Colorado Buffaloes secondary coach Greg Brown is calling the Big 12 Conference “scary.”
Despite Brown’s use of a somewhat bleak term Wednesday, he said he feels CU can keep its head above water in the ultra-competitive conference.
“We’re not where we want to be, but we’re making strides,” Brown said. “We’re working at it and we’re going to let the chips fall how they may.”
CU (1-3) will open conference play Saturday away from home as it travels to Austin, Texas, to meet senior quarterback Colt McCoy and the second-ranked Texas Longhorns. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN with kickoff set for 5:15 p.m. MST.
Texas (4-0), one of three undefeated teams in the conference, has beaten the Buffs by an average of 35 points in its last four meetings. CU last beat the Longhorns 39-37 in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2001.
Regardless of the Buffs’ unsuccessful past against the Longhorns, Brown said history isn’t what matters.
“People probably would’ve said two years ago we couldn’t compete against Oklahoma, but we did,” said Brown, referring to CU’s last-second 27-24 victory over the Sooners in 2007. “So we’ll see.”
The numbers still don’t look overly promising, though.
The Longhorns’ offense, as it has already proven, can score in bunches and gobble up massive amounts of yardage. UT is averaging 49.5 points and 521.3 yards per game.
CU’s defense is an opposing offense’s dream. The Buffs have surrendered 1,635 yards in four games and are allowing 28 points per contest.
“I think we just need to iron out a few things,” Buffs senior tight end Patrick Devenny said. “We can definitely compete with all of the teams out there.”
The Buffs had better break out the iron soon, because UT’s defense isn’t bad, either.
The Longhorns have given up 15.3 points per game and are coming off a 64-7 drubbing of the UTEP Miners.
“We’re not expecting to go in there and score 50 points or anything like that,” Devenny said. “But if we get our run game established and drive the ball down the field, hopefully we can go down there and score.”
Run game? Sophomore running back Rodney Stewart leads the Buffs’ with 270 yards rushing. CU’s three other highly touted running backs — sophomores Darrell Scott and Brian Lockridge, and junior Demetrius Sumler — have combined for 198 yards.
“I think we can score on them,” Devennny said. “That’s our goal every week no matter who we play against.”
The Buffs’ schedule won’t get much easier when they return home from Austin. Four of CU’s seven remaining opponents are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Four quarterbacks the Buffs will face, including McCoy, have already thrown for at least 1,100 yards. Seeing as how 962 of the Buffs’ total yards allowed have come on 23 plays, head coach Dan Hawkins could be in for a long fall.
“I think the Big 12 by far, with the SEC, is one of the top conferences around,” Devenny said. “No matter who you go against, no matter where you are, the competition every week is just ridiculous.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Alex K.W. Schultz at Alexander.schultz@colorado.edu.
