that they must perform better and rise above the mediocrity that
has plagued them recently after losing former head coach June
Jones. Former defensive coordinator and current head coach Greg
Mcmackin has his hands full this season with a difficult schedule
that includes the Trojans, Boise St., Fresno St., and Nevada, all
of which posted better records than Hawaii last year.
Coming into the September 18th matchup, both the Buffalos
and Warriors face higher expectations. Coach Dan Hawkins of
Colorado has struggled in his four seasons as head coach posting a
poor record of 16 wins and 33 losses. His rope is much shorter than
before and needs his players and team to perform at a much higher
level if they want to compete and make some noise in the Pac 10.
Meanwhile the Warriors need to find the consistency to play in bowl
games once again. A late loss last season to Wisconsin shot down
any hopes of a bowl berth against SMU and coach June Jones in the
Hawaii Bowl, ending the season on a very sour note.
There is hope for the Buffalo though, as their first home
game of the season will come against the Warriors. Returning are
junior quarterback Tyler Hansen, who threw for 8 touchdowns and
1440 yards last season after replacing Cody Hawkins as the starting
quarterback, as well as junior tailback Rodney Stewart, who rushed
for 9 touchdowns and 804 yards without a fumble. There is no doubt
they will play better and learn from previous experience how to
play in close games. On the other side of the ball, the
team’s defense which allowed 28.8 points per game will also
have some returning players who hope to be able to take a little
pressure off of the offense. Games against the Sooners,
Cornhuskers, and Jayhawks will be the tests to show their
improvement from the previous season, while the game on September
18th against the Warriors will be a competitive match up to get
them ready.
For Hawaii, their biggest challenge comes from within. The
schedule they have is a bit difficult but not too much harder than
previous seasons, so they will know what to expect. Junior
quarterback Bryant Moniz who threw for 14 touchdowns and 2,396
yards will have another season under his belt and come back more
seasoned for a run at redemption. Not alone, Moniz will have star
wide receiver Greg Salas entering his senior season. Salas finished
last year with 8 touchdowns and 1,590 yards which was third best in
the nation. Hawaii will no doubt be better on the offensive end, an
off year where they put up 22.8 points a game, while allowing
nearly 30 points per game on the defensive end. If the Warriors
want to improve they will need to commit to the defensive end,
something head coach Greg McMackin should know plenty about.
Both schools are in need of a strong rebound season, both
capable of achieving their goal. While no one expects either school
to contend for a BCS bid, the expectations are high enough to
capture the interest of many college football fans across the
country. The Warriors and Buffalos will have a lot of questions to
answer going into the season, but once play starts, the teams will
stop all the talking and speculation and go out and do what they do
best, play football. Come September 18th, each school will have
played two games, looking towards a very competitive match up. Both
teams will need this game a potential launching pad to success and
will give it their all to do so. Tune in September 18th on Fox
College Sports to watch the University of Hawaii take on the
University of Colorado in Boulder.
