DENVER (AP) -Speedy finally has some burners around him.
A healthy offensive line and new threats on the outside make Colorado’s ground game “a lot easier,” tailback Rodney “Speedy” Stewart said.
“We got some great receivers and some bigger lanes, so it’s harder for the defense to choose what they want to do,” Stewart said after rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown in Colorado’s 24-3 win over archrival Colorado State in the Buffs’ opener.
The additions of Toney Clemons, Travon Patterson and Paul Richardson, to go along with Will Jefferson, means Stewart will see fewer safeties in the box ready to help stuff the run.
Coach Dan Hawkins hasn’t had this much speed or talent on the outside since bolting Boise State for Boulder in 2006, and the newcomers could go a long way in determining whether he posts his first winning season this year – and keeps his job.
With so much new speed and talent on board, Hawkins suggested senior Scotty McKnight, the school’s all-time receptions leader after breaking Michael Westbrook’s mark Saturday, will be hard-pressed to match last year’s production of 76 receptions for 893 yards and six touchdowns.
“It’s pretty clear with our receiving corps this year it would probably be hard to imagine him eclipsing last year’s numbers,” Hawkins said. “Maybe. But he’s a guy that just really wants to win. He has the ability to reach out and touch other guys on the football team. He’s been a real blessing for us.”
While McKnight is mentoring the new receivers, don’t discount his impact on game day. He led the Buffs with six grabs for 78 yards and a 27-yard touchdown against the Rams.
“I think I’ll still put up good numbers,” said McKnight, who figures to find the same space over the middle that Stewart will with the downfield threats garnering so much attention.
McKnight has caught a pass in a school-record 38 straight games, counting the 2007 Independence Bowl. It’s also the longest active streak in the NCAA.
He insists the only numbers he’s concerned with are the ones on the scoreboard.
“I’ve been through a season where we won three games and I caught 76 balls and it’s not fun,” McKnight said. “It’s not fun waking up every day realizing that your team is letting down the school and the community. I’m much more focused on getting wins and taking care of business so we can get this school back on the map.”
That’s what the new wideouts want, too.
Patterson, a senior, transferred from Southern Cal last month. Because the Trojans program was penalized by the NCAA over the summer and the sanctions included a two-year bowl ban, upperclassmen were free to transfer without penalty.
He wasted no time making an impact with his new team, scoring on an 18-yard pass from Tyler Hansen on Saturday, his first TD catch since his senior year in high school in 2005. He also returned four punts for 46 yards, including a 25-yarder.
Clemons, a junior, sat out a year after transferring from Michigan. He was selected the Big 12 preseason newcomer of the year. He had three catches for 25 yards in his Buffaloes debut.
And Paul Richardson is a freshman who was jettisoned by UCLA after an off-field incident this summer. He had one catch for 11 yards Saturday.
“These guys are great,” Hansen said. “They’re playmakers and have a lot of speed. I feel like once the lights are on and it’s game day, they are even better. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do.”
McKnight relishes the thought of how all that speed will affect defenses this season, although the competition gets tougher starting Saturday at Cal (1-0).
“They had to change things up a little bit when you have guys as fast as Travon and Toney, Paul and Will,” McKnight said. “It opens things up for a guy like me in the slot. (Defensive backs) have to get off the hash and they can’t just single those guys up on the outside or we’ll run ‘nine’ routes and they’ll go right by people.
“Having those guys have helped so much. You saw what Travon was doing on punt returns and I couldn’t do that last year, so it’s nice that he can take over there and start making some plays for us. It’s great to have those guys. We’ve added a lot of depth and a lot of talent.”
And, they hope, a change in fortunes.
“If we lose next week,” Stewart said, “then this win means nothing.”
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