At some point during the off-season, when he's tired of analyzing tapes from last season and the 15 spring practices he ran, new Colorado coach Dan Hawkins might recognize one particular blessing on the roster he inherited.

He must turn to a special segment of the two-deep to find it, but there's no question the Buffaloes can deploy a solid weapon in PK Mason Crosby.

Actually, Hawkins knows this already. At CU's spring game, he made Crosby the featured performer. The senior attempted an amazing 16 field goals in swirling winds. The average distance was 50.7 yards and the longest was from 70. The one downer was that Crosby made just seven tries.

"When you can't get the ball in the end zone," said Hawkins, "you've got to give the fans something."

What the fans left wondering was how often the Buffs will have to settle on Crosby's leg during the 2006 season. In 21 possessions during the spring game, Colorado scored just two touchdowns, both of which came in red-zone drills where the ball was spotted at the 25-yard line.

Hawkins displayed little displeasure by the lack of offensive production, though there's no question it could eat at the new coach, who was hired to pack some punch in the Colorado attack.

"I'm used to scoring 40, 50, 60 points a game," Hawkins said. "I come out of a game like this, I start twitching a little bit."

With unproven quarterbacks Brian White and Bernard Jackson failing to assume control of that position, and a run game that lacks a strong back, the offensive makeover Hawkins implements will take time.

He at least take comfort in knowing the offense he ran the past five seasons at Boise State was one of the most effective in the country. That, plus he can turn to Crosby, who may just possess the strongest leg in college football.