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2005 preseason honors (Those known as of July 31) PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA NATIONAL TOP 60 PLAYER RATINGS PK MASON CROSBY (first-team: Athlon, Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Center: Mark Fenton (No. 27, Phil Steele’s College Football) Lindy’s, Playboy, Rivals.com, The Sporting News, Phil Steele’s Cornerback: Lorenzo Sims (No. 49, Phil Steele’s College Football) CFB; second-team: CBS SportsLine.com CFB, Nationalchamps.net; third-team: Street & Smith’s) Defensive Tackles: Vaka Manupuna (No. 52, Phil Steele’s College Football); James Garee (No. 53, Phil Steele’s College Football) OG BRIAN DANIELS (honorable mention: Street & Smith’s) Fullback: Lawrence Vickers (No. 5, The Sporting News; No. 9, Phil C MARK FENTON (honorable mention: Street & Smith’s) Steele’s College Football) DT JAMES GAREE (honorable mention: Street & Smith’s) Inside Linebacker: Thaddaeus Washington (No. 11, The Sporting OLB BRIAN IWUH (honorable mention: Nationalchamps.net, News; No. 20, Phil Steele’s College Football) Street & Smith’s) Offensive Guard: Brian Daniels (No. 12, The Sporting News; No. 30, QB JOEL KLATT (honorable mention: Street & Smith’s) Phil Steele’s College Football) TE JOE KLOPFENSTEIN (honorable mention: Outside Linebacker: Brian Iwuh (No. 12, The Sporting News; No. 16, Nationalchamps.net, Street & Smith’s) Lindy’s; No. 54, Phil Steele’s College Football) P JOHN TORP (third-team: Street & Smith’s; Outside Linebacker: Jordon Dizon (No. 35, Phil Steele’s College honorable mention: Nationalchamps.net) Football; note: magazine rated him at OLB and not ILB) FB LAWRENCE VICKERS (honorable mention: Street & Smith’s) Placekicker: Mason Crosby (No. 1, Lindy’s, The Sporting News & ILB THADDAEUS WASHINGTON (honorable mention: Phil Steele’s College Football) Street & Smith’s) Punter: John Torp (No. 5, The Sporting News; No. 6, Lindy’s; No. 10, FWAA Preseason Checklist (301 players): PK Mason Crosby, Phil Steele’s College Football) QB Joel Klatt, TE Joe Klopfenstein, P John Torp Quarterback: Joel Klatt (No. 22, Phil Steele’s College Football) Strong Safety: J.J. Billingsley (No. 25, Phil Steele’s College Football) Preseason ALL-BIG 12 CONFERENCE Tight End: Joe Klopfenstein (No. 15, The Sporting News; No. 20, Phil PK MASON CROSBY (first-team: Athlon, ATS Consultants, Big 12 Steele’s College Football) Media, CBS SportsLine.com CFB, collegefootballnews.com, Conference Call, Huskers Illustrated, Lindy’s, The Sporting PLAYERS FOR NATIONAL AWARDS News, Phil Steele’s CFB, Street & Smith’s) Lou Groza Award (top placekicker): Mason Crosby (No. 3 candi- OG BRIAN DANIELS (first-team: CBS SportsLine.com CFB, date, Street & Smith’s) Huskers Illustrated; second-team: Athlon, Lindy’s; Ray Guy Award (top punter): John Torp (No. 3 candidate, Street & fourth-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Smith’s) ILB JORDON DIZON (first-team: Street & Smith’s; second-team: Ronnie Lott Trophy (defensive player of the year/on & off field): Lindy’s, Phil Steele’s CFB; third-team: Athlon) Tom Hubbard (one of 42 on official watch list) C MARK FENTON (fourth-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Dave Rimington Award (top center): Mark Fenton (one of 35 on FS TOM HUBBARD (third-team: Athlon) official watch list) OLB BRIAN IWUH (first-team: ATS Consultants, Conference Call, Nationalchamps.net; second-team: Athlon, NATIONAL UNIT RATINGS collegefootballnews.com, Lindy’s; third-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Defensive Backs: No. 12 (Phil Steele’s College Football) TE JOE KLOPFENSTEIN (first-team: ATS Consultants, CBS SportsLine.com CFB, collegefootballnews.com; second-team: Linebackers: No. 10 (Lindy’s), No. 13 (Phil Steele’s College Football) Athlon, Huskers Illustrated, Lindy’s; third-team: Phil Steele’s Special Teams: No. 1 (Phil Steele’s College Football) CFB) DE ALEX LIGON (second-team: The Sporting News) PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS WR BLAKE MACKEY (fourth-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Big 12 DT VAKA MANUPUNA (fourth-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Publication National North PR STEPHONE ROBINSON (second-team: Athlon) Huskers Illustrated No. 22 1st CBS SportsLine.com No. 23 1st CB LORENZO SIMS (second-team: Huskers Illustrated, The CBS SportsLine.com CFB No. 24 1st Sporting News) Nationalchamps.net No. 24 … P JOHN TORP (first-team: Huskers Illustrated, Lindy’s Big 12 Football No. 27 1st Nationalchamps.net; second-team: Athlon, collegefootball- Athlon Sports No. 29 1st news.com, Lindy’s, The Sporting News, Phil Steele’s CFB) Collegefootballnews.com No. 30 … ILB THADDAEUS WASHINGTON (first-team: The Sporting News; Phil Steele’s College Football No. 31 1st second-team: Huskers Illustrated; third-team: Athlon; The Sporting News No. 43 3rd fourth-team: Phil Steele’s CFB) Big 12 Summer Media Poll …… 1st KR TERRENCE WHEATLEY (second-team: Huskers Illustrated; Street & Smith’s …… 1st third-team: Athlon, Phil Steele’s CFB (at CB); fourth-team: Blue Ribbon Yearbook …… t-1st Phil Steele’s CFB) Gold Sheet Football Annual …… 2nd Preseason Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year: GARY BARNETT ATS Consultants …… t-3rd (CBS SportsLine.com CFB) Conference Call Magazine …… 4th 51 2005 Outlook Colorado won its third Big 12 North Division title in four years continue to have competition. We’re deep at quarterback and last November, but was systematically dismantled in the confer- veteran tested there, and we’re obviously set at punter and ence’s title game by No. 2 Oklahoma. It was only natural for placekicker with two All-American candidates.” frustration and disappointment to set in, and the coaches had CU returns 50 lettermen and 17 starters from 2004, when the some work to do in getting the team prepared for its bowl game. Buffs finished with an 8-5 record after starting 3-0 and surviving Solution: head coach Gary Barnett and his coaches adopted an October which saw the Buffaloes go just 1-4 and seemingly fall and conveyed the attitude that the EV1.net Houston Bowl would out of the division race. But adhering to the old cliché of the “the be the first game of the 2005 season. After all, the Buffs were games they remember are played in November,” the Buffs posted graduating just 11 seniors, only five of whom were starters. The three straight wins and had everything fall into place for them to end result? The underclassmen-dominated Buffaloes defeated an win the North. Everything included about six other games to end up-and-coming Texas-El Paso team by 33-28 in come-from-behind in a particular way, topped off by Missouri’s upset win at Iowa fashion, finishing off a tumultuous season on a satisfying note. State the last day of the regular season; that enabled CU and ISU to tie for the division lead with 4-4 records, with the tiebreaker The North Division appears to be up for grabs again, and going to the Buffs by virtue of their 19-14 win over the Cyclones compelling arguments for all six teams could be made at this in Boulder in October. point; the conference is entering its 10th year of existence, and CU, Kansas State and Nebraska each have three titles, though Offensively, quarterback Joel Klatt is secure in his starting only the Buffs and K-State have crowns this decade. So the race role, and he had another solid spring in likely cementing his is on for either the first four-time champion or for Iowa State, name atop the depth chart heading into the season. Klatt, CU’s Kansas or Missouri to breakthrough for their first title. starter the last two seasons, overcame some struggles early last season to take command down the stretch. He is in position to As for Colorado, the focus in the spring for the coaches was become the holder of every major CU career passing record as to shore up both the passing offense and defense, as well as to well as to become the first three-year starting signal caller for the sift through intense battles at nearly every position on the team. Buffs since Kordell Stewart barked the play calls from 1992 “Developing in the pass game on both offense and defense to 1994. was the top priority in the spring,” Barnett emphasized. “I felt we Who Klatt will hand off to as well as throw to is still up for make progress in both areas, but we’re still not close to a refined, grabs. There’s no clear cut favorite at tailback, though Lawrence finished product just yet. But the staff liked what we saw.” Vickers showed how versatile he was playing both tailback and Another spring priority centered fullback last year. Vickers and tight around figuring out who, if anyone, ends Joe Klopfenstein and Quinn would emerge as the top running Sypniewski are fine targets in the back, whether it will be one guy or passing game, with the receivers be by committee. That question will needing to sort themselves out. But carry into the fall as no one broke there are plenty of veteran candi- from the pack, not necessarily a dates to emerge as favorite options, negative as the coaches feel there is including Evan Judge, last year’s talent at the position, it’s just largely leading receiver, Blake Mackey and untested since two players saw spot Dusty Sprague, along with several action as true freshmen a year ago others who at this juncture simply and a third has been saddled with lack game experience. Whoever injury. winds up in the rotation, the focus will be on eliminating drops. “We “It is obviously crucial to have had 39 dropped passes last year, one or two guys come to the fore- and that is way too many,” Barnett front since establishing the ground said. “So the ball was in the air a lot game is so pivotal in laying the foun- this spring, but we still had too dation for what we want to do on many drops and those will have to offense,” Barnett said.