Here’s how good Colorado coach Dan Hawkins thinks Tyler Hansen is: He benched his own son to get the sophomore quarterback on the field.
Facing a tough start to the season and badly needing some new life on offense, Hawkins pulled the redshirt off Hansen two weeks ago during a loss at Texas and now he’s starting full time over Cody Hawkins.
The move seems to have paid off. Last week Hansen led the Buffaloes to a victory over Kansas and they now come into Manhattan with first place in the Big 12 North on the line against Kansas State.
It’s safe to say K-State coach Bill Snyder would rather play against the Hawkins father/son combo.
“He has the ability to make big plays at any point in the game,” Snyder said of Hansen. “He is very elusive. You might think that you have him trapped and before you know it he has slipped away and has made a big play. If you don’t stick to your assignment, he is going to make you pay.
“He has a very good arm and with that he has the ability to scramble. The Colorado coaching staff doesn’t want him to stay in the pocket. He has the ability to hurt you with both the run and the pass, so that presents numerous problems to a defense.”
Against Kansas, he looked a lot like Grant Gregory did during his season debut against Iowa State, always keeping plays alive with his feet.
He completed 14 of 25 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 34 yards and a score.
More than anything, though, Hansen seemed to give the Buffaloes some much needed confidence.
A few weeks ago, following losses to Colorado State and Toledo, Colorado was hurting in a major way. Now, the Buffs have led Texas on the road at halftime, beaten a ranked opponent at home and are looking to go 2-1 in conference play.
Hansen has been at the center of that turnaround.