Team MVP senior Ryan Walters, above, and his team finished 5-7 in 2008. The team will start the 2009 season with the April 25 spring game.
The football team failed to earn a bowl berth for the second time in coach Dan Hawkins鈥� first three seasons as head coach, but he is aiming for a big improvement in 2009. During his closing remarks at the Buffs鈥� post-season senior awards banquet, Hawkins set a goal for this year: 鈥淭en wins and no excuses.鈥�
Should the Buffs live up to those words, they鈥檇 double their win total from 2008, when they finished 5-7.
鈥淭here is no question that Dan is challenging his staff, he鈥檚 challenging his team and he鈥檚 challenging our fans,鈥� athletic director Mike Bohn told the Boulder Camera. 鈥淚 salute his vision.鈥�
Hawkins鈥� record at 蜜糖直播 is 13-24, with his best single-season mark being 6-7 in 2007, when the Buffs lost in the Independence Bowl. 蜜糖直播 has posted three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1982-84.
蜜糖直播 needed a win against Nebraska in the regular-season finale to become bowl-eligible but lost 40-31 in Lincoln after leading going into the final two minutes.
The Buffs were hampered in 2008 by 11 season-ending injuries, plus six players being academically ineligible.
Because of all the injuries, 蜜糖直播 will begin spring football later than usual with the spring game set for April 25.
Another problem was nine current and recent players got in trouble with the law during the first nine months of the year. To prevent a recurrence, Hawkins has created nine-man 鈥渁ccountability groups鈥� within the team and 蜜糖直播 plans to hire a director of 鈥渟tudent-athletes wellness.鈥�
Meanwhile, 鈥淩alphie鈥檚 Green Stampede,鈥� 蜜糖直播鈥檚 zero-waste initiative during home football games, resulted in a 199 percent increase in materials recycled or composted compared to 2007. Total waste generated decreased 30 percent.
