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.

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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.
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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.
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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:

• 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.

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.

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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.

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.

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:

• 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.

There is a famous old story in football about how a fan contacted the Dallas Cowboys to let them know that their star running back Tony Dorsett (Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee) was tipping off opposing teams as to whether the Cowboys were going to run or pass by not putting his mouth guard in on pass plays.

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.

 There is exactly 106 feet on the field between the numbers on each sideline. On the contrary, there is only 27 feet between each sideline and the tops of 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.

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.

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.

Sefo Liufau Takes Over as Quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, Ushers in New Youth Era in Boulder

Less than 4 1/4 games into his freshman season at the University of Colorado, Sefo Liufau found himself taking over at quarterback for the Buffaloes. Despite entering the game with a 25 point deficit, and facing a fired up Arizona State team that was dominating the Colorado offensive line, Sefo never blinked and ended up completing 69% (18 of 26) of his passes. He threw one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

Although Liufau was listed 2nd on the depth chart behind Connor Wood, the line from the coaching staff was that they planned to redshirt the young man out of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington if at all possible to allow him to acclimate to university life and grow and learn on the football field.

All was going according to plan during the first two games of the season. Wood completed 68% of his passes for 741 yards and 6 touchdowns in those two games. Wood threw only two interceptions during those games and the Buffs started the season with two wins.

Excitement was high in the Buffs program since new coach Mike MacIntyre had led the team to more wins in his first two games than the Buffs had experienced all of last year under fired coach Jon Embree. Riding high, the Buffs worked hard during a bye week and then the 1,000 year rains came to Boulder and Colorado and brought devastating floods. The result was that their game with Fresno State was ultimately cancelled.

After two long weekends away from being in live game situations, the Buffs headed to Corvallis to face Oregon State and had their dreams of a 3-0 start blown up and away by the winds and the Beavers. After flying high to start the season, the Buffs came crashing back to earth in a 44-17 beatdown.

The next week the #2 Oregon Ducks came to Boulder and showed why they are favored to be in the national championship game at the end of the season. The 57-16 whipping given by the Ducks was shocking in how quickly it happened after they fell behind the Buffs 10-8 in the first quarter. The responded with three touchdowns before the quarter ended and never looked back.

The first quarter against Arizona State in Tempe started the same way and before the Buffs could catch their breath in the desert they were behind by a score of 25-0. Out came Connor Wood and in came Sefo.

Unlike the first two games, the stats for Connor Wood against the Oregon schools and ASU were less than gaudy or even acceptable. He completed only 25 of 71 passes (35%) for only 351 yards and had 5 interceptions vs. 2 touchdowns. After Wood started 0 for 4 for zero yards and an interception and fumble and a 25 point deficit against the Sun Devils, MacIntyre pulled the starting quarterback position from Wood and the redshirt for Liufau.

Perhaps it was the play of some fellow freshman that led MacIntyre to allow Liufau to come off the bench. Addison Gillam went into the ASU game leading the Pac-12 in tackles and has already proven himself a star in the conference. Tailback Michael Adkins now gets more carries than listed starter Christian Powell. Wideout Devin Ross is now returning kicks and playing regularly with the offense. Defensive backs Chidobe Awuzie and Tedric Thompson are also finding themselves on the field with greater and greater frequency.

After Liufau's effort, MacIntyre announced that the new plan was to allow Sefo to start for the remainder of the season ("unless something happens" of course). That means that he will be working with the number one offense during practice and getting many more reps, which can only help his game and confidence.

His first start will be at home in Boulder against undefeated FCS team Charleston Southern, who agreed to come to Boulder to replace the lost game against Fresno State. After facing an aggressive ASU team, the game against CS should allow Sefo a little more time to think on his feet as he moves into his new starting quarterback role.

One thing Buff fans and coaches can look forward to is increased athleticism at the quarterback position with Liufau. On top of the high percentage of passes that Liufau completed in Tempe, he also showed a much nicer touch on short passes than Wood has shown this year. He also seems to have some live legs that will allow him to move in the pocket or run more effectively than Wood.

Will Sefo make some rookie mistakes? Of course he will, but it is all part of the learning process. Those of us old enough to remember when Darian Hagan came to CU know that it can take some time to harness great talent and get it moving in the right direction. Liufau clearly has the talent to be the next great quarterback at CU, but he has to be given the chance to get his time in and be able to compete from the opening kickoff week after week.

In a season which now looks to part of a rebuilding process, watching Sefo Liufau and some his fellow freshman grow and mature as players will give fans a peak into the future. Perhaps fans of the Buffs got spoiled by two wins to start the season and got our hopes up higher than they should be. But in retrospect, the condition of the program was horrible when MacIntyre and his staff showed up. It is much better than it was, and it will continue to improve.

The Pac-12 is a tough conference to play in (just ask Stanford after their trip to Utah). At this point in the process, the Buffs need to show improvement. The wins will be hard to come by, but they will come in time. Look at Mac's record at San Jose State. His teams struggled to win until turning the corner, and then they won at an amazing rate.

The nature of college football is much more aggressive than in years past. It used to be that teams tried to wear each other down, and now it seems like there are a lot of teams that are swinging for the fences on every down. It is certainly exciting, but sometimes it is hard to watch when the other team is dominating. All it takes is a half dozen breakdowns by some defensive players and good teams will score 50 on them. These fastbreak offenses are designed to take advantage of mistakes.

A great deal of football is psychological. Mac and his staff are working on these guys, but it's gonna take some time to get their heads right. It will be frustrating while we wait, but a whole lot of fun when it happens. Let's hope that Sefo Liufau is an important part of solving this puzzle.

Go Buffs!

Could Jordan Webb be the Key to Third Downs for the Colorado Buffaloes?

Colorado Buff Connor Wood's passing is an absolute beast to contend with... as long as it's first down. Not quite so much on second down. But the real problem surfaces on third downs, where the problem is that it's either move the chains or get rid of the ball (punt, FG attempt, or go for it on 4th down).

During the first two games of the season, the CU Buffs were clicking along by converting 40% of their 3rd downs into first down. The result? Two wins. The last two games have been quite different. The Buffs have converted only two out of thirty (6-7%) of their third downs, and the Buffs have been blown out twice.

Those still clinging to the idea that the Buffs might make it to a bowl game at the end of THIS year should consider that Jordan Webb is now healthy again and is now likely the backup to Connor Wood (mostly to save the redshirt for Sefo Liufau), according to head coach Mike MacIntyre.

What does Jordan Webb offer? Mostly this: He has started or played major minutes in 31 college games at the FBS level. He has seen a lot of third downs, a lot of different defenses, and he's a gamer. He gives it his all every snap from the beginning to the end of each game. And he's seen just about everything that defenses from the Big 12 and Pac-12 have to offer.

Many Buff fans are horrified by the idea of Webb taking any more snaps at Colorado. Why? Because he was unfortunate enough to be the starting quarterback under the worst coaching staff in the country the last two years. It was not Webb's fault that the Buff D under Brown and Embree was the worst in the country. And it was not Webb's fault that OC Eric Bieniemy was a horrible play caller who had trouble even getting plays into his team with more than 6-7 seconds left on the clock.

But many so-called Buff fans continue to blame Jordan Webb for the lack of prowess by his coaches. Give him a break. Under the right play calling and a hurry up offense, Webb gives CU a much tougher scheme to defend, especially on third down. He is quicker than Wood if running becomes necessary, but more importantly, he has a softer touch on his short to medium passes. And this will allow the Buffs to move the chains.

No one is suggesting that Connor Wood be replaced as the starter, but it seems that using Webb on occasion for third and short (5 yards or less) would give opposing defenses fits because he is such a different type of player than Wood. If Connor and the rest of team are committed to winning above all (and I think they are) then strategic use of Jordan Webb would give Colorado their best chance at winning six games and making themselves bowl eligible this year.

Maybe I'm alone, but it seems the Buffs should use whatever assets are at their disposal in order to win. Using Jordan Webb on third downs once in a while (or more often if it works well) gives the Buffs a better chance to win than simply sticking with a young QB with only 4 real games under his belt.

Connor's arm makes him a threat to hit the long ball, for sure, but his greatest success by far has been on first down. Allow him to grow and learn from someone with lots and lots of experience. And allow him to learn in a winning environment. It's a lot easier to learn and remember your lessons after you get to sing your fight song in victory after the game.

Go Buffs!

For Colorado Buffs to Succeed, they MUST Learn to Convert on Third Down

As Mike MacIntyre's University of Colorado football team gets ready to head south to Tempe, to face the Arizona State Sun Devils this Saturday night, one thing has become perfectly clear: For this CU team to be successful, they have to show the ability to move the chains.

In the first two games, Colorado's offense managed to convert 12 of 30 third down chances into first downs. That means that 40% of the time that they faced a 3rd down, the result was a first down. Not coincidentally, the Buffs won those first two games.

In the last two games, the Buffs have managed to convert only TWO of THIRTY 3rd down opportunities. Two BIG LOSSES later, it is quite apparent that converting less than 7% of their 3rd downs is no way to have a chance to win a game. Even worse than that, in their last game against the Oregon Ducks, the Buffs converted ZERO of their 15 third down opportunities. That 0-15 set a Colorado record for futility.

The O-fer on third downs not only ended drives for the Buffs, they also ended serious scoring opportunities. No fewer than 10 of the Buff failures to convert on third down occurred in Oregon territory (one was on the 50 yard line). Just look at where these failures to convert in enemy territory happened:

• (1st Quarter) 3rd and 4 from the Oregon 23 -- Two yard pass over the middle from Wood to Spruce was dropped.
• (1st Quarter) 3rd and 10 from the Oregon 16 -- Three yard pass over the middle from Wood to Powell was dropped.
• (1st Quarter) 3rd and 15 from the Oregon 45 -- Powell run up the middle for 4 yards.
• (2nd Quarter) 3rd and GOAL from the Oregon 5 -- Wood pass to the right thrown out of the end zone.
• (2nd Quarter) 3rd and 2 from the Oregon 14 -- Run off a pitch to the left for Goodson results in no gain.
• (2nd Quarter) 3rd and 3 from the 50 yard line -- Incomplete 28 yard pass to Paul Richardson down the right sideline. 
• (3rd Quarter) 3rd and 8 from the Oregon 41 -- Screen pass from Wood knocked down by defensive lineman.
• (3rd Quarter) 3rd and 5 from the Oregon 48 -- Short outside pass to Adkins dropped.
• (3rd Quarter) 3rd and Goal from the Oregon 10 -- Adkins run up the middle for 5 yards.
• (4th Quarter) 3rd and 6 from the Oregon 45 -- 25 yard pass incomplete to Ross down the left sideline.

Unlike the last several years, the Buffs under offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren HAVE shown the ability to make big plays on offense. Connor Wood and his band of receivers have hooked up for some very long scoring (and non-scoring) plays. One of the biggest problems for the Buffs, however, has been their failure to score TD's once they get into RED ZONE.

Of Colorado's nine forays into the RED ZONE thus far this season, only one drive ended with a touchdown. Seven times the Buffs settled for field goals, and one time they turned the ball over on downs.

It has become quite clear that the Buffs can extend the field with Paul Richardson and D.D. Goodson, as both average more than 18 yards per catch. The problem seems to be that the Buffs cannot count on those 7-12 yard catches that result in First Downs, particularly when it comes to converting on third downs.

Honing the skill of playing small-ball can only help with third down conversions, and more than likely it will help with red zone efficiency as well. Having the running game consistently pick up 5 yards at a time would also help immensely. Right now they are only averaging a little over 3 yards per carry, and often on important plays they are stopped for essentially no gain. It's hard to harp on the quarterback when the running game offers no respite.

If the Buffs are to have any chance in Tempe, they must be able to control the ball better by converting on 3rd downs. Taylor Kelly is yet another Pac-12 quarterback who can rip a defense apart if given the chance. One of the best defenses to players like Kelly is an offense that keeps him off the field. Running the ball efficiently and converting on third down are the only ways for the Buffs to avoid being blown out in the desert.

Lessons From Boulder for Mark Helfrich, Marcus Mariota, and the Oregon Ducks

This is an open letter to Mark Helfrich and the Oregon Ducks.

Dear Mark and your Oregon Ducks,

It was wonderful to see you in Boulder against our Colorado Buffaloes this past Saturday. Half of the teams that play each Saturday have one thing in common, a loss. Most Buff fans knew going in that the chance of a Buff victory was small. We all knew, however, that we would get to see one of the very best teams in the nation play here in Boulder. That was a thrill. It gives us something to aspire to.

Your team, especially quarterback Marcus Mariota, lived up to the wonderful billing. Your team speed is phenomenal. Your Ducks truly have the opportunity to score on darn near every play. The excitement of watching how the Ducks play is revolutionizing the game of college football. Nearly halfway through the season, Mariota must be considered the most feared player in the country and the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

That's what all the pundits are saying, so it must be true. Right?

The advice here is to try not to get caught up in the hype and focus on some problems that most followers are blissfully unaware of or choose to ignore. Right now, watching Oregon play football is like being exposed to the lights of Las Vegas for the very first time. It is stunning and spectacular, for sure, but the fact is that the spectacle only masks some problems. And good coaches down the line will make sure to unmask those problems unless you address them soon.

Before moving into the issues, I want to make it perfectly clear that I would LOVE it if Oregon or any other Pac-12 school would run the table and stake claim to the national championship. For that to happen, though, these issues must be addressed before you take on a defense of the caliber of say, Alabama or Stanford.

Issue One:
Methinks that David Shaw and Nick Saban and any other coaches of top defensive teams will make sure to harp on the fact that many of the so-called "late pitches" toward the sidelines executed by Oregon QB's are in fact illegal forward passes. They "look great" but a quick look at the video shows that the ball is often moving forward. That's certainly OK when the move is done from behind the line of scrimmage... but it becomes an illegal forward pass when done after the QB crosses that scrimmage line. Once opposing coaches start harping on this tendency by Oregon, the refs will start looking for it.

Issue Two:
Mariota has seemed remarkably poised when in the pocket. He should have been, because so far he has known that his receivers were much faster than their defenders and that invariably they would break into a wide open space into which he could throw. The problem is that Mariota has come to depend on the "idea" that his guy will break into the open and not be covered. He is so sure of this happening that he tends to focus on only one receiver and stares at them until they break clear. He does not move his focus from target to target. He does not even bounce. He tends to stand perfectly still watching one guy and waiting for him to become open before throwing the ball. That works great when your team is clearly stronger, but does not work well when playing a team of similar skill. If Oregon wants to win a national championship, Helfrich better have Mariota work on his skills of cycling through his receivers, or savvy safeties with great speed will be putting some serious hits on Duck wideouts, or worse yet, get to the ball before the Ducks do.

Compared to the issues faced by most teams, these two things seem trivial by comparison. However, they CAN and WILL make a difference if Oregon wants to take the national title back home to Eugene. They really do have to be addressed, and it is certainly easier to work on these issues when you have the talent overwhelm your opponent. If you wait until a game is on the line to address them, you run the risk of failing to achieve your objective.

And if Marcus Mariota wants to take his performance and skills to an NFL championship level in the future, it would be better to work on these things now. Just look at Tim Tebow. He won two national championships and a Heisman Trophy, but that did not make his skills good enough to succeed at the professional level.

Like Tebow at Florida, Mariota is surrounded with exceptional talent. It may or may not be enough to win the the NCAA's biggest prizes. But winning those prizes does not make one a sure fire NFL star. And it is not just Tebow, because a lot of QB's have won the Heisman over the last 20 years or so and then went on to mediocre or non-existent NFL careers. Look 'em up.

• Gino Torretta 
• Charlie Ward
• Danny Wuerffel
• Chris Weinke
• Eric Crouch
• Jason White
• Troy Smith

Work on the right skills now instead of just riding the train of a great team, Marcus. When the NFL comes along, the awards and accolades of college don't mean a whole hell of a lot if you can't stand out against guys who are just as fast and strong as you are.

Can Duck Dynasty Survive in the Rarified Air of Colorado?

With all due respects to Phil Robertson and his clan, there are now TWO duck dynasties that are dominant in America. Phil started the First Duck Dynasty after walking away from football (starting in front of future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw) to focus his time and energy on his first true love, duck hunting.

Phil invented the Duck Commander duck call in 1972 and was awarded a patent for his work. Soon after, the Duck Commander Company was formed and the Robertson clan has ridden the wings of their commander ever since to fame and fortune and a hit television show on A&E.

The Second Duck Dynasty was started by current Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. In four years in Eugene, Kelly led the Ducks to 46 wins and three straight top 4 finishes in the final AP poll. He also led them to the national championship game against Auburn, where they lost a heartbreaker by the score of 22-19.

But things were not always so Rose Bowly in Eugene. Oregon football had long been a run of the mill program at best. Head coach Rich Brooks led the Ducks to their first top 20 finish in nearly 40 years when they were ranked #11 following his last season in 1994.

Mike Bellotti then took over and  made Oregon a half and half team. Half the years they finished in the AP Top 20, and half they did not. Twice during his 14 year tenure, the Ducks won the Pac-10 Conference Title. They were consistently good... but certainly not the juggernaut they have become now.

Former Colorado Buff Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich took over the Duck program when Kelly flew off to the NFL, and so far the Ducks have not missed a beat. They are ranked #2 in the country behind two-time defending National Champion Alabama. Although many people think the Ducks are playing better than the Crimson Tide this year, most people will keep 'Bama #1 until they lose it on the field.

In the Ducks' last game, they scored 55 points against conference foe California to bring their record to 4-0. The 55 points was the fewest they have scored this season. One big difference this year over years past is the level of defense being played by Oregon. Instead of just outscoring everybody, the Ducks are now dominating on both sides of the ball. On top of scoring 60 points a game, the Ducks only give up around 11.

Can they keep it up when they travel to Boulder this weekend? On one hand, history says they will. Since Colorado joined the Pac-12, Oregon has outscored them in two games by 99 points (115-16). The other hand, however, points out that the last two games were under head coach Jon Embree, and monstrous losses were the norm during his tenure in Boulder.

The Colorado Buffaloes started the Mike MacIntyre era this year by winning their first two games to double the win total from 2012. New Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer has the Buffaloes playing a whole new level of D compared to years past. Some critics might even say that the Buffs are playing ANY D for the first time in several years.

But is it enough to derail the Oregon Duckernaut? The game has to be played, of course, but the Buffaloes do have a history of upsetting teams at Folsom Field in Boulder.

In 1986, the Buffs started the season very roughly by losing their first four games. This included a close loss to Oregon. They rebounded to win their next two games before the mighty (and #3 ranked) Nebraska Corncobbers came to town. Nebraska had defeated the Buffs for 20 straight years, and as usual, Folsom Field was awash in red as the Nebraska faithful did their best to cheer their team to victory.

It was not to be, however, as Bill McCartney led his Buffs to a 20-10 victory. The win was the turning point that propelled Colorado toward becoming one of the top teams in the nation over the next decade. They played for the National Championship twice (winning once), and were denied a third shot at the title when they lost in Lincoln despite having nine NFL draft picks and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1994.

In 2007, the #3 Oklahoma Sooners came into Boulder and met with a similar fate. Like Oregon this year, the Sooners were considered the top offensive team in the country. Sam Bradford would go on to win the Heisman in 2008. When they arrived in Colorado, the Sooners were averaging more than 60 points a game and giving up only 11. Sound familiar?

Do the Buffs have what it takes to bring down the high flying Ducks? Grab your Duck Commander and your shotgun. It's time to go duck hunting. One can only hope the Ducks do as well in the altitude as the Eagles did when they visited the Denver Broncos at Mile High last week. What was that score again? Oh yeah, Broncos 52 and Eagles 20.

Go Buffs!

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To see video and write-ups of these upsets, see our good friends from:

CU at the Game -- Oklahoma Upset

CU at the Game -- Nebraska Upset