The first time Darian Hagan touched the ball as Colorado's starting quarterback, he sprinted left, holding the football in that position that says, "Touch me and I'll pitch," froze the Texas defense with that threat and went 75 yards for a touchdown.
That was in 1989. Since then, that run-or-pitch threat has turned so many aggressive defenses into indecisive victims as the Buffaloes have gone 30-4-2 (18-0-1 in the conference) with three Big Eight Conference championships and one national championship.As Hagan prepares for his final game in a Colorado uniform, the Alabama defense is working hard to handle that threat. Colorado (8-2-1) plays Alabama (10-1) on Saturday in the Blockbuster Bowl in suburban Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium.
"This guy (Hagan) is so good," Alabama outside linebacker Antonio London said, "one mistake and he's gone 100 yards for a touchdown."
"He reminds me of the quarterback at Memphis State (Keith Benton, who gave the Tide fits in a 10-7 Alabama victory)," said Steve Webb, the Tide's other outside linebacker. "Only he's a better athlete, more agile, and he has so much more experience, so he knows exactly what to do in every situation."
Stopping the Colorado option - called the "I-bone," because it is the triple-option usually run with three backs lined up in an "I" formation - has caused the Alabama defense to spend more time in conversation this week than actual scrimmaging or hitting.
Secondary coach Bill Oliver will set the Tide scout team in a Colorado formation, then have the defense walk-through its adjustments and call out assignments.
"It's been a lot more conversation and teaching than hitting," Tide cornerback Antonio Langham said. "Coach Oliver is telling us everything we can expect to see and how to react to it.
"It's very similar to the stacked `I' that Vanderbilt ran, but Colorado is a lot better at it."
Vanderbilt, coached by former Colorado offensive coordinator Gerry DiNardo, ran the same offense as the Buffaloes this season and as the season went along got much better at it.
Alabama played the Commodores early and won 48-17. But Vanderbilt finished the season as the second-leading rushing offense in the Southeastern Conference (15th in the nation) at 236 yards per game. The Commodores (5-6) won four of their last five games.
Colorado is the nation's best at the "I-bone," scoring an average of 27.6 points a game with a total offense average of 371.6 yards.
"Basically, Colorado runs a lot of option, so it makes the cornerbacks play more like outside linebackers," said Langham, the sophomore cornerback who was second in the SEC with five interceptions, behind Tide free safety George Teague's six.
"They usually only have one wide receiver, and we become more of a linebacker than cornerback. I think it will be more fun. They will be coming at you and you've got to force the run. It will also give us (the Tide secondary) a chance to show we can bring some heat, too."