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Head coach Gary Barnett had his job reinstated in May after a recruiting sex scandal rocked the Colorado program in the offseason, but three key starters transferred away from the team. Running back Brian Calhoun, the team's leading rusher in 2003, is gone, along with cornerback Sammy Joseph and defensive end Marques Harris; reserve linemen Del Scales and Frederick Staugh have also departed. The remaining Buffaloes are left to pick up the pieces from the scandal -- not to mention the disappointing season that preceeded it.
The mere mention of 2003 makes Colorado defensive lineman Matt McChesney's face contort a bit. "Last season was not acceptable," he said.
And thus the Buffs, all of whom share McChesney's sentiments, set out to bounce back from a 5-7 season in 2003, when it seemed as if anything that could go wrong did go wrong. Injuries and breakdowns on both sides of the ball plagued a CU team that expected to contend for a third straight Big 12 North Division title.
The Buffs were forced to train without Barnett in the spring, and face the difficult task of rebuilding the football program's tarnished image both on campus and around the nation.
In Calhoun's absence, senior tailback Bobby Purify is expected to step in. He took a medical redshirt after sitting out the bulk of last season with an ankle injury that required surgery. Quarterback Joel Klatt is back after taking the reins last season as a sophomore.
Yet, the reliability of Klatt's receiving targets remains a mystery. Colorado graduated one of its most productive duos of all time in wide receivers Derek McCoy and D.J. Hackett, who combined for 141 receptions, 1,896 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2003. The door opens for a sophomore class headed by Blake Mackey. Senior Ron Monteilh is the best of the returning wideouts and will take on an expanded role.
At tight end, junior Joe Klopfenstein could be ready for a breakthrough season. He is firmly entrenched as the starter and will be spelled by senior Quinn Sypniewski, who is back after missing most of last season with a toe injury.
The task that lies ahead of Hankwitz at CU, however, is a difficult one. The Buffs had one of the nation's worst defensive units in 2003, ranking 97th in the nation after allowing 432.1 yards per game. Hankwitz understands the numbers and has a plan to improve them. His first edict is to switch CU from last year's 4-2-5 base to a 4-3. A new position, "Buff linebacker," was created, and will be filled by Brian Iwuh, who has moved around a good amount during his tenure at CU.
"We've got to cut down on the big plays," Hankwitz said. "That's probably the number one thing that hurt."
The defensive line took a hit when Harris, who had been suspended during spring practice, decided to leave the program for good in June.
Colorado's linebacking corps is talented but thin. Its secondary, however, boasts a fair amount of young talent.
If return specialist Jeremy Bloom is not allowed to play college football by the NCAA in his fight over amateurism rules, then expect Stephone Robinson, J.J. Billingsley, Dusty Sprague and Terrence Wheatley to split punt and kick return duties.
Cleaning up the program is job one for Barnett. His second order of business is to improve its team defense. Next, the Buffs must bolster a running game that didn't even average 100 yards in '03. Klatt is a year wiser, which helps, but his receivers are decidedly younger and largely inexperienced.
CU's schedule, particularly its non-conference slate, is easier than last season's opening gauntlet of Colorado State, UCLA, Washington State and Florida State.
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