Team adjusts defense for remaining season
On a three-game winning streak, Colorado had up-tempo practices this week preparing for not only Kansas State University, but the second half of its season.
Tailback Hugh Charles, who had his third 100-yard rushing game against Baylor University on Oct. 6, said practice this week has been more fun.
“It’s always good to come out here, practice after a win the week before,” Charles said. “We’re on top of our game right now.”
While Charles said practice is fun, it does not mean the team is not taking practice seriously.
“It’s not going to get any easier from here,” Charles said. “We have six more games left, and we have just got to play our hearts out, and keep winning and keep getting victories.”
Quarterback Cody Hawkins said one thing the offense focused on this week in practice was adjusting to a defense that they have not played yet this year.
“Kansas State plays a defense, it’s a 3-4 defense with three down lineman and four linebackers,” Hawkins said. “We have not played a defense like that this year. And they are very aggressive, they get after a lot of people, and they really shut down the Texas offense.
“So I think for us it’s going to be big for us just to adapt to the 3-4 and try to get a good look from our scout team just so we’ll be more prepared on Saturday just to see a defense we haven’t seen before.”
Another thing the offense has taken into consideration is the playing environment in Manhattan, Kansas. Cody Hawkins said the team has had to adjust its strategy for the noise level at the stadium.
“They’re a smart crowd, and that’s definitely going to be tough, so we have to prepare for noises,” Hawkins said. “This week all the cadences, we are all going on the center snap count rather than mine just so the linemen can hear it better.”
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive tackle Brandon Nicolas said they have been focusing on working together and communicating this week. While the Colorado defense is notoriously strong, it allowed 23 points against Baylor last Saturday.
Although Kansas State is more known for its passing game with quarterback Josh Freeman, they can also run the ball. Nicolas said he has been preparing for a team that can really move on the ground.
“We haven’t seen a lot of running teams, well, Baylor didn’t run a lot,” Nicolas said. “So I’ve been working on running plays. I think Kansas State will run a little bit more on us.”
Wide receiver and punt returner Chase McBride missed last week’s game because of a shoulder injury. Stephone Robinson was set to step in and take his place, but he suffered an ankle injury in the Baylor game.
“I thought I was going to come in and help out a lot, and then I got hurt,” Robinson said. “So we’ve been kind of iffy at the punt return spot all week.”
Robinson said he’s been trying to let his ankle heal this week.
“I’ve been taking it pretty easy in practice,” Robinson said.
Robinson’s status for the Kansas State game was day-to-day as of Tuesday, and McBride was announced to be out for one to three weeks, as said in a release by sports information service. In practice on Wednesday, however, Robinson said he will definitely be playing and McBride is very likely.
“Me and Chase both will probably be good to go on Saturday, but just in case we’ve been working with some of the other punt returners,” Robinson said.
Despite a sluggish end to practice on Wednesday evening, Nicolas said that overall this week has gone well in preparing for the game.
“We’re playing good as a team,” Nicolas said. “The offense is feeding off the defense, and the defense is feeding off the offense.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Margot Schneider at [email protected]
