Colorado Special Teams Coach Toby Neinas Continues Turn Around for Buffs after Rough Start to Season

During the two big wins to open the season, the most glaring problem on Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffs team was the returns given up by the special teams units. When Mac came aboard to become head coach at CU, he brought with him Toby Neinas as Special Teams Coordinator.

Most Buff fans were very excited to have a coach devoted solely to special teams, since Colorado's special teams were not very special over the last several years. Two games into the season, many of the Buff faithful were loudly questioning the hire. That included this writer.

In the first game against Colorado State, the Buffs gave up an average of 38.4 yards on five kickoffs. Included in that was a touchdown return. On punt returns, Colorado allowed the Rams to average 23 yards on 4 returns. The punt return team also gave up a touchdown.

The numbers put up by the CU returners were much more pedestrian. They had 19 yards on one kickoff return (for an average less than half of CSU), and averaged only 8.5 on four punt returns (barely more than a third as many as CSU).

In game two against Central Arkansas, the kickoff return numbers continued to be bad. The Bears averaged 32 yards per on  4 returns. The Buffs, on the other hand, averaged barely more than half that at 17.3 on 3 returns. The Bears had only 1 punt return for 10 yards and CU had no punt returns.

After two games, the yards given up on returns by the Buffs were among the worst in the country. Everyone questioned whether the Buffs could return to respectability if their special teams were so bad.

Then came the floods and the extended break before Pac-12 play. After three straight lopsided defeats, the focus on what problems the Buffs were having were directed elsewhere. One of the reasons was that the CU special teams were starting to put up respectable numbers.

First came Oregon State. The Beavers  had one kickoff return for 27 yards while the Buffs averaged 24.2 on 4 returns. The Buffs gave up only 8 total yards on 2 punt returns.

During the Oregon game, the Ducks only averaged 2 yards each on 2 kickoff returns, while the Buffs averaged 26.9 on 7 returns. Oregon lost 3 yards on their only punt return, while CU got 5 on their only punt return.

At Tempe, the Buffs faced an Arizona State team that was one of the best in country on returns. The Buffs stood up to the challenge.  The Sun Devils only averaged 17.5 yards on 2 kickoff returns, and 10.3 yards on 3 punt returns. The Buffs averaged 19.4 on 5 kickoff returns, and had no punts returned.

Against Charleston-Southern, the Buffs averaged 26 yards on 2 kickoff returns compared to only 14.5 on two returns for the Bucs. In the punting game, CU had 2 returns for 4 yards a CS had no punt returns.

Six games into the season and the Buffs have become respectable on their special teams. After the first two games, the Buffs were giving up more than 35 yards per kickoff return, while averaging about half that for themselves.

After 6 games, however, the numbers are much more presentable. The average for CU opponents for kickoff returns is down to an average of 25.9 yards, the Buffs average has jumped up to 23 yards per return. A difference of 17.5 yards per return has now been reduced to less than 3.

Punt returns by Buff opponents has dropped from 23 in the first game to 12.5 for the season. The Buffs still only average half that at 6.2 per punt return, but it is a lot better than it was early in the season.

The CU running game finally got itself unleashed in the last game and scored 5 touchdowns and more had 218 yards rushing. If the special teams can continue to improve like they have over the last 3-4 weeks, it is only a matter of time before a Buff returner breaks a big one. As of right now, the Buffs special teams continue to become more special and Toby Neinas can hold his head high.

PAC-12 UPDATE: Colorado Football Game Against Fresno State Postponed

University of Colorado officials finally came to their senses today by postponing Saturday's scheduled football game against the Fresno State Bulldogs. Even though Boulder and 150 miles of Colorado's front range were fighting through a storm categorized as somewhere between a 100-500 year storm, campus officials had steadfastly maintained that the game would go on because Folsom Field was in "great shape."

Fortunately, the rain stopped for a bit and sun came out. This allowed helicopters that had been grounded throughout the storm to get up and finally reveal the horrible devastation wrought by the disaster which dropped as much moisture in a few short days as Boulder and surrounding areas typically see over an entire year. Faced with the grim reality of the Colorado catastrophe, Chancellor Philip DiStefano opted to postpone the game and not put added stress on a city and area literally struggling to keep their heads above water.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that President Barack Obama had signed the designation of the Colorado flooding as a national disaster.

Colorado Athletic Director Rick George and Head Coach Mike MacIntyre fully supported the decision by DiStefano. According to MacIntyre, although the team expressed a strong desire to compete, they were "all 100 percent in agreement” with the decision.

Colorado and Fresno State officials will meet soon to discuss when the game could be made up. Colorado has two bye weeks scheduled this year, while Fresno State has one. Unfortunately, none of the bye weeks coincide.

The teams could  possibly play a game on December 7th, but that is the date the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference each play their championship game. It would be considered shocking for the Buffaloes to make the Pac-12 championship game as the South representative, the Bulldogs are favorites to represent their division of the Mountain West. If that date does not work out, the schools may have to put off the game for a year or two.

Flooding in Boulder Threatens Football Game Against Fresno State

It's just a game. That is quickly becoming the mantra regarding the University of Colorado Buffaloes football game scheduled for Saturday against the Fresno State Bulldogs. CU is closed today while officials evaluate damage to the campus that has affected nearly every building. There has been flooding in dorms and some 500 people living in family housing on campus have been evacuated. The City and County of Boulder are on Emergency Alert.

Sometimes it takes the wrath of Mother Nature to remind us that the things we do for entertainment pale in comparison to real world issues, especially when they slap us in the face. More than 10 inches of rain have fallen on Boulder and the University of Colorado over the last several days, including an estimated 6-8 inches overnight. On top of that, the rain continues and is expected to drop several more inches today and tomorrow.

The damage inflicted by the massive storm has not been limited to Boulder. Much of Eastern Colorado has felt its wrath. Lyons to the North of Boulder is effectively an island, with every road in and out closed by floodwaters, debris and washed out roads. In the mountain towns just west of Boulder, waters have washed away buildings and homes. So far, at least two deaths have been attributed to the 100 year-storm. With the light of day, the true extent of the damage is becoming evident.

The CU Buffs football team is 2-0 for the first time in 5 years, and after the nightmare 2012 season in which they went 1-11, the players have been fired up to play a Bulldog team which completely destroyed them last season by a score of 69-14. This CU team has improved greatly since last year, and the team has been anxious to show that improvement against a FSU team which is ranked #27 in the country.

All the desires and plans for the game by the players and head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff might have to redirected toward helping CU and Boulder recover from the worst rains Boulder has ever experienced. The amount of precipitation Boulder and CU have received in the last 72 hours is roughly the same as they would normally get in an entire year (around 16 inches). Forecasts call for several more inches in the next 48 hours. It could be less than that, but it could also be much more.

There have been no official statements from CU about the status of the game that is scheduled for kickoff shortly after noon on Saturday. This does not mean that the officials do not think it is important, it just means they have more important things to worry about right now. Not just the condition of the buildings on campus, but more importantly, the safety of the students and staff at the state's flagship university.

More and more, even the question about whether to play is met with incredulous stares. This is just as it should be. After all, it IS just a game.