The Buffaloes of head coach Mike MacIntyre play their last game of the year today when they take on the University of Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. For the first time under Coach Mac2, Buff fans will get to see how the guys play when their pride is the only thing on the line.
Following the loss to USC last week, Colorado is now officially out of the bowl picture with a record of 4-7. The situation is the same for Utah, which is also 4-7. The game features a fight to determine which is the 2nd and 3rd worst team in the Pac-12 behind Cal.
Although Utah has been dubbed as Colorado's conference rivalry game by the poobahs at Pac-12 headquarters, the fact of the matter is that only time and games that matter over the next decade or so will decide whether the game ever becomes a rivalry. Having bowls or conference championships on the line in the last game of the season is the one way to create a rivalry in short order. Unfortunately, that will have to wait for years to come.
The biggest question for Buff fans is whether this will be the last time we see Paul Richardson wearing a CU uniform. He obviously is very talented and is perhaps one of the best wide receivers ever to grace Folsom Field for Colorado.
But being a great college player at any position does not automatically make one a sure-fire bet to make it big in the NFL.
Richardson is very generously listed as 6'1" tall and 170 pounds by the official CU website, but most estimates put him at around 160 pounds soaking wet. There are very few players in the NFL which play at such a light weight. Indeed, over the last 30 years, there have only been about 21 guys who played at under 165 pounds. The latest was Brandon Banks, who played at around 150. His time in the NFL was short, however, and he now plays in the Canadian Football League.
The advice here is that Richardson should take some time to talk to CU basketball player Josh Scott. Last year as a freshman, Scott had lots of talent but was frequently manhandled by stronger players. An off-season dedicated to building body mass has turned Scott into a force on the boards.
The guy behind the the increase in strength and muscle for Scott was Colorado's Director of Sports Performance Dave Forman, who is starting to be recognized as one of the best in the country. He was at Stanford for the turnaround that made the Cardinal one of the strongest teams in the FBS, and he also helped turn San Jose State into a bowl team that was ranked in the top 25 at the end of last season.
Now Forman's job is to do the same at Colorado, and Josh Scott is living proof that it can be done in fairly short order. Richardson should really evaluate whether he is strong enough for the pounding of professional football right now.
It says here that if Paul Richardson puts on 20 pounds before next season AND keeps his speed, All-American status and having his name called on the first day of the draft are highly likely, as well as a bowl trip for the Buffaloes. If he decides to declare for the draft this year, he should be ready to go undrafted or be a late round pick. The difference in money is huge between those options. Indeed, Canada might well be where he ends up.
I've heard people say that they think Richardson will be a 1st or 2nd rounder this year, but frankly, those people are living in a fantasy world. The NFL is BIG business and they do not waste draft picks. Of the 21 guys under 165 in the last 30 years, ten were undrafted free agents and only THREE were drafted in the first 100 of their draft. The highest was Stacey Bailey, who was drafted 63rd way back in 1982. Check out the list, and another thing these guys all have in common is that they do not ring any bells as stars of the NFL game. They are mostly answers to the trivia question, "who are the smallest guys in the NFL?"
I wish Paul Richardson all the luck and success in the world no matter what he decides to do. It has been a pleasure to watch him play and help make Colorado an exciting team to watch again. As for his future, does he want to be a star player in the NFL? Or does he want to be part of the answer to the trivia question above?
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Only One Way for Colorado Buffaloes to Defeat USC
It's past mid-November, and the Colorado Buffaloes still have a shot at playing in a bowl game at the end of the season. It's a long shot, for sure, but certainly better than CU fans have experienced in a good long while.
For fans of the University of Spoiled Children, it has been a down and up year. With two regular season games left on their schedule, the Trojans sit at 8-3. They have won 5 of 6 games since firing Lane Kiffin following the 62-41 thrashing at the hands of Arizona State in late September.
The Trojans come to Boulder looking run the table against the Buffs and UCLA and represent the Pac-12 South in the conference championship game. Two teams stand in their way, Arizona State and UCLA. Fortunately for SC, the Bruins and the Sun Devils play each other this weekend.
UCLA ends their regular season against USC, and ASU faces their in-state rival Arizona next weekend. If all the cards fall into place, USC could very well be heading to Oregon to play the Ducks in the conference championship game.
The wild card in the equation is the University of Colorado Buffaloes. If the Buffs can manage to beat the Trojans on a cold November night in Boulder, they can ruin USC's plans and keep their own bowl hopes alive. As the Buffs have never defeated USC is seven tries, it would be a big surprise. In it's effect on the resurrection of a once elite program, a home win on Senior night would be HUGE.
Many fans of the Colorado football program have been clinging to irrational hopes for the game. They want bitter cold, or better yet, driving snow to slow down the Trojans and give their Buffs a chance. They cite anecdotal evidence that USC has not historically played well in cold weather games.
But, in reality, the Trojans have not played in the snow since the 1950s. That's what happens when you play on the west coast against teams from the west coast. Not until Utah and Colorado joined the conference several years back did the opportunity to play in the snow really rear its ugly head.
It seems likely that USC will adapt like every other team in the conference when they have to make the cold weather adjustment. In fact, it is likely that playing in snow will not happen very often for the west coast teams or the Arizona teams. The game most likely each year to be influenced by snow will be the season ending game between Utah and Colorado following Thanksgiving each year.
Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff, and his players as well, know the truth about the game with USC. To defeat the Trojans, the Buffaloes will have to OUTPLAY them. They will have to play smart and limit their penalties. They will have to win the turnover game. They will need to control the ball and score touchdowns when they get in the red zone. They will need to convert their third downs at a high rate (close to 50%). They will need to play solid special teams and good defense.
Everyone knows that the USC roster is loaded primarily with young men who were rated as 4 and 5 star recruits coming out of high school. But that did not keep the Trojans from going from preseason #1 last year to unranked by the end of the season. It did not keep Lane Kiffin from getting fired. And it did not keep Arizona State and Oregon from scoring 62 points apiece on the Trojans.
You have to play the game on the field. And each team is only allowed 11 guys on the field at a time. And 11 guys playing as a TEAM can always beat 11 INDIVIDUALS who do not play well together.
The game against USC is Senior Day, and will be the final home game for the Buff seniors. Although the Buffs have a very young team, some of their stalwarts will be running onto Folsom Field for the final time in their CU careers. Starting defensive seniors are Safety Parker Orms, DL Chidera Uzo-Diribe, and LB Derrick Webb. Defensive backups include Paul Vigo and Nate Bonsu.
Offensive Senior starters are Linemen Gus Handler and Jack Harris, and Tight End Scott Fernandez. Senior backups on offense include TE Alex Wood and QB Jordan Webb.
The great unknown is whether the game will represent the last home game for WR Paul Richardson. Although he is only a junior, Richardson is one of the best wideouts in the country and may opt to turn pro early like David Bakhtiari did last year.
Do the Buffs stand a chance against the Trojans? Of course they do. But to win, they will have to play as a TEAM and outplay USC on both sides of the ball. They cannot count on the fans or the weather to make the difference. They have to make their stand on Folsom Field as a band of brothers and defend their turf. It's the only way they can win.
For fans of the University of Spoiled Children, it has been a down and up year. With two regular season games left on their schedule, the Trojans sit at 8-3. They have won 5 of 6 games since firing Lane Kiffin following the 62-41 thrashing at the hands of Arizona State in late September.
The Trojans come to Boulder looking run the table against the Buffs and UCLA and represent the Pac-12 South in the conference championship game. Two teams stand in their way, Arizona State and UCLA. Fortunately for SC, the Bruins and the Sun Devils play each other this weekend.
UCLA ends their regular season against USC, and ASU faces their in-state rival Arizona next weekend. If all the cards fall into place, USC could very well be heading to Oregon to play the Ducks in the conference championship game.
The wild card in the equation is the University of Colorado Buffaloes. If the Buffs can manage to beat the Trojans on a cold November night in Boulder, they can ruin USC's plans and keep their own bowl hopes alive. As the Buffs have never defeated USC is seven tries, it would be a big surprise. In it's effect on the resurrection of a once elite program, a home win on Senior night would be HUGE.
Many fans of the Colorado football program have been clinging to irrational hopes for the game. They want bitter cold, or better yet, driving snow to slow down the Trojans and give their Buffs a chance. They cite anecdotal evidence that USC has not historically played well in cold weather games.
But, in reality, the Trojans have not played in the snow since the 1950s. That's what happens when you play on the west coast against teams from the west coast. Not until Utah and Colorado joined the conference several years back did the opportunity to play in the snow really rear its ugly head.
It seems likely that USC will adapt like every other team in the conference when they have to make the cold weather adjustment. In fact, it is likely that playing in snow will not happen very often for the west coast teams or the Arizona teams. The game most likely each year to be influenced by snow will be the season ending game between Utah and Colorado following Thanksgiving each year.
Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff, and his players as well, know the truth about the game with USC. To defeat the Trojans, the Buffaloes will have to OUTPLAY them. They will have to play smart and limit their penalties. They will have to win the turnover game. They will need to control the ball and score touchdowns when they get in the red zone. They will need to convert their third downs at a high rate (close to 50%). They will need to play solid special teams and good defense.
Everyone knows that the USC roster is loaded primarily with young men who were rated as 4 and 5 star recruits coming out of high school. But that did not keep the Trojans from going from preseason #1 last year to unranked by the end of the season. It did not keep Lane Kiffin from getting fired. And it did not keep Arizona State and Oregon from scoring 62 points apiece on the Trojans.
You have to play the game on the field. And each team is only allowed 11 guys on the field at a time. And 11 guys playing as a TEAM can always beat 11 INDIVIDUALS who do not play well together.
The game against USC is Senior Day, and will be the final home game for the Buff seniors. Although the Buffs have a very young team, some of their stalwarts will be running onto Folsom Field for the final time in their CU careers. Starting defensive seniors are Safety Parker Orms, DL Chidera Uzo-Diribe, and LB Derrick Webb. Defensive backups include Paul Vigo and Nate Bonsu.
Offensive Senior starters are Linemen Gus Handler and Jack Harris, and Tight End Scott Fernandez. Senior backups on offense include TE Alex Wood and QB Jordan Webb.
The great unknown is whether the game will represent the last home game for WR Paul Richardson. Although he is only a junior, Richardson is one of the best wideouts in the country and may opt to turn pro early like David Bakhtiari did last year.
Do the Buffs stand a chance against the Trojans? Of course they do. But to win, they will have to play as a TEAM and outplay USC on both sides of the ball. They cannot count on the fans or the weather to make the difference. They have to make their stand on Folsom Field as a band of brothers and defend their turf. It's the only way they can win.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes Run Win Streak to Four Games with 23 Point Win Against Arkansas State
Following an opening game loss on the road to #20 Baylor, the Colorado Buffaloes basketball team has taken four straight games at home to bring their record to 4-1. Colorado defeated Arkansas State 93-70 at the Coors Events Center Monday night. The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara visit Boulder this Thursday.
Coach Tad Boyle knew he had a talented but young team coming into the season, and after five games he has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore Josh Scott leads the team at 14.6 points per game, followed by Spencer Dinwiddie (Jr.) at 12.4, Xavier Johnson (So.) at 11.0, and Askia Booker (Jr.) at 10.4 points per contest. Just below double figures is redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon at 9.4 ppg.
The 93 points scored by the Buffaloes against Arkansas State represented the third time in four games that CU has scored more than 90 points in a game. During the entire 2012-13 season, the Buffs scored more than 90 points only one time. For the season, the Buffs are averaging 80.2 points per game while only giving up 67. The 80.2 points per game represents an almost 13 point increase from last year.
The Buffaloes have collectively made up for the loss of Andre Roberson, one of the top rebounders in the country the last several years. A first round NBA draft pick, Roberson left Colorado following his junior year. The Buffs are averaging 39.6 boards this season, which is an additional 2.4 rebounds per game over last year.
Coach Tad Boyle knew he had a talented but young team coming into the season, and after five games he has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore Josh Scott leads the team at 14.6 points per game, followed by Spencer Dinwiddie (Jr.) at 12.4, Xavier Johnson (So.) at 11.0, and Askia Booker (Jr.) at 10.4 points per contest. Just below double figures is redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon at 9.4 ppg.
The 93 points scored by the Buffaloes against Arkansas State represented the third time in four games that CU has scored more than 90 points in a game. During the entire 2012-13 season, the Buffs scored more than 90 points only one time. For the season, the Buffs are averaging 80.2 points per game while only giving up 67. The 80.2 points per game represents an almost 13 point increase from last year.
The Buffaloes have collectively made up for the loss of Andre Roberson, one of the top rebounders in the country the last several years. A first round NBA draft pick, Roberson left Colorado following his junior year. The Buffs are averaging 39.6 boards this season, which is an additional 2.4 rebounds per game over last year.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Colorado Must Stretch the Field and Utilize Goodson to Win in Washington
Colorado has four games remaining this season. If they want to make it to a bowl game, they need to win 3 of those games. Against a quality opponent like Washington, the only way the Buffs can achieve that goal is to stretch the field more in order to utilize the talents of Paul Richardson, Sefo Liufau, and the underutilized speedster D.D. Goodson.
This blog has pointed out over and over the strong tendency of offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to have his quarterbacks focus their throws to the outside quarters of the field. The Buffs worked to rectify that tendency a bit during last week's game with UCLA.
After throwing a grand total of six passes between the hash marks against Arizona and Charleston Southern, Sefo Liufau directed five of his 36 passes against the Bruins over the middle. It is still a very low percentage, but much better than the Buffs have normally used this season. See the graphic below for the location of passes by CU against UCLA. The incomplete pass behind the line of scrimmage and between the hash marks was actually a ball that was batted down by a defensive lineman and was not intended to land in the middle of the field.
At least as troubling as the fact that such a high percentage of passes are thrown to the numbers or outside is the fact that only TWO of 36 passes went more than 12 yards down the field. A little trigonometry shows that a 12 yard pass to either sideline must travel as far in the air as a pass thrown 25 yards directly down the field. That the being the case, the Buffaloes should be doing more to clear out that 10 yard box in front of the line.
Making linebackers and defensive backs from the other teams cover more yardage up the field will open up the running game for the Buffaloes as well, since a missed tackle or good hole would lead to a bigger yardage gain than a play with a safety or linebacker sitting in the hole.
Another thing the Buffs could do to open up their offense is to get D.D. Goodson more involved. Since his five catches in the first game, Goodson has had only 10 additional catches in the 7 games since. That is a waste of talent. In yards per catch, Goodson is only a single yard behind Paul Richardson. Why is it that Richardson gets FOUR times as many balls thrown his way? These two are the most explosive guys on the Colorado offense, yet only one is being utilized to the proper degree.
Why isn't Goodson being used as a return man? His ability to bring back the ball on kicks was one of the reasons he was sought after as a recruit in the first place. And he certainly has a lot more moves and shakes and speed than the guys returning kicks now. Goodson also has averaged more than 13 yards per carry for his 3 carries. MacIntyre and Lindgren need to figure out a way to get Goodson a minimum of 10 touches a game to help take the pressure of double and triple coverage off Paul Richardson.
Of course, certain other things will be necessary for the Buffaloes to pull off the upset against the Huskies. Liufau needs to hold form and complete 65-70% of his passes and help his team convert close to 50% of third down opportunities. The Buffs need to limit dumb, drive killing penalties. And the defense needs to control the yards of Washington tailback Bishop Sankey, the #3 rusher in country.
They did a fine job of containing the top running back in the FBS in Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, but did so only at the expense of letting the Arizona quarterback have a career day rushing himself. Fortunately for the Buffaloes, Washington quarterback Keith Price is not really a rushing threat. They will have to keep pressure on him, however, or he will pick them apart like last year when he threw for five touchdowns.
Lastly, if the Buffs can win the turnover game, they have a chance to come out of Seattle with their long-sought first conference win since September of 2012. That game was also in the state of Washington. Maybe it's just what the Buffs need to get over the hump.
This blog has pointed out over and over the strong tendency of offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to have his quarterbacks focus their throws to the outside quarters of the field. The Buffs worked to rectify that tendency a bit during last week's game with UCLA.
After throwing a grand total of six passes between the hash marks against Arizona and Charleston Southern, Sefo Liufau directed five of his 36 passes against the Bruins over the middle. It is still a very low percentage, but much better than the Buffs have normally used this season. See the graphic below for the location of passes by CU against UCLA. The incomplete pass behind the line of scrimmage and between the hash marks was actually a ball that was batted down by a defensive lineman and was not intended to land in the middle of the field.
At least as troubling as the fact that such a high percentage of passes are thrown to the numbers or outside is the fact that only TWO of 36 passes went more than 12 yards down the field. A little trigonometry shows that a 12 yard pass to either sideline must travel as far in the air as a pass thrown 25 yards directly down the field. That the being the case, the Buffaloes should be doing more to clear out that 10 yard box in front of the line.
Making linebackers and defensive backs from the other teams cover more yardage up the field will open up the running game for the Buffaloes as well, since a missed tackle or good hole would lead to a bigger yardage gain than a play with a safety or linebacker sitting in the hole.
Another thing the Buffs could do to open up their offense is to get D.D. Goodson more involved. Since his five catches in the first game, Goodson has had only 10 additional catches in the 7 games since. That is a waste of talent. In yards per catch, Goodson is only a single yard behind Paul Richardson. Why is it that Richardson gets FOUR times as many balls thrown his way? These two are the most explosive guys on the Colorado offense, yet only one is being utilized to the proper degree.
Why isn't Goodson being used as a return man? His ability to bring back the ball on kicks was one of the reasons he was sought after as a recruit in the first place. And he certainly has a lot more moves and shakes and speed than the guys returning kicks now. Goodson also has averaged more than 13 yards per carry for his 3 carries. MacIntyre and Lindgren need to figure out a way to get Goodson a minimum of 10 touches a game to help take the pressure of double and triple coverage off Paul Richardson.
Of course, certain other things will be necessary for the Buffaloes to pull off the upset against the Huskies. Liufau needs to hold form and complete 65-70% of his passes and help his team convert close to 50% of third down opportunities. The Buffs need to limit dumb, drive killing penalties. And the defense needs to control the yards of Washington tailback Bishop Sankey, the #3 rusher in country.
They did a fine job of containing the top running back in the FBS in Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, but did so only at the expense of letting the Arizona quarterback have a career day rushing himself. Fortunately for the Buffaloes, Washington quarterback Keith Price is not really a rushing threat. They will have to keep pressure on him, however, or he will pick them apart like last year when he threw for five touchdowns.
Lastly, if the Buffs can win the turnover game, they have a chance to come out of Seattle with their long-sought first conference win since September of 2012. That game was also in the state of Washington. Maybe it's just what the Buffs need to get over the hump.
Colorado Hoopsters' 72-60 Loss in Opener to Baylor Raises Questions About Leadership
Coming into the opening game of the season, head coach Tad Boyle had expressed some reservations. He knew his team had talent, but he wasn't sure the team was mature enough to put that talent to good use. At one point, when asked to describe his team in one word as they got ready for the season opener, the verb "overrated" was the one he chose. Turns out that Boyle has a pretty good reading of his team.
Colorado does indeed have a lot of talent, but they really need to dial that talent in if they expect to win on the road against a Top-25 opponent. Baylor entered the game as the #25 team in the country, and they did what was necessary to take care of business against a Colorado team with high expectations.
Many people around the country and the Pac-12 conference expect the CU backcourt tandem of Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie to be the strength of the Buffaloes. After all, Dinwiddie is expected to be a first round draft pick next summer and Booker is one of the best streak shooters in the country when he is on fire.
When they fail to deliver, however, the Buffs are in for a tough road. Booker and Dinwiddie each played 36 minutes in the opening game to lead the Buffs. Unfortunately, they were a combined 7 for 28 from the field. To add insult to injury, the Buffs were a paltry 2 for 19 from three-point circle. All in all, it was testament to the athleticism of the Buffs that the final score was as close as it was.
For those who recorded the game but do not really have time to watch the entire thing, you can save yourself lots of anxiety and heartbreak by watching just the last 2 minutes and change. It is an effective microcosm of the game for the Buffs.
Colorado was down by 12 with around 4 minutes left, and had cut the lead to 6 and had the ball with two minutes on the clock. Then, to Boyle's and Buffs fan's chagrin, the team ran the clock down as if they were ahead. With less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Colorado heaved up a horrible shot without a prayer. It missed, of course, and Baylor got the rebound before promptly moving down the court to score and put the Buffs away.
Later, after the lead had been rebuilt to 12, the Buff's final shot was taken by Booker as the clock expired. It was supposed to be a slam dunk, but instead it ricocheted off the rim high into the air. It was a fitting end to a bad game, and one that the coaching staff hopes will inspire the Buffaloes to play smarter. If not, one of the toughest schedules in the country looks to be a lot tougher.
Colorado does indeed have a lot of talent, but they really need to dial that talent in if they expect to win on the road against a Top-25 opponent. Baylor entered the game as the #25 team in the country, and they did what was necessary to take care of business against a Colorado team with high expectations.
Many people around the country and the Pac-12 conference expect the CU backcourt tandem of Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie to be the strength of the Buffaloes. After all, Dinwiddie is expected to be a first round draft pick next summer and Booker is one of the best streak shooters in the country when he is on fire.
When they fail to deliver, however, the Buffs are in for a tough road. Booker and Dinwiddie each played 36 minutes in the opening game to lead the Buffs. Unfortunately, they were a combined 7 for 28 from the field. To add insult to injury, the Buffs were a paltry 2 for 19 from three-point circle. All in all, it was testament to the athleticism of the Buffs that the final score was as close as it was.
For those who recorded the game but do not really have time to watch the entire thing, you can save yourself lots of anxiety and heartbreak by watching just the last 2 minutes and change. It is an effective microcosm of the game for the Buffs.
Colorado was down by 12 with around 4 minutes left, and had cut the lead to 6 and had the ball with two minutes on the clock. Then, to Boyle's and Buffs fan's chagrin, the team ran the clock down as if they were ahead. With less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Colorado heaved up a horrible shot without a prayer. It missed, of course, and Baylor got the rebound before promptly moving down the court to score and put the Buffs away.
Later, after the lead had been rebuilt to 12, the Buff's final shot was taken by Booker as the clock expired. It was supposed to be a slam dunk, but instead it ricocheted off the rim high into the air. It was a fitting end to a bad game, and one that the coaching staff hopes will inspire the Buffaloes to play smarter. If not, one of the toughest schedules in the country looks to be a lot tougher.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Colorado Buffs Open Basketball Season Against Baylor in Dallas
Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes basketball team opens one of the toughest schedules in the country tonight in Dallas against Scott Drew's Baylor Bears. Although highly praised in the off-season, the Buffs enter the game unranked but just outside the Top-25. The Bears, however, scratched their way to the final spot (#25) in the preseason rankings.
The Bears enter this season with the bizarre distinction of being, perhaps, the first ranked team in NCAA basketball history that might not score as many points per game as their school's football team. That is not a putdown to the offense of the Bear hoopsters, but more an acknowledgement of the amazing amount of points being scored by the undefeated and soon to be ranked in the Top 5 Baylor football team. The gridiron Bears have churned out points at the rate of almost 65 points per game this year. If that holds up, Baylor would demolish the NCAA record for points in a season.
One reason that Boyle's Buffaloes might not be ranked as highly as some thought following last season is that they lost star forward Andre Roberson as a first round pick to the NBA over the summer. Despite that, Tad Boyle has built perhaps his best team that is well stocked with the kinds of players he likes (ones with lots of length and athleticism who can run, shoot, and defend).
The Buffaloes return All Pac-12 performer Spencer Dinwiddie, who is considered a likely first round pick in next summer's NBA draft. They also return Askia Booker and All Pac-12 Freshman big man Josh Scott, who has added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame during the off-season.
Joining center Scott and guards Dinwiddie and Booker as likely starters for the Buffs will be sophomore Xavier Johnson and redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon. Johnson and Gordon represent five freshmen and five sophomores on Boyle's young team.
Right now, Boyle and Buffs know they have a young and talented team. What they don't know is which of the youngsters will step to the fore and become featured performers for the Buffaloes. It's a long season with a difficult schedule, but it should have the Buffs battle ready for conference play when it comes around.
The 8 p.m. game will be broadcast on the radio (850 KOA) and televised by Root Sports.
The Bears enter this season with the bizarre distinction of being, perhaps, the first ranked team in NCAA basketball history that might not score as many points per game as their school's football team. That is not a putdown to the offense of the Bear hoopsters, but more an acknowledgement of the amazing amount of points being scored by the undefeated and soon to be ranked in the Top 5 Baylor football team. The gridiron Bears have churned out points at the rate of almost 65 points per game this year. If that holds up, Baylor would demolish the NCAA record for points in a season.
One reason that Boyle's Buffaloes might not be ranked as highly as some thought following last season is that they lost star forward Andre Roberson as a first round pick to the NBA over the summer. Despite that, Tad Boyle has built perhaps his best team that is well stocked with the kinds of players he likes (ones with lots of length and athleticism who can run, shoot, and defend).
The Buffaloes return All Pac-12 performer Spencer Dinwiddie, who is considered a likely first round pick in next summer's NBA draft. They also return Askia Booker and All Pac-12 Freshman big man Josh Scott, who has added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame during the off-season.
Joining center Scott and guards Dinwiddie and Booker as likely starters for the Buffs will be sophomore Xavier Johnson and redshirt freshman Wesley Gordon. Johnson and Gordon represent five freshmen and five sophomores on Boyle's young team.
Right now, Boyle and Buffs know they have a young and talented team. What they don't know is which of the youngsters will step to the fore and become featured performers for the Buffaloes. It's a long season with a difficult schedule, but it should have the Buffs battle ready for conference play when it comes around.
The 8 p.m. game will be broadcast on the radio (850 KOA) and televised by Root Sports.
Why the National Championship Dreams of the Oregon Ducks were Smashed and Trashed by Stanford... Again!
This is an update to the post from October 8th, 2013, which offered advice to the Oregon Ducks, head coach Mark Helfrich, and quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Told you so!
Phil Knight must be wondering how much money he has to spend on stupid looking uniforms, fancy rims for the wheeled apparti, gold fixtures, and fur covered sinks in the locker room before his beloved Ducks win a national championship. Maybe the simple fact is that money is NOT going buy Phil and the University of Oregon anything except notoriety.
Maybe when you guys quit spending so much time deciding "what to wear" to your football games and mouthing off about how many points you are going to score, you might start having a realistic chance to beat the top defensive teams in the country. Like Auburn showed several years back, and Stanford has shown each of the last two years, the glitz and glamour of your "Las Vegas" style offense does not stand up very well against superior strength in the trenches.
Your team arrived in Palo Alto to face Stanford with the #2 rating in the polls. You arrived with the #2 offense in the country behind Baylor. You arrived with the #2 rushing attack in the FBS behind Army. And, after rushing for a meagre 62 yards (It's hard to get a lot of yards on the ground when your star running back keeps tripping over his big mouth), you guys left California with the knowledge that your team is clearly #2 in the Pac-12 North. Again. Ouch.
A little history for you. There was a famous ad campaign for Canon in 1990 that featured a young Andre Agassi with the catchphrase that "image is everything" -- which brought a lot of criticism because the young tennis star had yet to win anything major and it seemed to support the idea that looking good was more important than winning. The commercial starts off with Andre standing on the Las Vegas Strip sporting a rock star mullet. Need we say more?
Right now. The Oregon Ducks are standing on the same Vegas strip wearing a mullet and choking on the notion that image is everything. Like Agassi, the Ducks COULD change their attitude and dedicate themselves to winning it all. Or they can be content to spend lots of money "looking good" on the red carpet while more serious minded programs do what is necessary to win the National Championship.
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The October 8th posting also pointed out that Marcus Mariota needed to work on his skills if he wants to succeed at the next level. He cannot continue to rely on his team being faster and stronger than everyone else as the impetus of his wonderful statistics. In the NFL, every opponent is fast and strong. And they work on every aspect of their games in order to succeed.
One of the guys on the sideline at the game was John Elway. He went to Stanford. John never went to a bowl game while in college. But he did play in FIVE Super Bowls and was named to NINE Pro Bowls. He won two Super Bowls and is now enshrined in the Hall of Fame for both pro football and college.
Marcus needs to decide if he wants to be like John Elway or Tim Tebow. Actually, scratch that. As bad as Tebow was as a NFL quarterback, he DID win two national championships as well as the Heisman Trophy.
Marcus has all the potential in the world, but as Hall of Fame coach Darrell Royal used to say, "potential means you ain't done it yet." Royal coached the Texas Longhorns to THREE national championships, so he certainly "done it."
The question remains about Mariota and the Ducks -- Are they going to follow the Nike creed and "just do it" or are they going to continue to focus on how good they look while trying?
**************************************
Update Again:
To add insult to injury following the beatdown by Stanford in Palo Alto, Oregon alum and benefactor extraordinaire Phil Knight was photographed at the LSU-Alabama game wearing Alabama gear on Saturday night. Stuart Mandel, who writes for Sports Illustrated, tweeted "Well this is going to break Oregon's heart. Down on sideline Phil Knight just walked by dressed in Alabama gear." It sounds and looks like the Ducks just got dumped at the prom.
You gotta love it. Phil Knight was looking for a team that would "just do it" and he found it in Alabama.
Told you so!
Phil Knight must be wondering how much money he has to spend on stupid looking uniforms, fancy rims for the wheeled apparti, gold fixtures, and fur covered sinks in the locker room before his beloved Ducks win a national championship. Maybe the simple fact is that money is NOT going buy Phil and the University of Oregon anything except notoriety.
Maybe when you guys quit spending so much time deciding "what to wear" to your football games and mouthing off about how many points you are going to score, you might start having a realistic chance to beat the top defensive teams in the country. Like Auburn showed several years back, and Stanford has shown each of the last two years, the glitz and glamour of your "Las Vegas" style offense does not stand up very well against superior strength in the trenches.
Your team arrived in Palo Alto to face Stanford with the #2 rating in the polls. You arrived with the #2 offense in the country behind Baylor. You arrived with the #2 rushing attack in the FBS behind Army. And, after rushing for a meagre 62 yards (It's hard to get a lot of yards on the ground when your star running back keeps tripping over his big mouth), you guys left California with the knowledge that your team is clearly #2 in the Pac-12 North. Again. Ouch.
A little history for you. There was a famous ad campaign for Canon in 1990 that featured a young Andre Agassi with the catchphrase that "image is everything" -- which brought a lot of criticism because the young tennis star had yet to win anything major and it seemed to support the idea that looking good was more important than winning. The commercial starts off with Andre standing on the Las Vegas Strip sporting a rock star mullet. Need we say more?
Right now. The Oregon Ducks are standing on the same Vegas strip wearing a mullet and choking on the notion that image is everything. Like Agassi, the Ducks COULD change their attitude and dedicate themselves to winning it all. Or they can be content to spend lots of money "looking good" on the red carpet while more serious minded programs do what is necessary to win the National Championship.
********************************
The October 8th posting also pointed out that Marcus Mariota needed to work on his skills if he wants to succeed at the next level. He cannot continue to rely on his team being faster and stronger than everyone else as the impetus of his wonderful statistics. In the NFL, every opponent is fast and strong. And they work on every aspect of their games in order to succeed.
One of the guys on the sideline at the game was John Elway. He went to Stanford. John never went to a bowl game while in college. But he did play in FIVE Super Bowls and was named to NINE Pro Bowls. He won two Super Bowls and is now enshrined in the Hall of Fame for both pro football and college.
Marcus needs to decide if he wants to be like John Elway or Tim Tebow. Actually, scratch that. As bad as Tebow was as a NFL quarterback, he DID win two national championships as well as the Heisman Trophy.
Marcus has all the potential in the world, but as Hall of Fame coach Darrell Royal used to say, "potential means you ain't done it yet." Royal coached the Texas Longhorns to THREE national championships, so he certainly "done it."
The question remains about Mariota and the Ducks -- Are they going to follow the Nike creed and "just do it" or are they going to continue to focus on how good they look while trying?
**************************************
Update Again:
To add insult to injury following the beatdown by Stanford in Palo Alto, Oregon alum and benefactor extraordinaire Phil Knight was photographed at the LSU-Alabama game wearing Alabama gear on Saturday night. Stuart Mandel, who writes for Sports Illustrated, tweeted "Well this is going to break Oregon's heart. Down on sideline Phil Knight just walked by dressed in Alabama gear." It sounds and looks like the Ducks just got dumped at the prom.
You gotta love it. Phil Knight was looking for a team that would "just do it" and he found it in Alabama.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Why Pac-12 Coaches are Starting to Fear Sefo Liufau and the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado's true freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau heads back home to Washington this week to lead his CU Buffs against the UW Huskies. Coaches and teammates alike hope and expect that Liufau will continue the strong start to his "era" as starting quarterback for the Buffaloes.
Washington coach Steve Sarkisian hopes the Huskies do not become the first conference "victim" this year to the Buffs and Liufau. Many consider a loss to Colorado a longshot, especially considering the long losing streak the Buffs have to conference opponents. The last time CU beat a Pac-12 team was all the way back to Sept. 22, 2012 against Washington State. It was the only win of the season for Colorado.
If one looks at the various team statistics for the Pac-12 conference this season, it is easy to see that Colorado ranks last or nearly last in most categories. What the stats DON'T show is that the numbers are changing drastically since Liufau became the quarterback for the Buffaloes.
Colorado is last in the Pac-12 in 3rd down conversions at 30.8%. Take away the 2 out of 33 conversions that CU had BEFORE switching to Liufau during conference play, and one finds that Liufau has led the Buffs to a conversion rate of almost 49%, which would be #1 in the conference.
Colorado's pass completion percentage is also at the bottom of the conference at only 51.5% of passes completed. When Liufau is on the field, however, things are much better. Sefo has completed 64.9% of his passes, and in three of the games he has played in the completion percentage has been at least 69%. Liufau's 64.9% would be third in the conference behind only UCLA and Oregon.
It is easy to see why Sarkisian and other coaches around the conference are starting to get concerned about the intangibles that Sefo Liufau brings to the Colorado offense. After all, he has started only three games and played in only one more at the collegiate level. Although he has been roughed up by opposing defenses, he has maintained his level-headed demeanor throughout his time at the helm of the CU offense.
As good as his play has been so far, opposing coaches know that Liufau will get better as he gets more experience. Then, the touchdown to field goal ratio when the Buffs get into the red zone will start to get better. Getting more points on the board will ease the duty of the Colorado defense, and time of possession will continue to grow as a strength for the Buffaloes.
Liufau is a Washington kid. He was a very successful high school quarterback there. His coaches from high school knew Sefo to be a great leader. Colorado's head coach, Mike MacIntyre, recognized those leadership abilities and burned Liufau's redshirt for the good of the team.
With each passing game, his teammates have grown to trust and respect him. Indeed, the way he stood up to the pounding (and cheap shots which drew penalties) from UCLA, inspired his offensive line to such a degree that by the end of the game they were willing to fight for him, leading to a skirmish with several Bruin players.
The emotional bonding into brotherhood between Liufau and his teammates is the crucial step that Colorado has been missing for years. As they continue to rebound from their lost decade away from the Top 25, the "coming together" of Colorado team will make them a much greater foe for any opponent.
UW coach Sarkisian does not want his Huskies to be the first victim to the rejuvenated Buffaloes and Liufau. That makes sense, because he knows that once those conference dominoes start to fall, a lot of teams in the Pac-12 will find out what it's like to be on the losing side across from Sefo Liufau.
Sefo Liufau will have droves of family and friends on hand at Husky Stadium this Saturday at 5 pm pacific time (6 pm mountain time). The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Those friends and family will be there to support and cheer Sefo and the Buffaloes as they try to take the next step back to respect. Liufau and his coaches and teammates want desperately not to disappoint them.
Washington coach Steve Sarkisian hopes the Huskies do not become the first conference "victim" this year to the Buffs and Liufau. Many consider a loss to Colorado a longshot, especially considering the long losing streak the Buffs have to conference opponents. The last time CU beat a Pac-12 team was all the way back to Sept. 22, 2012 against Washington State. It was the only win of the season for Colorado.
If one looks at the various team statistics for the Pac-12 conference this season, it is easy to see that Colorado ranks last or nearly last in most categories. What the stats DON'T show is that the numbers are changing drastically since Liufau became the quarterback for the Buffaloes.
Colorado is last in the Pac-12 in 3rd down conversions at 30.8%. Take away the 2 out of 33 conversions that CU had BEFORE switching to Liufau during conference play, and one finds that Liufau has led the Buffs to a conversion rate of almost 49%, which would be #1 in the conference.
Colorado's pass completion percentage is also at the bottom of the conference at only 51.5% of passes completed. When Liufau is on the field, however, things are much better. Sefo has completed 64.9% of his passes, and in three of the games he has played in the completion percentage has been at least 69%. Liufau's 64.9% would be third in the conference behind only UCLA and Oregon.
It is easy to see why Sarkisian and other coaches around the conference are starting to get concerned about the intangibles that Sefo Liufau brings to the Colorado offense. After all, he has started only three games and played in only one more at the collegiate level. Although he has been roughed up by opposing defenses, he has maintained his level-headed demeanor throughout his time at the helm of the CU offense.
As good as his play has been so far, opposing coaches know that Liufau will get better as he gets more experience. Then, the touchdown to field goal ratio when the Buffs get into the red zone will start to get better. Getting more points on the board will ease the duty of the Colorado defense, and time of possession will continue to grow as a strength for the Buffaloes.
Liufau is a Washington kid. He was a very successful high school quarterback there. His coaches from high school knew Sefo to be a great leader. Colorado's head coach, Mike MacIntyre, recognized those leadership abilities and burned Liufau's redshirt for the good of the team.
With each passing game, his teammates have grown to trust and respect him. Indeed, the way he stood up to the pounding (and cheap shots which drew penalties) from UCLA, inspired his offensive line to such a degree that by the end of the game they were willing to fight for him, leading to a skirmish with several Bruin players.
The emotional bonding into brotherhood between Liufau and his teammates is the crucial step that Colorado has been missing for years. As they continue to rebound from their lost decade away from the Top 25, the "coming together" of Colorado team will make them a much greater foe for any opponent.
UW coach Sarkisian does not want his Huskies to be the first victim to the rejuvenated Buffaloes and Liufau. That makes sense, because he knows that once those conference dominoes start to fall, a lot of teams in the Pac-12 will find out what it's like to be on the losing side across from Sefo Liufau.
Sefo Liufau will have droves of family and friends on hand at Husky Stadium this Saturday at 5 pm pacific time (6 pm mountain time). The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Those friends and family will be there to support and cheer Sefo and the Buffaloes as they try to take the next step back to respect. Liufau and his coaches and teammates want desperately not to disappoint them.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Youth, Lack of Depth in the Trenches Biggest Obstacles for Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes
When Mike MacIntyre accepted the Colorado job, he knew he had a big rebuilding job on his hands. After all, Colorado had not had a winning season since 2005, and had not ended up in the Top 25 to end the year since 2002. Did that scare Mac? Not at all. Rebuilding is what MacIntyre does. It's in his blood. He did it at San Jose State, just like his father George did before him at Vanderbilt.
The 2012 Buffs were arguably the worst team in Colorado history and the worst team in the FBS. They finished 1-11, and most of the losses were of the VERY ugly variety. Fresno State scored 35 points before the end of the 1st quarter. The team and its players were as down as a team could be. They did not enjoy football. They did not enjoy each other, and, as a team, they just went through the motions.
This is what faced MacIntyre when he came aboard at Colorado. He had to change the culture. He had to change the attitude. He had to instill desire and create a work ethic and a dedication to fun which had been sorely missing. To his credit, he did all that.
The results showed on the field. After six games, the Buffs had tripled their win total from the previous year. For the first time in a long time, the Buffaloes were actually winning the games they were supposed to win.
What made this amazing was that MacIntyre had done so much even though he faced something that could not easily be changed. Other than the recruiting class he brought in this year, Mac's only choices for players were the ones that were already here, brought in by other coaches.
Coaching the players here would be no problem for MacIntyre and his staff, but the one thing they could not do was coach players who were NOT in Boulder. Poor and destructive recruiting by prior coaching staffs left MacIntyre without the most important parts of any football team, the "big guys" in the trenches.
Any football coach will tell you that the games are won or lost on the backs of the linemen. The offensive line protects the quarterback, allows for a passing game, and opens holes for the running backs. The O-line allows the offense to function.
As Colorado seemingly struggles against the high and mighty competition of the Pac-12, it is important to remember what MacIntyre and offensive line coach Gary Bernardi have had to work with. The CU roster includes 17 offensive linemen. Of those 17, only TWO are seniors and only TWO are juniors. That means that 13 of the 17 offensive linemen are either freshman (8) or sophomores (5). That being said, it's pretty darn amazing how well the group has done.
Colorado lost two starting offensive linemen from last year that could have certainly helped the Buffs make it to a bowl game this year. David Bakhtiari left school early and is now a starter for the Green Bay Packers. And Alexander Lewis announced he was transferring to Nebraska, and then was arrested for assaulting an Air Force cadet. He is currently free on bond awaiting trial.
How bad is it for the offensive line coach at CU? The November 4th depth chart shows only a total of NINE players for the 3-deep of FIVE offensive line positions. Mac and Bernardi are doing their best to give every freshman on the line a chance to redshirt this year, while also doing their best to win as many football games as they can this year.
It's a tough task. But the coaches know that the best thing for the future of the program is to let these young men adjust to college life, get stronger, and grow their bodies. Two of the young men listed on the depth chart have yet to play a down and are scheduled to redshirt if injuries to starters do not force the hand of CU coaches.
Things on the defensive line of the ball are not much better for Colorado and defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat. Like the O-line, the defensive line has 17 players listed on the roster. Among those 17 are only TWO seniors and THREE juniors. Five more (including two starters) are sophomores, and the final seven are freshmen. Two freshmen and five sophomores from the DL are listed on the current depth chart and playing.
As Colorado gets ready to head to Washington this weekend, Buff fans should look at what the CU coaches have accomplished this year, especially in the trenches, and truly appreciate how fine a job they have done against one of the toughest conference schedules in the country.
The team is remarkably better. It is tougher. It plays hard for the entire game. And most importantly, the young men seem be be enjoying college football for the first time in years. They are having fun, and working harder each week to win. Their results on the field are telling in the eyes of coaches and students of football, even if they do not show up just yet in the final score for the casual fan. Those days are coming, however, and the magic of MacIntyre and his staff will remake the Colorado Buffaloes into the team that CU expects and deserves.
*********************************
Postscript note--
Many folks commenting on blog sites and news sites have been complaining about the status of the O and D lines at CU. Those complaints should be directed at Jon Embree and Dan Hawkins.
At least one of these folks pointed out that UCLA had three true freshman starting on the offensive line, and came to the conclusion that "youth" could not be used as an excuse by CU.
UCLA and head coach Jim Mora had the #3 recruiting class in the NCAA this past February. TWENTY of those recruits were rated as either 4-star or 5-star recruits by both main recruiting services. Those 20 highly rated recruits by UCLA also roughly equals what CU has brought into Boulder in the last 11 years combined. Colorado had ZERO 4 or 5-star recruits this past year.
The star rating of recruits is not always a predictor of how good a high school player will be in 3-4 years, but highly rated (4-5 star) recruits are usually much more ready to play as freshmen. Things tend to even out as the young men grow and mature. For example, David Bakhtiari was only a 2-star recruit, but now he's starting as a rookie in the NFL.
The 2012 Buffs were arguably the worst team in Colorado history and the worst team in the FBS. They finished 1-11, and most of the losses were of the VERY ugly variety. Fresno State scored 35 points before the end of the 1st quarter. The team and its players were as down as a team could be. They did not enjoy football. They did not enjoy each other, and, as a team, they just went through the motions.
This is what faced MacIntyre when he came aboard at Colorado. He had to change the culture. He had to change the attitude. He had to instill desire and create a work ethic and a dedication to fun which had been sorely missing. To his credit, he did all that.
The results showed on the field. After six games, the Buffs had tripled their win total from the previous year. For the first time in a long time, the Buffaloes were actually winning the games they were supposed to win.
What made this amazing was that MacIntyre had done so much even though he faced something that could not easily be changed. Other than the recruiting class he brought in this year, Mac's only choices for players were the ones that were already here, brought in by other coaches.
Coaching the players here would be no problem for MacIntyre and his staff, but the one thing they could not do was coach players who were NOT in Boulder. Poor and destructive recruiting by prior coaching staffs left MacIntyre without the most important parts of any football team, the "big guys" in the trenches.
Any football coach will tell you that the games are won or lost on the backs of the linemen. The offensive line protects the quarterback, allows for a passing game, and opens holes for the running backs. The O-line allows the offense to function.
As Colorado seemingly struggles against the high and mighty competition of the Pac-12, it is important to remember what MacIntyre and offensive line coach Gary Bernardi have had to work with. The CU roster includes 17 offensive linemen. Of those 17, only TWO are seniors and only TWO are juniors. That means that 13 of the 17 offensive linemen are either freshman (8) or sophomores (5). That being said, it's pretty darn amazing how well the group has done.
Colorado lost two starting offensive linemen from last year that could have certainly helped the Buffs make it to a bowl game this year. David Bakhtiari left school early and is now a starter for the Green Bay Packers. And Alexander Lewis announced he was transferring to Nebraska, and then was arrested for assaulting an Air Force cadet. He is currently free on bond awaiting trial.
How bad is it for the offensive line coach at CU? The November 4th depth chart shows only a total of NINE players for the 3-deep of FIVE offensive line positions. Mac and Bernardi are doing their best to give every freshman on the line a chance to redshirt this year, while also doing their best to win as many football games as they can this year.
It's a tough task. But the coaches know that the best thing for the future of the program is to let these young men adjust to college life, get stronger, and grow their bodies. Two of the young men listed on the depth chart have yet to play a down and are scheduled to redshirt if injuries to starters do not force the hand of CU coaches.
Things on the defensive line of the ball are not much better for Colorado and defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat. Like the O-line, the defensive line has 17 players listed on the roster. Among those 17 are only TWO seniors and THREE juniors. Five more (including two starters) are sophomores, and the final seven are freshmen. Two freshmen and five sophomores from the DL are listed on the current depth chart and playing.
As Colorado gets ready to head to Washington this weekend, Buff fans should look at what the CU coaches have accomplished this year, especially in the trenches, and truly appreciate how fine a job they have done against one of the toughest conference schedules in the country.
The team is remarkably better. It is tougher. It plays hard for the entire game. And most importantly, the young men seem be be enjoying college football for the first time in years. They are having fun, and working harder each week to win. Their results on the field are telling in the eyes of coaches and students of football, even if they do not show up just yet in the final score for the casual fan. Those days are coming, however, and the magic of MacIntyre and his staff will remake the Colorado Buffaloes into the team that CU expects and deserves.
*********************************
Postscript note--
Many folks commenting on blog sites and news sites have been complaining about the status of the O and D lines at CU. Those complaints should be directed at Jon Embree and Dan Hawkins.
At least one of these folks pointed out that UCLA had three true freshman starting on the offensive line, and came to the conclusion that "youth" could not be used as an excuse by CU.
UCLA and head coach Jim Mora had the #3 recruiting class in the NCAA this past February. TWENTY of those recruits were rated as either 4-star or 5-star recruits by both main recruiting services. Those 20 highly rated recruits by UCLA also roughly equals what CU has brought into Boulder in the last 11 years combined. Colorado had ZERO 4 or 5-star recruits this past year.
The star rating of recruits is not always a predictor of how good a high school player will be in 3-4 years, but highly rated (4-5 star) recruits are usually much more ready to play as freshmen. Things tend to even out as the young men grow and mature. For example, David Bakhtiari was only a 2-star recruit, but now he's starting as a rookie in the NFL.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Day Sefo Liufau Became "The Man" -- and the Colorado Buffaloes Became a TEAM
November 2, 2013 -- Make note of the day. In years to come, it will be remembered as the day Sefo Liufau grew from the true freshman just months out of high school into the MAN who will lead Colorado back to respectability.
Critics of the Buffaloes will harp on the fact that Colorado's loss to #16 UCLA in the Rose Bowl was yet just another in too many consecutive losses to Pac-12 opponents. What these critics DO NOT see is just how how far Colorado has come under Mike MacIntyre. And they do not see how close CU came to playing a competitive ball game for four quarters against a ranked opponent on the road.
Even if he does not share it publicly, the head coach of the Buffs must be very happy in his heart this morning. He took a downtrodden program that was known for quitting or just going through the motions last year, and began the arduous task of rebuilding the Buffaloes into a TEAM.
It took much of spring practice to get the guys to enjoy playing football again, and it took much of pre-season for them to learn to respect and support one another again. Seven games into the 2013 season, the Buffs had tripled their win total from last year.
In game eight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Buffs made their biggest improvement to date because they learned to FIGHT. The offense, led by star wide receiver Paul Richardson, finally decided that they were not going to take BS from anyone. And when the entire offensive line went after Anthony Barr, the top defensive player in the country, following his cheap shot on Liufau, the path back to respectability by the Buffs was finally chosen.
The impetus for the change most certainly came from Liufau. No matter how many times he was knocked down by cheap shots from UCLA, he got up and went back at 'em. He stood up to Barr, and his line came back to help. Despite the pounding, Liufau completed 25 of 36 passes for 247 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. After this game, Sefo will never again be the young kid trying to adjust to the speed of the college game. He has seen it and knows he can play.
Truth be told, two plays separated this game from a nail biter. An unfortunate fumble by Ryan Severson on a kickoff return gave the Bruins the ball in scoring position. And a long 76 yard pass from Brett Hundley to Devin Fuller that was oh-so-close to being a sack or at least being hit as the ball was thrown. Take those two plays away and the Bruins are looking at one touchdown game.
Take a couple of missed field goals by CU and the game is neck and neck. Turn a couple of those field goals into touchdowns and CU maybe wins this game. The willingness to fight and protect their leader Liufau will make CU a team to be reckoned with going forward.
If the defense and the special teams can adopt the same fight, Colorado will be a much better team from this point on. If it happens this week, the Buffs stand a real chance of standing toe to toe with Washington on the road. Liufau grew up in Washington and has lots of family and friends that will be on hand to support him. He is ready to lead the Buffs to their first Pac-12 win of the season. There will be many more to come.
Mark down the date. The Buffs have 16 games between now and the end of next season. The prediction here is that Colorado wins at least half those games. MacIntyre and his staff have worked very hard to get the program at Colorado turned around. The game against UCLA marked a major turning point, and it was one that had to made before the Buffs finally start to see their progress reflected in the final score.
********************************
Seeing the Colorado and UCLA players on field after the game sharing handshakes and hugs was all the proof anyone could ever need to see why Colorado has found the right home in the Pac-12. CU has a huge alumni base in California. Moving forward, since so many of the Buff football players come from the Golden State, it will only help in recruiting the fertile football valleys of California if those young men know that they can return home and play in front of their families and friends, and with and against longtime rivals.
Go Buffs!
Critics of the Buffaloes will harp on the fact that Colorado's loss to #16 UCLA in the Rose Bowl was yet just another in too many consecutive losses to Pac-12 opponents. What these critics DO NOT see is just how how far Colorado has come under Mike MacIntyre. And they do not see how close CU came to playing a competitive ball game for four quarters against a ranked opponent on the road.
Even if he does not share it publicly, the head coach of the Buffs must be very happy in his heart this morning. He took a downtrodden program that was known for quitting or just going through the motions last year, and began the arduous task of rebuilding the Buffaloes into a TEAM.
It took much of spring practice to get the guys to enjoy playing football again, and it took much of pre-season for them to learn to respect and support one another again. Seven games into the 2013 season, the Buffs had tripled their win total from last year.
In game eight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Buffs made their biggest improvement to date because they learned to FIGHT. The offense, led by star wide receiver Paul Richardson, finally decided that they were not going to take BS from anyone. And when the entire offensive line went after Anthony Barr, the top defensive player in the country, following his cheap shot on Liufau, the path back to respectability by the Buffs was finally chosen.
The impetus for the change most certainly came from Liufau. No matter how many times he was knocked down by cheap shots from UCLA, he got up and went back at 'em. He stood up to Barr, and his line came back to help. Despite the pounding, Liufau completed 25 of 36 passes for 247 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. After this game, Sefo will never again be the young kid trying to adjust to the speed of the college game. He has seen it and knows he can play.
Truth be told, two plays separated this game from a nail biter. An unfortunate fumble by Ryan Severson on a kickoff return gave the Bruins the ball in scoring position. And a long 76 yard pass from Brett Hundley to Devin Fuller that was oh-so-close to being a sack or at least being hit as the ball was thrown. Take those two plays away and the Bruins are looking at one touchdown game.
Take a couple of missed field goals by CU and the game is neck and neck. Turn a couple of those field goals into touchdowns and CU maybe wins this game. The willingness to fight and protect their leader Liufau will make CU a team to be reckoned with going forward.
If the defense and the special teams can adopt the same fight, Colorado will be a much better team from this point on. If it happens this week, the Buffs stand a real chance of standing toe to toe with Washington on the road. Liufau grew up in Washington and has lots of family and friends that will be on hand to support him. He is ready to lead the Buffs to their first Pac-12 win of the season. There will be many more to come.
Mark down the date. The Buffs have 16 games between now and the end of next season. The prediction here is that Colorado wins at least half those games. MacIntyre and his staff have worked very hard to get the program at Colorado turned around. The game against UCLA marked a major turning point, and it was one that had to made before the Buffs finally start to see their progress reflected in the final score.
********************************
Seeing the Colorado and UCLA players on field after the game sharing handshakes and hugs was all the proof anyone could ever need to see why Colorado has found the right home in the Pac-12. CU has a huge alumni base in California. Moving forward, since so many of the Buff football players come from the Golden State, it will only help in recruiting the fertile football valleys of California if those young men know that they can return home and play in front of their families and friends, and with and against longtime rivals.
Go Buffs!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
What Colorado Buff Fans Should Expect Against UCLA at the Rose Bowl
Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes take on the Bruins of UCLA today at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The game will be televised at 5:30 pm (Mountain Daylight Time) on FS1.
The Bruins were undefeated and riding high with a national ranking to match after their first five games to the season. The were scoring points at the clip of almost 46 points per game, while giving up a mere 18.
But that was before running into the conference buzz saws of Oregon and Stanford, both on the road, the last two weeks. During those contests, their offensive output dropped to 12 points per game in the two losses, while the Bruins surrendered 33 points per game.
The Bruins are quite happy to be back home in the Rose Bowl to face Colorado, and they are hoping to get their numbers back to "normal" and another win. A win by UCLA would make them bowl eligible. Future games that will be harder to count on as wins include a tough trip to Tucson to face Arizona before welcoming Washington and the red hot Arizona State Sun Devils to Pasadena. The Bruins finish off the regular season a few miles down the road against bitter rival and rejuvenated USC at the Coliseum. For UCLA, the Colorado game looks to be the only "gimme" left in a conference where gimme's are hard to come by.
The Buffaloes arrived in Los Angeles with four big losses in conference games this year, and a losing streak in the Pac-12 that goes back to early in the 2012 season. Coach Mac and his Buffs know that they have tough row to hoe to pull off the upset.
What do the Buffs have going for them?
Well, for starters, more than 40 players for CU grew up in and played their high school football in the Golden State. Lots of them will have friends and family in the stands and they do not want to look bad in front of their peeps. On top of that, many of them played with and against the players from UCLA, and they share rivalries that go back to high school and before.
The Colorado kickoff returns continue to get better and better each week. Ryan Severson has gotten very close to breaking one for a touchdown and may be able to take one to the house today. As it is, he now stands 2nd in the Pac-12, averaging 28.6 yards per return. Buff fans hope, however, that Severson does not get too many opportunities to break one.
Although CU starting quarterback Sefo Liufau is only a freshman making his third start, he is becoming more aware of the speed of Pac-12 defenders and adjusting his game. Fortunately, Sefo should have his favorite receiver Paul Richardson available for the game. Having a guy who is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball makes life as a quarterback a little less stressful.
The Buffs have the Pac-12's leading tackler in freshman Addison Gillam. Greg Henderson leads the conference in interceptions per game and also passes defended. And Chidera Uzo-Diribe leads the conference and the nation in fumbles forced per game.
What problems do the Buffs face?
The offensive and defensive lines of the Buffaloes have been consistently overpowered within conference play. They have sometimes held their own for a quarter or even close to a half, but then tend to wear down.
The play-calling by CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, especially when throwing the ball, has been VERY predictable and easy to defend. Even with the skills of Richardson, the Buff passing game is not nearly as big a threat as it could be.
The running game, or lack thereof, can most certainly be attributed to the youth of the offensive line. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the most effective running back, Michael Adkins, will miss (most likely) the game due to a concussion suffered last week.
Do the Buffs stand a chance?
Realistically, not much of one. But it certainly would not be the biggest upset ever if they do pull out a win. Colorado would have to play their best game in several years to win this one unless UCLA hurts itself over and over again with turnovers and penalties.
Keys to the Game for Colorado:
Go Buffs!
The Bruins were undefeated and riding high with a national ranking to match after their first five games to the season. The were scoring points at the clip of almost 46 points per game, while giving up a mere 18.
But that was before running into the conference buzz saws of Oregon and Stanford, both on the road, the last two weeks. During those contests, their offensive output dropped to 12 points per game in the two losses, while the Bruins surrendered 33 points per game.
The Bruins are quite happy to be back home in the Rose Bowl to face Colorado, and they are hoping to get their numbers back to "normal" and another win. A win by UCLA would make them bowl eligible. Future games that will be harder to count on as wins include a tough trip to Tucson to face Arizona before welcoming Washington and the red hot Arizona State Sun Devils to Pasadena. The Bruins finish off the regular season a few miles down the road against bitter rival and rejuvenated USC at the Coliseum. For UCLA, the Colorado game looks to be the only "gimme" left in a conference where gimme's are hard to come by.
The Buffaloes arrived in Los Angeles with four big losses in conference games this year, and a losing streak in the Pac-12 that goes back to early in the 2012 season. Coach Mac and his Buffs know that they have tough row to hoe to pull off the upset.
What do the Buffs have going for them?
Well, for starters, more than 40 players for CU grew up in and played their high school football in the Golden State. Lots of them will have friends and family in the stands and they do not want to look bad in front of their peeps. On top of that, many of them played with and against the players from UCLA, and they share rivalries that go back to high school and before.
The Colorado kickoff returns continue to get better and better each week. Ryan Severson has gotten very close to breaking one for a touchdown and may be able to take one to the house today. As it is, he now stands 2nd in the Pac-12, averaging 28.6 yards per return. Buff fans hope, however, that Severson does not get too many opportunities to break one.
Although CU starting quarterback Sefo Liufau is only a freshman making his third start, he is becoming more aware of the speed of Pac-12 defenders and adjusting his game. Fortunately, Sefo should have his favorite receiver Paul Richardson available for the game. Having a guy who is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball makes life as a quarterback a little less stressful.
The Buffs have the Pac-12's leading tackler in freshman Addison Gillam. Greg Henderson leads the conference in interceptions per game and also passes defended. And Chidera Uzo-Diribe leads the conference and the nation in fumbles forced per game.
What problems do the Buffs face?
The offensive and defensive lines of the Buffaloes have been consistently overpowered within conference play. They have sometimes held their own for a quarter or even close to a half, but then tend to wear down.
The play-calling by CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, especially when throwing the ball, has been VERY predictable and easy to defend. Even with the skills of Richardson, the Buff passing game is not nearly as big a threat as it could be.
The running game, or lack thereof, can most certainly be attributed to the youth of the offensive line. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the most effective running back, Michael Adkins, will miss (most likely) the game due to a concussion suffered last week.
Do the Buffs stand a chance?
Realistically, not much of one. But it certainly would not be the biggest upset ever if they do pull out a win. Colorado would have to play their best game in several years to win this one unless UCLA hurts itself over and over again with turnovers and penalties.
Keys to the Game for Colorado:
- Win the turnover battle
- Convert 3rd downs at 50% (or close) level
- Liufau needs to complete a high percentage of his passes with no interceptions
- Score touchdowns instead of field goals when in the red zone
- Get Paul Richardson the ball, and mix it up to avoid double coverage
- Pressure UCLA QB Brett Hundley
- Limit "home run" plays over 25 yards by the Bruins
- No dumb penalties that kill drives or extend drives for UCLA
Go Buffs!
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