Buffs Continue to Navigate Through Spring Ball

BOULDER - The University of Colorado football team practiced for two and a half hours on Tuesday evening in pads, the second day of drills since the weeklong spring break. Spring football is just over halfway over, but Head Coach Dan Hawkins is already starting to see some of the weapons he will have in his arsenal come fall.

            Returning consensus All-American kicker Mason Crosby looks to be in midseason form already, connecting on a 67-yard field goal during drills?one that would have been good from 70+.

            "That guy is unbelievable, he really is," Hawkins said. "He stands there and he's a little bit short and you go ?Oh, 69 (yards). I told our quarterbacks the other day that they have to understand when we get inside the 50 we cannot afford to take a sack because we have points right there."

            Another valuable asset to the Buffs' offense this season will be tailback Hugh Charles. The junior tailback was hampered from a high ankle sprain he suffered early in 2005, but still finished the season as the Buffs' No. 1 rushing option.

            "The beauty with Hugh is that when we are able to game plan then that is when he is really going to shine," Hawkins said. "We can do a lot of funky stuff to get him the ball in a variety of situations. He is going to struggle in some of these (practice) situations (where there are a lot of missed blocking assignments). We need to dial it up for Hugh where he can use his speed and his change of direction."

Practice Notes: Hawkins was pleased with the Buffs' second practice this week. "I think tempo is good," he said. "It's hard because when they just about have it we put a couple new plays and blitzes in, so it's like spy vs. spy and each side is getting confused." Senior wide receiver Martane Freeman, who flirted with making a jump from basketball to football, will not be returning with the team.