After last week's 4th quarter implosion and loss to Arizona State, the Colorado Buffaloes made the walk of shame back to Boulder knowing their season of high promise had denigrated to a season based on delusions of grandeur.
Chatter on the fan boards ground to a halt this week, as fans (including this writer) sought out new ways to spend their Saturdays. Ways that involve more enjoyment and less disappointment than way too many of the Saturdays of the 2017 season in Boulder.
Tomorrow's game against USC represents the last home game of the year for the Buffaloes, and the last home game ever for the seniors on the roster. Final thoughts on some of these young men:
Michael Adkins - RB
The heart goes out for Adkins. From early on in his career, he has showed flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately, the injury bug was a persistent hindrance that kept the young man from ever really reaching his potential on the gridiron.
Bryce Bobo - WR
Bobo's nickname should be "Amazing!" No Buff fan will ever forget his unforgettable one handed catch against Oregon in the 2016 season. The young man's big hands made spectacular catches seem easy during his time in Boulder. Sadly, Colorado's woes during his stay have kept Bryce largely out of the national spotlight. Fortunately for Bobo, his skill set should play well at the next level.
Shay Fields - WR
Shay earned the nickname "Big Play Shay" due to his speed and ability to get in the open from early in his Colorado career. Even when the Buffaloes were struggling during his tenure, Fields could be counted on for a number of big yardage plays every season. He also struggled at times, making fans wonder if there were some unreported physical issues hindering his play.
George Frazier - TE/DT
Frazier is one of those guys who make us older fans yearn for the olden days. He's a guy who gives his all every play he's on the field, and also a guy who plays both offense and defense. If that seems strange, it's because only a handful of FBS players play both sides of the ball in the specialized world of college football.
Jeromy Irwin - OL
Irwin has been in Boulder for longer than the typical college football player. Sadly, that extended stay was due to several severe injuries that kept him off the field despite his tenacity and talent.
The final three players listed have a special place in the writer's heart.
Derek McCartney - OLB
Anyone with any sense of history knows that Derek is the grandson of the greatest coach in Colorado history, Bill McCartney. He grew up with football in his blood. His NFL father Shannon Clavelle was an all-time great at CU. But as good as his football bloodlines are, Derek is a world class student as well. He finished his pre-med degree in three years and will earn his masters degree next month. Barring a stint in the NFL, Derek will soon take his prodigious intellectual talents to medical school.
Ryan Moeller - DB
Most people have never heard of Rifle, Colorado. That is the small town where Ryan Moeller grew up and became a Colorado high school football legend. Ryan's senior year in high school was what most players would call a career. He rushed for more than 3,000 yards and scored 50 touchdowns in one year. Really.
Despite those gaudy stats, Moeller had to walk on at Colorado instead of being given a scholarship. Back in the days when we could still watch practice, Moeller stood out to the serious football followers. Soon enough, the young man from Rifle had earned a place on the field and also earned a scholarship. Watching the young man go down to injury against Arizona State was one of the lowest points of a disappointing season. Like the last player on this list, Ryan Moeller gave his all every play during his time at Colorado. His influence will be missed.
Phillip Lindsay - RB
Lindsay was such a force of nature during practice for Colorado that he quickly earned the nickname "The Tasmanian Devil" for his intensity. Not everyone remember the roots. Phillip grew up and Colorado Buffaloes fan and surprised many when he committed to Colorado following the disastrous 1-11 season in 2012. He proclaimed that he intended to help Colorado return to winning ways.
Even during his redshirt year, Lindsay stood out and was selected scout player of the year by the Colorado coaches. Over the next four years he became one of the best to ever line up at tailback in Colorado. He is the first running back to ever run for back to back 1,000 yard seasons at CU. Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam didn't do it. And all-time leading rusher Eric Bieniemy didn't do it either. Only Lindsay can make that claim.
Sadly, Lindsay will likely fall short of the all-time rushing record. He's close, but it's a tougher row to hoe than some of his predecessors. Both Salaam and Bieniemy had a stable of future NFL offensive linemen leading their way. Lindsay never had that luxury. His yards were earned the hard way.
More important even than the numbers, however, was the leadership that Lindsay gave the team. He gave his heart and soul every play and every practice, and also on the sideline. A great coach in Colorado's past once talked about they type of player that Lindsay represents. He said those types of players were the key. Give him 20 of those guys and he could beat anyone.
I will be on hand to give these guys my final salute tomorrow. I hope that both the serious and casual fan of Colorado football will appreciate the sacrifice and dedication these young men gave to dear old CU.
Showing posts with label CU Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CU Football. Show all posts
Friday, November 10, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Colorado Buffaloes vs Arizona State Sun Devils: Battle for the Middle
Sun Devil Stadium is a hard place to win unless you are playing for Arizona State or playing in a bowl game against another team from outside of Tempe.
The only time that Colorado has won there was in the Fiesta Bowl following 1994 season. In Bill McCartney's last game, the Buffs put a serious whipping on Lou Holtz's Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Colorado has never beaten Arizona State in Tempe, and hasn't had much luck against them anywhere overall. Last year's victory in Boulder was the first ever for the Buffs against the Sun Devils. Overall, Colorado is 1-7 against ASU.
The past doesn't bode well for Colorado, so the job of Mike MacIntyre and his staff is to get their team to play for the future and forget the past. The Buffaloes have won five games this year, and need a win in the last three weeks to become bowl eligible.
With Pac-12 South leader (and #17) USC coming to Boulder next week, the Buffaloes face a tough road to bowl-ville unless they can pull an upset of 4-4 Arizona State.
The Sun Devils have been up and down all year. They got spanked at home last week by USC, but beat #5 Washington (at home) and went on the road to defeat Utah in the two weeks prior. Early in the season, the Devils also lost to San Diego State and Texas Tech. It's been a tough season to watch for ASU fans.
Likewise, things have been tough in Boulder. After last year's 10 win season, fans of Colorado expected them to once again vie for the Pac-12 South title. Coaches added to the expectations when they proclaimed Colorado would have one of the best offenses in the country.
Then came the season. The Buffs went 3-0 in non-conference games but looked wholly uninspired and far from explosive on offense. After losing their first three Pac-12 games, the Buffs squeaked by Oregon State, a team which had yet to be within 28 points of an FBS team. Then came the 28-0 debacle loss to Washington State to drop the Buffs to 4-4.
The grumblings from the Peanut Gallery at Folsom Field got louder and louder during the season, and became an outright roar during the Washington State loss. The quarterback was benched, and after neither backup QB could do anything either, calls were made for the play-caller (and Co-offensive coordinator) Brian Lindgren to be fired or demoted.
Finally, in week 9, the Buffs finally showed some fire. They were explosive offensively, and cruised to a big win over California. Most fans were willing to recognize the effort and congratulate the team on a well played game. It was good to see the team having fun again.
Throughout this week, however, the facts began to sink in about the Buffs' two conference wins. They were against the two worst teams in the league this year. The Buffs have lost to the middle of the road teams in the Pac-12, and been smoked by the upper level teams.
Most fans were happy with last week's win, but are unconvinced that it will lead to more wins this year and a bowl game. But they are waiting with bated breath to see how this game goes.
If the Buffs win, they will be bowl eligible and they will have a fighting chance to finish the season 8-4 and on a four game winning streak entering bowl season.
If they lose, particularly if they lose badly (which is typical in games in Tempe against ASU), the Buffs could very well finish season 5-7 and on the outside looking in come bowl time. It's an all too familiar place to be with a decade between last year's bowl team and the last time they went bowling.
Buff fans are hoping against hope, but the emotional content from fans seems to be missing. They've had their hearts already broken this year. They are waiting for one more game before they give the Buffs their complete support.
They want their Buffs to win, and hope it comes true. The question remains whether the Buffaloes themselves are going to lay it all on the line and do whatever is necessary to win? Or will they face adversity and a tough road game and cash in their chips? Will the coaches rise to the occasion? Or will they be outcoached once again and lay the fault at the feet of their players?
Let's see who shows up. It's less than two hours until we find out.
The only time that Colorado has won there was in the Fiesta Bowl following 1994 season. In Bill McCartney's last game, the Buffs put a serious whipping on Lou Holtz's Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Colorado has never beaten Arizona State in Tempe, and hasn't had much luck against them anywhere overall. Last year's victory in Boulder was the first ever for the Buffs against the Sun Devils. Overall, Colorado is 1-7 against ASU.
The past doesn't bode well for Colorado, so the job of Mike MacIntyre and his staff is to get their team to play for the future and forget the past. The Buffaloes have won five games this year, and need a win in the last three weeks to become bowl eligible.
With Pac-12 South leader (and #17) USC coming to Boulder next week, the Buffaloes face a tough road to bowl-ville unless they can pull an upset of 4-4 Arizona State.
The Sun Devils have been up and down all year. They got spanked at home last week by USC, but beat #5 Washington (at home) and went on the road to defeat Utah in the two weeks prior. Early in the season, the Devils also lost to San Diego State and Texas Tech. It's been a tough season to watch for ASU fans.
Likewise, things have been tough in Boulder. After last year's 10 win season, fans of Colorado expected them to once again vie for the Pac-12 South title. Coaches added to the expectations when they proclaimed Colorado would have one of the best offenses in the country.
Then came the season. The Buffs went 3-0 in non-conference games but looked wholly uninspired and far from explosive on offense. After losing their first three Pac-12 games, the Buffs squeaked by Oregon State, a team which had yet to be within 28 points of an FBS team. Then came the 28-0 debacle loss to Washington State to drop the Buffs to 4-4.
The grumblings from the Peanut Gallery at Folsom Field got louder and louder during the season, and became an outright roar during the Washington State loss. The quarterback was benched, and after neither backup QB could do anything either, calls were made for the play-caller (and Co-offensive coordinator) Brian Lindgren to be fired or demoted.
Finally, in week 9, the Buffs finally showed some fire. They were explosive offensively, and cruised to a big win over California. Most fans were willing to recognize the effort and congratulate the team on a well played game. It was good to see the team having fun again.
Throughout this week, however, the facts began to sink in about the Buffs' two conference wins. They were against the two worst teams in the league this year. The Buffs have lost to the middle of the road teams in the Pac-12, and been smoked by the upper level teams.
Most fans were happy with last week's win, but are unconvinced that it will lead to more wins this year and a bowl game. But they are waiting with bated breath to see how this game goes.
If the Buffs win, they will be bowl eligible and they will have a fighting chance to finish the season 8-4 and on a four game winning streak entering bowl season.
If they lose, particularly if they lose badly (which is typical in games in Tempe against ASU), the Buffs could very well finish season 5-7 and on the outside looking in come bowl time. It's an all too familiar place to be with a decade between last year's bowl team and the last time they went bowling.
Buff fans are hoping against hope, but the emotional content from fans seems to be missing. They've had their hearts already broken this year. They are waiting for one more game before they give the Buffs their complete support.
They want their Buffs to win, and hope it comes true. The question remains whether the Buffaloes themselves are going to lay it all on the line and do whatever is necessary to win? Or will they face adversity and a tough road game and cash in their chips? Will the coaches rise to the occasion? Or will they be outcoached once again and lay the fault at the feet of their players?
Let's see who shows up. It's less than two hours until we find out.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Colorado Fans Embarrassed by Coaches in 28-0 Loss to Washington State
An already ugly season for Colorado football fans got even uglier Saturday night at Washington State. It was so ugly it was embarrassing.
But don't misinterpret that as criticism of the players. That goes squarely on the coaches. Coaches prepare the players to play. Coaches call the plays. Coaches make the adjustments. Coaches make the big bucks, and players are full time students with full time jobs playing football as well.
A consistent theme this year is the claim that Colorado has no discipline, leading to numerous penalties. Discipline is a taught trait, and anyone watching head coach (and Chief Embarrassment Officer) Mike MacIntyre absolutely LOSE IT on the sidelines knows that he is incapable of passing on the trait of discipline because he has none. I've raised three kids to adulthood and none of them had the kind of temper tantrum Mac did. Sadly for Colorado football, Mac has done this before.
Another embarrassment is co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren because he calls the plays. Imagine if you will that the rain is coming down in buckets and the wind is gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Or, watch the tape of the game if you want to re-live the horror.
How does a smart coach get his QB and offense into a rhythm to overcome the elements? From 50 years of watching football, I can tell you that you throw SHORT passes and run the ball against the grain because it's easier for tailbacks to change direction than big defensive linemen.
What do you do to make things easier for the defense? You run straight up the middle and throw long passes either deep or to the outside. You might be able to guess which plays were called over and over by Lindgren.
In the first half, Lindgren called 17 runs up the middle. The first six totaled 10 yards, with a long of 4. That means the other five totaled six yards.
Then, thankfully, a seven yarder up the middle. The next four totaled only 6 1/2 yards. Then a 24 yarder (wow!). But then the next five totaled only 5 yards as WSU stacked the box.
How was first half play calling for passes in the horrible weather you ask? Even worse.
Passes:
1 - 40 yards outside (INCOMPLETE)
2 - 13 yards out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
3 - 38 yards to the outside (INCOMPLETE)
4 - 15 yards outside hash (INCOMPLETE)
5 - 10 yards outside numbers (INCOMPLETE)
6 - 8 yard pass out of bounds on 4th and 10. (INCOMPLETE)
7 - 10 yard pass to the numbers (INCOMPLETE)
8 - 9 yard pass complete outside numbers
9 - Pass behind LOS after scramble (INCOMPLETE)
10 - Offensive pass interference
11 - Outside bubble screen complete for -1 (loss)
12 - 2 yard pass out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
13 - 5 yard completed pass to sideline
14 - 7 yard completed pass to sideline to end half
Just a reminder that football fields are 53 1/3 yards WIDE. So "short" passes to the sideline often travel more than 30 yards in the air.
In the horrible weather conditions at Washington State, how many short passes to the middle of the field were called? ZERO!
The only inside pass was off a scramble to the tailback. The rest were deep or outside in high winds and rain.
So, before anyone (you know, like the head coach and QB coach) starts blaming Steven Montez for the lack of production, take a good look at the passes called in horrible conditions. And blame the guys responsible for calling the plays. That would be Lindgren and his boss.
Many fans are embarrassed that these guys get paid with our tax dollars. And we feel terribly for the players.
Several years ago, in similar windy conditions, Lindgren called the same kind of pass plays. This site responded with:
"It's the wind, stupid!"
Now, "It's the WIND and the Rain, stupid!"
Get Brian Lindgren OUT of the BOOTH so he can see what the weather is like. Or better yet, fire him. We're stuck with MacIntyre and his giant contract, but BL can go. It's been five years and he still can't see what's going on around him. It's embarrassing.
But don't misinterpret that as criticism of the players. That goes squarely on the coaches. Coaches prepare the players to play. Coaches call the plays. Coaches make the adjustments. Coaches make the big bucks, and players are full time students with full time jobs playing football as well.
A consistent theme this year is the claim that Colorado has no discipline, leading to numerous penalties. Discipline is a taught trait, and anyone watching head coach (and Chief Embarrassment Officer) Mike MacIntyre absolutely LOSE IT on the sidelines knows that he is incapable of passing on the trait of discipline because he has none. I've raised three kids to adulthood and none of them had the kind of temper tantrum Mac did. Sadly for Colorado football, Mac has done this before.
Another embarrassment is co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren because he calls the plays. Imagine if you will that the rain is coming down in buckets and the wind is gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Or, watch the tape of the game if you want to re-live the horror.
How does a smart coach get his QB and offense into a rhythm to overcome the elements? From 50 years of watching football, I can tell you that you throw SHORT passes and run the ball against the grain because it's easier for tailbacks to change direction than big defensive linemen.
What do you do to make things easier for the defense? You run straight up the middle and throw long passes either deep or to the outside. You might be able to guess which plays were called over and over by Lindgren.
In the first half, Lindgren called 17 runs up the middle. The first six totaled 10 yards, with a long of 4. That means the other five totaled six yards.
Then, thankfully, a seven yarder up the middle. The next four totaled only 6 1/2 yards. Then a 24 yarder (wow!). But then the next five totaled only 5 yards as WSU stacked the box.
How was first half play calling for passes in the horrible weather you ask? Even worse.
Passes:
1 - 40 yards outside (INCOMPLETE)
2 - 13 yards out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
3 - 38 yards to the outside (INCOMPLETE)
4 - 15 yards outside hash (INCOMPLETE)
5 - 10 yards outside numbers (INCOMPLETE)
6 - 8 yard pass out of bounds on 4th and 10. (INCOMPLETE)
7 - 10 yard pass to the numbers (INCOMPLETE)
8 - 9 yard pass complete outside numbers
9 - Pass behind LOS after scramble (INCOMPLETE)
10 - Offensive pass interference
11 - Outside bubble screen complete for -1 (loss)
12 - 2 yard pass out of bounds (INCOMPLETE)
13 - 5 yard completed pass to sideline
14 - 7 yard completed pass to sideline to end half
Just a reminder that football fields are 53 1/3 yards WIDE. So "short" passes to the sideline often travel more than 30 yards in the air.
In the horrible weather conditions at Washington State, how many short passes to the middle of the field were called? ZERO!
The only inside pass was off a scramble to the tailback. The rest were deep or outside in high winds and rain.
So, before anyone (you know, like the head coach and QB coach) starts blaming Steven Montez for the lack of production, take a good look at the passes called in horrible conditions. And blame the guys responsible for calling the plays. That would be Lindgren and his boss.
Many fans are embarrassed that these guys get paid with our tax dollars. And we feel terribly for the players.
Several years ago, in similar windy conditions, Lindgren called the same kind of pass plays. This site responded with:
"It's the wind, stupid!"
Now, "It's the WIND and the Rain, stupid!"
Get Brian Lindgren OUT of the BOOTH so he can see what the weather is like. Or better yet, fire him. We're stuck with MacIntyre and his giant contract, but BL can go. It's been five years and he still can't see what's going on around him. It's embarrassing.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Colorado Reaches Crossroads Against Washington State
It's been a particularly odd and peculiar year for the Colorado Buffaloes and their fans.
Last season was a remarkable run that ended with the Buffs playing in the Pac-12 Championship game after winning 10 games during the regular season. And after a decade of losing football, the wonder and joy of returning to winning form was a welcome respite from the years of disappointment.
Before this season began, excitement permeated all who had an interest in Colorado football. The coaches, the players, and fans expected the team to continue their winning ways based on the foundation built by head coach Mike MacIntyre.
Through recruiting and player development, it took Mac three years to turn a down program into a team able to compete in the Pac-12. Just looking at wins and losses, however, did not tell the whole story. Mac's teams won four, two, and then four games again in those first three years. But each year the Buffs got closer and closer to competing equally in the Pac-12.
Then, in year four, they finally started winning the close games.
And they also started to win big against some of the struggling teams. Things were finally good again in Buff land. And the Colorado faithful were excited. First a trip to the conference title game, and then a bowl for the first time in a decade. Thanksgiving weekend in 2016 left the Buffaloes with a 10-2 record and most CU fans were giving football thanks for the first time in longer than they cared to remember. Excitement for the future was sky high.
Since that weekend last November, the Buffaloes have won only four of nine games.
There not only lost, but were blown out of both the conference title game and the bowl game. And this season, the Buffs are limping along with a 4-3 record. They were 3-0 against over-matched non-conference foes Colorado State, Texas State and Northern Colorado. And even though the Buffs won those games, they looked very uninspired doing so.
Once they started Pac-12 play, things got ugly quickly. Washington came to Boulder and handed Colorado a beating that was eerily similar to the one the Huskies dealt CU in the Pac-12 title game. Fans and coaches rationalized that game by pointing out that UW was a top 10 team.
Following the Washington debacle, CU lost their next two conference games to teams that were struggling so badly that their coaches were rumored to be on the hot seats as far as job security. Both Jim Mora at UCLA and Rich Rodriguez at Arizona got much needed wins against Colorado. Those two losses left Colorado looking stunned at 3-3.
Last week, finally, the Buffaloes played a team truly struggling. In fact, things were so bad that the Oregon State head coach Gary Anderson walked away from a guaranteed $12 Million contract and resigned. The Buffs faced one of the worst teams in the country, and walked away with come-from-behind 36-33 win. More discouraging is that the 3 point win came against a team that had not been within 28 points of any FBS teams this season.
But, it has been argued, the Buffs won the on road in a Pac-12 game. They were the ONLY team in the league to win a conference game on the road last week.
It's a tough conference to begin with and winning on the road is very difficult. Last week, three Top 25 teams in the conference went on the road against Pac-12 foes and they all lost. Top 5 Washington lost at Arizona State. Top 10 Washington State was thrashed by California 37-3. And Top 25 Utah lost on the road to USC.
Utah lost to a fellow Top 25 team, but UW and Wash State lost to teams with records of .500 or worse. It's a tough league.
Now the Buffaloes reach a crossroads in their away game at #15 Washington State.
If they win, they move to within one game of qualifying for a bowl game. If they lose, they fall to .500 with a 4-4 record with giant-killers Cal and Arizona State looming before season ending games against heavyweights USC and Utah.
Will the Buffaloes play like they aspire to be in the Top 25? Or will they play like a team that loses big to every Top 25 team on their schedule? The Buffs haven't beaten a Top 25 team ranked above them anywhere since 2008 when they beat West Virginia. And they haven't beaten a Top 25 team on the road since 2002 against UCLA.
Time is running out if the Buffaloes want to make a bowl game for the second consecutive year. Are they and their coaches up to it? Will they celebrate an important victory or find more ways to rationalize another loss?
Last season was a remarkable run that ended with the Buffs playing in the Pac-12 Championship game after winning 10 games during the regular season. And after a decade of losing football, the wonder and joy of returning to winning form was a welcome respite from the years of disappointment.
Before this season began, excitement permeated all who had an interest in Colorado football. The coaches, the players, and fans expected the team to continue their winning ways based on the foundation built by head coach Mike MacIntyre.
Through recruiting and player development, it took Mac three years to turn a down program into a team able to compete in the Pac-12. Just looking at wins and losses, however, did not tell the whole story. Mac's teams won four, two, and then four games again in those first three years. But each year the Buffs got closer and closer to competing equally in the Pac-12.
Then, in year four, they finally started winning the close games.
And they also started to win big against some of the struggling teams. Things were finally good again in Buff land. And the Colorado faithful were excited. First a trip to the conference title game, and then a bowl for the first time in a decade. Thanksgiving weekend in 2016 left the Buffaloes with a 10-2 record and most CU fans were giving football thanks for the first time in longer than they cared to remember. Excitement for the future was sky high.
Since that weekend last November, the Buffaloes have won only four of nine games.
There not only lost, but were blown out of both the conference title game and the bowl game. And this season, the Buffs are limping along with a 4-3 record. They were 3-0 against over-matched non-conference foes Colorado State, Texas State and Northern Colorado. And even though the Buffs won those games, they looked very uninspired doing so.
Once they started Pac-12 play, things got ugly quickly. Washington came to Boulder and handed Colorado a beating that was eerily similar to the one the Huskies dealt CU in the Pac-12 title game. Fans and coaches rationalized that game by pointing out that UW was a top 10 team.
Following the Washington debacle, CU lost their next two conference games to teams that were struggling so badly that their coaches were rumored to be on the hot seats as far as job security. Both Jim Mora at UCLA and Rich Rodriguez at Arizona got much needed wins against Colorado. Those two losses left Colorado looking stunned at 3-3.
Last week, finally, the Buffaloes played a team truly struggling. In fact, things were so bad that the Oregon State head coach Gary Anderson walked away from a guaranteed $12 Million contract and resigned. The Buffs faced one of the worst teams in the country, and walked away with come-from-behind 36-33 win. More discouraging is that the 3 point win came against a team that had not been within 28 points of any FBS teams this season.
But, it has been argued, the Buffs won the on road in a Pac-12 game. They were the ONLY team in the league to win a conference game on the road last week.
It's a tough conference to begin with and winning on the road is very difficult. Last week, three Top 25 teams in the conference went on the road against Pac-12 foes and they all lost. Top 5 Washington lost at Arizona State. Top 10 Washington State was thrashed by California 37-3. And Top 25 Utah lost on the road to USC.
Utah lost to a fellow Top 25 team, but UW and Wash State lost to teams with records of .500 or worse. It's a tough league.
Now the Buffaloes reach a crossroads in their away game at #15 Washington State.
If they win, they move to within one game of qualifying for a bowl game. If they lose, they fall to .500 with a 4-4 record with giant-killers Cal and Arizona State looming before season ending games against heavyweights USC and Utah.
Will the Buffaloes play like they aspire to be in the Top 25? Or will they play like a team that loses big to every Top 25 team on their schedule? The Buffs haven't beaten a Top 25 team ranked above them anywhere since 2008 when they beat West Virginia. And they haven't beaten a Top 25 team on the road since 2002 against UCLA.
Time is running out if the Buffaloes want to make a bowl game for the second consecutive year. Are they and their coaches up to it? Will they celebrate an important victory or find more ways to rationalize another loss?
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Arizona Preview and Commentary on Colorado Football After the UCLA Loss
It's been a busy week without the normal time available for writing, but one in which my comments were directed at other sites. What follows is some of what was written as commentary on other sites. Some people agreed with me passionately, while others took exception to my attempts at insight.
Oct. 2
Oct. 3
Stuart at CU at the Game took the prior comment as an indication that I thought MacIntyre would or should be fired if the Buffaloes lost this week to Arizona. That led to the following exchange.
Oct. 4 - Me
The Colorado Buffaloes will take the field against the Arizona Wildcats in a little over 15 hours. These are my thoughts as to the importance of this game.
Colorado and Mike MacIntyre went 10-2 last year in the regular season. It was the first winning record in a decade. Since that time, the have played in the Pac-12 Championship game, a bowl game and the first five games of this season.
Against top notch opponents to end the season last year, the Buffs were beaten handily and did not look good doing it. In the first three games this season, the Buffaloes did manage to win but looked uninspired and unimpressive in their three non-conference games.
In the first two conference games this year, the Buffaloes have been beaten handily at home by Washington and lost on the road to a reeling UCLA team with one of the worst defenses in the country. The Bruins had been giving up around 45 points per game, and the Buffaloes managed to score around half that amount.
Colorado did seem to be emotionally invested the entire game against UCLA for the first time since last season, but still lost.
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, like Jim Mora at UCLA, finds himself on the coaches hot-seat lists because of poor play by his team. Mora was able to inspire his team to a big win over Colorado. It remains to be seen whether RichRod can do the same thing this week with the Wildcats.
If the Buffaloes can come out and play as a team which deserves to be in the conversation for a Top 25 team and win handily at home against Arizona, it could turn around a season of struggle. A big win could set them up for better things in the second half of the season.
A win would bring them to 4-2, with a game against Pac-12 doormat Oregon State next week. Another win there and the Buffs would be one win from qualifying for a bowl.
If the Buffaloes come out flat and emotionless like most of the prior seven games, an inspired Arizona could come in and pull off the upset. If that happens, the Buffaloes would fall to 3-3 with the meat of the Pac-12 schedule still ahead of them. A loss here would put a severe hit on their desire to go to a bowl for a second consecutive year.
I described last week's tussle as a "bellwether game" with a big win or loss. The close loss put the Buffs in the position that their backs are now firmly against the wall. Only a win will get them where they want to be. A loss will relegate them to the lower levels of the Pac-12.
It's the first game of October. Will the Buffaloes rise to the occasion to save their season or not?
Oct. 2
After the loss to UCLA, head coach Mike MacIntyre once again stated that this Buffaloes team would “win a lot of games” this year. Since we’re five games in already, I’m looking for a little context on what qualifies as “a lot of games” when Mac talks.Is “a lot” 10 games? Eight games? Six games? Or What?In MacIntyre’s seven full seasons as a head coach, he’s had TWO winning seasons and FIVE losing seasons. More telling than the 2 vs 5 is the drastic differences each represents. It’s really either feast or famine.In the two winning seasons (one each at CU and San Jose State), Mac has a record of 20-6. In the five losing seasons, Mac has gone 16-46. For the fellow math geeks out there, that means the losing seasons averaged roughly 3-9 (3.2-9.2).It’s even more glaring when looking at conference games. In the two winning seasons, Mac’s teams went 13-2 during conference games. In the five losing seasons, Mac’s teams went 5-37 against conference foes.Although the Buffs still have a winning record so far this season at 3-2, they are 0-2 in the Pac-12. With arguably the two weakest teams this year on tap the next two weeks, one wonders if Mac and staff will have the guys ready to play.For most of us fans, time and games are running out if the goal is to win “a lot” of games this year.
Oct. 3
Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder. Arizona is a horrible Pac-12 road team the last several years. Last year they were 0-4 and outscored in the Pac on the road 192-71. In 2015 they were outscored 225-125 on road with a 1-4 record.
The last time Arizona won on the road in the Pac-12 was when they beat Colorado in 2015.
Colorado has looked pretty uninterested and uninspired this year so far. That falls on MacIntyre and the coaches. If they lose this game at home, the rest of the season will be lost. The fans and the players will stop caring.
Colorado needs to win the game and win big to get this season salvaged. If they struggle at home to a clearly inferior team, the rest of the Pac-12 schedule looks like murderer’s row in comparison.
If the Buffs lose, it will be clear that MacIntyre has lost the faith of his team, and that will not likely be restored. The countdown to reality is on.
Stuart at CU at the Game took the prior comment as an indication that I thought MacIntyre would or should be fired if the Buffaloes lost this week to Arizona. That led to the following exchange.
Oct. 4 - Me
Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired? Some may be hoping that he wins enough games to be lured away back to his part of the country, and some are hoping he turns things around and gets the Buffs back in the annual bowl extravaganzas year after year.Stuart
Most fans don’t have the same warm fuzzy feelings about the offensive play-caller. BL did a good job against UCLA. But the games in which his play-calling outsmarted a good defense are pretty much non-existent. One good game doesn’t get him off the hook for the years of head-scratching play calls.
The Pac-12 is a tough league to play in, especially on the road. It’s not really a surprise that a struggling UCLA (or any other Pac-12 team) is tough to beat on their home turf.
That said, the Buffs need to take advantage of every opportunity they have. They only play 12 games (and a bowl if they earn it and yearn for it). The key to being a good team is being UP for every game, which is something they have not done this year.
Some of us are concerned that a third straight loss, especially to a horrible road team like Arizona, would portend a likely collapse this season. We are all hoping for an inspired CU team to show up and finally live up to pre-season expectations. If not, we have a mostly lost decade to look back upon and prepare us for our feelings of despair about losing football.
The truth may be that the Buffs are not as good as advertised. And since Mac won’t let anyone watch his practices, he takes the blame when he makes statements that are clearly not true about how good, prepared, and dominating his team will be.
The best coaches I have watched over too many decades had certain traits in common: They voluntarily took the blame when their players were not prepared because it’s why they get paid; and they protected their kids from having blame pushed onto them. These are not NFL players, they are college kids.
If some of us seem too critical of MacIntyre, maybe it’s because we believe that is where the blame should go. Everyone in the press knows Mac doesn’t handle criticism well… but, hey, we’re football fans, not his therapist. He can pay them to work on his feelings, and he can afford it.
“Nobody does or should think MacIntyre will be fired. Why would he be fired?”Me
Your previous post opened with … “Mike MacIntyre’s future depends upon this game against Arizona perhaps more than any other since he arrived in Boulder”.
Not sure how else to read that …
I certainly hope that Mac’s future will go many more years. The implication is that if the Buffaloes lose to Arizona it will signal a downturn from the gains the program made last year. And that if the CU goes on to have a dismal ending to the 2017 it will be hard for Mac to reclaim the faith of the fans and the players.
MacIntyre made a national name for himself last year and was rewarded with National Coach of the Year honors from numerous sources. Considering the general disregard for what Colorado would do THIS year from the media is pretty telling. So far, it seems the prognosticators were more right than MacIntyre about how good the Buffaloes would be, especially the O-line and scoring.
In football, there are watershed moments that portend the future. Before the UCLA game I wrote how a big win or loss (point wise) would be a serious indicator but that a close win or loss like they had would put the pressure on the next two games with Arizona and Oregon State to set the tone for the rest of the year.
Colorado MUST beat Arizona at Folsom if they want to salvage this season. If not, they have a good chance of ending up near the bottom of the Pac-12 yet again. If they don’t beat Arizona, even teams like Oregon State will believe that they can beat Colorado, especially playing at home.
The quote you gave of mine above covers a multi-year period since his arrival in Boulder. I’m just pointing out that trends in football tend to go on for several seasons. The Buffs went from being blown out every game to getting close but still losing. Then they finally started to win the close ones and win some big last year in Pac-12 play. If they start moving the other direction, as a pendulum always does sooner or later, it will be hard to change that momentum.
I’ve written many times in praise of MacIntyre (check my blog), but I feel that when criticism is warranted it should be given. If you want to be the highest paid state employee then you should expect folks to have high expectations. He can’t expect only accolades.
The Colorado Buffaloes will take the field against the Arizona Wildcats in a little over 15 hours. These are my thoughts as to the importance of this game.
Colorado and Mike MacIntyre went 10-2 last year in the regular season. It was the first winning record in a decade. Since that time, the have played in the Pac-12 Championship game, a bowl game and the first five games of this season.
Against top notch opponents to end the season last year, the Buffs were beaten handily and did not look good doing it. In the first three games this season, the Buffaloes did manage to win but looked uninspired and unimpressive in their three non-conference games.
In the first two conference games this year, the Buffaloes have been beaten handily at home by Washington and lost on the road to a reeling UCLA team with one of the worst defenses in the country. The Bruins had been giving up around 45 points per game, and the Buffaloes managed to score around half that amount.
Colorado did seem to be emotionally invested the entire game against UCLA for the first time since last season, but still lost.
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, like Jim Mora at UCLA, finds himself on the coaches hot-seat lists because of poor play by his team. Mora was able to inspire his team to a big win over Colorado. It remains to be seen whether RichRod can do the same thing this week with the Wildcats.
If the Buffaloes can come out and play as a team which deserves to be in the conversation for a Top 25 team and win handily at home against Arizona, it could turn around a season of struggle. A big win could set them up for better things in the second half of the season.
A win would bring them to 4-2, with a game against Pac-12 doormat Oregon State next week. Another win there and the Buffs would be one win from qualifying for a bowl.
If the Buffaloes come out flat and emotionless like most of the prior seven games, an inspired Arizona could come in and pull off the upset. If that happens, the Buffaloes would fall to 3-3 with the meat of the Pac-12 schedule still ahead of them. A loss here would put a severe hit on their desire to go to a bowl for a second consecutive year.
I described last week's tussle as a "bellwether game" with a big win or loss. The close loss put the Buffs in the position that their backs are now firmly against the wall. Only a win will get them where they want to be. A loss will relegate them to the lower levels of the Pac-12.
It's the first game of October. Will the Buffaloes rise to the occasion to save their season or not?
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Day of Reckoning Arrives for Colorado Buffaloes vs Washington Huskies
Last year at this time, the Colorado Buffaloes were three weeks in to what would turn out to be a magical rebirth after 10 straight seasons without a winning record.
After starting the season with two straight wins, the Buffs traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Top 10 Michigan Wolverines in the Big House, one of the most storied venues in college football. After a decade of losing football, the crowds in Boulder had dropped to less than 40,000 people for a typical game. At Michigan, the Buffs played in front of 110,042.
Some expected the Buffaloes to come out wide-eyed and intimidated, but Colorado came out swinging. Just over 3 minutes into the game, the Buffaloes held a 14-0 lead in front of a stunned crowd. Those Buffaloes were not the same team that had been routinely routed for a growing number of years.
Although Michigan would come back to win 45-28, the Buffs learned they could play with anyone in any location. It was an important lesson that the Buffs carried through the turnaround regular season. The Buffs had a 10-2 record, and their only other loss was also on the road to USC, and they became Pac-12 South Champions after finishing last each year since they joined the Conference of Champions.
The magical run was rudely interrupted once the post season had begun. In the conference championship game, Washington used Colorado as little more than a speed bump on their way to the College Football Playoffs in a rousing 41-10 beat-down. That poor play continued into the bowl game as Oklahoma State shut down the Buffs 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl.
Maybe it was the higher level of competition, but the Buffs were severely over-matched against the Top 10 Huskies and Cowboys. Although Colorado had moved into the Top 10 at the end of the regular season, those two games showed they were not quite yet an elite team.
Fast forward to 2017, and Colorado was ready to show they were back for good. Season ticket sales rose again and the Buff faithful were growing in numbers and enthusiasm.
The Buffaloes have started the year 3-0 for only the second time this century... but their uninspiring play so far against over-matched opponents has left Buff fans wondering if last season was a sign of better things to come or just an anomaly.
Head coach Mike MacIntyre has steadfastly maintained through spring practices and summer camp that the Buffaloes would be VERY good. He said the offense would be one of the best in the country and the offensive line would be the best in Boulder in more than a decade, and maybe one Colorado's best ever. What is it they say about famous last words?
Three games in, the offensive line has provided sporadic play at best. QB Steven Montez has taken a beating against teams Colorado should have handled easily. The Buffs did win their games, but they looked pretty unimpressive doing so.
Now Washington comes to town riding high after their Top 10 finish last year and three solid wins to begin the season. Their top players at QB and tailback have spent lots of time on the bench after putting up gaudy numbers and letting the backups finish the game. They come into the game rested and playing very well.
By comparison, the Buffs had to keep their starters in all game to finish the win against FCS Northern Colorado. And they needed a big second half surge against Texas State, last season's consensus choice as the worst team in the FBS. Their performances have not inspired much confidence, as they have routinely played down to the level of their opponents.
Players and coaches alike have been pointing to this game since the big loss in the Pac-12 Championship as a chance to redeem themselves. All the while, their lackadaisical play and typically horrendous and predictable play-calling have most CU fans unable to fathom a win, even at home.
Some might find it strange that so soon after ANY win was cause for celebration, the Buffaloes now find themselves being criticized for not winning well enough. Such is the price of success.
Now arrives the day the players have been talking about since early December last year. Today is the day the Buffaloes can prove they belong among the elite of the Pac-12 and the country. Or they can continue a string of five games where they were uninspiring in victory AND defeat.
It's been 294 days since Colorado last played Washington. As the bells ring out each hour until game time, Colorado knows their day of reckoning has arrived.
They need not
"Send to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It Tolls for Thee..."
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions
After starting the season with two straight wins, the Buffs traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Top 10 Michigan Wolverines in the Big House, one of the most storied venues in college football. After a decade of losing football, the crowds in Boulder had dropped to less than 40,000 people for a typical game. At Michigan, the Buffs played in front of 110,042.
Some expected the Buffaloes to come out wide-eyed and intimidated, but Colorado came out swinging. Just over 3 minutes into the game, the Buffaloes held a 14-0 lead in front of a stunned crowd. Those Buffaloes were not the same team that had been routinely routed for a growing number of years.
Although Michigan would come back to win 45-28, the Buffs learned they could play with anyone in any location. It was an important lesson that the Buffs carried through the turnaround regular season. The Buffs had a 10-2 record, and their only other loss was also on the road to USC, and they became Pac-12 South Champions after finishing last each year since they joined the Conference of Champions.
The magical run was rudely interrupted once the post season had begun. In the conference championship game, Washington used Colorado as little more than a speed bump on their way to the College Football Playoffs in a rousing 41-10 beat-down. That poor play continued into the bowl game as Oklahoma State shut down the Buffs 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl.
Maybe it was the higher level of competition, but the Buffs were severely over-matched against the Top 10 Huskies and Cowboys. Although Colorado had moved into the Top 10 at the end of the regular season, those two games showed they were not quite yet an elite team.
Fast forward to 2017, and Colorado was ready to show they were back for good. Season ticket sales rose again and the Buff faithful were growing in numbers and enthusiasm.
The Buffaloes have started the year 3-0 for only the second time this century... but their uninspiring play so far against over-matched opponents has left Buff fans wondering if last season was a sign of better things to come or just an anomaly.
Head coach Mike MacIntyre has steadfastly maintained through spring practices and summer camp that the Buffaloes would be VERY good. He said the offense would be one of the best in the country and the offensive line would be the best in Boulder in more than a decade, and maybe one Colorado's best ever. What is it they say about famous last words?
Three games in, the offensive line has provided sporadic play at best. QB Steven Montez has taken a beating against teams Colorado should have handled easily. The Buffs did win their games, but they looked pretty unimpressive doing so.
Now Washington comes to town riding high after their Top 10 finish last year and three solid wins to begin the season. Their top players at QB and tailback have spent lots of time on the bench after putting up gaudy numbers and letting the backups finish the game. They come into the game rested and playing very well.
By comparison, the Buffs had to keep their starters in all game to finish the win against FCS Northern Colorado. And they needed a big second half surge against Texas State, last season's consensus choice as the worst team in the FBS. Their performances have not inspired much confidence, as they have routinely played down to the level of their opponents.
Players and coaches alike have been pointing to this game since the big loss in the Pac-12 Championship as a chance to redeem themselves. All the while, their lackadaisical play and typically horrendous and predictable play-calling have most CU fans unable to fathom a win, even at home.
Some might find it strange that so soon after ANY win was cause for celebration, the Buffaloes now find themselves being criticized for not winning well enough. Such is the price of success.
Now arrives the day the players have been talking about since early December last year. Today is the day the Buffaloes can prove they belong among the elite of the Pac-12 and the country. Or they can continue a string of five games where they were uninspiring in victory AND defeat.
It's been 294 days since Colorado last played Washington. As the bells ring out each hour until game time, Colorado knows their day of reckoning has arrived.
They need not
"Send to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It Tolls for Thee..."
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Buffs Move to 3-0 with Win, Concerns Remain With Pac-12 Play Ahead
Sadly, it could be reasonably stated the University of Colorado Buffaloes survived their game against Northern Colorado, the little teacher's college up in Greeley. The final score was 41-21.
The Buffs stretch of 8 straight quarters without giving up a touchdown ended quickly. The Buffs went "three and out" to start the game and punted. UNC got the ball and marched down the field for a touchdown to go up 7-0. The Bears averaged more than 10 yards a play on the drive and their offensive line seemed to push around the Buffaloes. That can't be good with defending Pac-12 Champion Washington coming to Boulder next week.
Just a reminder, the Buffs were whipped by UW 41-10 in the conference title game last December. That game demonstrated that the rejuvenated Buffs were not really top 10 material even though they had just risen to #9 in the polls. The #4 Huskies dominated the game (as did Oklahoma State in the bowl game later in December).
In 2017, the Buffaloes have yet to be ranked. Washington, however is firmly entrenched near the top of the college football world at #6. If the Buffaloes play next week like they have played so far this season, that 41-10 beat-down will seem like a fond memory.
Numerous and dumb penalties, bad blocking and sketchy tackling (in addition to typically puzzling play calling by Brian Lindgren) make Colorado's chances against Washington appear pretty slim. The line hasn't been set yet, but expect it to be in the 17 point range. And if the Buffs don't improve A LOT this week, it won't be that close.
The Buffaloes need three more wins to be bowl eligible. Fortunately, some of the teams on the schedule seem to be really down this year, so that should be do-able. Right now, though, return trip to the Pac-12 Championship game looks like a pipe dream.
The Buffs stretch of 8 straight quarters without giving up a touchdown ended quickly. The Buffs went "three and out" to start the game and punted. UNC got the ball and marched down the field for a touchdown to go up 7-0. The Bears averaged more than 10 yards a play on the drive and their offensive line seemed to push around the Buffaloes. That can't be good with defending Pac-12 Champion Washington coming to Boulder next week.
Just a reminder, the Buffs were whipped by UW 41-10 in the conference title game last December. That game demonstrated that the rejuvenated Buffs were not really top 10 material even though they had just risen to #9 in the polls. The #4 Huskies dominated the game (as did Oklahoma State in the bowl game later in December).
In 2017, the Buffaloes have yet to be ranked. Washington, however is firmly entrenched near the top of the college football world at #6. If the Buffaloes play next week like they have played so far this season, that 41-10 beat-down will seem like a fond memory.
Numerous and dumb penalties, bad blocking and sketchy tackling (in addition to typically puzzling play calling by Brian Lindgren) make Colorado's chances against Washington appear pretty slim. The line hasn't been set yet, but expect it to be in the 17 point range. And if the Buffs don't improve A LOT this week, it won't be that close.
The Buffaloes need three more wins to be bowl eligible. Fortunately, some of the teams on the schedule seem to be really down this year, so that should be do-able. Right now, though, return trip to the Pac-12 Championship game looks like a pipe dream.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Colorado vs Texas State: In-Game Updates
First Quarter
It's time for Colorado Buffaloes fans to be worried. With five minutes left in the opening stanza, the Colorado Buffaloes look more like the team from 2012 than last year's Pac-12 South Champions.
Horrible blocking has led to Steven Montez being sacked repeatedly. The blocking has been so bad that it looks like to the QB did something horrible and the line is refusing to block.
If things continue this way, Mike MacIntyre will find himself on the hot seat two games after winning national coach of the year last season. And Co-offensive coordinator and play caller Brian Lindgren has shown that he is still the worst at his job in the Pac-12.
Update:
Special teams saved the quarter for Colorado, but it was bittersweet. Isaiah Oliver fumbled a punt return, but the ball was scooped up by teammate Laviska Shenault Jr., who turned on the speed and took the ball to the house.
Colorado 7 - Texas State 0
Update:
Colorado goes 96 yards for a TD. Long passes to Shay Fields and Bryce Bobo are the big plays. Both passes, however, were close to being sacks by Texas State. And the Bobo catch was highlight reel.
CU 14 - Tex St 0
Halftime update: Colorado 14, Texas State 0
Colorado failed to produce anything during the two minute drill. And they wasted an opportunity to score again after the D shut down the Bobcats and forced a punt. To add insult to injury, Colorado had a very good punt return negated by lining up offsides on the punt.
Mac was interviewed on the way off the field and said the team "was making mistakes on the little things" and that they would work on them. Some of us are wondering if blocking is one of those little things?
Colorado was favored in this game by 36 points. The way they have played has been embarrassing. Even if they put up 40 more points in the 2nd half, this team looks to be seriously at risk of not making a bowl game.
Third Quarter
Lindgren strikes again with his patented call for a one yard pass on third and six. No chance for a first down, so the Buffs wasted an opportunity in the red zone to put six on the board.
Buffs 17 - Bobcats 0
Update
Buffs defense collapsed when they chose to have defensive end/ outside linebacker Derek McCartney cover a running back on a deep route. McCartney was not within 15 yards of the back when he caught the ball. But the Buffs got lucky when the Bobcat tripped after catching the ball. Instead of a TD, they had to settle for a field goal.
Buffs 17 - Bobcats 3
Update
Isaiah Oliver shows why he is one of the best in the country with an amazing one handed interception followed by an excellent return to get the Buff the ball in Bobcat territory.
After averaging a paltry 2 yards per carry, the Buffs managed to run it in from the 7 to take a 24-3 lead.
Update
Buffs finally put together an excellent drive by abandoning the long ball and hitting quick short passes. The drive ends with an 11 yard TD pass to Bryce Bobo.
End of 3rd quarter: Colorado 31 - Tex St. 3
Another drive stalls, but the new kicker nails a 40 yard field goal.
Buffs 34 - Bobcats 3
Update
Another turnover for the the Bobcats. Buffs go nowhere but kick another field goal to up lead to 37-3. Most impressive is that Colorado chooses to let backup QB Sam Noyer get into the game while a smiling Montez watches from the sidelines. It's good to get some reps to the RS freshman Noyer. Also, it's nice to finally have a QB who doesn't have a tizzy-fit on the sidelines if coaches try to take him out.
Buffs 37 - Bobcats 3
Buffs and Bobcats trade possessions to run out the clock. Noyer shows some skills, but also shows some freshman mistakes. Good to get some reps.
Final score: Colorado 37 -- Texas State 3
It's time for Colorado Buffaloes fans to be worried. With five minutes left in the opening stanza, the Colorado Buffaloes look more like the team from 2012 than last year's Pac-12 South Champions.
Horrible blocking has led to Steven Montez being sacked repeatedly. The blocking has been so bad that it looks like to the QB did something horrible and the line is refusing to block.
If things continue this way, Mike MacIntyre will find himself on the hot seat two games after winning national coach of the year last season. And Co-offensive coordinator and play caller Brian Lindgren has shown that he is still the worst at his job in the Pac-12.
Update:
Special teams saved the quarter for Colorado, but it was bittersweet. Isaiah Oliver fumbled a punt return, but the ball was scooped up by teammate Laviska Shenault Jr., who turned on the speed and took the ball to the house.
Colorado 7 - Texas State 0
Update:
Colorado goes 96 yards for a TD. Long passes to Shay Fields and Bryce Bobo are the big plays. Both passes, however, were close to being sacks by Texas State. And the Bobo catch was highlight reel.
CU 14 - Tex St 0
Halftime update: Colorado 14, Texas State 0
Colorado failed to produce anything during the two minute drill. And they wasted an opportunity to score again after the D shut down the Bobcats and forced a punt. To add insult to injury, Colorado had a very good punt return negated by lining up offsides on the punt.
Mac was interviewed on the way off the field and said the team "was making mistakes on the little things" and that they would work on them. Some of us are wondering if blocking is one of those little things?
Colorado was favored in this game by 36 points. The way they have played has been embarrassing. Even if they put up 40 more points in the 2nd half, this team looks to be seriously at risk of not making a bowl game.
Third Quarter
Lindgren strikes again with his patented call for a one yard pass on third and six. No chance for a first down, so the Buffs wasted an opportunity in the red zone to put six on the board.
Buffs 17 - Bobcats 0
Update
Buffs defense collapsed when they chose to have defensive end/ outside linebacker Derek McCartney cover a running back on a deep route. McCartney was not within 15 yards of the back when he caught the ball. But the Buffs got lucky when the Bobcat tripped after catching the ball. Instead of a TD, they had to settle for a field goal.
Buffs 17 - Bobcats 3
Update
Isaiah Oliver shows why he is one of the best in the country with an amazing one handed interception followed by an excellent return to get the Buff the ball in Bobcat territory.
After averaging a paltry 2 yards per carry, the Buffs managed to run it in from the 7 to take a 24-3 lead.
Update
Buffs finally put together an excellent drive by abandoning the long ball and hitting quick short passes. The drive ends with an 11 yard TD pass to Bryce Bobo.
End of 3rd quarter: Colorado 31 - Tex St. 3
Another drive stalls, but the new kicker nails a 40 yard field goal.
Buffs 34 - Bobcats 3
Update
Another turnover for the the Bobcats. Buffs go nowhere but kick another field goal to up lead to 37-3. Most impressive is that Colorado chooses to let backup QB Sam Noyer get into the game while a smiling Montez watches from the sidelines. It's good to get some reps to the RS freshman Noyer. Also, it's nice to finally have a QB who doesn't have a tizzy-fit on the sidelines if coaches try to take him out.
Buffs 37 - Bobcats 3
Buffs and Bobcats trade possessions to run out the clock. Noyer shows some skills, but also shows some freshman mistakes. Good to get some reps.
Final score: Colorado 37 -- Texas State 3
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Looking Forward after Colorado Shackles Colorado State 17-3
Going into the Rocky Mountain Showdown, all the experts talked about the offensive shootout that would dominate the game. They were wrong.
The experts also said the Colorado defense would be the weakest link on the team and that they would have to depend on the high powered Buffs' offense to keep them in the games. Wrong again, on several accounts.
The CU defense, built by Jim Leavitt and Mike MacIntyre, continues to be the heart of the Buffaloes. Colorado State came into the game having averaged 50+ points a game over their last half a dozen games. In the last two RMS games, the Rams have scored a grand total of 10 points compared to the Buffaloes' 61. I guess they don't play D like this in the Mountain West.
CSU fans were riding high after the Rams scored 58 points on Oregon State. But OSU almost lost to Portland State at home in their second game, so maybe the win was not as impressive as it looked.
Some fans are wondering if the Buffs purposely took their foot off the gas after taking a 17 point lead early. The D was dominating the Rams, who never really got going on all cylinders. After all, why give Washington good film on the Colorado offense? The next two games are against teams that are severely over-matched, so the 'Dubs can't really learn anything.
If the Buffs WERE trying to score 50 and nothing in the playbook was off limits, Buff fans deserve to be concerned. A sordid history of questionable play-calling is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado faithful. And little from the play calling on display at the RMS eased that concern.
Oh well. The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-0 and that's all that really matters. They will go into the game with Washington at 3-0. The Huskies also have two "gimmies" coming up and will also arrive in Boulder 3-0. It's fitting that the rematch from last season's Pac-12 Championship game will feature two teams that are undefeated.
Buff fans (and Husky fans) should enjoy the big wins coming their way in the next couple weeks. Both teams will find out a great deal on September 23rd at Folsom Field. By then, either Colorado or Washington will be a game up on a primary division rival, since USC and Stanford play next week.
Go Buffs!
The experts also said the Colorado defense would be the weakest link on the team and that they would have to depend on the high powered Buffs' offense to keep them in the games. Wrong again, on several accounts.
The CU defense, built by Jim Leavitt and Mike MacIntyre, continues to be the heart of the Buffaloes. Colorado State came into the game having averaged 50+ points a game over their last half a dozen games. In the last two RMS games, the Rams have scored a grand total of 10 points compared to the Buffaloes' 61. I guess they don't play D like this in the Mountain West.
CSU fans were riding high after the Rams scored 58 points on Oregon State. But OSU almost lost to Portland State at home in their second game, so maybe the win was not as impressive as it looked.
Some fans are wondering if the Buffs purposely took their foot off the gas after taking a 17 point lead early. The D was dominating the Rams, who never really got going on all cylinders. After all, why give Washington good film on the Colorado offense? The next two games are against teams that are severely over-matched, so the 'Dubs can't really learn anything.
If the Buffs WERE trying to score 50 and nothing in the playbook was off limits, Buff fans deserve to be concerned. A sordid history of questionable play-calling is still fresh in the minds of the Colorado faithful. And little from the play calling on display at the RMS eased that concern.
Oh well. The Colorado Buffaloes are 1-0 and that's all that really matters. They will go into the game with Washington at 3-0. The Huskies also have two "gimmies" coming up and will also arrive in Boulder 3-0. It's fitting that the rematch from last season's Pac-12 Championship game will feature two teams that are undefeated.
Buff fans (and Husky fans) should enjoy the big wins coming their way in the next couple weeks. Both teams will find out a great deal on September 23rd at Folsom Field. By then, either Colorado or Washington will be a game up on a primary division rival, since USC and Stanford play next week.
Go Buffs!
Monday, August 28, 2017
Finally, it's TIME for some 2017 Colorado Buffaloes FOOTBALL!
It's almost September. That means it's time for some Colorado Buffaloes football. Getting ready for Friday's Rocky Mountain Showdown, here are some random and not so random thoughts that have been pondered since the Buffs last played.
Don't get me wrong. Head coach Mike MacIntyre is important as well. But no one on the staff spends as much time with the players as Wilson, and he has done a phenomenal job of turning the CU players into Top 25 caliber players. Under his tutelage, they've come to know what kind of commitment it takes off the field to be a star on the field.
There's too much talent for the team not to excel when they have the ball. Montez is a much better passer than the graduated QB. He's a better runner too, but the offensive coordinators should steer clear of running Montez too much. They have one of the best WR units in the country and a Tasmanian Devil in Phillip Lindsay at running back. Let those other guys do their jobs and let Montez do his and avoid any unnecessary hits the QB has to take.
Everybody from the media on down (maybe that should be up, right?) is of the opinion that the Buffaloes will not be able to recover from losing so many players from their dominant D from last year. Really? Isn't last year's defense the one that all the experts prognosticated would lead the Buffs to finishing 12th in the Pac-12? Yes, it is.
The reason that the Buffs were so much better last season on defense was NOT because of specific players. Strength training and conditioning is what led to the Buffs starting to manhandle folks for the first time in a decade. They had a brilliant defensive coordinator in Jim Leavitt too. His impact here in Boulder will go on for years to come even though he has moved on.
What the Buffs did last year was a big first step. They beat the teams that they were supposed to beat.
Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 last year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.
Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.
I can't imagine the Buffs will go back to losing to FCS teams, so the next step is winning half the time against Top 25 teams. The next step after that is to win the majority of games against ranked teams.
It's great that the Buffs have a really talented QB in Steven Montez, but they could have done a much better job of getting him prepared last year to play. Even though he was only a freshman backing up the starter, he rarely got to play unless the starter was injured.
Way too often, even with big leads against out-manned opponents, Brian Lindgren chose to pad Sefo's stats instead of getting playing time for the #2 QB. If the Buffs get a big lead, they should let the backups in to get some reps actually running the Colorado offense. That doesn't mean handing off to the third string running back or taking a knee. The point of getting the backups reps is to be ready to go when the game is on the line.
Bad teams try to pad the stats of their players. Good teams know the only stat that matters is wins and losses. Get a big lead, and let the backups get on the field. It keeps them motivated and prepares them for when they are the starters.
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I do not support playing the RMS in Denver. I watch the game but will not EVER go to it in Denver. It takes away from the college feel and would be much better in Boulder and Fort Collins. Denver doesn't care about either team anyways, so why give them money to host the game? And the Denver media only want it in Denver so they don't have to drive.
The most important guy not wearing a uniform for Colorado might very well be strength and conditioning guru Drew Wilson.
Don't get me wrong. Head coach Mike MacIntyre is important as well. But no one on the staff spends as much time with the players as Wilson, and he has done a phenomenal job of turning the CU players into Top 25 caliber players. Under his tutelage, they've come to know what kind of commitment it takes off the field to be a star on the field.
The Buffaloes will be a much more dangerous offensive team this year.
There's too much talent for the team not to excel when they have the ball. Montez is a much better passer than the graduated QB. He's a better runner too, but the offensive coordinators should steer clear of running Montez too much. They have one of the best WR units in the country and a Tasmanian Devil in Phillip Lindsay at running back. Let those other guys do their jobs and let Montez do his and avoid any unnecessary hits the QB has to take.
The DEFENSE will be much better this year than everyone expects.
Everybody from the media on down (maybe that should be up, right?) is of the opinion that the Buffaloes will not be able to recover from losing so many players from their dominant D from last year. Really? Isn't last year's defense the one that all the experts prognosticated would lead the Buffs to finishing 12th in the Pac-12? Yes, it is.
The reason that the Buffs were so much better last season on defense was NOT because of specific players. Strength training and conditioning is what led to the Buffs starting to manhandle folks for the first time in a decade. They had a brilliant defensive coordinator in Jim Leavitt too. His impact here in Boulder will go on for years to come even though he has moved on.
The Colorado Buffaloes are NOT a top 10 team just yet, but they're on their way even if it will take poll voters a couple years to figure it out.
What the Buffs did last year was a big first step. They beat the teams that they were supposed to beat.
Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 last year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.
Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.
I can't imagine the Buffs will go back to losing to FCS teams, so the next step is winning half the time against Top 25 teams. The next step after that is to win the majority of games against ranked teams.
The CU offensive COACHES need to do a better job with their game day decisions.
It's great that the Buffs have a really talented QB in Steven Montez, but they could have done a much better job of getting him prepared last year to play. Even though he was only a freshman backing up the starter, he rarely got to play unless the starter was injured.
Way too often, even with big leads against out-manned opponents, Brian Lindgren chose to pad Sefo's stats instead of getting playing time for the #2 QB. If the Buffs get a big lead, they should let the backups in to get some reps actually running the Colorado offense. That doesn't mean handing off to the third string running back or taking a knee. The point of getting the backups reps is to be ready to go when the game is on the line.
Bad teams try to pad the stats of their players. Good teams know the only stat that matters is wins and losses. Get a big lead, and let the backups get on the field. It keeps them motivated and prepares them for when they are the starters.
The only Colorado team that should be playing in Denver is the Broncos.
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I do not support playing the RMS in Denver. I watch the game but will not EVER go to it in Denver. It takes away from the college feel and would be much better in Boulder and Fort Collins. Denver doesn't care about either team anyways, so why give them money to host the game? And the Denver media only want it in Denver so they don't have to drive.
Let the Games Begin!
Friday, December 30, 2016
Colorado Buffaloes End Year On Bottom End in Tale of Two Seasons
The Colorado Buffaloes finally made it to a bowl game after 3287 days, and the rust of nine years certainly showed. The Buffs were manhandled in every facet of the game by Oklahoma State and left the Alamo Bowl field with a 38-8 thrashing by the Cowboys.
Looking back on the game, the result was not really surprising. The Buffs have certainly moved up in the world of college football, but they are not really a Top 10 caliber team just yet. That time is coming, but today is not that day.
They are most certainly a team in the lower part of the Top 25, and that is heads and shoulders higher than they have been in more than a decade. Over the past 10 or so years (before this season), even marginal teams have put a hurting on the Buffaloes. This year Colorado put a hurting on the poor and marginal teams.
Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 this year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.
Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.
It was a tale of two seasons for the Colorado Buffaloes. Against the unranked teams, it was the best of times. Against the ranked teams, however, it continues to be tough sledding.
Some will argue who to fault for the numerical discrepancies, but it's a team game. The offense scored almost 4 touchdowns less against the good teams. The defense gave up an extra 13 points each game.
This writer would point out that turnovers by the offense and special teams led to extra points given up by the Buffs. And some would add that poor execution by the offense often kept the D on the field for extended periods, leading to fatigue. Others might point out that the higher scores given up by the Buffs were after the D gave in to the futility of their task when the offense or special teams quickly destroyed good defensive work.
Football is a game of momentum and passion. Once a unit feels that their work is futile, adrenaline falls and they become a step slower. Sometimes that is all that is needed to give up a big play. And with each big play, the sense of futility gets stronger.
The goal of these Buffaloes going into spring ball should be to maintain their dominance of the lesser teams, and learn how to play well against the Top 25. This is not just on the players, but more pointedly to the coaches.
Colorado's turnaround this year was wholly unexpected by the rest of the country and Pac-12. The Buffs had been so bad for so long that nobody expected their play to be so good. As Pac-12 South champions this year, they better realize that every team in the conference will be gunning for them next season. They better be ready.
The Buffs know now that they can go bowling every year by beating the bad and marginal teams on their schedule. If they want to win championships and bowl games, however, they need to take the next step.
The offensive coordinators and play callers need to realize that good defensive teams and coordinators will shut them down if they are too predictable in their play calling. And they need to be able to adjust their play calling when the opposing defense is doing something specific (like stacking the box) to slow them down. The play-calling cannot rely only on what they WANT to do. The Buffs are not that good yet. They need to attack what the defense is doing, and you don't attack a stacked box by running up the middle.
Another year of working with strength guru Drew Wilson will help immensely. The Buffs did the pushing around this year in the majority of their games, and next year should be even better.
MacIntyre should continue to hone his staff so that all those coach of the year awards he earned will lead to even better days ahead for the Buffaloes.
2016 was an excellent step for Colorado. Beating the teams you should beat is the mark of a good football team. Bowls will be the result as long as they continue to do just that.
Fans are hoping the year has really stoked the hunger to excel for the team. They ended the season with two lopsided losses. They should not want it to happen again and be willing to work hard enough to ensure that it doesn't.
The guess here is that the culture has effectively changed, and that The Rise will continue next year. Go Buffs!
Looking back on the game, the result was not really surprising. The Buffs have certainly moved up in the world of college football, but they are not really a Top 10 caliber team just yet. That time is coming, but today is not that day.
They are most certainly a team in the lower part of the Top 25, and that is heads and shoulders higher than they have been in more than a decade. Over the past 10 or so years (before this season), even marginal teams have put a hurting on the Buffaloes. This year Colorado put a hurting on the poor and marginal teams.
Against teams that did not end up in pre-bowl Top 25, Colorado went 9-0 this year. The Buffs outscored those teams 362-154. That's an average of around 40-17.
Against teams that did end up in the pre-bowl Top 25, the Buffaloes won only one of five games. They were outscored by those teams 150-73. That's an average of 30-14.
It was a tale of two seasons for the Colorado Buffaloes. Against the unranked teams, it was the best of times. Against the ranked teams, however, it continues to be tough sledding.
Some will argue who to fault for the numerical discrepancies, but it's a team game. The offense scored almost 4 touchdowns less against the good teams. The defense gave up an extra 13 points each game.
This writer would point out that turnovers by the offense and special teams led to extra points given up by the Buffs. And some would add that poor execution by the offense often kept the D on the field for extended periods, leading to fatigue. Others might point out that the higher scores given up by the Buffs were after the D gave in to the futility of their task when the offense or special teams quickly destroyed good defensive work.
Football is a game of momentum and passion. Once a unit feels that their work is futile, adrenaline falls and they become a step slower. Sometimes that is all that is needed to give up a big play. And with each big play, the sense of futility gets stronger.
The goal of these Buffaloes going into spring ball should be to maintain their dominance of the lesser teams, and learn how to play well against the Top 25. This is not just on the players, but more pointedly to the coaches.
Colorado's turnaround this year was wholly unexpected by the rest of the country and Pac-12. The Buffs had been so bad for so long that nobody expected their play to be so good. As Pac-12 South champions this year, they better realize that every team in the conference will be gunning for them next season. They better be ready.
The Buffs know now that they can go bowling every year by beating the bad and marginal teams on their schedule. If they want to win championships and bowl games, however, they need to take the next step.
The offensive coordinators and play callers need to realize that good defensive teams and coordinators will shut them down if they are too predictable in their play calling. And they need to be able to adjust their play calling when the opposing defense is doing something specific (like stacking the box) to slow them down. The play-calling cannot rely only on what they WANT to do. The Buffs are not that good yet. They need to attack what the defense is doing, and you don't attack a stacked box by running up the middle.
Another year of working with strength guru Drew Wilson will help immensely. The Buffs did the pushing around this year in the majority of their games, and next year should be even better.
MacIntyre should continue to hone his staff so that all those coach of the year awards he earned will lead to even better days ahead for the Buffaloes.
2016 was an excellent step for Colorado. Beating the teams you should beat is the mark of a good football team. Bowls will be the result as long as they continue to do just that.
Fans are hoping the year has really stoked the hunger to excel for the team. They ended the season with two lopsided losses. They should not want it to happen again and be willing to work hard enough to ensure that it doesn't.
The guess here is that the culture has effectively changed, and that The Rise will continue next year. Go Buffs!
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Papa George MacIntyre Would Be Very Proud of the Job Done by his Son Mike Coaching the Colorado Buffaloes
George MacIntyre was a very good man and an excellent coach. He was so good as a coach that he earned the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award in 1982 while coaching at Vanderbilt. He also earned the Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year awards the same year.
In 1981, Vanderbilt's record was 4-8 (1-5 in the SEC). In 1982, they improved to 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the SEC. Their three losses in the regular season were all on the road, two to Top-5 teams (Alabama and Georgia) and another to #11 North Carolina.
Winning the "Bobby Dodd" is a big deal. Since the award was created in 1976, only two coaches have won it twice. Neither one was Nick Saban, who has only won it once. In fact, the Colorado head coach carries the "Bobby Dodd" coin his father won in his pocket as a constant and solid reminder of excellence in coaching.
Coaching and football is a family affair for the MacIntyre family. Mike played for his father at Vanderbilt. And his son Jay plays for him at Colorado. It's in their genes.
Thirty-four years after his father won the Bobby Dodd COY, Colorado's Mike MacIntyre is now the odds-on favorite for national coach of the year honors. He is proving that lightning can indeed strike twice. The MacIntyre family may soon be very well the holders of TWO Bobby Dodd coins.
National Coach of the Year would be the 2nd time for the University of Colorado in the last 27 years. The first went to the original Coach Mac, Bill McCartney. In 1989, when the Buffaloes went 11-0 in the regular season, he won the Eddie Robinson CoY, the Walter Camp CoY, the Bear Bryant CoY, and the same award from the American Football Coaches Association.
What has Mike MacIntyre done this year? He has led the Buffaloes to an amazing 10-2 record, including 8-1 in the Pac-12. This was after the Buffs had won a grand total of TWO Pac-12 games in the prior three years. The Buffs won the Pac-12 South and will play against Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday.
Due to his battle with 20 year battle with Multiple Sclerosis, Papa George never got the chance to watch his son as a head coach in person. And during Mike's first three years at Colorado, he had to deal with the diminishing health of his father. Last season was particularly difficult personally for the Colorado coach, as George MacIntyre died on January 5th of this year.
The lessons that Mike MacIntyre learned from his father and coach have served him well in his career. And the job he has done this year is a fitting tribute to the man who meant the most to Mike MacIntyre's growth as a family man and coach. And to all who have witnessed the amazing feats accomplished by the Colorado Buffaloes this year, it is quite apparent that Papa George would be very proud of his son's accomplishments.
Photo Copyright -- Mark Rubi
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Rediscovering the Absolute Joy of Colorado Buffaloes Football
After a nightmare decade for fans, players and coaches, football at the University of Colorado is an absolute joy to behold once again. But it was not easy to find the joy, even though the Buffs have made the biggest turnaround in the entire country this year.
What really made the joy pop out to me was watching the students rush the field following the win over the #20 ranked Washington State Cougars. They did not run to the goal posts. They ran and surrounded their young men who represent their school. They bobbed up and down in euphoria and hugged and high-fived everyone they could.
The picture above does not really show the immense emotional impact, but the video's I shot show it all. I got a lump in my throat while watching these students celebrate. It reminded me of some times around 30 years ago when my wife and I were students and in the celebratory throngs.
I was lucky. When I was a student, the Buffs made their turnaround under Bill McCartney in my first year at CU. Mac won coach of the year in the Big 8 for taking a one win team from 1984 to a seven win team in 1985. And the next year we beat Nebraska for the first time in 20 years. The joy we felt was intensely palpable.
Then it dawned on me. For the Colorado students of 2016, the Buffs had not been in as big a game since most of them were in elementary school (or pre-school for some of the younger students). They joy they showed after the big victory Saturday evening was also intensely palpable.
Some writers have penned that the Buffs students should respect the sanctity of the field and not rush onto the gridiron to celebrate. That attitude is BS. After all, WE rushed the field when we were students. We wanted to celebrate with our classmates in the stands and on the field. We wanted to be overcome with joy. And like the students this year, we most certainly were.
The job being done by head coach Mike MacIntyre is phenomenal. All the coaches deserve credit for a turnaround that was three years in the making. Quarterback Sefo Liufau, the unquestioned leader of this Buffs team, has taught his teammates how to have the heart and resolve of a champion.
Sefo Liufau and his teammates deserve to celebrate with their classmates in the stands and on the field. The other seniors like Liufau only have a few more games before their careers are over. They have been through the worst times and through sheer will and determination have brought Colorado football back from the abyss.
They deserve to revel in absolute joy. They've earned it.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff
Yesterday, we looked at the grades of the offensive coaches for the Colorado coaching staff. Today, the focus moves to the defensive side of the ball.
Jim Jeffcoat -- A+
Defensive Line
I gotta admit that Jeffcoat has a special place in my heart. We're the same age and both showed up in Tempe, Arizona in 1979. I can still remember the tall gangly young man who grew into one of the finest players in Arizona State history and went on to become one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.
Jim Jeffcoat has been with head coach Mike MacIntyre for six years, including the last four at Colorado. When he arrived, the Buffs' defensive line was routinely pushed around by Pac-12 offensive lines. Now, those young men under Jeffcoat are controlling the line of scrimmage. As far as defensive rankings are concerned, they have moved from worst to first.
Charles Clark -- A+
Cornerbacks
No coach on the staff has been working with Mike MacIntyre as long as Clark. He was a graduate assistant and Duke and followed Mac to San Jose State and then to Colorado.
Clark is known not only for his position coaching, but also as an outstanding recruiter and has a keen eye for talent. That combination has helped the Buffs upgrade their talent both on the field and on the sideline.
Clark not only works with the corners, but also the nickel backs along with Joe Tumpkin. His charges include Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, Isaiah Oliver and Anthony Julmisse. The collective work has helped make the Buffaloes' secondary one of the best in the conference and also the country.
Joe Tumpkin -- A++
Safeties
To say that Tumpkin is just a "safeties coach" would be a serious defamation. He is in just his 2nd year with the Buffs, but has a world of experience. At Central Michigan, he coached the entire secondary and was also defensive coordinator. Tumpkin understands how all parts of the D work together to create a cohesive and dominant force.
Tumpkin's knowledge provides excellent guidance to young cornerbacks coach Charles Clark, and together they have put together an outstanding secondary backing up Colorado's front six or seven.
Most importantly, Tumpkin works extremely well with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt to help make the Buffs' D one of the best in the country. Tumpkin is also a great recruiter.
Jim Leavitt -- A+++
Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator
It's hard to find enough superlatives to talk about Jim Leavitt. He is, quite simply, one of the finest defensive minds in all of college football. He also showed his chops as a linebackers coach in the NFL where his unit had two All-Pro players and was a main reason the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013.
In his earlier years, he helped turn Kansas State from one of the laughingstocks of the college football world into a top defense under head coach Bill Snyder.
Later, he became the very FIRST head coach for the University of South Florida. He built that program from scratch and soon made them a Division 1-AA power. After moving to Division 1 (now FBS), Leavitt led his team to a #2 ranking. It was the fastest any NCAA team ever moved into the Top 10 after joining Division 1.
Jim Leavitt joined the Colorado staff in 2015 just days before the Buffs began spring drills and immediately made an impact. The Buffs had been one of the worst defensive teams in the country before he arrived and had been woeful in creating turnovers. Since Leavitt arrived, the Buffs have created a turnover in EVERY single game. It is the longest streak in the FBS.
In 2012, the Buffs gave up an astonishing 552 points (46 points per game). In 2014, the Buffs gave up 468 points (39 per game). In Leavitt's first year in Boulder, the Buffs improved by almost 12 points to giving up just over 27 ppg. This year, Leavitt's second, the Buffs are giving up only 18 points per game. Take away the loss on the road to #2 Michigan, and the Buffs are giving up only 14 points per game in one of the highest scoring conferences in the country.
OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE -- A++
Chances are, Leavitt will have a number of head coaching offers following this season. Only the fact that both Leavitt and his family ABSOLUTELY LOVE BOULDER do the Buffs have an outside possibility of keeping him much longer.
Jim Jeffcoat -- A+
Defensive Line
I gotta admit that Jeffcoat has a special place in my heart. We're the same age and both showed up in Tempe, Arizona in 1979. I can still remember the tall gangly young man who grew into one of the finest players in Arizona State history and went on to become one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.
Jim Jeffcoat has been with head coach Mike MacIntyre for six years, including the last four at Colorado. When he arrived, the Buffs' defensive line was routinely pushed around by Pac-12 offensive lines. Now, those young men under Jeffcoat are controlling the line of scrimmage. As far as defensive rankings are concerned, they have moved from worst to first.
Charles Clark -- A+
Cornerbacks
No coach on the staff has been working with Mike MacIntyre as long as Clark. He was a graduate assistant and Duke and followed Mac to San Jose State and then to Colorado.
Clark is known not only for his position coaching, but also as an outstanding recruiter and has a keen eye for talent. That combination has helped the Buffs upgrade their talent both on the field and on the sideline.
Clark not only works with the corners, but also the nickel backs along with Joe Tumpkin. His charges include Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, Isaiah Oliver and Anthony Julmisse. The collective work has helped make the Buffaloes' secondary one of the best in the conference and also the country.
Joe Tumpkin -- A++
Safeties
To say that Tumpkin is just a "safeties coach" would be a serious defamation. He is in just his 2nd year with the Buffs, but has a world of experience. At Central Michigan, he coached the entire secondary and was also defensive coordinator. Tumpkin understands how all parts of the D work together to create a cohesive and dominant force.
Tumpkin's knowledge provides excellent guidance to young cornerbacks coach Charles Clark, and together they have put together an outstanding secondary backing up Colorado's front six or seven.
Most importantly, Tumpkin works extremely well with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt to help make the Buffs' D one of the best in the country. Tumpkin is also a great recruiter.
Jim Leavitt -- A+++
Linebackers and Defensive Coordinator
It's hard to find enough superlatives to talk about Jim Leavitt. He is, quite simply, one of the finest defensive minds in all of college football. He also showed his chops as a linebackers coach in the NFL where his unit had two All-Pro players and was a main reason the Jim Harbaugh led 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013.
In his earlier years, he helped turn Kansas State from one of the laughingstocks of the college football world into a top defense under head coach Bill Snyder.
Later, he became the very FIRST head coach for the University of South Florida. He built that program from scratch and soon made them a Division 1-AA power. After moving to Division 1 (now FBS), Leavitt led his team to a #2 ranking. It was the fastest any NCAA team ever moved into the Top 10 after joining Division 1.
Jim Leavitt joined the Colorado staff in 2015 just days before the Buffs began spring drills and immediately made an impact. The Buffs had been one of the worst defensive teams in the country before he arrived and had been woeful in creating turnovers. Since Leavitt arrived, the Buffs have created a turnover in EVERY single game. It is the longest streak in the FBS.
In 2012, the Buffs gave up an astonishing 552 points (46 points per game). In 2014, the Buffs gave up 468 points (39 per game). In Leavitt's first year in Boulder, the Buffs improved by almost 12 points to giving up just over 27 ppg. This year, Leavitt's second, the Buffs are giving up only 18 points per game. Take away the loss on the road to #2 Michigan, and the Buffs are giving up only 14 points per game in one of the highest scoring conferences in the country.
OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE -- A++
Chances are, Leavitt will have a number of head coaching offers following this season. Only the fact that both Leavitt and his family ABSOLUTELY LOVE BOULDER do the Buffs have an outside possibility of keeping him much longer.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Denver Post Misidentifies Phillip Lindsay in Article ABOUT the Colorado Buffaloes Running Back
You gotta hand it to the Denver Post, Colorado's flagship newspaper. Old habits apparently die hard. The Post has been considered somewhat of a joke among Colorado Buffaloes fans for their lack of coverage of the University of Colorado, the state's flagship university for years.
Today, in response to the Buffs' big win at Stanford, they tossed a very backhanded compliment toward the Buffs and Colorado's home grown Phillip Lindsay by writing an article about him.
The article featured this photo by Ben Margot of the Associated Press. Photo has been cropped for space.
The Denver Post caption to the photo reads:
Colorado’s Nick Fisher (23) rushes against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Stanford, Calif.
It's been a few years since I was in the newspaper business, but it seems to me that a caption about someone named in the title of the article should not get the name wrong.
Colorado fans were shocked when Mark Kiszla wrote a positive article about the Buffs last week, since he customarily trashes them. Some even joked on some of the fan boards and on the Daily Camera's Buff Zone Chat that an imposter had posted under Kiszla's byline.
Some say it might be a simple mistake, but the Post has been atrocious for years before this season in their coverage of Colorado Buffaloes Football.
To give credit where it is due, however, Nick Kosmider has done excellent work this season as the primary beat writer covering the Buffs.
One final note -- I posted on the Denver Post comments section shortly after the article was published, and three hours later the caption still identifies Lindsay as Nick Fisher.
Like I said... Old habits die hard.
Today, in response to the Buffs' big win at Stanford, they tossed a very backhanded compliment toward the Buffs and Colorado's home grown Phillip Lindsay by writing an article about him.
Kiszla: The king of Colorado for a day: Buff named Phillip Lindsay, not Card named Christian McCaffrey
Lindsay happy to represent state of Colorado
The article featured this photo by Ben Margot of the Associated Press. Photo has been cropped for space.
The Denver Post caption to the photo reads:
Colorado’s Nick Fisher (23) rushes against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Stanford, Calif.
It's been a few years since I was in the newspaper business, but it seems to me that a caption about someone named in the title of the article should not get the name wrong.
Colorado fans were shocked when Mark Kiszla wrote a positive article about the Buffs last week, since he customarily trashes them. Some even joked on some of the fan boards and on the Daily Camera's Buff Zone Chat that an imposter had posted under Kiszla's byline.
Some say it might be a simple mistake, but the Post has been atrocious for years before this season in their coverage of Colorado Buffaloes Football.
To give credit where it is due, however, Nick Kosmider has done excellent work this season as the primary beat writer covering the Buffs.
One final note -- I posted on the Denver Post comments section shortly after the article was published, and three hours later the caption still identifies Lindsay as Nick Fisher.
Like I said... Old habits die hard.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Colorado Buffaloes Dominate Arizona State, 40-16
The Buffaloes of Colorado will wake up Sunday morning knowing that they are still in first place in the Pac-12 South. More than likely, they will re-enter the AP Top-25 after shellacking a ranked Arizona State team.
How important was this win? It's the first time in 23 games that the Buffs have beaten a ranked team. They did it in dominating fashion. And it's the first time since joining the Pac-12 that they have won three games in conference play. And, not only have they won three conference games, they still have five conference games remaining on their publicly stated quest to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
I posted the following on Stuart Whitehair's "CU at the Game" site in response to some so-called fans comments:
Big win and lots of celebration from my birthday suite high above Folsom led to my mistaken post. I’ll take a celebratory mistake any time. Go Buffs!
Also, very disappointed in the post by “Peter” — Good God, man, we beat a ranked team by 24 points and all Peter can do is complain. My son and I raised some eyebrows walking away from the game toward his apartment by repeatedly screaming “Go Buffs!” and finding very few folks returning our calls. Lots of fair weather fans who did not realize how important this win was to the Buffaloes program, and lots of whiny little bit$#es like Peter who seem offended by the big win.
Congratulations to my Buffs.
Tonight was one of the most important and enjoyable wins of my 32 years as a Buff fan. Congrats to Sefo, Phillip Lindsay, Bryce Bobo, and an inspired Buffaloes defense led by Addison Gillam that put a serious beat-down on the Sun Devils. ASU got one touchdown off a turnover and otherwise had to settle for three 50+ yard field goals.
Serious notes from the game. The Buffs broke their 23 game losing streak against ranked teams. And Zane Gonzalez is perhaps the greatest place kicker in NCAA history. Last week, he became the all time leader in field goals. Tonight, he became the first ever to kick three 50+ yard field goals in one game. Zane was stupendous and will make an excellent NFL kicker.
I could not be prouder of my Colorado Buffaloes.
How important was this win? It's the first time in 23 games that the Buffs have beaten a ranked team. They did it in dominating fashion. And it's the first time since joining the Pac-12 that they have won three games in conference play. And, not only have they won three conference games, they still have five conference games remaining on their publicly stated quest to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
I posted the following on Stuart Whitehair's "CU at the Game" site in response to some so-called fans comments:
Big win and lots of celebration from my birthday suite high above Folsom led to my mistaken post. I’ll take a celebratory mistake any time. Go Buffs!
Also, very disappointed in the post by “Peter” — Good God, man, we beat a ranked team by 24 points and all Peter can do is complain. My son and I raised some eyebrows walking away from the game toward his apartment by repeatedly screaming “Go Buffs!” and finding very few folks returning our calls. Lots of fair weather fans who did not realize how important this win was to the Buffaloes program, and lots of whiny little bit$#es like Peter who seem offended by the big win.
Congratulations to my Buffs.
Tonight was one of the most important and enjoyable wins of my 32 years as a Buff fan. Congrats to Sefo, Phillip Lindsay, Bryce Bobo, and an inspired Buffaloes defense led by Addison Gillam that put a serious beat-down on the Sun Devils. ASU got one touchdown off a turnover and otherwise had to settle for three 50+ yard field goals.
Serious notes from the game. The Buffs broke their 23 game losing streak against ranked teams. And Zane Gonzalez is perhaps the greatest place kicker in NCAA history. Last week, he became the all time leader in field goals. Tonight, he became the first ever to kick three 50+ yard field goals in one game. Zane was stupendous and will make an excellent NFL kicker.
I could not be prouder of my Colorado Buffaloes.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Colorado Buffaloes Thoroughly Outcoached in 21-17 Loss to USC
The Colorado Buffaloes forced FOUR turnovers against USC, and still managed to lose 21-17 to the Trojans. How did that come about? Let us count the ways.
1. Colorado gave up more than 500 yards to the Trojans.
Much has been made of the fact that the Buffaloes do not use their tight ends for anything other than blocking. It's certainly OK to not have tight ends be used for catching passes, but Colorado seems to think that nobody else uses their tight ends to catch passes either. In their two losses so far this season, the Buffs were lit up over and over by tight ends.
Against Michigan, All-American Jake Butt was wide open so often one would have thought he was wearing a stealth jersey that made him invisible to Colorado defenders. Butt caught seven passes for 87 yards, and was the only Wolverine player with more than two catches.
USC scored three touchdowns in their victory of Colorado. All three were scored by wide open tight ends. Daniel Imatorbhebhe and Tyler Petite only caught a total of four passes between them, but their 3 TD's provided all the scoring the Trojans would need to win their 11th straight against Colorado.
2. Colorado needs to work on their tackling.
One of the most frustrating things of watching the game was the sheer number of times that the Buffaloes hit a Trojan player behind the line of scrimmage or well short of a first down... only to have the SC player squirt away for positive yardage or gain another back-breaking first down.
Despite all the numerous times the Buffs hit the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, the Buffs ended the game with only ONE tackle for a loss on the day. The failure to wrap up Trojan ball carriers kept the Buffs D on their heels all day long.
3. The Colorado coaches failed to call long pass plays (The Buffs bread and butter) until too late in the game.
Colorado could not get their ground game going because the Trojans were crowding the line of scrimmage with up to SEVEN defenders. It made it nearly impossible to run on the Trojans and the Buffs play callers chose to have their QB's only throw short passes (until late in the game), allowing the USC defensive backs to have their men in front of them for most of the afternoon.
Even the TV announcers (not normally known for their insight) kept commenting that Colorado needed to spread the field in order to keep the Trojans from loading up the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, the Buffs did not start doing it until late in the game. It allowed the Buffs to come back from a 14 point deficit, but it turned out to be too little too late.
Buffs QB's ended the game with a paltry 4.3 yards per attempt (less than half their average) and only 7.7 yards per completion. Their longest completion from the QB position was for 22 yards.
Worst of all, one of the "throwaway" deep passes was on the Buffs' last possession. Instead of working for a first down and eating the clock to send the game into overtime, the Buffs instead wasted a down to force third and long. They failed to convert and then chose to kick a field goal. It pulled them within four but they never got the ball back.
4. It was quite obvious that USC coaches came in with specific game plans both offensively and defensively designed to defeat Colorado.
USC crowded the box defensively from the the beginning of the game and dared Colorado's twin offensive coordinators to adjust. They didn't until too late in the game and by then it was too late.
Offensively, the Trojans were only stopped by turnovers. They only punted three times all day. Poor tackling by the Buffaloes let the Trojans hold on to the ball time and time again when they should have been forced to punt.
And when USC got close to pay dirt, they unleashed their tight ends and Colorado acted as if they did not know tight ends were eligible receivers.
5. Lastly, Pac-12 officials are, at best, horribly inconsistent. At worst, they are completely incompetent. #Pac-12OfficialsSuck
The entire USC team was penalized twice on the day (the same number of times the Colorado center was penalized for snap infractions).
The Colorado punter was hammered on one play, but the call was not a personal foul. It was only a 5 yard penalty and was ultimately declined.
On another punt, the official threw a flag for hitting the returner on a fair catch EVEN though the player that hit the returner was on his own team. Granted, after a referee conference they picked up the flag, but did so after inexplicably concluding that the Colorado player was blocked into the returner. The CU player was blocked toward the returner, but managed to avoid hitting him. It was the USC blocker who smashed into his own guy.
Normally, if any team was playing good clean football, one would point to their excellent coaching. In this case, however, the officiating was just awful. The holding being done by the USC offensive team was as blatant as it was uncalled by the refs.
Conclusions?
The Colorado coaches better get on this promptly. Pac-12 coaches adjust very quickly to fellow coaches who fail to adapt their play calling. Arizona State's Todd Graham is coming to town with his Sun Devils next Saturday and they are looking to take Colorado out of first place in the South division. And Graham is one of the best in the conference at attacking weaknesses in game planning.
Colorado coaches are not the only ones not adjusting. David Shaw at Stanford is learning this the hard way, and his Cardinal have given up 86 points in the last two weeks. It could be worse, however. He could be Mark Helfrich, whose Oregon Ducks have given up 162 points in the last three games.
Meanwhile, Washington State has come storming back after two losses to open the season to win three in a row. Even Oregon State's Gary Andersen seems to be turning the corner. His Beavers won their first conference game since 2014. They did it by shutting down Cal's Bear Raid offense in a game which featured 791 yards of RUSHING!
1. Colorado gave up more than 500 yards to the Trojans.
Much has been made of the fact that the Buffaloes do not use their tight ends for anything other than blocking. It's certainly OK to not have tight ends be used for catching passes, but Colorado seems to think that nobody else uses their tight ends to catch passes either. In their two losses so far this season, the Buffs were lit up over and over by tight ends.
Against Michigan, All-American Jake Butt was wide open so often one would have thought he was wearing a stealth jersey that made him invisible to Colorado defenders. Butt caught seven passes for 87 yards, and was the only Wolverine player with more than two catches.
USC scored three touchdowns in their victory of Colorado. All three were scored by wide open tight ends. Daniel Imatorbhebhe and Tyler Petite only caught a total of four passes between them, but their 3 TD's provided all the scoring the Trojans would need to win their 11th straight against Colorado.
2. Colorado needs to work on their tackling.
One of the most frustrating things of watching the game was the sheer number of times that the Buffaloes hit a Trojan player behind the line of scrimmage or well short of a first down... only to have the SC player squirt away for positive yardage or gain another back-breaking first down.
Despite all the numerous times the Buffs hit the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, the Buffs ended the game with only ONE tackle for a loss on the day. The failure to wrap up Trojan ball carriers kept the Buffs D on their heels all day long.
3. The Colorado coaches failed to call long pass plays (The Buffs bread and butter) until too late in the game.
Colorado could not get their ground game going because the Trojans were crowding the line of scrimmage with up to SEVEN defenders. It made it nearly impossible to run on the Trojans and the Buffs play callers chose to have their QB's only throw short passes (until late in the game), allowing the USC defensive backs to have their men in front of them for most of the afternoon.
Even the TV announcers (not normally known for their insight) kept commenting that Colorado needed to spread the field in order to keep the Trojans from loading up the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, the Buffs did not start doing it until late in the game. It allowed the Buffs to come back from a 14 point deficit, but it turned out to be too little too late.
Buffs QB's ended the game with a paltry 4.3 yards per attempt (less than half their average) and only 7.7 yards per completion. Their longest completion from the QB position was for 22 yards.
Worst of all, one of the "throwaway" deep passes was on the Buffs' last possession. Instead of working for a first down and eating the clock to send the game into overtime, the Buffs instead wasted a down to force third and long. They failed to convert and then chose to kick a field goal. It pulled them within four but they never got the ball back.
4. It was quite obvious that USC coaches came in with specific game plans both offensively and defensively designed to defeat Colorado.
USC crowded the box defensively from the the beginning of the game and dared Colorado's twin offensive coordinators to adjust. They didn't until too late in the game and by then it was too late.
Offensively, the Trojans were only stopped by turnovers. They only punted three times all day. Poor tackling by the Buffaloes let the Trojans hold on to the ball time and time again when they should have been forced to punt.
And when USC got close to pay dirt, they unleashed their tight ends and Colorado acted as if they did not know tight ends were eligible receivers.
5. Lastly, Pac-12 officials are, at best, horribly inconsistent. At worst, they are completely incompetent. #Pac-12OfficialsSuck
The entire USC team was penalized twice on the day (the same number of times the Colorado center was penalized for snap infractions).
The Colorado punter was hammered on one play, but the call was not a personal foul. It was only a 5 yard penalty and was ultimately declined.
On another punt, the official threw a flag for hitting the returner on a fair catch EVEN though the player that hit the returner was on his own team. Granted, after a referee conference they picked up the flag, but did so after inexplicably concluding that the Colorado player was blocked into the returner. The CU player was blocked toward the returner, but managed to avoid hitting him. It was the USC blocker who smashed into his own guy.
Normally, if any team was playing good clean football, one would point to their excellent coaching. In this case, however, the officiating was just awful. The holding being done by the USC offensive team was as blatant as it was uncalled by the refs.
Conclusions?
The Colorado coaches better get on this promptly. Pac-12 coaches adjust very quickly to fellow coaches who fail to adapt their play calling. Arizona State's Todd Graham is coming to town with his Sun Devils next Saturday and they are looking to take Colorado out of first place in the South division. And Graham is one of the best in the conference at attacking weaknesses in game planning.
Colorado coaches are not the only ones not adjusting. David Shaw at Stanford is learning this the hard way, and his Cardinal have given up 86 points in the last two weeks. It could be worse, however. He could be Mark Helfrich, whose Oregon Ducks have given up 162 points in the last three games.
Meanwhile, Washington State has come storming back after two losses to open the season to win three in a row. Even Oregon State's Gary Andersen seems to be turning the corner. His Beavers won their first conference game since 2014. They did it by shutting down Cal's Bear Raid offense in a game which featured 791 yards of RUSHING!
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
When Yin Meets Yang: Lindgren and Chiaverini Form A Perfect Offensive Union for the Colorado Buffaloes
Brian Lindgren
The offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado since arriving with head coach Mike MacIntyre from San Jose State before the 2013 season. Although his planning and play-calling have led to numerous records for Buffs QB Sefo Liufau, Colorado's Pac-12 won-loss record from his arrival to this year was a paltry 2-25.
Darrin Chiaverini
Played his college football at the University of Colorado from 1995-98 as a wide receiver before playing professionally for 7 years (NFL and AFL). He has been working his way up the ladder as a college coach since he retired as a player. He has been involved in spectacular turnaround projects numerous times with both offensive and special teams. Prior to this year, his last stop was at Texas Tech, where he coached special teams and outside wide receivers. He was hired as Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Colorado following 2015 season.
Many speculated that the pairing of Lindgren and Chiaverini would not work out. Some opined that Lindgren would not react well to being "demoted" to sharing the coordinator position, and others felt that the personality types were too disparate to effectively lead together. Lindgren is known as a quiet and cerebral type of individual while Chiaverini is known for his fire and passion and toughness, along with his ability to fire up his team. Many wondered about how well they would work together.
It turns out that Lindgren and Chiaverini have formed a perfect example of Yin and Yang, and the combination has led to Colorado's offensive production this year being their highest ever. If this year's Buffs continue to rack up yards at the same pace for the rest of the season, they will break the record set by Bill McCartney's last team in 1994. That team featured Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and Kordell Stewart and a total of NINE players which were drafted into the NFL the following spring.
Through five games, this team has averaged 531.2 yards per game. That's more than 134 yards per game more than last year, and almost 36 yards per game more than the record setting 1994 squad.
But more importantly than just total yards, the Buffs have been rushing the ball far better in 2016. Their average of 218.6 yards per game is the highest since 2002, when Chris Brown and Bobby Purify helped the Buffs average 251.2 yards per game on the ground.
The improved ground attack has been helped along by a more more dangerous air game for the Buffs. This year Colorado has been averaging 14.6 yards per reception, which is the highest since Koy Detmer led the 1996 Buffs to 15.1 yards per completion.
This year, behind Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez, Colorado has averaged 9.77 yards per attempted pass. Last year, the Buffs averaged only 6.71 YPA. You have to go all the way back to the undefeated 1989 regular season to find a Buffs team that averaged more YPA on their passes. That year, Darian Hagan averaged an unworldly 11.8 YPA and almost 21 yards per completion.
What's the moral of this story? Sometimes Yin and Yang combine to form a perfect union. From two conference wins in three years to 2-0 so far this year and first place in the Pac-12 South.
The offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado since arriving with head coach Mike MacIntyre from San Jose State before the 2013 season. Although his planning and play-calling have led to numerous records for Buffs QB Sefo Liufau, Colorado's Pac-12 won-loss record from his arrival to this year was a paltry 2-25.
Darrin Chiaverini
Played his college football at the University of Colorado from 1995-98 as a wide receiver before playing professionally for 7 years (NFL and AFL). He has been working his way up the ladder as a college coach since he retired as a player. He has been involved in spectacular turnaround projects numerous times with both offensive and special teams. Prior to this year, his last stop was at Texas Tech, where he coached special teams and outside wide receivers. He was hired as Co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Colorado following 2015 season.
Many speculated that the pairing of Lindgren and Chiaverini would not work out. Some opined that Lindgren would not react well to being "demoted" to sharing the coordinator position, and others felt that the personality types were too disparate to effectively lead together. Lindgren is known as a quiet and cerebral type of individual while Chiaverini is known for his fire and passion and toughness, along with his ability to fire up his team. Many wondered about how well they would work together.
It turns out that Lindgren and Chiaverini have formed a perfect example of Yin and Yang, and the combination has led to Colorado's offensive production this year being their highest ever. If this year's Buffs continue to rack up yards at the same pace for the rest of the season, they will break the record set by Bill McCartney's last team in 1994. That team featured Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam and Kordell Stewart and a total of NINE players which were drafted into the NFL the following spring.
Through five games, this team has averaged 531.2 yards per game. That's more than 134 yards per game more than last year, and almost 36 yards per game more than the record setting 1994 squad.
But more importantly than just total yards, the Buffs have been rushing the ball far better in 2016. Their average of 218.6 yards per game is the highest since 2002, when Chris Brown and Bobby Purify helped the Buffs average 251.2 yards per game on the ground.
The improved ground attack has been helped along by a more more dangerous air game for the Buffs. This year Colorado has been averaging 14.6 yards per reception, which is the highest since Koy Detmer led the 1996 Buffs to 15.1 yards per completion.
This year, behind Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez, Colorado has averaged 9.77 yards per attempted pass. Last year, the Buffs averaged only 6.71 YPA. You have to go all the way back to the undefeated 1989 regular season to find a Buffs team that averaged more YPA on their passes. That year, Darian Hagan averaged an unworldly 11.8 YPA and almost 21 yards per completion.
What's the moral of this story? Sometimes Yin and Yang combine to form a perfect union. From two conference wins in three years to 2-0 so far this year and first place in the Pac-12 South.
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