How bad had things gotten for the University of Colorado football program? So bad that four wins this past season constituted an unqualified success for new head coach Mike MacIntyre. For those still not happy with the direction of the program, please know that two decisions out of the control of Mac's coaching staff were what kept the Buffs from winning enough games to qualify for a bowl THIS year.
Those of us who are old enough to remember when Bill McCartney came to Boulder in 1982 remember the last time that Colorado football was a laughingstock before the last half dozen years. Chuck Fairbanks came to Boulder in 1978 from the New England Patriots. Prior to that, he had been head coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1967-72. During his six year stint leading the Sooners, OU finished the season ranked in the top 15 five times, including three times ranked in the top 3. Fairbanks record at OU was 52-15-1.
The national prominence achieved at Oklahoma was not repeated in Boulder, where Fairbanks led the Buffs to only 7 wins in 33 games. He resigned as head coach in June 1982.
McCartney's first three years in Boulder were quite similar with 7 wins in 33 tries. The difference was the foundation that McCartney was laying would put the Buffs on the national map for something other than the Bottom 10. Over the next four years, the Buffs averaged a respectable 7 wins per year.
As the wins came, so came the better level of high school recruits. During McCartney's last 6 years leading the Buffs, his team won 58 games. Among those games played, two were for the National Championship, and one other team was a single loss from playing for the national title once again. The Buffs finished in the Top 20 all six of those final years under McCartney, including three in the top 4 and were the AP national champions following the 1990 season.
Like McCartney back in 1982, MacIntyre arrived following the 2012 season to a program that was in shambles due primarily to a coach with an excellent track record before coming to Boulder. Dan Hawkins had led Boise State to an amazing 53 wins in five years before being hired by the Buffs. Like Fairbanks before him, the magic was not to be repeated. In five years leading CU, Hawkins won only 19 games, which was 34 games LESS than he won in Boise over the same time frame.
Following the firing of Hawkins, Colorado turned to former Buff Jon Embree despite the fact that he had no prior head coaching or even coordinator experience. To make matters worse, Embree hired for his coordinators other coaches with no prior experience in those roles.
That inexperience showed often in almost comic incompetence as the Buffs on offense frequently got their plays relayed in to the QB with nearly no time left on the play clock, causing numerous delay and procedure penalties. Another showcase of their bad coaching came when OC Eric Bieniemy called a QB sneak on 1st down after failing to notice that the Buffs had barely picked up a first down the previous play.
On defense, things were no better under coordinator Greg Brown. The Buffs gave up 552 points in 2012, which included giving up 50 or more five times. They allowed 69 to Fresno State, and 70 points to Oregon. Their lone win in 2012 was really a fluke, as Washington State imploded after leading 31-14 halfway through the 4th quarter. The Cougars gave up 3 touchdowns in the last 7:06 to lose by one point. It was the only thing that kept the Buffs from going 0-12 for the year.
This "lucky to win only 1" team was what MacIntyre inherited when he took over following the firing of Embree and his staff. What he found when he arrived was a team that had no sense of TEAM or BROTHERHOOD. What he also found was a group of young men that was not having any fun playing a game. And he found that the level of players brought in under the previous two coaching staffs had, by and large, not been systematically developed into FBS level players.
There were individual standouts that moved on the NFL, to be sure, but consistent development of every player was as sorely missing as consistent game plans in any aspect of the game. The Buffs were routinely manhandled by their brethren in the Pac-12, especially in the trenches, and it showed in the final scores.
This is what MacIntyre had available to him, but together with his staff they put their heads and hearts into molding the young men in their program into a TEAM which had enthusiasm for the game and their teammates. After years of being in a down program, it was perhaps the biggest challenge facing the new coaching staff.
The Buffs got stronger this year under the tutelage of Dave Forman, but they also realize that it will take another year or two before they are as strong as they need to be to compete at the very high level required for their conference. They were still pushed around on the lines, and that is the benchmark that determines success at the collegiate or professional levels. Win the battles in the trenches and you will win the games in most cases.
As bad as things were following the 2012 season, the reality is that two losses to the Buff roster determined their fate for this year. Lineman David Bakhtiari left early for the NFL, and now starts for the Green Bay Packers. And fellow lineman Alex Lewis announced his plan to transfer to Nebraska before assaulting an Air Force Cadet and placing himself in legal limbo. Lewis finally accepted a plea bargain to plead guilty on lesser charges on Dec. 21st. Sentencing has yet to be handed down.
Lewis and Bakhtiari were expected to be the stalwarts of an offensive line that was supposed to be a strength of the program. Their losses were the difference between four wins and six wins this year. Indeed, if the two had not left the program, MacIntyre and staff might well be looking at coach of the year honors within the conference.
Losing two dominant linemen made protecting QB's Connor Wood and Sefo Liufau a much harder task. And the two QB's paid the price. It also made the CU rushing game much less reliable. The Colorado backs showed some good signs occasionally throughout the year, but short yardage situations where push came to shove usually found CU being pushed back by stronger lines.
As great as the year put forth by Paul Richardson was, imagine how much better it could have been if the CU offensive line was a dominant unit that allowed the QB to have that extra second or two that would have allowed Richardson and the entire receiving staff more time to break into the open more often. On top of that, a dominant line would have allowed the Buffs to hold onto the ball for much more time, and allowed the defense to be more aggressive by playing from ahead much more often.
Judging by the talented recruits brought in and quickly developed by MacIntyre this past year, the Buffs are in good hands going forward. Another year of training under Forman and learning the programs of coordinators Brian Lindgren and Kent Baer will only improve the quality of the Buffaloes program.
Much of last year was spent rehabilitating the broken football program. Hell, they even had to spend time teaching these Buffs how to have fun. Now that they understand fun, and devotion to their brotherhood, these Buffs can now focus on getting stronger and playing faster.
When their understanding of the program is so good that they can react without thinking, the level of their play will be the equal of other top notch programs. It may not completely show in 2014, although it might, but the day is coming when the thundering herd of the Colorado Buffaloes will once again be feared. And Buff fans and players will have this coaching staff to thank for it.
Mike MacIntyre -- Head Coach
Kent Baer -- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
Brian Lindgren -- Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
Klayton Adams -- Running Backs / Tight Ends
Gary Bernardi -- Offensive Line
Charles Clark -- Safeties
Jim Jeffcoat -- Defensive Line
Andy LaRussa -- Cornerbacks
Toby Neinas -- Special Teams
Troy Walters -- Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Colorado Buffs Head to Vegas With Longest Winning Streak in 52 Years
Before the basketball season started, head coach Tad Boyle was feeling a little trepidation. Based on the difficulty of their non-conference schedule, Boyle had to be wondering if Colorado had bitten off a little more than they could chew. The concern was compounded by the fact that Colorado lost one of the best rebounders in the nation when Andre Roberson left school early and became a first round NBA draft pick. On top of that, Colorado entered the season with one of the youngest teams in the country.
After the unranked Buffs lost on the road to then ranked #20 Baylor to start the season, the ghosts of scheduling choices started rattling their chains and moaning out warnings. Eleven games into the season now, those warnings are apparently for Buffaloes opponents. Baylor is even better than everyone thought to begin the season. They have moved up to #12 in the latest polls, and have a victory over preseason #1 Kentucky on their resume.
As for the Buffaloes, they have now reeled off 10 straight wins, including a win over #6 Kansas. The 10 game winning streak is the longest for Colorado since 1961. That's NINE presidents ago. It was even before Tad Boyle was born. So what does one do when on an epic winning streak? Head to Las Vegas baby and put your cards the table.
At 9:30 pm Mountain Time tomorrow, the Buffs will take to the court against #7 Oklahoma State in Sin City. The Buffs and Cowboys have identical 10-1 records. CU and Oklahoma State are former Big 12 foes who have not played since Colorado jumped to the Pac-12 several years ago. The last time the teams played was in January of 2011, and the Buffs prevailed in Boulder by a score of 75-71.
The Cowboys are led by guard Marcus Smart, who is averaging 21.1 points per game. He has scored 30 or more points twice this season, including a season high 39 against Memphis.
Spencer Dinwiddie is the main man for the Buffaloes. He leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (3.7 apg), three point percentage (37.8%), and free throw percentage (86.3%). Sophomore Josh Scott leads the Buffs in rebounding with 8.7 per game.
After the unranked Buffs lost on the road to then ranked #20 Baylor to start the season, the ghosts of scheduling choices started rattling their chains and moaning out warnings. Eleven games into the season now, those warnings are apparently for Buffaloes opponents. Baylor is even better than everyone thought to begin the season. They have moved up to #12 in the latest polls, and have a victory over preseason #1 Kentucky on their resume.
As for the Buffaloes, they have now reeled off 10 straight wins, including a win over #6 Kansas. The 10 game winning streak is the longest for Colorado since 1961. That's NINE presidents ago. It was even before Tad Boyle was born. So what does one do when on an epic winning streak? Head to Las Vegas baby and put your cards the table.
At 9:30 pm Mountain Time tomorrow, the Buffs will take to the court against #7 Oklahoma State in Sin City. The Buffs and Cowboys have identical 10-1 records. CU and Oklahoma State are former Big 12 foes who have not played since Colorado jumped to the Pac-12 several years ago. The last time the teams played was in January of 2011, and the Buffs prevailed in Boulder by a score of 75-71.
The Cowboys are led by guard Marcus Smart, who is averaging 21.1 points per game. He has scored 30 or more points twice this season, including a season high 39 against Memphis.
Spencer Dinwiddie is the main man for the Buffaloes. He leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (3.7 apg), three point percentage (37.8%), and free throw percentage (86.3%). Sophomore Josh Scott leads the Buffs in rebounding with 8.7 per game.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Video: Colorado Buffaloes Win 9th Straight, Defeat Kansas Jayhawks 75-72
Things are starting to look pretty damn good for Tad Boyle's Colorado basketball team. The only team they have lost to this year, Baylor, took down #3 Kentucky last night. And today, the Buffaloes showed why they deserve to be well into the Top 20 in the country with a 75-72 win over #6 Kansas as the Coors Events Center in Boulder. The win was the 9th straight for the Buffs.
On a bitter cold day in Boulder, with outside temperatures hovering just a bit over zero, Buff fans and the famed C-Unit made the interior of the Foam Dome a pressure cooker at just the right temperature for roasting Jayhawks. With the game tied at 72 and three seconds on the clock, Colorado inbounded the ball to Askia Booker. 'Ski took the ball across midcourt and launched a long three point shot with half a second to go... and the three-point shot was all net as time expired. Colorado students and fans flooded the court after the shot and the victory.
Check out the video of Booker's incredible shot to win the game.
The win ended a 19-game losing streak to Kansas that went back to January 22, 2003. Like that game, Kansas entered the game as the #6 team in the country. And like that game as well, Kansas heads back home to the land that denies evolution with a loss.
Considering that Colorado was a mediocre basketball team for most of the years that they played in the same conference as Kansas, the KU fans and players must be awful happy now that Colorado has moved on to the Pac-12. Indeed, Kansas fans used to refer to the Coors Events Center as "Allen Fieldhouse West" because their games against CU in Boulder usually featured at least half the arena filled with Jayhawk fans.
That is no longer the case as head coach Tad Boyle has turned Boulder into a basketball hotbed. The Foam Dome has an official seating capacity of 11,064, but several hundred more were in attendance today. Truly, the crowd was "standing room only." According CU records, the record attendance at the Events Center was 11,363 in 2001 (also against Kansas). Today's final tally may surpass that.
Colorado was led in scoring by Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker, each with 15 points. Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott added 14 apiece for the Buffs. Kansas was led by Super-Frosh Andrew Wiggins, who scored 22 points. Many analysts predict that Wiggins will be the NBA's #1 draft pick next April.
The Buffs do not play again until next Friday, when they host Elon. On December 21st, they will play #9 Oklahoma State in Las Vegas.
On a bitter cold day in Boulder, with outside temperatures hovering just a bit over zero, Buff fans and the famed C-Unit made the interior of the Foam Dome a pressure cooker at just the right temperature for roasting Jayhawks. With the game tied at 72 and three seconds on the clock, Colorado inbounded the ball to Askia Booker. 'Ski took the ball across midcourt and launched a long three point shot with half a second to go... and the three-point shot was all net as time expired. Colorado students and fans flooded the court after the shot and the victory.
Check out the video of Booker's incredible shot to win the game.
The win ended a 19-game losing streak to Kansas that went back to January 22, 2003. Like that game, Kansas entered the game as the #6 team in the country. And like that game as well, Kansas heads back home to the land that denies evolution with a loss.
Considering that Colorado was a mediocre basketball team for most of the years that they played in the same conference as Kansas, the KU fans and players must be awful happy now that Colorado has moved on to the Pac-12. Indeed, Kansas fans used to refer to the Coors Events Center as "Allen Fieldhouse West" because their games against CU in Boulder usually featured at least half the arena filled with Jayhawk fans.
That is no longer the case as head coach Tad Boyle has turned Boulder into a basketball hotbed. The Foam Dome has an official seating capacity of 11,064, but several hundred more were in attendance today. Truly, the crowd was "standing room only." According CU records, the record attendance at the Events Center was 11,363 in 2001 (also against Kansas). Today's final tally may surpass that.
Colorado was led in scoring by Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker, each with 15 points. Xavier Johnson and Josh Scott added 14 apiece for the Buffs. Kansas was led by Super-Frosh Andrew Wiggins, who scored 22 points. Many analysts predict that Wiggins will be the NBA's #1 draft pick next April.
The Buffs do not play again until next Friday, when they host Elon. On December 21st, they will play #9 Oklahoma State in Las Vegas.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Colorado Wins 8th Straight Against CSU, Braces for Kansas
Following a season opening loss in Texas to #20 Baylor, Tad Boyle's Colorado Buffaloes have reeled off eight straight wins. Six of those wins came within the cozy confines of CU's Coors Events Center, but the last two have come on the road. As road warriors, first they took down Air Force in Colorado Springs, and last night they came back in Fort Collins behind 28 points from Spencer Dinwiddie to defeat Colorado State at Moby Arena 67-62.
The Buffs hope to invoke memories of the Wizard of Oz this weekend by chanting to themselves "there's no place like home." And when the Jayhawks of #6 Kansas come calling in their next game, the Buffs hope they have KU fans muttering "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Of course, the next line is "We must be over the rainbow!" Indeed, to the fanatics from Kansas, where evil lies in evolution and science, the bright world of tolerance and education that epitomizes Boulder must seem as foreign and odd as Oz.
Last year, the Jayhawks smoked the Buffs by the nasty score of 90-54 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Kansas is a perennial top 10 team, and has been a long-time foe of the Buffaloes. They were in the same conference until Colorado moved to the Pac-12 several years ago. That means the Buffs had to face them twice a year, every year.
The last time that Colorado defeated Kansas was January 22, 2003, when the #6 ranked Jayhawks visited Oz/Boulder and left with a 60-59 defeat. Boyle's Buffs hope to put 10 years of frustration behind them with a win in front of the loud and crazy C-Unit at the "Foam Dome" this weekend.
The Buffs have sold out all season tickets this year for the first time ever, and that should provide a great environment for the Buffaloes. Until Tad Boyle arrived on the scene, the Buffs were not consistently good in basketball for a LONG time. And when KU came to town, the Events Center was usually filled with Jayhawk fans who flocked to Boulder to experience life in Kodachrome.
Win or lose, however, Buff fans have a long history of sending Kansas and their fans packing with the derisive chant "We don't live in Kansas!" Thank God! Or just to upset them even more, Thank Goddess!
The Buffs hope to invoke memories of the Wizard of Oz this weekend by chanting to themselves "there's no place like home." And when the Jayhawks of #6 Kansas come calling in their next game, the Buffs hope they have KU fans muttering "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Of course, the next line is "We must be over the rainbow!" Indeed, to the fanatics from Kansas, where evil lies in evolution and science, the bright world of tolerance and education that epitomizes Boulder must seem as foreign and odd as Oz.
Last year, the Jayhawks smoked the Buffs by the nasty score of 90-54 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Kansas is a perennial top 10 team, and has been a long-time foe of the Buffaloes. They were in the same conference until Colorado moved to the Pac-12 several years ago. That means the Buffs had to face them twice a year, every year.
The last time that Colorado defeated Kansas was January 22, 2003, when the #6 ranked Jayhawks visited Oz/Boulder and left with a 60-59 defeat. Boyle's Buffs hope to put 10 years of frustration behind them with a win in front of the loud and crazy C-Unit at the "Foam Dome" this weekend.
The Buffs have sold out all season tickets this year for the first time ever, and that should provide a great environment for the Buffaloes. Until Tad Boyle arrived on the scene, the Buffs were not consistently good in basketball for a LONG time. And when KU came to town, the Events Center was usually filled with Jayhawk fans who flocked to Boulder to experience life in Kodachrome.
Win or lose, however, Buff fans have a long history of sending Kansas and their fans packing with the derisive chant "We don't live in Kansas!" Thank God! Or just to upset them even more, Thank Goddess!
Ode to Colorado Wide Receiver Paul Richardson
Following the end of the football season, Buff fans are dealing with the reality that Paul Richardson has decided to move on from the University of Colorado and try to make the jump to professional football. In honor of #6 and his goal of playing in the NFL, we present a little ditty from "The Graduate" (one of my favorite movies). The song "Mrs. Robinson" was, of course, was written by Paul Simon, one of the greatest poets of modern music.
To help you get in the mood, listen to the real song here.
To help you get in the mood, listen to the real song here.
"Mr. Richardson"And here's to you, Mr. Richardson,Buff fans love you more than you will know.God bless you, please, Mr. RichardsonThe NFL has place for those who play,hey, hey, hey
They'd like to know a little bit about your for their files
So we'd like to help you learn to help yourself.
Look around you all you see are evaluating eyes,
Wow 'em at the Combine until they take you home.And here's to you, Mr. Richardson,Buff fans love you more than you will know.God bless you, please, Mr. RichardsonThe NFL has a place for those who play,hey, hey, hey
Lift hard in the weight room where no one ever goes.
Fill your pantry with some protein.It's not a little secret that Mr. Paul needs some weight.
Most of all you've got to keep your blazing speed.
Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mr. Richardson,
Buff fans love you more than you will know.
God bless you, please, Mr. Richardson.
The NFL has a place for those who play,
Hey, hey, hey
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon.
Watching the NFL's great race.Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Every way we look at this we lose.
Where have you gone, Paul Richardson,
Buff fans turn their lonely eyes to you.
What's that you say, Mr. MacIntyre
Blazing Paul has left and gone away,
Hey hey hey.
Thanks to Paul Simon for writing such incredible songs and thanks also to Paul Richardson for providing such a bright beacon of light in some of the darkest days of Colorado Buffaloes football. We would also like to encourage Mr. Richardson to finish his degree and become a graduate in real life. Thanks for the memories.
Interesting note: The YouTube video above of Mrs. Robinson was to honor the song as #6 in a ranking by the American Film Institute of the best songs in the first 100 years of cinema. Paul Richardson wore #6 for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Interesting note: The YouTube video above of Mrs. Robinson was to honor the song as #6 in a ranking by the American Film Institute of the best songs in the first 100 years of cinema. Paul Richardson wore #6 for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Monday, December 2, 2013
USC Again Shows Poor Form, Hires Sarkisian Away From Washington
You gotta hand it to those Trojans, they don't give a damn about any "gentleman's agreements" when it comes to their head football coaches. Today, USC hired Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian to be their new head coach, even though he was under contract to a fellow Pac-12 school.
It's not the first time that Southern Cal has pulled this stunt. Following the 1986 season, they reached across the desert to Tucson, Arizona and hired Larry Smith away from the Wildcats with the much deeper coffers available to USC. Arizona fans, and even those from other conference schools, were outraged. The Trojans just shrugged.
The only other case of a conference coach jumping programs in recent memory is when Bruce Snyder left Cal for Arizona State following the 1991 season. Although the Cal athletic director claimed that Snyder was lured away by bigger dollars in Tempe, Snyder vigorously denied that before his death in 2009.
Snyder had taken a very down Cal program and turned it into a 10 win team for the first time since Pappy Waldorf's 1949 Cal team. Snyder said that he had a handshake agreement with Cal AD Dave Maggard for a new contract, but that Maggard left Cal for a job with Miami before the contract was signed. The interim AD, Bob Bockrath, refused to honor the deal and Snyder felt he was honor-bound to leave Cal.
Rick Neuheisel left Colorado for Washington following the 1998 season, but Colorado was then in the Big 12 conference and NOT a fellow conference member.
Twice in 27 years, the USC Trojans have gone trolling for head coaches within their own conference. They know that it cannot happen to them because no one else in the Pac-12 pays nearly as much as USC. They also know that they do not even have to disclose how much they pay their head coaches, or AD's, since they are a private school with no state requirement to share that information.
Of course, critics of the program also point out that USC also has a history of their boosters paying at least some of their players very well also. That being the case, hiring coaches away from fellow conference members is hardly their biggest sin. Let's just not have to listen to them bitch and moan about how few players they have under scholarship, which was due entirely to the penalties handed down to them for cheating in the first place.
Update:
Any moral high ground held by Washington after Sarkisian was hired away was lost after UW reportedly offered to double the pay of UCLA coach Jim Mora to come to Washington. Mora turned them down, but did use the offer to sweeten his contract with the Bruins.
Fortunately for Washington, they were able to do what many other schools had tried and failed -- they convinced Chris Petersen to leave Boise State. Petersen has the highest winning percentage in the FBS with a 92-12 record over eight seasons with the Broncos.
Washington and Petersen hope the moves works better than it did for former Boise State coaches Dan Hawkins and Dirk Koetter. Both had great success at Boise State, but found the winning much harder to do in the big boy conferences the Pac-10 and the Big 12. Koetter could not turn things around at Arizona State and Hawkins pretty much destroyed the program at Colorado.
It's not the first time that Southern Cal has pulled this stunt. Following the 1986 season, they reached across the desert to Tucson, Arizona and hired Larry Smith away from the Wildcats with the much deeper coffers available to USC. Arizona fans, and even those from other conference schools, were outraged. The Trojans just shrugged.
The only other case of a conference coach jumping programs in recent memory is when Bruce Snyder left Cal for Arizona State following the 1991 season. Although the Cal athletic director claimed that Snyder was lured away by bigger dollars in Tempe, Snyder vigorously denied that before his death in 2009.
Snyder had taken a very down Cal program and turned it into a 10 win team for the first time since Pappy Waldorf's 1949 Cal team. Snyder said that he had a handshake agreement with Cal AD Dave Maggard for a new contract, but that Maggard left Cal for a job with Miami before the contract was signed. The interim AD, Bob Bockrath, refused to honor the deal and Snyder felt he was honor-bound to leave Cal.
Rick Neuheisel left Colorado for Washington following the 1998 season, but Colorado was then in the Big 12 conference and NOT a fellow conference member.
Twice in 27 years, the USC Trojans have gone trolling for head coaches within their own conference. They know that it cannot happen to them because no one else in the Pac-12 pays nearly as much as USC. They also know that they do not even have to disclose how much they pay their head coaches, or AD's, since they are a private school with no state requirement to share that information.
Of course, critics of the program also point out that USC also has a history of their boosters paying at least some of their players very well also. That being the case, hiring coaches away from fellow conference members is hardly their biggest sin. Let's just not have to listen to them bitch and moan about how few players they have under scholarship, which was due entirely to the penalties handed down to them for cheating in the first place.
Update:
Any moral high ground held by Washington after Sarkisian was hired away was lost after UW reportedly offered to double the pay of UCLA coach Jim Mora to come to Washington. Mora turned them down, but did use the offer to sweeten his contract with the Bruins.
Fortunately for Washington, they were able to do what many other schools had tried and failed -- they convinced Chris Petersen to leave Boise State. Petersen has the highest winning percentage in the FBS with a 92-12 record over eight seasons with the Broncos.
Washington and Petersen hope the moves works better than it did for former Boise State coaches Dan Hawkins and Dirk Koetter. Both had great success at Boise State, but found the winning much harder to do in the big boy conferences the Pac-10 and the Big 12. Koetter could not turn things around at Arizona State and Hawkins pretty much destroyed the program at Colorado.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Colorado Faces Utah, Richardson Faces Decision About Future
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?
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?
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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Midweek Thoughts Regarding Colorado Loss to Arizona Wildcats
Looking back on the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona Wildcats, it seems there were some blown opportunities all around. The result of those blown chances was yet another loss to a conference opponent.
I am willing to take some of the blame. After all, I did offer good advice that was not specific enough. Since UA All-American Ka'Deem Carey had rushed for an ungodly 366 yards against CU last year, I had recommended that a key to the game was that the Buffs take Carey out of the game and limit him to 150 or less yards rushing. The Buffs did just that, and only allowed Carey 119 yards.
The problem with the recommendation was that it was too specific to Carey. I should have advised that the Buffs dedicate themselves to shutting down the Wildcat running game, and force them to beat the Buffs with the pasHes. But I didn't, and the Buffs didn't. Arizona put up 405 yards rushing, with 286 coming from folks other than Carey. The biggest hit on the ground came from quarterback B.J. Denker, who averaged almost 13 yards per carry on his way to 192 yards rushing.
On top of the rushing, Denker added 265 yards of passing to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. UCLA QB Brett Hundley must be licking his chops this week, since the Pac-12 OPW generally goes to the QB facing Colorado during conference play.
----------------------------------------------------------
Colorado special teams continued their upward spiral this past week. That does not include the idiotic decision to run a fake punt from their own red zone. Coach MacIntyre gets the blame for that. Kickoff returner Ryan Severson continues to edge ever closer to going the distance. On his two returns Saturday, he averaged 39.5 yards. Punter Darragh O'Neill had three punts downed inside the 20 with no touchbacks, and had none returned. Kicker Will Oliver had only 1 return of his kickoffs.
----------------------------------------------------------
True freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau continued to show positive signs while also showing the growing pains of a young quarterback. His completion percentage against the Wildcats was only 53% (17 of 32, 1 interception), compared to the near 70% he showed against ASU and Charleston Southern). On the positive side, Liufau was not sacked. It was the first time a Buff QB has not been sacked since the Arizona game last year.
Liufau also showed his youth and inexperience by throwing the ball out of the endzone on 4th and goal. As the TV announcer pointed out, you gotta give your own guy a chance to catch the ball since the other team is gonna get the ball anyway on 4th down.
WR Paul Richardson again demonstrated himself as one of the best in the Pac-12 and the country. Unfortunately, he sprained an ankle late in the game and is now listed as day to day. He is hoping to be able to play Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Buff passing game under offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continues to be predictable, as can be seen by the chart below:
Key to the graphic:
Like the game against Charleston Southern, the Buffs had only THREE passes between the hashmarks (and two ON the left hashmarks). 85% of the passes thrown by the Buffs went to the outside 50% of the field, leaving only 15% to the inner half of the field. Note -- the field is 160 feet wide, which means only 5 of 32 passes were thrown within 40 feet of the center of the field.
Considering that the Wildcats had both starting safeties out with injury, one might think that the Buffs would have been better served by attacking the middle.
Another thing to note is that the Buffs were damn lucky that at least one of their passes to the flat was not only almost intercepted but would have been taken to the house for a pic-six. It seems that Pac-12 defensive coordinators are noting (like myself) that the Buffs are very predictable in where they throw the ball. 24 of their 33 passes were thrown within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage, and mostly to the outside part of the field. That's much easier to defend than spreading it across the entire field of play. It also means the ball is spending a lot of time in the air going sideways instead of up the field.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
MacIntyre and the team thought that Arizona was a beatable foe. That may be true, but the same can and is said about Colorado. And right now, CU is more beatable. They have a great deal of young players in starting positions, and that inexperience is being taken advantage of.
The CU offensive and defensive lines are currently losing the battles in the trenches in conference play. That may take a couple years of development to change.
The CU passing game is the most predictable and easiest to defend in the conference. Only the presence of Paul Richardson keeps opposing defenses honest. The Buffs should also do whatever they can to get the ball into the hands of D.D. Goodson -- he is better built for the pounding of reverses and over the middle catches than Richardson.
I am willing to take some of the blame. After all, I did offer good advice that was not specific enough. Since UA All-American Ka'Deem Carey had rushed for an ungodly 366 yards against CU last year, I had recommended that a key to the game was that the Buffs take Carey out of the game and limit him to 150 or less yards rushing. The Buffs did just that, and only allowed Carey 119 yards.
The problem with the recommendation was that it was too specific to Carey. I should have advised that the Buffs dedicate themselves to shutting down the Wildcat running game, and force them to beat the Buffs with the pasHes. But I didn't, and the Buffs didn't. Arizona put up 405 yards rushing, with 286 coming from folks other than Carey. The biggest hit on the ground came from quarterback B.J. Denker, who averaged almost 13 yards per carry on his way to 192 yards rushing.
On top of the rushing, Denker added 265 yards of passing to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. UCLA QB Brett Hundley must be licking his chops this week, since the Pac-12 OPW generally goes to the QB facing Colorado during conference play.
----------------------------------------------------------
Colorado special teams continued their upward spiral this past week. That does not include the idiotic decision to run a fake punt from their own red zone. Coach MacIntyre gets the blame for that. Kickoff returner Ryan Severson continues to edge ever closer to going the distance. On his two returns Saturday, he averaged 39.5 yards. Punter Darragh O'Neill had three punts downed inside the 20 with no touchbacks, and had none returned. Kicker Will Oliver had only 1 return of his kickoffs.
----------------------------------------------------------
True freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau continued to show positive signs while also showing the growing pains of a young quarterback. His completion percentage against the Wildcats was only 53% (17 of 32, 1 interception), compared to the near 70% he showed against ASU and Charleston Southern). On the positive side, Liufau was not sacked. It was the first time a Buff QB has not been sacked since the Arizona game last year.
Liufau also showed his youth and inexperience by throwing the ball out of the endzone on 4th and goal. As the TV announcer pointed out, you gotta give your own guy a chance to catch the ball since the other team is gonna get the ball anyway on 4th down.
WR Paul Richardson again demonstrated himself as one of the best in the Pac-12 and the country. Unfortunately, he sprained an ankle late in the game and is now listed as day to day. He is hoping to be able to play Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Buff passing game under offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continues to be predictable, as can be seen by the chart below:
- Black Circle with R inside = completed pass
- Large R = touchdown reception
- Red null symbol (circle with a slash) = incomplete pass
- Blue null symbol = incomplete pass in the endzone
- Yellow lightning bolt = interception
- 30 yard line as line of scrimmage is used only as a reference
- Click on the graphic to see an enlarged version
Like the game against Charleston Southern, the Buffs had only THREE passes between the hashmarks (and two ON the left hashmarks). 85% of the passes thrown by the Buffs went to the outside 50% of the field, leaving only 15% to the inner half of the field. Note -- the field is 160 feet wide, which means only 5 of 32 passes were thrown within 40 feet of the center of the field.
Considering that the Wildcats had both starting safeties out with injury, one might think that the Buffs would have been better served by attacking the middle.
Another thing to note is that the Buffs were damn lucky that at least one of their passes to the flat was not only almost intercepted but would have been taken to the house for a pic-six. It seems that Pac-12 defensive coordinators are noting (like myself) that the Buffs are very predictable in where they throw the ball. 24 of their 33 passes were thrown within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage, and mostly to the outside part of the field. That's much easier to defend than spreading it across the entire field of play. It also means the ball is spending a lot of time in the air going sideways instead of up the field.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
MacIntyre and the team thought that Arizona was a beatable foe. That may be true, but the same can and is said about Colorado. And right now, CU is more beatable. They have a great deal of young players in starting positions, and that inexperience is being taken advantage of.
The CU offensive and defensive lines are currently losing the battles in the trenches in conference play. That may take a couple years of development to change.
The CU passing game is the most predictable and easiest to defend in the conference. Only the presence of Paul Richardson keeps opposing defenses honest. The Buffs should also do whatever they can to get the ball into the hands of D.D. Goodson -- he is better built for the pounding of reverses and over the middle catches than Richardson.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
University of Colorado Calls for Homecoming Blackout Against Arizona, but Buff Fans Should Refuse to Go Pink
The Arizona Wildcats make their way to Boulder this weekend for Colorado's homecoming festivities game. The Buffaloes have designated the night game as a "Blackout" -- meaning that fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.
Since October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, CU has added that pink is an acceptable alternative to black. Since Boulder is very progressive in their social awareness and politics, they should do the right thing and refuse to bow to the marketing of pinkwashing.
Pinkwashing is a term used to describe how companies use so-called "causes" as a way to market their products. The Susan G. Komen (For the Cure) Foundation is the entity which very effectively marketed their pink ribbons and pushed for breast cancer awareness. The NFL has donned various pink uniform parts over the last half decade, along with putting a pink ribbon on the field.
At stores around the country, thousands of products now sport a pink ribbon that indicate that money will be donated to Komen with each product purchased. The problem with all the effort going to the pinkwashing is that very little of the profits are going into breast cancer research. Many of the products donate less than a penny per purchase, and a sizable number of those will only do so if consumers mail in their proof of purchase. Worse yet, many products with the pink ribbons actually raise their price during the campaign, using the illusion of charity work to increase their bottom lines.
Critics of the pinkwashing campaign point out that many of the products that partner with Komen contain known carcinogenic ingredients that have been tied to causing breast cancer. To find out more, check out the Environmental Working Group's SKIN DEEP database about known carcinogens in cosmetics.
And others point out that Komen spends a great deal of money pursuing legal action against other charities for "infringing" on their marketing "rights." This has led to many coming to the conclusion that Komen is more interested in the money it raises than actually finding a cure.
Groups taking issue with the "marketing" emphasis include Breast Cancer Action and Think Before You Pink. They are actively pushing for action from the federal government to eliminate known toxins and carcinogens from cosmetics and other personal care products. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and a hell of a lot more than pink helmets and towels at football games.
Komen has also angered many by taking stands that appear to be politically motivated. The backlash to Komen cutting funds to Planned Parenthood (the largest provider of mammograms in the US) led to a severe drop in participation in Komen sponsored "3 day for the Cure" events. Komen also ended their financial support of embryonic stem cell research in 2011.
Dr. Samuel S. Epstein is an internationally recognized expert on cancer and cancer prevention. He is the founder and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. He was also the whistle-blower who made public the dangers of growth hormones given to cattle. In 2009, he published a book called Toxic Beauty which outlines the dangers of the ingredients used in cosmetics and other personal care products.
So, before you run out and buy a pink shirt to wear to the game, learn more about how to prevent breast cancer instead of being a willing lemming in the pinkwashing of a very serious disease.
Is there really ANYONE in the US or the modern world that is NOT "aware" of breast cancer? Not unless they live in a cave. Maybe it is time to end the marketing of this terrible disease and begin the process of eliminating it.
Maressa Brown at The Stir points out that The American Cancer Society only spends 26 cents for every dollar it raises to actually fund cancer work. The majority of the remainder goes to fundraising and overhead. If you think that is bad, know that only 13 cents out of every dollar at Komen goes to cancer work. Fighting cancer (or pretending to) is BIG business, and business is just fine, thank you.
----------------
Please note -- The author of this blogpost has published a number of articles about breast cancer and also spent a year and half as a stage four cancer patient caregiver.
Since October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, CU has added that pink is an acceptable alternative to black. Since Boulder is very progressive in their social awareness and politics, they should do the right thing and refuse to bow to the marketing of pinkwashing.
Pinkwashing is a term used to describe how companies use so-called "causes" as a way to market their products. The Susan G. Komen (For the Cure) Foundation is the entity which very effectively marketed their pink ribbons and pushed for breast cancer awareness. The NFL has donned various pink uniform parts over the last half decade, along with putting a pink ribbon on the field.
At stores around the country, thousands of products now sport a pink ribbon that indicate that money will be donated to Komen with each product purchased. The problem with all the effort going to the pinkwashing is that very little of the profits are going into breast cancer research. Many of the products donate less than a penny per purchase, and a sizable number of those will only do so if consumers mail in their proof of purchase. Worse yet, many products with the pink ribbons actually raise their price during the campaign, using the illusion of charity work to increase their bottom lines.
Critics of the pinkwashing campaign point out that many of the products that partner with Komen contain known carcinogenic ingredients that have been tied to causing breast cancer. To find out more, check out the Environmental Working Group's SKIN DEEP database about known carcinogens in cosmetics.
And others point out that Komen spends a great deal of money pursuing legal action against other charities for "infringing" on their marketing "rights." This has led to many coming to the conclusion that Komen is more interested in the money it raises than actually finding a cure.
Groups taking issue with the "marketing" emphasis include Breast Cancer Action and Think Before You Pink. They are actively pushing for action from the federal government to eliminate known toxins and carcinogens from cosmetics and other personal care products. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, and a hell of a lot more than pink helmets and towels at football games.
Komen has also angered many by taking stands that appear to be politically motivated. The backlash to Komen cutting funds to Planned Parenthood (the largest provider of mammograms in the US) led to a severe drop in participation in Komen sponsored "3 day for the Cure" events. Komen also ended their financial support of embryonic stem cell research in 2011.
Dr. Samuel S. Epstein is an internationally recognized expert on cancer and cancer prevention. He is the founder and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition. He was also the whistle-blower who made public the dangers of growth hormones given to cattle. In 2009, he published a book called Toxic Beauty which outlines the dangers of the ingredients used in cosmetics and other personal care products.
Is there really ANYONE in the US or the modern world that is NOT "aware" of breast cancer? Not unless they live in a cave. Maybe it is time to end the marketing of this terrible disease and begin the process of eliminating it.
Maressa Brown at The Stir points out that The American Cancer Society only spends 26 cents for every dollar it raises to actually fund cancer work. The majority of the remainder goes to fundraising and overhead. If you think that is bad, know that only 13 cents out of every dollar at Komen goes to cancer work. Fighting cancer (or pretending to) is BIG business, and business is just fine, thank you.
----------------
Please note -- The author of this blogpost has published a number of articles about breast cancer and also spent a year and half as a stage four cancer patient caregiver.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Colorado Special Teams Coach Toby Neinas Continues Turn Around for Buffs after Rough Start to Season
During the two big wins to open the season, the most glaring problem on Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffs team was the returns given up by the special teams units. When Mac came aboard to become head coach at CU, he brought with him Toby Neinas as Special Teams Coordinator.
Most Buff fans were very excited to have a coach devoted solely to special teams, since Colorado's special teams were not very special over the last several years. Two games into the season, many of the Buff faithful were loudly questioning the hire. That included this writer.
In the first game against Colorado State, the Buffs gave up an average of 38.4 yards on five kickoffs. Included in that was a touchdown return. On punt returns, Colorado allowed the Rams to average 23 yards on 4 returns. The punt return team also gave up a touchdown.
The numbers put up by the CU returners were much more pedestrian. They had 19 yards on one kickoff return (for an average less than half of CSU), and averaged only 8.5 on four punt returns (barely more than a third as many as CSU).
In game two against Central Arkansas, the kickoff return numbers continued to be bad. The Bears averaged 32 yards per on 4 returns. The Buffs, on the other hand, averaged barely more than half that at 17.3 on 3 returns. The Bears had only 1 punt return for 10 yards and CU had no punt returns.
After two games, the yards given up on returns by the Buffs were among the worst in the country. Everyone questioned whether the Buffs could return to respectability if their special teams were so bad.
Then came the floods and the extended break before Pac-12 play. After three straight lopsided defeats, the focus on what problems the Buffs were having were directed elsewhere. One of the reasons was that the CU special teams were starting to put up respectable numbers.
First came Oregon State. The Beavers had one kickoff return for 27 yards while the Buffs averaged 24.2 on 4 returns. The Buffs gave up only 8 total yards on 2 punt returns.
During the Oregon game, the Ducks only averaged 2 yards each on 2 kickoff returns, while the Buffs averaged 26.9 on 7 returns. Oregon lost 3 yards on their only punt return, while CU got 5 on their only punt return.
At Tempe, the Buffs faced an Arizona State team that was one of the best in country on returns. The Buffs stood up to the challenge. The Sun Devils only averaged 17.5 yards on 2 kickoff returns, and 10.3 yards on 3 punt returns. The Buffs averaged 19.4 on 5 kickoff returns, and had no punts returned.
Against Charleston-Southern, the Buffs averaged 26 yards on 2 kickoff returns compared to only 14.5 on two returns for the Bucs. In the punting game, CU had 2 returns for 4 yards a CS had no punt returns.
Six games into the season and the Buffs have become respectable on their special teams. After the first two games, the Buffs were giving up more than 35 yards per kickoff return, while averaging about half that for themselves.
After 6 games, however, the numbers are much more presentable. The average for CU opponents for kickoff returns is down to an average of 25.9 yards, the Buffs average has jumped up to 23 yards per return. A difference of 17.5 yards per return has now been reduced to less than 3.
Punt returns by Buff opponents has dropped from 23 in the first game to 12.5 for the season. The Buffs still only average half that at 6.2 per punt return, but it is a lot better than it was early in the season.
The CU running game finally got itself unleashed in the last game and scored 5 touchdowns and more had 218 yards rushing. If the special teams can continue to improve like they have over the last 3-4 weeks, it is only a matter of time before a Buff returner breaks a big one. As of right now, the Buffs special teams continue to become more special and Toby Neinas can hold his head high.
Most Buff fans were very excited to have a coach devoted solely to special teams, since Colorado's special teams were not very special over the last several years. Two games into the season, many of the Buff faithful were loudly questioning the hire. That included this writer.
In the first game against Colorado State, the Buffs gave up an average of 38.4 yards on five kickoffs. Included in that was a touchdown return. On punt returns, Colorado allowed the Rams to average 23 yards on 4 returns. The punt return team also gave up a touchdown.
The numbers put up by the CU returners were much more pedestrian. They had 19 yards on one kickoff return (for an average less than half of CSU), and averaged only 8.5 on four punt returns (barely more than a third as many as CSU).
In game two against Central Arkansas, the kickoff return numbers continued to be bad. The Bears averaged 32 yards per on 4 returns. The Buffs, on the other hand, averaged barely more than half that at 17.3 on 3 returns. The Bears had only 1 punt return for 10 yards and CU had no punt returns.
After two games, the yards given up on returns by the Buffs were among the worst in the country. Everyone questioned whether the Buffs could return to respectability if their special teams were so bad.
Then came the floods and the extended break before Pac-12 play. After three straight lopsided defeats, the focus on what problems the Buffs were having were directed elsewhere. One of the reasons was that the CU special teams were starting to put up respectable numbers.
First came Oregon State. The Beavers had one kickoff return for 27 yards while the Buffs averaged 24.2 on 4 returns. The Buffs gave up only 8 total yards on 2 punt returns.
During the Oregon game, the Ducks only averaged 2 yards each on 2 kickoff returns, while the Buffs averaged 26.9 on 7 returns. Oregon lost 3 yards on their only punt return, while CU got 5 on their only punt return.
At Tempe, the Buffs faced an Arizona State team that was one of the best in country on returns. The Buffs stood up to the challenge. The Sun Devils only averaged 17.5 yards on 2 kickoff returns, and 10.3 yards on 3 punt returns. The Buffs averaged 19.4 on 5 kickoff returns, and had no punts returned.
Against Charleston-Southern, the Buffs averaged 26 yards on 2 kickoff returns compared to only 14.5 on two returns for the Bucs. In the punting game, CU had 2 returns for 4 yards a CS had no punt returns.
Six games into the season and the Buffs have become respectable on their special teams. After the first two games, the Buffs were giving up more than 35 yards per kickoff return, while averaging about half that for themselves.
After 6 games, however, the numbers are much more presentable. The average for CU opponents for kickoff returns is down to an average of 25.9 yards, the Buffs average has jumped up to 23 yards per return. A difference of 17.5 yards per return has now been reduced to less than 3.
Punt returns by Buff opponents has dropped from 23 in the first game to 12.5 for the season. The Buffs still only average half that at 6.2 per punt return, but it is a lot better than it was early in the season.
The CU running game finally got itself unleashed in the last game and scored 5 touchdowns and more had 218 yards rushing. If the special teams can continue to improve like they have over the last 3-4 weeks, it is only a matter of time before a Buff returner breaks a big one. As of right now, the Buffs special teams continue to become more special and Toby Neinas can hold his head high.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Passing Game Predictability Working Against Colorado Buffs in the Pac-12
Going into game seven of the 2013 season, the Colorado Buffaloes hope to defend their home turf on Saturday against the University of Arizona Wildcats and their All-American tailback Ka'Deem Carey.
To accomplish that task, the Buffs and their offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren (and head coach Mike MacIntyre, too) must take a long hard look at the utter predictability of their passing game. The passing game has worked well against lesser opponents (Colorado State, Central Arkansas, and Charleston-Southern), but against Pac-12 foes it has been far from effective.
One could argue that Pac-12 teams just play better defense... but one could argue back that Colorado's heavy reliance on outside passes makes it much easier for Pac-12 defensive coordinators to prepare for the Buffaloes.
A small lesson about the playing field in college football:
Key to the graphic:
With that spirit in mind, I am hoping that someone (anyone, please!) can share this with the CU coaches. It would make the likelihood of a Colorado win during conference games much greater.
During the game with Charleston Southern this past Saturday, the Buffs threw 21 passes and completed 15 without any interceptions. That was very good, even against an overmatched opponent.
If one looks at the chart above, it shows:
The CU coaches need to ask themselves why 67% of their pass attempts are being force fed into less than 34% of the field width within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage? What makes it worse is that the preferred landing location of Buff passes just happens to be the farthest from the Colorado quarterbacks.
The longer the ball is in the air, the more time that defensive backs have to react to the ball. Worse yet, out patterns where the receiver must stop and wait for the ball gives them little chance to catch the ball with momentum.
For the Buffs to make a serious impact on Pac-12 teams with their passing game, they must learn to spread the ball around to include the rest of the playing field. Pac-12 teams are used to fast paced games in which the ball is thrown all over the field. When Colorado concentrates two-thirds of their pass attempts into two small boxes along the sidelines, it makes it much easier for opposing coaches to devise a plan to defend them.
For the Buffs to succeed against Pac-12 teams, they must learn to throw regularly over the middle. Just look at the one passing touchdown this past week. Paul Richardson caught one ball over the middle just three yards from the line of scrimmage. But he caught the ball with momentum and 61 yards later the Buffs had a touchdown.
Richardson is a great receiver, but the Buffs MUST learn to spread the ball around. While Paul was in the game, 10 out of the 17 passes thrown were directed at him. Good teams with excellent defensive backs will double down on Paul Richardson, and make Liufau find other receivers to beat them.
The 2013 season has been a learning experience for the Colorado football players. One hopes that it has been a learning experience for the CU coaches as well. Here's to hoping that they learn to spread the ball around the field and not to focus more than 50% of their passes on one receiver. If they don't, conference wins in the Pac-12 are going to be hard to come by.
To accomplish that task, the Buffs and their offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren (and head coach Mike MacIntyre, too) must take a long hard look at the utter predictability of their passing game. The passing game has worked well against lesser opponents (Colorado State, Central Arkansas, and Charleston-Southern), but against Pac-12 foes it has been far from effective.
One could argue that Pac-12 teams just play better defense... but one could argue back that Colorado's heavy reliance on outside passes makes it much easier for Pac-12 defensive coordinators to prepare for the Buffaloes.
A small lesson about the playing field in college football:
- Everyone who watches football knows that the field of play between the end zones in 100 yards long.
- Most people DO NOT know that the playing field is more than 50 yards wide. In fact, it is 53 yards and 12 inches wide (160 feet).
- The center of the field between the hash marks is 40 feet wide.
- It is 60 feet from each sideline to the hash marks.
- It is only 27 feet from the sideline to the tops of the numbers.
Key to the graphic:
- Circle with an R inside signifies a completed pass.
- Null symbol (circle with a slash) signifies an incomplete pass.
- The big R signifies a pass that went for a touchdown.
- The 30 yard line of scrimmage is used simply as a reference.
- Click on the graphic to see an enlarged version.
With that spirit in mind, I am hoping that someone (anyone, please!) can share this with the CU coaches. It would make the likelihood of a Colorado win during conference games much greater.
During the game with Charleston Southern this past Saturday, the Buffs threw 21 passes and completed 15 without any interceptions. That was very good, even against an overmatched opponent.
If one looks at the chart above, it shows:
- The Buffs threw 2 out of every 3 balls within 9 yards of either sideline.
- 1/3 of the passes went at least to the numbers on the left.
- 1/3 went to the numbers or further on the right.
- In addition, all those passes to the outside were thrown within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage.
- Only 3 of the 21 passes were thrown inside the hash marks.
- 3 more passes were thrown on the right hash mark.
- 1 pass was halfway between the right hash mark and the numbers.
The CU coaches need to ask themselves why 67% of their pass attempts are being force fed into less than 34% of the field width within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage? What makes it worse is that the preferred landing location of Buff passes just happens to be the farthest from the Colorado quarterbacks.
The longer the ball is in the air, the more time that defensive backs have to react to the ball. Worse yet, out patterns where the receiver must stop and wait for the ball gives them little chance to catch the ball with momentum.
For the Buffs to make a serious impact on Pac-12 teams with their passing game, they must learn to spread the ball around to include the rest of the playing field. Pac-12 teams are used to fast paced games in which the ball is thrown all over the field. When Colorado concentrates two-thirds of their pass attempts into two small boxes along the sidelines, it makes it much easier for opposing coaches to devise a plan to defend them.
For the Buffs to succeed against Pac-12 teams, they must learn to throw regularly over the middle. Just look at the one passing touchdown this past week. Paul Richardson caught one ball over the middle just three yards from the line of scrimmage. But he caught the ball with momentum and 61 yards later the Buffs had a touchdown.
Richardson is a great receiver, but the Buffs MUST learn to spread the ball around. While Paul was in the game, 10 out of the 17 passes thrown were directed at him. Good teams with excellent defensive backs will double down on Paul Richardson, and make Liufau find other receivers to beat them.
The 2013 season has been a learning experience for the Colorado football players. One hopes that it has been a learning experience for the CU coaches as well. Here's to hoping that they learn to spread the ball around the field and not to focus more than 50% of their passes on one receiver. If they don't, conference wins in the Pac-12 are going to be hard to come by.
CU Buffs Hope to Slow Down All-American Carey and the Arizona Wildcats
Six games into the 2013 season, and the Colorado Buffaloes football team is 3-3. Back in the glory days, a .500 record halfway through the season would be cause for alarm. Following the 2012 team which went 1-11 (and generally regarded as the worst team in Colorado history), most serious Buff fans are convinced that the football program is heading in the right direction under new head coach Mike MacIntyre.
Unlike last year, the Buffs are finally winning the games that they are "supposed" to win. After three conference losses by wide margins this year (and 8 games last year), the next thing on the agenda of both coaches and players is to be competitive within the conference. The Buffs have lost their last 11 conference games by an average of more than 35 points (as in FIVE touchdowns).
To be fair, the Buffs only lost at home to Utah last year by 7 points, but that just goes to show how bad the other losses were. Two of the losses this year were by 41 points, and the other by "only" 28.
There is a bright side however. The Buffs have played the Pac-12's three strongest offensive teams to start conference play. And the shocking numbers put up on the Buffs during those games have been quite similar to the numbers put up by those teams against teams other than Colorado.
Oregon is averaging 55 points a game in conference play. Oregon State is averaging 48 points. And Arizona State is averaging 49, which includes scoring 62 against USC.
The Buffs next opponent is the University of Arizona. They bring a conference record of 1-2 to Boulder on Saturday. They average just over 26 points per game within the Pac-12. Their passing game ranks only 111th in the country, but their offense does feature All-American running back Ka'Deem Carey. Last season, Carey ran for 1926 yards and 23 touchdowns (including a Pac-12 record of 366 yards and five touchdowns against Colorado).
After last year's 56-31 thrashing in Tucson, the Buffs will look to shut down (or at least contain) Carey and earn their first conference win of the season. To do so, the Buffs will have to force Arizona QB B.J. Denker to do the damage instead of Carey.
On offense, the Buffs must continue on the pace set by new quarterback Sefo Liufau. To win, Liufau must continue to complete nearly 70% of his passes and convert 50% of CU's third downs. Overall, for the Buffs to have a chance they must also win the turnover game, limit dumb penalties, and not be done in by "home run" touchdowns by the Wildcats.
To become a bigger threat on offense, the Buffs and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren must become much less predictable when passing the football. As will be detailed in the next post, the Buff's passing game has made it very easy for opposing defensive coordinators by focusing the vast majority of their passes into two nine yard wide pockets on either side of the field, and leaving the middle 35 yards of the field relatively free of flying footballs.
If the Buffs can play some good run defense and throw the pigskin somewhere besides the sidelines, Colorado has a chance to rack up their first conference win of the season. If they cannot stop the run, and continue to throw in the same manner, another big conference loss is on the horizon.
Unlike last year, the Buffs are finally winning the games that they are "supposed" to win. After three conference losses by wide margins this year (and 8 games last year), the next thing on the agenda of both coaches and players is to be competitive within the conference. The Buffs have lost their last 11 conference games by an average of more than 35 points (as in FIVE touchdowns).
To be fair, the Buffs only lost at home to Utah last year by 7 points, but that just goes to show how bad the other losses were. Two of the losses this year were by 41 points, and the other by "only" 28.
There is a bright side however. The Buffs have played the Pac-12's three strongest offensive teams to start conference play. And the shocking numbers put up on the Buffs during those games have been quite similar to the numbers put up by those teams against teams other than Colorado.
Oregon is averaging 55 points a game in conference play. Oregon State is averaging 48 points. And Arizona State is averaging 49, which includes scoring 62 against USC.
The Buffs next opponent is the University of Arizona. They bring a conference record of 1-2 to Boulder on Saturday. They average just over 26 points per game within the Pac-12. Their passing game ranks only 111th in the country, but their offense does feature All-American running back Ka'Deem Carey. Last season, Carey ran for 1926 yards and 23 touchdowns (including a Pac-12 record of 366 yards and five touchdowns against Colorado).
After last year's 56-31 thrashing in Tucson, the Buffs will look to shut down (or at least contain) Carey and earn their first conference win of the season. To do so, the Buffs will have to force Arizona QB B.J. Denker to do the damage instead of Carey.
On offense, the Buffs must continue on the pace set by new quarterback Sefo Liufau. To win, Liufau must continue to complete nearly 70% of his passes and convert 50% of CU's third downs. Overall, for the Buffs to have a chance they must also win the turnover game, limit dumb penalties, and not be done in by "home run" touchdowns by the Wildcats.
To become a bigger threat on offense, the Buffs and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren must become much less predictable when passing the football. As will be detailed in the next post, the Buff's passing game has made it very easy for opposing defensive coordinators by focusing the vast majority of their passes into two nine yard wide pockets on either side of the field, and leaving the middle 35 yards of the field relatively free of flying footballs.
If the Buffs can play some good run defense and throw the pigskin somewhere besides the sidelines, Colorado has a chance to rack up their first conference win of the season. If they cannot stop the run, and continue to throw in the same manner, another big conference loss is on the horizon.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Colorado Basketball 2013: Tad Boyle's Buffs Poised to Become Elite Program
There are 351 NCAA Division 1 basketball programs getting ready for the 2013-14 season, and they all have one thing in mind: Getting chosen for March Madness and a shot at an NCAA championship.
For most of the University of Colorado's history, basketball was an afterthought to football. The glory days of Buff basketball were way back in the 1950's and 1960's. Colorado made it to the NCAA tournament 5 times in the 15 years from 1953-54 to 1968-69.
Then came NOTHING for 28 years!
The next time the Buffs made it to the NCAA tournament was when Chauncey Billups led them into a top 25 ranking and a trip to March Madness in 1997. Billups left early for the NBA and was the #3 pick in the 1997 draft.
It took another 6 years for the Buffs to get back in the hunt for postseason glory. Head coach Ricardo Patton led Colorado to only their 3rd 20-win season ever and a spot in the NCAA tournament in March 2003.
Then... Nothing... Until the Arrival of Tad Boyle in 2010.
Colorado basketball was once again in a state of flux until the arrival of head coach Tad Boyle. A Colorado native, Boyle led Greeley Central to the Colorado State Championship before going on to play his college basketball at Kansas under legendary coach Larry Brown.
After college, Boyle moved into the real world and had a successful career as a commodities broker who dabbled on the side as an assistant coach for several Colorado high schools. A traumatic car accident on South Boulder Road in 1994 became a turning point in his life, and he gave up his well paying job to follow his true love of basketball.
Starting at the University of Oregon, Boyle had stints with Tennessee and Jacksonville State before ending back in the state of Kansas at Wichita State. In six years as an assistant with the Shockers, Boyle helped build a down program into one of the better programs in the country. Wichita State was 9-19 his first year and 26-9 with a trip to the Sweet 16 and a national ranking six years later in 2006.
Boyle used the success at Wichita State as a springboard to his first head coaching gig, at the University of Northern Colorado in Loveland. His first year at UNC, Boyle's team won only 4 out of 28 games. Three years later, his final UNC team went 25-8.
That success propelled him to the University of Colorado, where he hit the floor running and hasn't slowed down yet. His first CU team went 24-14 and made to the semi-finals of the postseason NIT tournament after his Buffs were snubbed by the NCAA selection committee.
At the end of the 2011-12 season, Colorado's first in the Pac-12, Boyle and his Buffaloes kicked down the door to the NCAA tournament by winning four games in four days to earn the Pac-12's automatic tourney berth. In 2012-13, the Buffs hovered near the top 25 for much of the season and played one of the more difficult schedules in the country. They were rewarded with another trip to March Madness.
Colorado Students and Fans "Get-In" on the Madness
Colorado long played in the Big 8 (then Big 12) with the likes of Kansas and Oklahoma State. Lots of top 10 teams made their way to the Coors Events Center in Boulder. For the most part, however, unless a top team was playing in Boulder, seats to the games were pretty easy to come by. It was pretty much accepted by the local media that Colorado was just "not a basketball school."
The arrival of Boyle changed that thinking. The student section became much more vocal and numerous and came to be known as the C-Unit. It has become one the best and most vocal student sections in the country. Former Colorado Athletic Director Mike Bohn decided to reward the most avid members of the C-Unit by having the university fly them out to Los Angeles for the first Pac-12 tournament in 2012 and the vocal group cheered the Buffs to the tournament title.
Earlier this month, the University of Colorado announced that for the first time in school history that season tickets to the Buffs' 2013-14 season was SOLD OUT. On top of that, the Buffs get ready to enter the season with a top 25 ranking and are picked 3rd in the Pac-12 behind fellow top 25 teams Arizona and UCLA.
Entering this season, Colorado has had two consecutive seasons in which one of their players was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft (Alec Burks, Andre Roberson). Spencer Dinwiddie looks to continue the first round trend this year. With Boyle at the helm, the Buffs are finding the doors to some of the top high school talent in the country are open to playing their college basketball in Boulder.
Boyle is considered one of the best coaches in the country, and high school players with dreams of playing in the NBA know first round draft picks now come out of Boulder. Another thing these young men want is to play in front of a large and vocal crowd to help inspire them to victory. These are the things that make a program elite in the eyes of players and fans around the country.
And these are the things that now reside in Boulder under the leadership of Tad Boyle.
Note: Historical information about Tad Boyle from Wikipedia.
For most of the University of Colorado's history, basketball was an afterthought to football. The glory days of Buff basketball were way back in the 1950's and 1960's. Colorado made it to the NCAA tournament 5 times in the 15 years from 1953-54 to 1968-69.
Then came NOTHING for 28 years!
The next time the Buffs made it to the NCAA tournament was when Chauncey Billups led them into a top 25 ranking and a trip to March Madness in 1997. Billups left early for the NBA and was the #3 pick in the 1997 draft.
It took another 6 years for the Buffs to get back in the hunt for postseason glory. Head coach Ricardo Patton led Colorado to only their 3rd 20-win season ever and a spot in the NCAA tournament in March 2003.
Then... Nothing... Until the Arrival of Tad Boyle in 2010.
Colorado basketball was once again in a state of flux until the arrival of head coach Tad Boyle. A Colorado native, Boyle led Greeley Central to the Colorado State Championship before going on to play his college basketball at Kansas under legendary coach Larry Brown.
After college, Boyle moved into the real world and had a successful career as a commodities broker who dabbled on the side as an assistant coach for several Colorado high schools. A traumatic car accident on South Boulder Road in 1994 became a turning point in his life, and he gave up his well paying job to follow his true love of basketball.
Starting at the University of Oregon, Boyle had stints with Tennessee and Jacksonville State before ending back in the state of Kansas at Wichita State. In six years as an assistant with the Shockers, Boyle helped build a down program into one of the better programs in the country. Wichita State was 9-19 his first year and 26-9 with a trip to the Sweet 16 and a national ranking six years later in 2006.
Boyle used the success at Wichita State as a springboard to his first head coaching gig, at the University of Northern Colorado in Loveland. His first year at UNC, Boyle's team won only 4 out of 28 games. Three years later, his final UNC team went 25-8.
That success propelled him to the University of Colorado, where he hit the floor running and hasn't slowed down yet. His first CU team went 24-14 and made to the semi-finals of the postseason NIT tournament after his Buffs were snubbed by the NCAA selection committee.
At the end of the 2011-12 season, Colorado's first in the Pac-12, Boyle and his Buffaloes kicked down the door to the NCAA tournament by winning four games in four days to earn the Pac-12's automatic tourney berth. In 2012-13, the Buffs hovered near the top 25 for much of the season and played one of the more difficult schedules in the country. They were rewarded with another trip to March Madness.
Colorado Students and Fans "Get-In" on the Madness
Colorado long played in the Big 8 (then Big 12) with the likes of Kansas and Oklahoma State. Lots of top 10 teams made their way to the Coors Events Center in Boulder. For the most part, however, unless a top team was playing in Boulder, seats to the games were pretty easy to come by. It was pretty much accepted by the local media that Colorado was just "not a basketball school."
The arrival of Boyle changed that thinking. The student section became much more vocal and numerous and came to be known as the C-Unit. It has become one the best and most vocal student sections in the country. Former Colorado Athletic Director Mike Bohn decided to reward the most avid members of the C-Unit by having the university fly them out to Los Angeles for the first Pac-12 tournament in 2012 and the vocal group cheered the Buffs to the tournament title.
Earlier this month, the University of Colorado announced that for the first time in school history that season tickets to the Buffs' 2013-14 season was SOLD OUT. On top of that, the Buffs get ready to enter the season with a top 25 ranking and are picked 3rd in the Pac-12 behind fellow top 25 teams Arizona and UCLA.
Entering this season, Colorado has had two consecutive seasons in which one of their players was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft (Alec Burks, Andre Roberson). Spencer Dinwiddie looks to continue the first round trend this year. With Boyle at the helm, the Buffs are finding the doors to some of the top high school talent in the country are open to playing their college basketball in Boulder.
Boyle is considered one of the best coaches in the country, and high school players with dreams of playing in the NBA know first round draft picks now come out of Boulder. Another thing these young men want is to play in front of a large and vocal crowd to help inspire them to victory. These are the things that make a program elite in the eyes of players and fans around the country.
And these are the things that now reside in Boulder under the leadership of Tad Boyle.
Note: Historical information about Tad Boyle from Wikipedia.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Colorado Quarteback Sefo Liufau's Fine Ability to Convert on 3rd Downs A Key to the Buffs' Second Half
If 3rd down conversions are the key to an offense's ability to hold onto the ball and keep opposing teams from getting their hands on the pigskin, then Mike MacIntyre's decision to promote Sefo Liufau to starting quarterback may very well be one of the best decisions he has made this year.
If one goes back and looks at the stats to the two games against Oregon State and Oregon, one sees that the Buffs converted only 2 of 15 third downs against the Beavers in Corvallis and converted 0 of 15 against the Ducks. Before Sefo Liufau entered the game in Tempe against Arizona State, the Buffs were 0 for 3 against the Sun Devils. That means that before Liufau entered the game, the CU Buffs had converted only 2 of their prior 33 third downs. It doesn't take a PhD in statistics to know that those kinds of numbers would make it difficult for any team to win.
How did Sefo do when thrust into the spotlight when his team was already trailing by 25 points? All things considered, he did marvellous. Liufau consistently led Colorado down the field. He did throw two interceptions and fumbled a snap, leading to more scores by the ASU, but he was extremely efficient at converting 3rd downs into first downs or better.
How good was he at converting? Seven of 10 (70%) of CU's third down tries with Liufau at the helm ended with either a first down or a touchdown. That not only kept the Sun Devil offense off the field, but also managed to give the Buff defense a rest. Rest for the defense has been in short supply since kickoff at Oregon State.
If Colorado and Liufau can drastically cut turnovers and continue to convert 3rd downs at a high rate, the Buffs could literally turn their season around on a dime.
The 1989 Buffs ended the regular season undefeated and played for the national championship against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. That team dominated almost every team they played that year. For the season, that great team converted 53.9% of their 3rd downs. The 1990 team which won the national championship (also against ND) converted 48.9% of their 3rd downs. The 1994 team which featured Heisman Trophy Winner Rashaan Salaam and a plethora of NFL draft picks converted 43.8% of their 3rd downs.
Make no mistake, the ability to hold onto the ball when facing 3rd down is an extremely important statistic. In the first two games of this year, Colorado converted 40% of their 3rd downs and won both games. In the games where the rate of conversion dropped into the single digits, the Buffs were blown out.
The game against undefeated Charleston Southern this week will give Liufau the chance to lead the Buffs from the opening kick. If they convert at over 50% on third down (and win the turnover battle) the team will walk off Folsom Field with a huge win.
The Buff defense under Kent Baer has been much maligned the last three weeks, but it must be remembered that the Colorado offense did nothing with any consistency during that same time. There were a few big plays, of course, but the Buffs failed miserably to hold onto the ball for any length of time. If Sefo Liufau can help the CU offense control the ball and the clock in the upcoming games, the Colorado defense will almost magically get much better.
Football is a game that is fueled by emotion. Nothing fires up the defense like watching from the sideline as their teammates on offense control the ball and the clock and drive for a touchdown. On the other hand, nothing does more to dishearten a defense than watching their offense go three and out over and over again. Or turning over the ball.
If Colorado can turn those two things around and do it on a weekly basis, they will immediately become competitive once again for the first time in many years.
If one goes back and looks at the stats to the two games against Oregon State and Oregon, one sees that the Buffs converted only 2 of 15 third downs against the Beavers in Corvallis and converted 0 of 15 against the Ducks. Before Sefo Liufau entered the game in Tempe against Arizona State, the Buffs were 0 for 3 against the Sun Devils. That means that before Liufau entered the game, the CU Buffs had converted only 2 of their prior 33 third downs. It doesn't take a PhD in statistics to know that those kinds of numbers would make it difficult for any team to win.
How did Sefo do when thrust into the spotlight when his team was already trailing by 25 points? All things considered, he did marvellous. Liufau consistently led Colorado down the field. He did throw two interceptions and fumbled a snap, leading to more scores by the ASU, but he was extremely efficient at converting 3rd downs into first downs or better.
How good was he at converting? Seven of 10 (70%) of CU's third down tries with Liufau at the helm ended with either a first down or a touchdown. That not only kept the Sun Devil offense off the field, but also managed to give the Buff defense a rest. Rest for the defense has been in short supply since kickoff at Oregon State.
If Colorado and Liufau can drastically cut turnovers and continue to convert 3rd downs at a high rate, the Buffs could literally turn their season around on a dime.
The 1989 Buffs ended the regular season undefeated and played for the national championship against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. That team dominated almost every team they played that year. For the season, that great team converted 53.9% of their 3rd downs. The 1990 team which won the national championship (also against ND) converted 48.9% of their 3rd downs. The 1994 team which featured Heisman Trophy Winner Rashaan Salaam and a plethora of NFL draft picks converted 43.8% of their 3rd downs.
Make no mistake, the ability to hold onto the ball when facing 3rd down is an extremely important statistic. In the first two games of this year, Colorado converted 40% of their 3rd downs and won both games. In the games where the rate of conversion dropped into the single digits, the Buffs were blown out.
The game against undefeated Charleston Southern this week will give Liufau the chance to lead the Buffs from the opening kick. If they convert at over 50% on third down (and win the turnover battle) the team will walk off Folsom Field with a huge win.
The Buff defense under Kent Baer has been much maligned the last three weeks, but it must be remembered that the Colorado offense did nothing with any consistency during that same time. There were a few big plays, of course, but the Buffs failed miserably to hold onto the ball for any length of time. If Sefo Liufau can help the CU offense control the ball and the clock in the upcoming games, the Colorado defense will almost magically get much better.
Football is a game that is fueled by emotion. Nothing fires up the defense like watching from the sideline as their teammates on offense control the ball and the clock and drive for a touchdown. On the other hand, nothing does more to dishearten a defense than watching their offense go three and out over and over again. Or turning over the ball.
If Colorado can turn those two things around and do it on a weekly basis, they will immediately become competitive once again for the first time in many years.
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