Showing posts with label Chidera Uzo-Diribe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chidera Uzo-Diribe. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Only One Way for Colorado Buffaloes to Defeat USC

It's past mid-November, and the Colorado Buffaloes still have a shot at playing in a bowl game at the end of the season. It's a long shot, for sure, but certainly better than CU fans have experienced in a good long while.

For fans of the University of Spoiled Children, it has been a down and up year. With two regular season games left on their schedule, the Trojans sit at 8-3. They have won 5 of 6 games since firing Lane Kiffin following the 62-41 thrashing at the hands of Arizona State in late September.

The Trojans come to Boulder looking run the table against the Buffs and UCLA and represent the Pac-12 South in the conference championship game. Two teams stand in their way, Arizona State and UCLA. Fortunately for SC, the Bruins and the Sun Devils play each other this weekend.

UCLA ends their regular season against USC, and ASU faces their in-state rival Arizona next weekend. If all the cards fall into place, USC could very well be heading to Oregon to play the Ducks in the conference championship game.

The wild card in the equation is the University of Colorado Buffaloes. If the Buffs can manage to beat the Trojans on a cold November night in Boulder, they can ruin USC's plans and keep their own bowl hopes alive. As the Buffs have never defeated USC is seven tries, it would be a big surprise. In it's effect on the resurrection of a once elite program, a home win on Senior night would be HUGE.

Many fans of the Colorado football program have been clinging to irrational hopes for the game. They want bitter cold, or better yet, driving snow to slow down the Trojans and give their Buffs a chance. They cite anecdotal evidence that USC has not historically played well in cold weather games.

But, in reality, the Trojans have not played in the snow since the 1950s. That's what happens when you play on the west coast against teams from the west coast. Not until Utah and Colorado joined the conference several years back did the opportunity to play in the snow really rear its ugly head.

It seems likely that USC will adapt like every other team in the conference when they have to make the cold weather adjustment. In fact, it is likely that playing in snow will not happen very often for the west coast teams or the Arizona teams. The game most likely each year to be influenced by snow will be the season ending game between Utah and Colorado following Thanksgiving each year.

Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff, and his players as well, know the truth about the game with USC. To defeat the Trojans, the Buffaloes will have to OUTPLAY them. They will have to play smart and limit their penalties. They will have to win the turnover game. They will need to control the ball and score touchdowns when they get in the red zone. They will need to convert their third downs at a high rate (close to 50%). They will need to play solid special teams and good defense.

Everyone knows that the USC roster is loaded primarily with young men who were rated as 4 and 5 star recruits coming out of high school. But that did not keep the Trojans from going from preseason #1 last year to unranked by the end of the season. It did not keep Lane Kiffin from getting fired. And it did not keep Arizona State and Oregon from scoring 62 points apiece on the Trojans.

You have to play the game on the field. And each team is only allowed 11 guys on the field at a time. And 11 guys playing as a TEAM can always beat 11 INDIVIDUALS who do not play well together.

The game against USC is Senior Day, and will be the final home game for the Buff seniors. Although the Buffs have a very young team, some of their stalwarts will be running onto Folsom Field for the final time in their CU careers. Starting defensive seniors are Safety Parker Orms, DL Chidera Uzo-Diribe, and LB Derrick Webb. Defensive backups include Paul Vigo and Nate Bonsu.

Offensive Senior starters are Linemen Gus Handler and Jack Harris, and Tight End Scott Fernandez. Senior backups on offense include TE Alex Wood and QB Jordan Webb.

The great unknown is whether the game will represent the last home game for WR Paul Richardson. Although he is only a junior, Richardson is one of the best wideouts in the country and may opt to turn pro early like David Bakhtiari did last year.

Do the Buffs stand a chance against the Trojans? Of course they do. But to win, they will have to play as a TEAM and outplay USC on both sides of the ball. They cannot count on the fans or the weather to make the difference. They have to make their stand on Folsom Field as a band of brothers and defend their turf. It's the only way they can win.


Saturday, November 2, 2013

What Colorado Buff Fans Should Expect Against UCLA at the Rose Bowl

Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes take on the Bruins of UCLA today at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The game will be televised at 5:30 pm (Mountain Daylight Time) on FS1.

The Bruins were undefeated and riding high with a national ranking to match after their first five games to the season. The were scoring points at the clip of almost 46 points per game, while giving up a mere 18.

But that was before running into the conference buzz saws of Oregon and Stanford, both on the road, the last two weeks. During those contests, their offensive output dropped to 12 points per game in the two losses, while the Bruins surrendered 33 points per game.

The Bruins are quite happy to be back home in the Rose Bowl to face Colorado, and they are hoping to get their numbers back to "normal" and another win. A win by UCLA would make them bowl eligible. Future games that will be harder to count on as wins include a tough trip to Tucson to face Arizona before welcoming Washington and the red hot Arizona State Sun Devils to Pasadena. The Bruins finish off the regular season a few miles down the road against bitter rival and rejuvenated USC at the Coliseum. For UCLA, the Colorado game looks to be the only "gimme" left in a conference where gimme's are hard to come by.

The Buffaloes arrived in Los Angeles with four big losses in conference games this year, and a losing streak in the Pac-12 that goes back to early in the 2012 season. Coach Mac and his Buffs know that they have tough row to hoe to pull off the upset.

What do the Buffs have going for them? 

Well, for starters, more than 40 players for CU grew up in and played their high school football in the Golden State. Lots of them will have friends and family in the stands and they do not want to look bad in front of their peeps. On top of that, many of them played with and against the players from UCLA, and they share rivalries that go back to high school and before.

The Colorado kickoff returns continue to get better and better each week. Ryan Severson has gotten very close to breaking one for a touchdown and may be able to take one to the house today. As it is, he now stands 2nd in the Pac-12, averaging 28.6 yards per return. Buff fans hope, however, that Severson does not get too many opportunities to break one.

Although CU starting quarterback Sefo Liufau is only a freshman making his third start, he is becoming more aware of the speed of Pac-12 defenders and adjusting his game. Fortunately, Sefo should have his favorite receiver Paul Richardson available for the game. Having a guy who is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball makes life as a quarterback a little less stressful.

The Buffs have the Pac-12's leading tackler in freshman Addison Gillam. Greg Henderson leads the conference in interceptions per game and also passes defended. And Chidera Uzo-Diribe leads the conference and the nation in fumbles forced per game.

What problems do the Buffs face?

The offensive and defensive lines of the Buffaloes have been consistently overpowered within conference play. They have sometimes held their own for a quarter or even close to a half, but then tend to wear down.

The play-calling by CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, especially when throwing the ball, has been VERY predictable and easy to defend. Even with the skills of Richardson, the Buff passing game is not nearly as big a threat as it could be.

The running game, or lack thereof, can most certainly be attributed to the youth of the offensive line. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the most effective running back, Michael Adkins, will miss (most likely) the game due to a concussion suffered last week.

Do the Buffs stand a chance?

Realistically, not much of one. But it certainly would not be the biggest upset ever if they do pull out a win. Colorado would have to play their best game in several years to win this one unless UCLA hurts itself over and over again with turnovers and penalties.

Keys to the Game for Colorado:
  • Win the turnover battle
  • Convert 3rd downs at 50% (or close) level
  • Liufau needs to complete a high percentage of his passes with no interceptions
  • Score touchdowns instead of field goals when in the red zone
  • Get Paul Richardson the ball, and mix it up to avoid double coverage
  • Pressure UCLA QB Brett Hundley
  • Limit "home run" plays over 25 yards by the Bruins
  • No dumb penalties that kill drives or extend drives for UCLA


Go Buffs!







Thursday, September 5, 2013

Are Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes Ready to Take the Next Big Step?

It's an old adage in college football that the greatest improvement during the season comes between the first and second games. The first game always comes with the jitters of a new season and playing with new or even freshman guys around one another. For the Colorado Buffs, those concerns were magnified by the fact that Coach Mac's staff was new, along with new schemes on offense, defense and special teams.

The Buffs passed the first test of the season with flying colors when they defeated CSU by a score of 41-27 at the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver. The next big question is whether they can improve upon their overall performance this weekend when they open their home schedule at Folsom Field against FCS powerhouse Central Arkansas.

The Bears are ranked #5 in this week's FCS poll, and last week no less than 8 FCS teams stepped up and defeated FBS schools, including a win by Eastern Washington against a ranked Oregon State team. That being the case, there is no reason for CU to be taking the Bears lightly. The Buffs must also remember that they lost at home last year to another FCS team, Sacramento State. They do not want to face the same embarrassment as last year.

The 3-play vs. 2-play debate from the RMS

Although CU came away from the RMS with a seemingly comfortable 14 point win, those at CSU could make a reasonable claim that the game turned on just three plays. Those were the two long touchdown throws from Connor Wood to Paul Richardson that were the result of blown coverages by the CSU secondary, and the stripped ball by Chidera Uzo-Diribe that was picked up by Greg Henderson and returned 53 yards for a touchdown. Take those away and CSU could very well have taken the game, it could be argued.

On the other hand, CU could rightly claim that the final winning margin was much smaller than it could have been due to two special teams plays. CSU receiver Joe Hansley returned a punt for 74 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Coffman returned a kickoff 84 yards to set up CSU's go ahead touchdown. Take those two plays away and maybe Colorado wins by 30.

It doesn't really matter. The RMS is over and the Buffs won. Coach MacIntyre and his team know that football games are often decided by big plays on offense, defense and special teams.

The game against Central Arkansas

 The trick for the Buffs this week is to continue to improve upon the things they did well in the first game, and to fix any problems they had.

The offensive line did a great job of protecting the quarterback last week but rushing yards from the backs were hard to come by. Colorado knows that was because CSU was rolling the dice that Connor Wood and his fleet of receivers could not beat them. Thanks to the great work by Wood, Richardson, Goodson and the rest of the receiving crew, the gamble by CSU was not successful.

Special teams should show significant improvement this week. Actually, that should be narrowed down. The punter and kicker for CU were outstanding in the first game. What needs to come up to par against Central Arkansas is return coverage. The Buffs know that and have been tweaking it all week. Look for someone on the return coverage units to make a play or two that is worthy of the new Sledgehammer Award won by Parker Orms in week one for his hit that cartwheeled a CSU tight end in the end zone.

On defense, the front line fought a very good CSU line to a standstill, but the lack of pressure they put on the CSU quarterback was only not damaging due to the very poor game passing by the Rams QB. The Central Arkansas quarterback is both a running and passing threat and is likely one of the most athletic quarterbacks that CU will face this season. The secondary and the linebackers must continue their fine work from the first game and the D-line needs to step it up and get pressure on the quarterback.

If the Buffs take the next big step and improve off their first game performance, the opening game at Folsom Field should be a win. If they rest on their laurels and take the Bears for granted, it could be an ugly and embarrassing day. If they play hard and fast and take full advantage of the altitude, the home field, the fans, and their strength and athleticism, the Buffs should walk away with another big win and double their win total from last year.

Go Buffs! FUCK 'EM UP, FUCK 'EM UP, GO CU!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

CU vs CSU 2013: Let the Game Begin!

It's game day Buff fans. The long wait to get out from under the cloud of bad coaching for seven years is over. No more Hawkins. No more Embree. The bright light of a team prepared by real, good, and smart coaches is here for CU. Let the sun shine in! The early days of Aquarius are upon us. Put your game face on.

The darkness that is the Denver media seemingly hate the light as much as they hate Boulder and the Buffs. It doesn't matter, because the sunny days are back in Boulder whether they like it or not. The Mike MacIntyre era has begun.

The Denver Post believes that CSU has the advantage in every aspect of the game except punting. They are living in a fantasy land! (Like where they claim to have a weekday circulation of almost half a million. They base this on internet hits instead of actual newspapers. If one counts actual papers, the numbers are closer to 250k daily.)

For the past two years, CU had the worst coaching staff in their history and arguably the very worst in the FBS. Despite that handicap, it still took a meltdown of epic proportions by CU for CSU to scrape out a win. CSU and the Post shouldn't take any comfort in that, since epically proportioned meltdowns were the norm for the coaching staff last year. It is the reason they are no longer here.

It was the 21st win by CSU in the history of the rivalry. CU, on the other hand, has ONLY managed to win a meager 61 times by comparison. With that history in hand, it is easy in fantasy land to believe the Buffs have no chance. WAKE UP! This is reality.

And the reality is that this Colorado team will look nothing like what we have seen the last several seasons. They will no longer be outcoached on a weekly basis. And the days of them standing on the field waiting for their offensive coordinator to make up his mind what play he wants to run are over too.

There will be no more quarterback sneaks on first down because the coaches did not notice the team had made a first down on the previous play. And defensive coaches will no longer have their cornerbacks playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage when the opponent is in the red zone.

The Buffs had horrible coaching and still barely lost to CSU last year and beat them by 14 the year before even with the same coaching staff. I shudder to think how the game will look when the Buffs are led by good play callers.

I look forward to a lot of shudders going up and down my spine today. The Buffs are angry and they have a flatiron sized chip on their shoulders. They are in MUCH better playing shape than they have been in years. Heck, the top 10 defensive linemen alone have lost almost 200 pounds since spring while gaining strength and stamina.

Christian Powell is down more than 20 lbs since he arrived on campus last year as a true freshman who led the Buffs in rushing. He's is still a monster to contend with when he hits you with 230 lbs of speed and muscle.

And Paul Richardson is back after missing last year. He's faster now than when he was one of the most feared receivers in the Pac-12 in 2011. Anyone remember the 11 receptions for 284 yards against Cal?

Everyone knows that the CSU coach has refused to name a starting quarterback until game time. Does anyone else think that decision was designed to prevent nightmares of Chidera Uzo-Diribe crushing his qb? This guy was damn near unblockable last year, and he's faster and stronger this year.

And lastly, Connor Wood takes over as quarterback. He was one of the best and most sought after QB's in the country coming out of high school. And now he is working with perhaps the best young QB coach in the country in Brian Lindgren. The shudders are starting just thinking about it.

You heard it here first. This game is going to get ugly. The party is going to start in Denver this afternoon and will rock throughout the night in BOULDER. For the Rams, the Rocky Mountain Showdown will end up being the Rocky Mountain Horror Story.

GO BUFFS! Or better yet...

FUCK 'EM UP, FUCK 'EM UP, GO CU!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Pac-12 Football: Colorado Releases First Depth Chart of the 2013 Season


The Rocky Mountain Showdown against CSU is coming up this Sunday and the CU Buffs have released their first depth chart of the season. Needless to say, this chart is not etched in stone, and could change as quickly as the swipe of an eraser on a blackboard.
 Although it may or may not change before the opening kickoff, Mike McIntyre and his staff will be evaluating their players with well trained eyes to see how they perform in live game situations. And they will also be evaluating themselves to see how effective they have been installing confidence and knowledge in their men.


OFFENSIVE STARTERS


C - GUS HANDLER
LG - KAIWI CRABB
RG - DANIEL MUNYER
LT - JACK HARRIS
RT - STEPHANE NEMBOT
TE - SCOTT FERNANDEZ
QB - CONNOR WOOD
TB - CHRISTIAN POWELL
FB - JORDAN MURPHY
WR (X) - NELSON SPRUCE
WR (H) - D.D. GOODSON
WR (Z) - PAUL RICHARDSON

DEFENSIVE STARTERS


LEFT DE - JUDA PARKER
DT - JOSH TUPOU
DT - NATE BONSU
RIGHT DE - CHIDERA UZO-DIRIBE
MIKE ILB - ADDISON GILLAM
WILL ILB - DERRICK WEBB
SAM OLB - PAUL VIGO
LC - KENNETH CRAWLEY
FS - JERED BELL
SS - PARKER ORMS
RC - GREG HENDERSON
NICKEL BACKS - CHIDOBE AWUZIE and MARQUES MOSLEY

SPECIAL TEAMS

P - DARRAGH O’NEILL
PK - WILL OLIVER
PR - NELSON SPRUCE
KOR - MARQUES MOSLEY
 
Look for further postings regarding position by position starters and backups.