Turn out the lights, the party's over. Colorado took a 10 point lead into the 4th quarter and managed to lose by 11 points, 41-30. Actually, the season was never much of a party. Maybe just a surprise party where the guest of honor was smart enough to not show up.
Although the Buffs mathematically have a chance to win another game, they won't. They make the worst rushing teams in the Pac-12 look like Barry Switzer's 1980's Oklahoma Sooners.
One could say that head coach Mike MacIntyre quit on his team by taking away their last chance for a win. The Sun Devils ran it down Colorado's throats all 2nd half, and Colorado was unable to stop them. Despite that, he choose to punt the ball back to ASU with less than three minutes left.
Most of us figured that ASU would run out the clock but Colorado failed to stop any runs and the Sun Devils scored another clinching touchdown.
The score against USC next week will be as embarrassing as the Washington and Washington State games. Mark that prediction. Whatever the line is, the Trojans will probably triple it.
Sadly, a season predicated on promised great success has turned out to be yet another lost season in Boulder. At least it's almost time to hit the slopes. Or maybe go traveling. Anything other than more wasted time.
Showing posts with label Colorado Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado Football. Show all posts
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Colorado Breaks Out the Enthusiasm, Wins 44-28 over Cal
Wow!
The Colorado Buffaloes finally broke out the Joie de Vivre and had a good time. As a consequence they earned a big win, 44-28 over the California Golden Bears.
Football is a game. It's supposed to be fun. But for much of this year Colorado has looked like a group of guys doing chores instead of playing a game. Against Cal, they finally looked like they were having fun.
This was the Colorado team fans had been hoping to see all season. It was exciting to see.
The question now is whether the Buffs can take the momentum created today and carry it over to the last three games. One more win and they can earn a bowl berth, which just a few days ago seemed quite unlikely.
More will be known by the end of the night. Colorado's next two opponents, Arizona State and USC, face off tonight in Tempe. The winner takes control of their own destiny for the Pac-12 South. The loser will need help.
Colorado can no longer win the South, but they can play a big part in determining who takes the crown. It can be fun to be a spoiler too, especially if it also allows CU to make it to a second consecutive bowl game.
They'll be watching tonight to scout the next two opponents. The key to winning one or both of those games is to come and play with enthusiasm. They need to keep on having fun.
Here's to hoping they do just that. Go Buffs!
The Colorado Buffaloes finally broke out the Joie de Vivre and had a good time. As a consequence they earned a big win, 44-28 over the California Golden Bears.
Football is a game. It's supposed to be fun. But for much of this year Colorado has looked like a group of guys doing chores instead of playing a game. Against Cal, they finally looked like they were having fun.
This was the Colorado team fans had been hoping to see all season. It was exciting to see.
The question now is whether the Buffs can take the momentum created today and carry it over to the last three games. One more win and they can earn a bowl berth, which just a few days ago seemed quite unlikely.
More will be known by the end of the night. Colorado's next two opponents, Arizona State and USC, face off tonight in Tempe. The winner takes control of their own destiny for the Pac-12 South. The loser will need help.
Colorado can no longer win the South, but they can play a big part in determining who takes the crown. It can be fun to be a spoiler too, especially if it also allows CU to make it to a second consecutive bowl game.
They'll be watching tonight to scout the next two opponents. The key to winning one or both of those games is to come and play with enthusiasm. They need to keep on having fun.
Here's to hoping they do just that. Go Buffs!
Friday, October 27, 2017
Colorado's Mike MacIntyre Desperate for Win vs. California
In a little over 24 hours, the Colorado Buffaloes will take to Folsom Field in the penultimate game of the 2017 season. A season which started with coaching staff promises of explosive offensive output and dominant offensive line and wide receiver play has instead turned out to be hugely disappointing as the Buffs have struggled to a 4-4 record thus far.
Even if the Buffaloes pull out a win, chances of a second consecutive bowl game are tenuous at best. That's shocking considering that Colorado won 10 games in the regular season last year. Since then, the Buffs have gone 4-6 after getting clobbered in the Pac-12 championship game and their bowl game. That's quite a fall.
Sadly, the head coach more often than not points the blame at his players. It's actually kind of shocking that the guy guaranteed to earn more than $13 MILLION over the next few years whether he stays or not is choosing to blame 18-22 year old kids for the team's shortcomings. It's hard to imagine Eisenhower or Patton blaming the loss of a battle on the privates in the infantry, but that is what MacIntyre does. Of course, Patton and Ike didn't lose many battles.
It stands out even more so this year after Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen walked away from $12 Million owed him because he thought he was under-performing. MacIntyre seems to think he's doing a great job... and that it's just those pesky players who are screwing it all up.
Talk to any sportswriter covering Colorado (or watch a press conference) and it's easy to see that coach Mickey Mac doesn't like to be criticized. Most people don't like to be criticized but MM should know that it comes with the job when you are by far the highest paid state employee.
And although Mac holds criticism of himself in great disdain, it doesn't keep him from publicly criticizing his own players. Who can forget MM saying one of his captains "Didn't know what he was talking about" for daring to point out that the team wasn't ready to play?
And who can forget Mickey Mac having an absolute meltdown on national television against Washington State. Sadly it wasn't even the first time. In 2014, he was fined by the Pac-12 for chasing the officials off the field in a loss to Oregon State. This time, he ignored his own team for several minutes while they had the ball and he was down the sideline frothing at the mouth yelling at the officials.
Already this season, MM has tried to make the case that his team was just a "couple of plays" from being 6-2. That's delusional if he believes it. The closer reality is that the Buffaloes are only a few plays away from being 2-6. Ask any CSU fan.
It's kind of fitting that the game tomorrow is Homecoming. Home is most likely where the team will be spending their holidays this year. Two of the final three games will be played on the road, and USC will be final home game. The Buffaloes have never beaten the Trojans in 11 tries.
It's been suggested that MacIntyre was hoping for another winning season so that he could be hired away by a team from Down South. He doesn't seem to like it here in Shangri-La (aka the Happiest City in America).
If that's indeed the case, he's praying for a couple more victories. Otherwise, he's stuck in Boulder and CU is stuck with him. Nobody wants a coach who follows up a 10 win season and National Coach of the Year awards with unfulfilled promises of glory and a losing season.
Colorado's administration is not about to force out a guy who's owed $13 million, and Mac's not about to walk away empty handed like Gary Andersen. It's purgatory for both sides.
If Colorado does pull out a win, going to a bowl is still a remote possibility. If they lose, however, chances are the team will end the season with only four victories.
Times are desperate for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Even if the Buffaloes pull out a win, chances of a second consecutive bowl game are tenuous at best. That's shocking considering that Colorado won 10 games in the regular season last year. Since then, the Buffs have gone 4-6 after getting clobbered in the Pac-12 championship game and their bowl game. That's quite a fall.
Sadly, the head coach more often than not points the blame at his players. It's actually kind of shocking that the guy guaranteed to earn more than $13 MILLION over the next few years whether he stays or not is choosing to blame 18-22 year old kids for the team's shortcomings. It's hard to imagine Eisenhower or Patton blaming the loss of a battle on the privates in the infantry, but that is what MacIntyre does. Of course, Patton and Ike didn't lose many battles.
It stands out even more so this year after Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen walked away from $12 Million owed him because he thought he was under-performing. MacIntyre seems to think he's doing a great job... and that it's just those pesky players who are screwing it all up.
Talk to any sportswriter covering Colorado (or watch a press conference) and it's easy to see that coach Mickey Mac doesn't like to be criticized. Most people don't like to be criticized but MM should know that it comes with the job when you are by far the highest paid state employee.
And although Mac holds criticism of himself in great disdain, it doesn't keep him from publicly criticizing his own players. Who can forget MM saying one of his captains "Didn't know what he was talking about" for daring to point out that the team wasn't ready to play?
And who can forget Mickey Mac having an absolute meltdown on national television against Washington State. Sadly it wasn't even the first time. In 2014, he was fined by the Pac-12 for chasing the officials off the field in a loss to Oregon State. This time, he ignored his own team for several minutes while they had the ball and he was down the sideline frothing at the mouth yelling at the officials.
Already this season, MM has tried to make the case that his team was just a "couple of plays" from being 6-2. That's delusional if he believes it. The closer reality is that the Buffaloes are only a few plays away from being 2-6. Ask any CSU fan.
It's kind of fitting that the game tomorrow is Homecoming. Home is most likely where the team will be spending their holidays this year. Two of the final three games will be played on the road, and USC will be final home game. The Buffaloes have never beaten the Trojans in 11 tries.
It's been suggested that MacIntyre was hoping for another winning season so that he could be hired away by a team from Down South. He doesn't seem to like it here in Shangri-La (aka the Happiest City in America).
If that's indeed the case, he's praying for a couple more victories. Otherwise, he's stuck in Boulder and CU is stuck with him. Nobody wants a coach who follows up a 10 win season and National Coach of the Year awards with unfulfilled promises of glory and a losing season.
Colorado's administration is not about to force out a guy who's owed $13 million, and Mac's not about to walk away empty handed like Gary Andersen. It's purgatory for both sides.
If Colorado does pull out a win, going to a bowl is still a remote possibility. If they lose, however, chances are the team will end the season with only four victories.
Times are desperate for Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Are the Colorado Buffaloes Capable of a Turnaround?
Colorado had a magical season last year. They went from worst to first and played in the Pac-12 Championship game. After a decade of losing records, the 10-2 regular season looked like it represented the long sought rejuvenation of Colorado Buffaloes football.
Unfortunately, looked like and reality are quite often not the same thing. Since that time, the Buffs have gone 3-5, eerily similar to much of the last decade. And if you believe in such things, it's almost as if Mike MacIntyre made a deal with the devil but forgot to ask for something more long-lasting than just wanting to win 10 games. Since then, the devil has been in the details. And the Buffaloes have become a team which loses more often than not once again.
Strangely enough, as if cursed, CU can't seem to get a good complete game from the entire team. For most of the games this year, the D has come through and exceeded expectations. That came to a screeching halt against Arizona as an 18 year old backup quarterback rewrote the NCAA record books against Colorado.
By the same token, an offense that has woefully under-performed this year finally woke up against Arizona. Of course, coming into the game the Wildcats were a lower tier Pac-12 team whose coach was riding a seat that was getting hotter by the game. Still, it was nice to finally see the Buffs finally put some serious points on the board against Pac-12 competition.
Some might ague that Colorado's offensive explosion and game-clock dominance was misleading. Long, time-consuming drives are usually great... unless you already down by two touchdowns and your defense is completely unable to stop the other team. Taking seven minutes and 19 plays to score is great and demoralizing to the other team if you are ahead. When you are behind, all it does is shorten the time available for you to catch up. Colorado may tell themselves that they didn't really lose, but that the clock just ran out on them. Sadly, they were the ones running out the clock for the most part.
The only sadder, more under-performing team in the Pac-12 right now is Oregon State. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the two bottom dwellers meet this week to determine who really is the worst team in the conference. The odds-makers have made the Buffaloes double digit favorites, even though the game will be played in Corvallis. Let's hope they get it right this week.
Another loss for Colorado would lead to an implosion as players start (or finish) checking out emotionally and fans start getting themselves ready for ski and snowboard season. The driving snow outside right now seems to be portending which of those will happen.
The magic of a worst to first season like 2016 can be rendered unimaginable if it is followed by a first to worst season. Even more so if it's a worst-first-worst sandwich. Is it too late? Is Mike MacIntyre willing or able to make drastic changes to shake up his team? We'll see.
But folks should not get overexcited if the Buffaloes win at Oregon State. It's the last game the Buffaloes will be favored in.
Unfortunately, looked like and reality are quite often not the same thing. Since that time, the Buffs have gone 3-5, eerily similar to much of the last decade. And if you believe in such things, it's almost as if Mike MacIntyre made a deal with the devil but forgot to ask for something more long-lasting than just wanting to win 10 games. Since then, the devil has been in the details. And the Buffaloes have become a team which loses more often than not once again.
Strangely enough, as if cursed, CU can't seem to get a good complete game from the entire team. For most of the games this year, the D has come through and exceeded expectations. That came to a screeching halt against Arizona as an 18 year old backup quarterback rewrote the NCAA record books against Colorado.
By the same token, an offense that has woefully under-performed this year finally woke up against Arizona. Of course, coming into the game the Wildcats were a lower tier Pac-12 team whose coach was riding a seat that was getting hotter by the game. Still, it was nice to finally see the Buffs finally put some serious points on the board against Pac-12 competition.
Some might ague that Colorado's offensive explosion and game-clock dominance was misleading. Long, time-consuming drives are usually great... unless you already down by two touchdowns and your defense is completely unable to stop the other team. Taking seven minutes and 19 plays to score is great and demoralizing to the other team if you are ahead. When you are behind, all it does is shorten the time available for you to catch up. Colorado may tell themselves that they didn't really lose, but that the clock just ran out on them. Sadly, they were the ones running out the clock for the most part.
The only sadder, more under-performing team in the Pac-12 right now is Oregon State. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the two bottom dwellers meet this week to determine who really is the worst team in the conference. The odds-makers have made the Buffaloes double digit favorites, even though the game will be played in Corvallis. Let's hope they get it right this week.
Another loss for Colorado would lead to an implosion as players start (or finish) checking out emotionally and fans start getting themselves ready for ski and snowboard season. The driving snow outside right now seems to be portending which of those will happen.
The magic of a worst to first season like 2016 can be rendered unimaginable if it is followed by a first to worst season. Even more so if it's a worst-first-worst sandwich. Is it too late? Is Mike MacIntyre willing or able to make drastic changes to shake up his team? We'll see.
But folks should not get overexcited if the Buffaloes win at Oregon State. It's the last game the Buffaloes will be favored in.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Mike MacIntyre's Proclamations About Colorado Football have been WAY OFF this Year
Although Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes have gone 3-1 to start the 2017 season, things are not going nearly so well as last year. The Buffs are averaging just over 26 points a game this year vs. the 42 points a game at this point last season.
That's almost 2 1/2 touchdowns less per game from an offense that Mac claimed would be "one of the best in the country" this year. What makes this even more alarming is that 2016's early season schedule was considered one of the more difficult ones in the country, whereas this season's was considered one of the easiest.
Of course, one of the prices a team pays for success (like winning the Pac-12 South) is that expectations of fans and boosters (and the Administration) goes up. Last year, after a decade of losing, any and every win was celebrated as special. This year, just winning isn't enough. The Buffs are expected to win well. And scoring 16 points a game LESS against weaker competition is not winning well.
Many are also concerned about MacIntyre's proclamations before and during the season. The aforementioned claim about one of the best offenses in the country was one. The claim that the Buffs' offensive line would be one of the best in Colorado's history was another that has not panned out. Mac also claimed that the CU defense would only be a work in progress that would likely have to be "saved" by the exploits of the offense. He was wrong. It has been the defense saving the day for the Buffaloes.
While the offensive output has declined by 16 points per game, the Buffs' D has stepped it and is allowing 4 fewer points than last year's team. Fortunately, the head coach was wrong about his defense.
And the offensive line that the head coach proclaimed would be the best in more than a decade has struggled with both run and pass blocking. The 14 sacks the line has allowed are one of the worst at the FBS level. In fact, only 5 of 130 teams at the FBS level give up more sacks per game.
What's the moral of this story? Or, more accurately, what questions do these numbers raise? Mostly this: Does Mac have an accurate take on his team? Or is he just proclaiming what he hopes?
Pac-12 play is now on for the rest of the year. The first conference game was a repeat of last year's disaster in the Pac-12 Championship game. The Buffs lost just as bad even though they were playing at home and had been pointing at the game for more than nine months as a chance to get revenge or at least redeem themselves. "Same as it ever was" must be ringing in their ears for what turned out to be nearly "an identical twin" to last December's game.
More concerning was that the game against Washington was the 6th straight game that the Buffaloes had struggled to play a full game since winning 10 of 12 in the 2016 regular season. Since that time, the Buffs have lost three of six. They got beaten handily (by roughly 4 touchdowns a game) in their three losses and have looked uninspired in their three wins against markedly weaker competition.
This week, the Buffs travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Watch for the next post to look back on how Jim Mora and the Bruins emotionally exposed Colorado and Mike MacIntyre last season. The Buffs won, but it was ugly, ugly, ugly.
Along with the misreadings of Mac, followers of CU have been bothered by the lack of offensive imagination. Many fans have pointed out (loudly) that Colorado's offensive play caller Brian Lindgren has been out-coached on game day more often than not since he came aboard with MacIntyre for the 2013 season.
He doesn't seem to adjust well to what defensive scheme his team is facing. When going against very bad teams against the run, Lindgren seems to forget that and go pass heavy. When teams stack the box with seven defenders to take away the run, Lindgren calls running plays up the middle. Fans have found it very infuriating.
In the first three years that Lindgren called the plays, opposing coaches knew CU didn't have the players on the field to compete. They could just line up and win. No special schemes needed. Since Colorado has developed their on-field talent to be the equal of the other Pac-12 teams, the opposing coaches have gone after the tendencies of the coaches calling the plays.
On offense, that's Brian Lindgren. He and Mac must have a very special relationship, because Mac fired the defensive coordinator before Jim Leavitt for bad coaching. When will Mac hold Lindgren accountable? Lindgren doesn't have to be fired, but maybe he needs to get back on the field and work during games with his young quarterbacks instead of sitting up in the booth. Face to face coaching and encouragement is much better than phone contact, especially when things are not going well.
Where does the buck finally stop, Mr. MacIntyre?
That's almost 2 1/2 touchdowns less per game from an offense that Mac claimed would be "one of the best in the country" this year. What makes this even more alarming is that 2016's early season schedule was considered one of the more difficult ones in the country, whereas this season's was considered one of the easiest.
Of course, one of the prices a team pays for success (like winning the Pac-12 South) is that expectations of fans and boosters (and the Administration) goes up. Last year, after a decade of losing, any and every win was celebrated as special. This year, just winning isn't enough. The Buffs are expected to win well. And scoring 16 points a game LESS against weaker competition is not winning well.
Many are also concerned about MacIntyre's proclamations before and during the season. The aforementioned claim about one of the best offenses in the country was one. The claim that the Buffs' offensive line would be one of the best in Colorado's history was another that has not panned out. Mac also claimed that the CU defense would only be a work in progress that would likely have to be "saved" by the exploits of the offense. He was wrong. It has been the defense saving the day for the Buffaloes.
While the offensive output has declined by 16 points per game, the Buffs' D has stepped it and is allowing 4 fewer points than last year's team. Fortunately, the head coach was wrong about his defense.
And the offensive line that the head coach proclaimed would be the best in more than a decade has struggled with both run and pass blocking. The 14 sacks the line has allowed are one of the worst at the FBS level. In fact, only 5 of 130 teams at the FBS level give up more sacks per game.
What's the moral of this story? Or, more accurately, what questions do these numbers raise? Mostly this: Does Mac have an accurate take on his team? Or is he just proclaiming what he hopes?
Pac-12 play is now on for the rest of the year. The first conference game was a repeat of last year's disaster in the Pac-12 Championship game. The Buffs lost just as bad even though they were playing at home and had been pointing at the game for more than nine months as a chance to get revenge or at least redeem themselves. "Same as it ever was" must be ringing in their ears for what turned out to be nearly "an identical twin" to last December's game.
More concerning was that the game against Washington was the 6th straight game that the Buffaloes had struggled to play a full game since winning 10 of 12 in the 2016 regular season. Since that time, the Buffs have lost three of six. They got beaten handily (by roughly 4 touchdowns a game) in their three losses and have looked uninspired in their three wins against markedly weaker competition.
This week, the Buffs travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Watch for the next post to look back on how Jim Mora and the Bruins emotionally exposed Colorado and Mike MacIntyre last season. The Buffs won, but it was ugly, ugly, ugly.
Along with the misreadings of Mac, followers of CU have been bothered by the lack of offensive imagination. Many fans have pointed out (loudly) that Colorado's offensive play caller Brian Lindgren has been out-coached on game day more often than not since he came aboard with MacIntyre for the 2013 season.
He doesn't seem to adjust well to what defensive scheme his team is facing. When going against very bad teams against the run, Lindgren seems to forget that and go pass heavy. When teams stack the box with seven defenders to take away the run, Lindgren calls running plays up the middle. Fans have found it very infuriating.
In the first three years that Lindgren called the plays, opposing coaches knew CU didn't have the players on the field to compete. They could just line up and win. No special schemes needed. Since Colorado has developed their on-field talent to be the equal of the other Pac-12 teams, the opposing coaches have gone after the tendencies of the coaches calling the plays.
On offense, that's Brian Lindgren. He and Mac must have a very special relationship, because Mac fired the defensive coordinator before Jim Leavitt for bad coaching. When will Mac hold Lindgren accountable? Lindgren doesn't have to be fired, but maybe he needs to get back on the field and work during games with his young quarterbacks instead of sitting up in the booth. Face to face coaching and encouragement is much better than phone contact, especially when things are not going well.
Where does the buck finally stop, Mr. MacIntyre?
Thursday, December 29, 2016
It's Been 3287 Days Since the Colorado Buffaloes Last Played in a Bowl Game
Before today, the last time the CU Buffs played in a bowl game was way back on December 30, 2007. The Independence Bowl opponent that day was Alabama. Yes, that Alabama.
In 2007, both the Buffs and the Crimson Tide had what their fans called disappointing seasons. Each team entered the Independence Bowl following 6-6 seasons.
The Buffs started poorly, throwing an interception on their first offensive play. Alabama raced out to a 27-0 lead by early in the 2nd quarter before Colorado got their act together and made a game out of it. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the lead was too big to overcome and they lost by a final of 30-24.
Coincidentally, the Crimson Tide had played in the Independence Bowl the year before as well, where they lost to Oklahoma State, Colorado's opponent in today's Alamo Bowl.
After the game, Buffs fans were excited by how Colorado came back and looking forward to a bright future. Alas, twas not to be. The Buffs never won more than 5 games in a season over the next eight years, until breaking through in a big way this year to win 10 games.
We all know what happened to Alabama after barely holding on to beat the Buffs back in 2007... they have gone on to win FOUR national championships and are heavy favorites to win their 5th under Nick Saban this season.
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens most eloquently stated the differences in the two programs since that time.
The future looks very bright for the Colorado Buffaloes. The culture has changed for the better. The stands are full again. The university has world class facilities. Top recruits are hoping to come to Boulder. And football is fun again at Colorado.
The young men who made it happen should be in our good graces for as long as they live. The seniors going out this year came to Boulder at the worst time in the long and storied history of Colorado football. But they came determined to revive the program, and they achieved that goal against all odds.
The Buffaloes were picked to finish LAST in the Pac-12 South this year. Can't really blame the prognosticators, though, since that's where CU had been every year since joining the Pac-12. But the remarkable young men talked openly that their goal was to win the Pac-12 Championship.
Fans and media alike chuckled at the thought, and hoped that the Buffs would finally make it to a bowl game... ANY bowl game. But for the players, that goal was not high enough. They wanted to play in the Pac-12 title game and then they went out and EARNED it. It wasn't USC or UCLA or Utah or Arizona State representing the Pac-12 South, it was these Buffs.
And we couldn't be prouder. Go Buffs! Beat them Cowboys!
In 2007, both the Buffs and the Crimson Tide had what their fans called disappointing seasons. Each team entered the Independence Bowl following 6-6 seasons.
The Buffs started poorly, throwing an interception on their first offensive play. Alabama raced out to a 27-0 lead by early in the 2nd quarter before Colorado got their act together and made a game out of it. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the lead was too big to overcome and they lost by a final of 30-24.
Coincidentally, the Crimson Tide had played in the Independence Bowl the year before as well, where they lost to Oklahoma State, Colorado's opponent in today's Alamo Bowl.
After the game, Buffs fans were excited by how Colorado came back and looking forward to a bright future. Alas, twas not to be. The Buffs never won more than 5 games in a season over the next eight years, until breaking through in a big way this year to win 10 games.
We all know what happened to Alabama after barely holding on to beat the Buffs back in 2007... they have gone on to win FOUR national championships and are heavy favorites to win their 5th under Nick Saban this season.
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens most eloquently stated the differences in the two programs since that time.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,All that changed this year as the Buffs put together a breakthrough year under National Coach of the Year Mike MacIntyre. They may not be back in Alabama's class just yet, but this year no team in the country (not including the NFL) appears to be in the same class as the Tide. The Buffs have made their way back to the Top 10 for the first time since the 2001 season.
we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
The future looks very bright for the Colorado Buffaloes. The culture has changed for the better. The stands are full again. The university has world class facilities. Top recruits are hoping to come to Boulder. And football is fun again at Colorado.
The young men who made it happen should be in our good graces for as long as they live. The seniors going out this year came to Boulder at the worst time in the long and storied history of Colorado football. But they came determined to revive the program, and they achieved that goal against all odds.
The Buffaloes were picked to finish LAST in the Pac-12 South this year. Can't really blame the prognosticators, though, since that's where CU had been every year since joining the Pac-12. But the remarkable young men talked openly that their goal was to win the Pac-12 Championship.
Fans and media alike chuckled at the thought, and hoped that the Buffs would finally make it to a bowl game... ANY bowl game. But for the players, that goal was not high enough. They wanted to play in the Pac-12 title game and then they went out and EARNED it. It wasn't USC or UCLA or Utah or Arizona State representing the Pac-12 South, it was these Buffs.
And we couldn't be prouder. Go Buffs! Beat them Cowboys!
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Defensive Coordinator Extraodinaire Jim Leavitt Takes DC Job Under Oregon's New Head Coach Willie Taggart
The biggest fear of Colorado Buffs fans came to fruition today when it was announced that defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt had accepted a four year deal for the same position with the Oregon Ducks program.
The departure of Leavitt leaves Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre searching for a new defensive coordinator two weeks before Colorado's first bowl game in a decade.
Oregon fired Mark Helfrich following a 4-8 season, less than two years after playing for the national championship following the 2014 season. His replacement, Willie Taggart was hired by Oregon last week. Taggartt's first hire for his staff was Jim Leavitt.
Taggart was hired by Oregon after leading South Florida to a 10-2 record, the best in their history. Their football history is not long, however. They started their football program in the late 1990's under... Jim Leavitt.
Leavitt led the Bulls for four years at the Division I-AA level before the moved to the Division I level. By 2007, Leavitt led the Bulls into the polls, which topped at #2 in the country. It was the quickest any team had ever moved into a Top 10 ranked position following entrance into the top football level.
Leavitt was fired in 2010 after he was accused of striking a player. The school was later forced to pay Leavitt $2.75 Million for wrongful termination.
Leavitt was hired by Jim Harbaugh as linebackers coach for he San Francisco 49ers in 2011. During his time there, Leavitt coached two all pro linebackers and their stout defense led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Leavitt and the other assistant coaches were released by the 49ers after Harbaugh left to coach at his alma mater, Michigan.
Jim Leavitt was hired by the University of Colorado in February of 2015. When he arrived, the Buffs were one of the worst defensive teams in the country.
In two seasons, he coached a remarkable turnaround that brought Colorado into the AP Top 10, aided substantially by a defense that was one of the best in the country this past season.
His efforts were nationally praised, and he was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the FBS. Although he lost out on the award, his work rebuilding a downtrodden defense caught the eyes of head coaches around the country.
Since he was only earning slightly more than $500,000 from Colorado, Leavitt was a prime target for schools willing to pay more. Early reports indicate that Leavitt's salary will more than double in Eugene, and may come close to tripling it by the end of his contract.
One of Taggart's closest friends is Jim Harbaugh (Taggart was best man at his wedding). Harbaugh is also a trusted advisor as a coach who went to the Super Bowl and is now the highest paid collegiate football coach.
Leavitt and Harbaugh both have proven themselves at the highest levels of football. Their work together, and Harbaugh's friendship with Taggart most certainly led to Leavitt's hiring.
Another possible impetus was that there was widespread suspicion that Mike MacIntyre was not the one who went after Leavitt in the first place, and that his hire at Colorado was at the strong urging of Athletic Director Rick George.
Many fans also spoke openly during Leavitt's tenure in Boulder that there was obvious friction between Mac and Leavitt. And it was pointed out many times that MacIntyre rarely, if ever, praised the work done by Leavitt.
Leavitt was loved in Boulder by fans. Many, including this writer, gave him much of the credit for Colorado's turnaround. It was well deserved praise, but none of it seemed to come from Mac.
As a manager for several decades, I can tell you that everyone wants to be appreciated by the person they are working for and with. Praise and honest appreciation are worth even more than money in many cases. They may have not been enough this time to keep a guy like Leavitt at Colorado, considering the size of the pay increase he will be getting. But leaving Boulder for more money AND appreciation was an easy choice.
Good luck to Jim Leavitt. He is an outstanding coach, and Oregon can expect great things from him in the future. I will miss watching him prowl the sidelines and the phenomenal defensive efforts he inspired.
And I will continue to follow him on twitter:
@CoachJimLeavitt
The departure of Leavitt leaves Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre searching for a new defensive coordinator two weeks before Colorado's first bowl game in a decade.
Oregon fired Mark Helfrich following a 4-8 season, less than two years after playing for the national championship following the 2014 season. His replacement, Willie Taggart was hired by Oregon last week. Taggartt's first hire for his staff was Jim Leavitt.
Taggart was hired by Oregon after leading South Florida to a 10-2 record, the best in their history. Their football history is not long, however. They started their football program in the late 1990's under... Jim Leavitt.
Leavitt led the Bulls for four years at the Division I-AA level before the moved to the Division I level. By 2007, Leavitt led the Bulls into the polls, which topped at #2 in the country. It was the quickest any team had ever moved into a Top 10 ranked position following entrance into the top football level.
Leavitt was fired in 2010 after he was accused of striking a player. The school was later forced to pay Leavitt $2.75 Million for wrongful termination.
Leavitt was hired by Jim Harbaugh as linebackers coach for he San Francisco 49ers in 2011. During his time there, Leavitt coached two all pro linebackers and their stout defense led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Leavitt and the other assistant coaches were released by the 49ers after Harbaugh left to coach at his alma mater, Michigan.
Jim Leavitt was hired by the University of Colorado in February of 2015. When he arrived, the Buffs were one of the worst defensive teams in the country.
In two seasons, he coached a remarkable turnaround that brought Colorado into the AP Top 10, aided substantially by a defense that was one of the best in the country this past season.
His efforts were nationally praised, and he was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the FBS. Although he lost out on the award, his work rebuilding a downtrodden defense caught the eyes of head coaches around the country.
Since he was only earning slightly more than $500,000 from Colorado, Leavitt was a prime target for schools willing to pay more. Early reports indicate that Leavitt's salary will more than double in Eugene, and may come close to tripling it by the end of his contract.
One of Taggart's closest friends is Jim Harbaugh (Taggart was best man at his wedding). Harbaugh is also a trusted advisor as a coach who went to the Super Bowl and is now the highest paid collegiate football coach.
Leavitt and Harbaugh both have proven themselves at the highest levels of football. Their work together, and Harbaugh's friendship with Taggart most certainly led to Leavitt's hiring.
Another possible impetus was that there was widespread suspicion that Mike MacIntyre was not the one who went after Leavitt in the first place, and that his hire at Colorado was at the strong urging of Athletic Director Rick George.
Many fans also spoke openly during Leavitt's tenure in Boulder that there was obvious friction between Mac and Leavitt. And it was pointed out many times that MacIntyre rarely, if ever, praised the work done by Leavitt.
Leavitt was loved in Boulder by fans. Many, including this writer, gave him much of the credit for Colorado's turnaround. It was well deserved praise, but none of it seemed to come from Mac.
As a manager for several decades, I can tell you that everyone wants to be appreciated by the person they are working for and with. Praise and honest appreciation are worth even more than money in many cases. They may have not been enough this time to keep a guy like Leavitt at Colorado, considering the size of the pay increase he will be getting. But leaving Boulder for more money AND appreciation was an easy choice.
Good luck to Jim Leavitt. He is an outstanding coach, and Oregon can expect great things from him in the future. I will miss watching him prowl the sidelines and the phenomenal defensive efforts he inspired.
And I will continue to follow him on twitter:
@CoachJimLeavitt
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Rest In Peace Rashaan Salaam 1974-2016
- Rashaan Salaam -- October 8, 1974 - December 5, 2016
- 1994 Heisman Trophy Winner & Consensus All-American
- 4th Player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season
- Rushed for 3,057 yards on 486 carries for his Colorado career (6.29 yards per carry)
- 1st Round NFL draft pick (1995)
- NFC Rookie of the Year (Chicago Bears)
- Youngest player in NFL history to rush for 1000 yards in a season
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
The Colorado Buffaloes Have Delivered a Magical Season. It's Time for Fans to Return the Favor!
The Colorado football family has enjoyed a magical season so far in 2016. The Buffaloes sit at 8-2, and their six conference wins this season has more than doubled their previous five year total since joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
Folsom Field has once again become a hard venue to play in for opposing teams. And, as Ryan Moeller pointed out, the Buffs are now a team with a "certain swagger" to how they carry themselves off and on the field. It's the end result of countless hours of relentless work to turn the Buffaloes from one of the worst teams in the country to one which is now in the Top 10 of teams ranked for the College Football Playoff.
Fans should appreciate the quality of football being offered to them this month. They would have to look all the way back to 1996 to find a November in which the Buffs played two games against ranked opponents while also being ranked themselves.
This year is a special treat for the Buffs family, because both of those games are set to be played at Folsom Field. Number 20 Washington State, riding an eight game winning streak, comes to town this Saturday to pit the Pac-12's #1 team from the North against the #1 team from the South.
Next week, #11 Utah comes to Boulder. If the Buffs win both these games, they will represent the South division in the Pac-12 championship game. If they lose even one of the two, the championship game scenario becomes much more unlikely.
Some have erroneously reported that if the Buffs lose even one game that they cannot win the South. That is not true. But they would need serious help. The Buffs would absolutely have to beat Utah, and USC would have to lose to UCLA (unlikely, I know, but Trojan-Bruin rivalry is not based on records). That would give the Utes and the Trojans three conference losses, and the Buffs would only have two if they beat Utah and lose to Wazzu.
What is absolutely true is that any loss would end Colorado's unlikely possibility of playing in the college football playoffs. What is also true is that if Colorado wins the last two games and earns a trip to the Pac-12 Championship game, it will mean ending the season against FOUR ranked teams if CU's bowl game is counted.
These things make this a rare year for those in the stands at Folsom Field. The opportunity to watch TWO ranked teams take the field in Boulder does not happen very often, and to have it happen twice in the Golden Games of November is rarer still.
Fans should enjoy the job that has been done by Mike MacIntyre and his entire coaching staff. And they should also appreciate the work done by a remarkable group of student athletes.
We can show our appreciation by making Folsom Field LOUD, PROUD, and CROWDED for the final games of the year. The Buffs have done their part this year to make this season magical. It's time for Buffs fans to do their part as well and give their boys a full house to play in these last two weeks.
Go Buffs.
Folsom Field has once again become a hard venue to play in for opposing teams. And, as Ryan Moeller pointed out, the Buffs are now a team with a "certain swagger" to how they carry themselves off and on the field. It's the end result of countless hours of relentless work to turn the Buffaloes from one of the worst teams in the country to one which is now in the Top 10 of teams ranked for the College Football Playoff.
Fans should appreciate the quality of football being offered to them this month. They would have to look all the way back to 1996 to find a November in which the Buffs played two games against ranked opponents while also being ranked themselves.
This year is a special treat for the Buffs family, because both of those games are set to be played at Folsom Field. Number 20 Washington State, riding an eight game winning streak, comes to town this Saturday to pit the Pac-12's #1 team from the North against the #1 team from the South.
Next week, #11 Utah comes to Boulder. If the Buffs win both these games, they will represent the South division in the Pac-12 championship game. If they lose even one of the two, the championship game scenario becomes much more unlikely.
Some have erroneously reported that if the Buffs lose even one game that they cannot win the South. That is not true. But they would need serious help. The Buffs would absolutely have to beat Utah, and USC would have to lose to UCLA (unlikely, I know, but Trojan-Bruin rivalry is not based on records). That would give the Utes and the Trojans three conference losses, and the Buffs would only have two if they beat Utah and lose to Wazzu.
What is absolutely true is that any loss would end Colorado's unlikely possibility of playing in the college football playoffs. What is also true is that if Colorado wins the last two games and earns a trip to the Pac-12 Championship game, it will mean ending the season against FOUR ranked teams if CU's bowl game is counted.
These things make this a rare year for those in the stands at Folsom Field. The opportunity to watch TWO ranked teams take the field in Boulder does not happen very often, and to have it happen twice in the Golden Games of November is rarer still.
Fans should enjoy the job that has been done by Mike MacIntyre and his entire coaching staff. And they should also appreciate the work done by a remarkable group of student athletes.
We can show our appreciation by making Folsom Field LOUD, PROUD, and CROWDED for the final games of the year. The Buffs have done their part this year to make this season magical. It's time for Buffs fans to do their part as well and give their boys a full house to play in these last two weeks.
Go Buffs.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Where Have You Gone, Colorado Offense? Must the D do it all?
In some ways, 2016 has already been a magical season for long-suffering fans of the Colorado Buffaloes. For the first time in almost a decade, the Buffs know they are going bowling. Pre-season hot-seat head coach Mike MacIntyre is now listed as a top 5 candidate for Coach of the Year.
Better than that even is that these Buffs who were picked to finish last in the Pac-112 South are alone in first place in their division with two out of three of their last games at Folsom Field. This season, for the first time in what seems like forever, the Buffs control their own destiny.
Last season, the Buffs defense made a large improvement under the guidance of new coaches Jim Leavitt (Coordinator and Linebackers) and Joe Tumpkin (Safeties). Buff fans expected the D to be even better this year, and the defense has outperformed even the most generous prognosticators.
After nine games, the Buffs have given up only 155 points, slightly over 17 points a game. But that stat is skewed because 45 of those points were scored by #2 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The main reason the Buffs are in first place in the Pac-12 South it that they are giving up only 16 points per game against conference foes. As the season goes along, though, the D is becoming a dominant force. They have given up only 15 points total in the last two games, against Stanford and UCLA.
In a few hours from now, they will take on the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson. Arizona has had a horrible year, but they are a historically solid program with eight bowls in the last nine years. That won't happen this year, but the UA players and their head coach Rich Rodriguez are a proud bunch who would love nothing more than to take down a ranked team to help salvage their season.
Meanwhile, the Buffs offense has struggled mightily the last few games. In three of the last four, the Buffs have averaged less than 16 points per game. That's a far cry from the 42+ points per game the Buffs scored earlier in the season.
It will be important to get the offense going tonight, for sure, because the next two opponents, Utah and Washington State, are both ranked in the Top 25.
After many explosive plays earlier in the season, they seem to have dried up for the Buffs. The have had 38 plays of 20 yards or longer (including 13 of more than 40), but only TWO total in the last two games. Both of those were runs by Phillip Lindsay. The Buffs have not had a pass completion longer than 20 yards since the Arizona State game.
Even though the Buffs stand at 7-2, Buff fans are wondering loudly what happened to the explosiveness of the offense. They point out that early in the season that the Buffs were an unknown since they had a new co-offensive coordinator in Darrin Chiaverini and a new commitment to the hurry-up offense. That speed of play seemed surprising to many of the teams on the schedule, and the pace allowed the Buffs to surprise people with big plays over and over again. They even did it to #2 Michigan, the best defense in the country.
Lately, though, some of the better coaches in the league have seemed to figure out how to slow the Buffs big play offense, particularly in the air. David Shaw, Jim Mora and Clay Helton (with help from defensive mastermind Clancy Pendergrast) have quite effectively taken away the big passing game of the Buffs.
Granted, Stanford and the LA schools have the talent in the defensive backfield. But Michigan has a great secondary as well. What the Buffs seem to have lost is their element of surprise that was in their favor early in the season. It seems like they have fallen back to the bad form of being completely predictable in their play-calling.
Also, the offensive co-coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini, have been horrible at making in-game adjustments to their game plans. They also have a very questionable habit of going away from what is working. It's like they want the Buffs to be a dominant passing team even when the opponent gears their defense to stopping the pass. Likewise, they choose to run between the tackles against stacked box defenses.
Fortunately, the Buffs SHOULD be able to put numerous big plays on the board tonight against a reeling Arizona team. But the coaches need to be ready, because better teams are ahead and the Buffs cannot waltz to the Pac-12 championship game. USC is rolling right now, and they are just behind the Buffs and win the tiebreaker due to their victory over CU. Utah is also just behind, but the Buffs play them to end the regular season.
Most importantly, the Buffs must strive to be better. We have seen the strides made by the D this year to become one of the best in the country.
But the offense seems to be collapsing with inconsistency at the most important time of the season. The players can't be faulted though. The Buffs offense is really not good enough to be dominant if the opposing defensive coordinator has a good idea what plays the Buffs will call.
I know I am not alone in being able to pretty accurately anticipate what plays Lindgren will call in certain situations. And that's from watching the games once (sometimes twice). The Buffs need to realize that their opponents are studying their game film to find a way to stop them. In the last two games (and three of the last four), it has worked like a charm.
The saving grace has been the DEFENSE. But the Buffs cannot insist that the D does it all if they want to make it to the Pac-12 Championship.
Better than that even is that these Buffs who were picked to finish last in the Pac-112 South are alone in first place in their division with two out of three of their last games at Folsom Field. This season, for the first time in what seems like forever, the Buffs control their own destiny.
Last season, the Buffs defense made a large improvement under the guidance of new coaches Jim Leavitt (Coordinator and Linebackers) and Joe Tumpkin (Safeties). Buff fans expected the D to be even better this year, and the defense has outperformed even the most generous prognosticators.
After nine games, the Buffs have given up only 155 points, slightly over 17 points a game. But that stat is skewed because 45 of those points were scored by #2 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The main reason the Buffs are in first place in the Pac-12 South it that they are giving up only 16 points per game against conference foes. As the season goes along, though, the D is becoming a dominant force. They have given up only 15 points total in the last two games, against Stanford and UCLA.
In a few hours from now, they will take on the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson. Arizona has had a horrible year, but they are a historically solid program with eight bowls in the last nine years. That won't happen this year, but the UA players and their head coach Rich Rodriguez are a proud bunch who would love nothing more than to take down a ranked team to help salvage their season.
Meanwhile, the Buffs offense has struggled mightily the last few games. In three of the last four, the Buffs have averaged less than 16 points per game. That's a far cry from the 42+ points per game the Buffs scored earlier in the season.
It will be important to get the offense going tonight, for sure, because the next two opponents, Utah and Washington State, are both ranked in the Top 25.
After many explosive plays earlier in the season, they seem to have dried up for the Buffs. The have had 38 plays of 20 yards or longer (including 13 of more than 40), but only TWO total in the last two games. Both of those were runs by Phillip Lindsay. The Buffs have not had a pass completion longer than 20 yards since the Arizona State game.
Even though the Buffs stand at 7-2, Buff fans are wondering loudly what happened to the explosiveness of the offense. They point out that early in the season that the Buffs were an unknown since they had a new co-offensive coordinator in Darrin Chiaverini and a new commitment to the hurry-up offense. That speed of play seemed surprising to many of the teams on the schedule, and the pace allowed the Buffs to surprise people with big plays over and over again. They even did it to #2 Michigan, the best defense in the country.
Lately, though, some of the better coaches in the league have seemed to figure out how to slow the Buffs big play offense, particularly in the air. David Shaw, Jim Mora and Clay Helton (with help from defensive mastermind Clancy Pendergrast) have quite effectively taken away the big passing game of the Buffs.
Granted, Stanford and the LA schools have the talent in the defensive backfield. But Michigan has a great secondary as well. What the Buffs seem to have lost is their element of surprise that was in their favor early in the season. It seems like they have fallen back to the bad form of being completely predictable in their play-calling.
Also, the offensive co-coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini, have been horrible at making in-game adjustments to their game plans. They also have a very questionable habit of going away from what is working. It's like they want the Buffs to be a dominant passing team even when the opponent gears their defense to stopping the pass. Likewise, they choose to run between the tackles against stacked box defenses.
Fortunately, the Buffs SHOULD be able to put numerous big plays on the board tonight against a reeling Arizona team. But the coaches need to be ready, because better teams are ahead and the Buffs cannot waltz to the Pac-12 championship game. USC is rolling right now, and they are just behind the Buffs and win the tiebreaker due to their victory over CU. Utah is also just behind, but the Buffs play them to end the regular season.
Most importantly, the Buffs must strive to be better. We have seen the strides made by the D this year to become one of the best in the country.
But the offense seems to be collapsing with inconsistency at the most important time of the season. The players can't be faulted though. The Buffs offense is really not good enough to be dominant if the opposing defensive coordinator has a good idea what plays the Buffs will call.
I know I am not alone in being able to pretty accurately anticipate what plays Lindgren will call in certain situations. And that's from watching the games once (sometimes twice). The Buffs need to realize that their opponents are studying their game film to find a way to stop them. In the last two games (and three of the last four), it has worked like a charm.
The saving grace has been the DEFENSE. But the Buffs cannot insist that the D does it all if they want to make it to the Pac-12 Championship.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Nine Games Into 2016, Mike MacIntyre Off the Hot Seat and Up for Coach of the Year
Mike MacIntyre entered the 2016 season on everybody's list of hot-seat coaches. The Buffs had won a total of TWO conference games over Mac's first three years as head coach at Colorado. My oh my, how things have changed.
Through 9 games this season, the Colorado Buffaloes are 7-2 and alone in first place in the Pac-12 South. Their FIVE conference wins so far have already doubled their total wins against Pac-12 foes since joining the conference in 2011.
And, Mac has gone from being on everybody's hot seat to one of the favorites for National Coach of the Year awards. If the Buffs win out the season and Mac takes CoY honors, he will join his father in winning such an award. George MacIntyre won several national coach of the year awards in 1982 while coaching at Vanderbilt.
Unfortunately for Mac, the coach listed as the odds-on-favorite for the coaching honors is Chris Petersen of the undefeated and #4 ranked Washington Huskies. If UW and Colorado both win their remaining regular season games, they will meet in the Pac-12 championship game. The winning coach may very well win coach of the year.
Big turnarounds for Buffs programs leading to coaching awards is not new at Colorado. Bill McCartney's 4th season saw the Buffs go from one win the prior year to seven in 1985. The original Mac won Big 8 coach of the year that season, beating out Barry Switzer of Oklahoma. What made it all the more impressive for Bill Mac is that OU won the national championship that year.
Through nine games this year, MacIntyre has earned a solid A grade. There is even speculation that Mac is now being sought after by programs in search of a head coach. Baylor has been mentioned as the leading candidate.
What will Mac do if the Buffs win out, play in the Pac-12 title game, and defeat whoever represents the North? He'll be fielding calls and offers if it happens, and he just might walk away with coach of the year awards as well.
The worst case scenario, however, is that the Buffaloes continue to struggle on offense and lose one or more of their remaining games. That would likely end the possibility of playing for the Pac-12 title, and with it would go the elusive coach of the year award. He might still be sought after by other programs, but certainly not with the same fervor that would be present if the Buffs win 10 games.
If the Buffs do win 10, Mac's grade will rise to an A+. If the Buffs fall flat in the last few games, the grade could fall all the way down to a B.
The Buffs surprised everyone around the country early in the season with their explosive offense. Now that there is film to look at the Buffs have been slowed down considerably by opposing defensive coordinators. USC, Stanford and UCLA all put shackles on the big plays the Buffs made often early in the season.
USC exploited the Buffs' seeming inability to adjust on the fly and took the victory. Stanford and UCLA also shut down the Buffs, but the games were won by Colorado due to outstanding defensive play which held the Cardinal and Bruins to a combined 15 points between them.
It's up to Mac and his offensive staff to get the Buffaloes back on track to explosiveness and playing as well as the defense. If they do, the Buffs can play against anyone in the country. Just ask Michigan. Colorado scored more points against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor than anyone the Wolverines have played.
If not, the Buffs will still have had an outstanding turnaround season. But they also will have to deal with the fact that expectations for the program have risen substantially. Fans want them challenging for championships, not being content to just get to a bowl game.
My oh my, how things have changed. Stay tuned for how it ends up.
Through 9 games this season, the Colorado Buffaloes are 7-2 and alone in first place in the Pac-12 South. Their FIVE conference wins so far have already doubled their total wins against Pac-12 foes since joining the conference in 2011.
And, Mac has gone from being on everybody's hot seat to one of the favorites for National Coach of the Year awards. If the Buffs win out the season and Mac takes CoY honors, he will join his father in winning such an award. George MacIntyre won several national coach of the year awards in 1982 while coaching at Vanderbilt.
Unfortunately for Mac, the coach listed as the odds-on-favorite for the coaching honors is Chris Petersen of the undefeated and #4 ranked Washington Huskies. If UW and Colorado both win their remaining regular season games, they will meet in the Pac-12 championship game. The winning coach may very well win coach of the year.
Big turnarounds for Buffs programs leading to coaching awards is not new at Colorado. Bill McCartney's 4th season saw the Buffs go from one win the prior year to seven in 1985. The original Mac won Big 8 coach of the year that season, beating out Barry Switzer of Oklahoma. What made it all the more impressive for Bill Mac is that OU won the national championship that year.
Through nine games this year, MacIntyre has earned a solid A grade. There is even speculation that Mac is now being sought after by programs in search of a head coach. Baylor has been mentioned as the leading candidate.
What will Mac do if the Buffs win out, play in the Pac-12 title game, and defeat whoever represents the North? He'll be fielding calls and offers if it happens, and he just might walk away with coach of the year awards as well.
The worst case scenario, however, is that the Buffaloes continue to struggle on offense and lose one or more of their remaining games. That would likely end the possibility of playing for the Pac-12 title, and with it would go the elusive coach of the year award. He might still be sought after by other programs, but certainly not with the same fervor that would be present if the Buffs win 10 games.
If the Buffs do win 10, Mac's grade will rise to an A+. If the Buffs fall flat in the last few games, the grade could fall all the way down to a B.
The Buffs surprised everyone around the country early in the season with their explosive offense. Now that there is film to look at the Buffs have been slowed down considerably by opposing defensive coordinators. USC, Stanford and UCLA all put shackles on the big plays the Buffs made often early in the season.
USC exploited the Buffs' seeming inability to adjust on the fly and took the victory. Stanford and UCLA also shut down the Buffs, but the games were won by Colorado due to outstanding defensive play which held the Cardinal and Bruins to a combined 15 points between them.
It's up to Mac and his offensive staff to get the Buffaloes back on track to explosiveness and playing as well as the defense. If they do, the Buffs can play against anyone in the country. Just ask Michigan. Colorado scored more points against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor than anyone the Wolverines have played.
If not, the Buffs will still have had an outstanding turnaround season. But they also will have to deal with the fact that expectations for the program have risen substantially. Fans want them challenging for championships, not being content to just get to a bowl game.
My oh my, how things have changed. Stay tuned for how it ends up.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Colorado Buffaloes IMPLODE Emotionally, But Dominant Defense Pulls Out Another Win
Mike MacIntyre and the Colorado Buffaloes were served up a triple scoop of psychological warfare by UCLA. The Buffs' angry and emotional response almost allowed the reeling Bruins to pull off an upset big enough to propel them toward a bowl game at the end of the season. Almost.
Bruins head coach Jim Mora is no dummy. And he is a hell of a recruiter. Last signing day the Bruins signed FOURTEEN 4-star recruits, including NINE of the ESPN Top 300. In the last four years, Mora's Bruins signed a total of 46 four-star players. That number is enough to have Buffs fans frothing at the mouth.
UCLA obviously came in with a specific game plan to mess with the heads of the Colorado Buffaloes, and the Buffs took it hook, line, and sinker. And it almost cost them the game on national television. Almost.
Jim Mora knows that UCLA and USC are the big fish when it comes to feeding on the recruiting grounds of California. Teams like Colorado have to settle for the leftovers and the under-the-radar players that Mike MacIntyre is so adept at identifying and signing.
The Buffaloes have nearly 40 players from the state of California on their roster. So it's safe to say that a LOT of the players from these two teams knew and/or played against each other in high school. And the fact of the matter is that the kids playing for UCLA were higher rated recruits. They knew it and the Buffs from California knew it as well.
Most of the Buffs from the Golden State grew up hoping for a scholarship offer to from the Bruins or Southern Cal. It would allow them to stay closer to home and the inherent support system that allows. Home cooking is a sports metaphor with real meat to it.
Then, there is the case of history. In Colorado's first five years in the league, UCLA and the Pac-12 had their way with Colorado. Sometimes it was close, but the Buffs always seemed to end up on the losing side before this season. All the bragging rights going back to high school belonged to the Bruins players. They were better in high school, and now they were better in college. Until this year, that is.
Like it was said before, the UCLA coach is a smart guy. He knew coming into this game that the Buffaloes were a better team on the record books and the stat sheet. The Buffs were 6-2, while the Bruins were 3-5. The Bruins had five close losses that came down to the last drive of the game (that should sound achingly familiar to Colorado fans).
The Bruins have had too much raw talent to be blown out. That's what Mora has banked on this year: Keep it close and find SOMETHING to put the Bruins over the top. The Bruins' coach knew that the only hope of beating the Buffs in Folsom Field was to turn it into a street fight and hope the Buffs would lose their cool. The Buffs did lose their cool, and it almost cost them the game. Almost.
UCLA came out talking smack from the get-go, and taking cheap shots in the piles hoping to draw angry responses from the Buffs. It worked like a charm. It's an old adage in football that it's always the SECOND piece of bad behavior that gets called by the refs. So the Bruins poked, prodded, and yanked on helmets and limbs while mouthing off non-stop. Unfortunately, the Buffs responded just as the Bruins hoped.
And the horribly clueless Pac-12 refs basically lost control of the game. The refs looked like a bunch of suburbanites who had been dropped in the ghetto, and their only protection was a yellow flag. They were too scared to call the Bruins (except on couple very egregious plays), and instead focused on the Buffs trying to protect themselves and their QB. On one play, when the Buffs should have had 2nd and goal from the one yard line, CU was hit with a 15 yard penalty after a UCLA player literally dragged Sefo Liufau from the pile by his head with no response from the refs. No, the refs did not drop a flag until one of the CU receivers tried to get between Liufau and the Bruin.
One could say that the Colorado players lost their cool, but that started from the top. Mike MacIntye was played like a fiddle by Mora, and emotionally drawn into a near melt-down on the sidelines. He was wide-eyed and screaming at the refs as well as his own players.
Mora, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber. He stayed calm, even while delaying the start of the second half while complaining that the safety of his players was being risked by the dangerous jeopardy of possibly tripping over marshmallows. Yes, marshmallows.
Another meltdown on the Buffs staff happened high above the field, where play caller and co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continued to call passing plays against a very good pass defense and ignoring the running game against a horrible UCLA team against the run. In the Bruins last game, Utah tailback Joe Williams gained 332 yards against them.
What happened? The Buffs insisted on throwing into heavy coverage, and turned the ball over FOUR times. Anybody with access to replay knows that the Buffs really threw 4 interceptions. Calling one a "fumble" doesn't make it any less of a turnover. And, if it leaves the hand of QB with his arm moving forward, and is caught before it hits the ground five yards down the field, it is an interception. More worrisome is that the Buffs threw four pics and also fumbled three times.
If one just looks at the box score, one might come to the conclusion that the Buffs ran the ball 52 times and only threw it 33. But that would be a gross distortion of the truth. Almost HALF of the CU rushes were by the QB (all but one by Liufau). So, if you take away the dozen or so "runs" by the Buffs that were actually scrambles off of called passing plays, it is quite clear the Buffs offensive play-caller Lindgren REALLY wanted to win this game in the air. Gosh darn it, that's what his plan was BEFORE the game, and no way he's gonna change his play calling.
Mac's gotta do something. The UCLA game was the THIRD out of the last FOUR that the Buffs play calling on offense has been the weakest part of their game. It cost them a loss against USC, and the only reason the Buffs won against Stanford and UCLA is because the Colorado defense is so damned good under Jim Leavitt, Joe Tumpkin and the rest of the defensive staff.
The Buffaloes are good enough this year that they don't need to have Sefo try to win it all by himself. But Lindgren seems intent on ignoring whatever defensive strategies are facing the Buffs and winning it the way he wants it to be. Load the box like USC, and we run it up the middle. Lindgren doesn't seem to care. In one of the interceptions last night, the CU receiver was surrounded by no less than FIVE Bruins. FIVE. With that pattern, is it any wonder UCLA took it from our QB four times?
Today is the day that MacIntyre needs to look at the film and realize how easily manipulated he and his team were during the UCLA game. There are three games left between now and their stated goal of playing for the Pac-12 championship.
The Buffs, their head coach and their offensive play caller need to get their heads straight. They have to eliminate the hard-headed refusal to adjust their play-calling. And they have to eliminate their soft-headed response to negative emotional stimulus, from Mac on down. They can't continue to kill themselves with penalties and poor play-calling and hope the defense bails them out.
If the head coach loses his cool over and over, how hard is it for the players to follow suit? The Buffs need to understand the psychological ploys that will be thrown at them, and refuse to be baited into losing their composure. They need to remember that they are in first place in November, ranked, and needing to play big boy football the rest of the season.
Winning out the rest of the way will be the best revenge.
Bruins head coach Jim Mora is no dummy. And he is a hell of a recruiter. Last signing day the Bruins signed FOURTEEN 4-star recruits, including NINE of the ESPN Top 300. In the last four years, Mora's Bruins signed a total of 46 four-star players. That number is enough to have Buffs fans frothing at the mouth.
UCLA obviously came in with a specific game plan to mess with the heads of the Colorado Buffaloes, and the Buffs took it hook, line, and sinker. And it almost cost them the game on national television. Almost.
Jim Mora knows that UCLA and USC are the big fish when it comes to feeding on the recruiting grounds of California. Teams like Colorado have to settle for the leftovers and the under-the-radar players that Mike MacIntyre is so adept at identifying and signing.
The Buffaloes have nearly 40 players from the state of California on their roster. So it's safe to say that a LOT of the players from these two teams knew and/or played against each other in high school. And the fact of the matter is that the kids playing for UCLA were higher rated recruits. They knew it and the Buffs from California knew it as well.
Most of the Buffs from the Golden State grew up hoping for a scholarship offer to from the Bruins or Southern Cal. It would allow them to stay closer to home and the inherent support system that allows. Home cooking is a sports metaphor with real meat to it.
Then, there is the case of history. In Colorado's first five years in the league, UCLA and the Pac-12 had their way with Colorado. Sometimes it was close, but the Buffs always seemed to end up on the losing side before this season. All the bragging rights going back to high school belonged to the Bruins players. They were better in high school, and now they were better in college. Until this year, that is.
Like it was said before, the UCLA coach is a smart guy. He knew coming into this game that the Buffaloes were a better team on the record books and the stat sheet. The Buffs were 6-2, while the Bruins were 3-5. The Bruins had five close losses that came down to the last drive of the game (that should sound achingly familiar to Colorado fans).
The Bruins have had too much raw talent to be blown out. That's what Mora has banked on this year: Keep it close and find SOMETHING to put the Bruins over the top. The Bruins' coach knew that the only hope of beating the Buffs in Folsom Field was to turn it into a street fight and hope the Buffs would lose their cool. The Buffs did lose their cool, and it almost cost them the game. Almost.
UCLA came out talking smack from the get-go, and taking cheap shots in the piles hoping to draw angry responses from the Buffs. It worked like a charm. It's an old adage in football that it's always the SECOND piece of bad behavior that gets called by the refs. So the Bruins poked, prodded, and yanked on helmets and limbs while mouthing off non-stop. Unfortunately, the Buffs responded just as the Bruins hoped.
And the horribly clueless Pac-12 refs basically lost control of the game. The refs looked like a bunch of suburbanites who had been dropped in the ghetto, and their only protection was a yellow flag. They were too scared to call the Bruins (except on couple very egregious plays), and instead focused on the Buffs trying to protect themselves and their QB. On one play, when the Buffs should have had 2nd and goal from the one yard line, CU was hit with a 15 yard penalty after a UCLA player literally dragged Sefo Liufau from the pile by his head with no response from the refs. No, the refs did not drop a flag until one of the CU receivers tried to get between Liufau and the Bruin.
One could say that the Colorado players lost their cool, but that started from the top. Mike MacIntye was played like a fiddle by Mora, and emotionally drawn into a near melt-down on the sidelines. He was wide-eyed and screaming at the refs as well as his own players.
Mora, on the other hand, was cool as a cucumber. He stayed calm, even while delaying the start of the second half while complaining that the safety of his players was being risked by the dangerous jeopardy of possibly tripping over marshmallows. Yes, marshmallows.
Another meltdown on the Buffs staff happened high above the field, where play caller and co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continued to call passing plays against a very good pass defense and ignoring the running game against a horrible UCLA team against the run. In the Bruins last game, Utah tailback Joe Williams gained 332 yards against them.
What happened? The Buffs insisted on throwing into heavy coverage, and turned the ball over FOUR times. Anybody with access to replay knows that the Buffs really threw 4 interceptions. Calling one a "fumble" doesn't make it any less of a turnover. And, if it leaves the hand of QB with his arm moving forward, and is caught before it hits the ground five yards down the field, it is an interception. More worrisome is that the Buffs threw four pics and also fumbled three times.
If one just looks at the box score, one might come to the conclusion that the Buffs ran the ball 52 times and only threw it 33. But that would be a gross distortion of the truth. Almost HALF of the CU rushes were by the QB (all but one by Liufau). So, if you take away the dozen or so "runs" by the Buffs that were actually scrambles off of called passing plays, it is quite clear the Buffs offensive play-caller Lindgren REALLY wanted to win this game in the air. Gosh darn it, that's what his plan was BEFORE the game, and no way he's gonna change his play calling.
Mac's gotta do something. The UCLA game was the THIRD out of the last FOUR that the Buffs play calling on offense has been the weakest part of their game. It cost them a loss against USC, and the only reason the Buffs won against Stanford and UCLA is because the Colorado defense is so damned good under Jim Leavitt, Joe Tumpkin and the rest of the defensive staff.
The Buffaloes are good enough this year that they don't need to have Sefo try to win it all by himself. But Lindgren seems intent on ignoring whatever defensive strategies are facing the Buffs and winning it the way he wants it to be. Load the box like USC, and we run it up the middle. Lindgren doesn't seem to care. In one of the interceptions last night, the CU receiver was surrounded by no less than FIVE Bruins. FIVE. With that pattern, is it any wonder UCLA took it from our QB four times?
Today is the day that MacIntyre needs to look at the film and realize how easily manipulated he and his team were during the UCLA game. There are three games left between now and their stated goal of playing for the Pac-12 championship.
The Buffs, their head coach and their offensive play caller need to get their heads straight. They have to eliminate the hard-headed refusal to adjust their play-calling. And they have to eliminate their soft-headed response to negative emotional stimulus, from Mac on down. They can't continue to kill themselves with penalties and poor play-calling and hope the defense bails them out.
If the head coach loses his cool over and over, how hard is it for the players to follow suit? The Buffs need to understand the psychological ploys that will be thrown at them, and refuse to be baited into losing their composure. They need to remember that they are in first place in November, ranked, and needing to play big boy football the rest of the season.
Winning out the rest of the way will be the best revenge.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Post Halloween Grades for the University of Colorado Football Offensive Coaching Staff
For the first time in more than a decade, the Colorado Buffaloes football program enters November with six wins and bowl eligibility already under their belts. It's a heady place to be, but this team has suffered for years and will not be satisfied to just settle for six wins and any old bowl game.
No, this team wants more. They want it all, really. And the men responsible for that attitude are not just the ones playing in the games, but also the ones doing the coaching and training.
And for the first time in more than a decade, the grades are not as scary as the Halloween season.
Drew Wilson -- A+++
Director of Football Strength and Conditioning
Technically, Wilson is not a coach. But, throughout the year, no one spends more time with the players than Wilson. The players love him, and Wilson's expertise in his field and motivational prowess has turned the Buffs into a team of gym rats.
No longer are the Buffs being pushed around by the rest of the Pac-12. Indeed, they may now be the most physical team in the league. What makes this even more impressive is that Wilson did not even join the staff until January of this year. Rick George and Mike MacIntyre need to do whatever it takes to keep Wilson.
OFFENSE
Klayton Adams -- A+
Offensive Line Coach
Adams has been with MacIntyre for six years (beginning at San Jose State). This is his first year coaching the offensive line at Colorado. The best line coaches make their charges realize that the line must play as an integrated unit to succeed, and not focus on individual achievement. Adams has done that quite well and the Buffs are reaping the rewards.
Gary Bernardi -- C-
Tight Ends and Full Backs
Bernardi was the coach of the offensive line during MacIntyre's first three years at Colorado. The Buffs were 2-25 in Pac-12 play during that time and finished 6th (last) in the Pac-12 South each season.
The tight ends and full backs have been relegated to blockers only this year. They have no carries among the fullbacks and no tight end has more than one catch. Their blocking has been part of the offensive rejuvenation this season, but their production has been non-existent.
Darian Hagan -- A+
Running Backs
This season is Hagan's second stint coaching running backs. He has excelled this time with Phillip Lindsay as well as his first go round with Rodney Stewart and Hugh Charles, who both rushed for more than 1000 yards under Hagan's tutelage. Barring injury, Lindsay should become Hagan's third 1K rusher.
On top of that, Hagan has his RB's blocking as well as running. Even though they are small in stature, Kyle Evans and Lindsay are two of the strongest pound for pound players on the team.
Darrin Chiaverini -- A+++
Wide Receivers and Co-Offensive Coordinator
Like Darian Hagan, Chev is a guy who played at Colorado. Hagan was a force of nature on the field and has become an excellent coach. Chiaverini was an excellent player but has become a force of nature as a coach.
He has risen through the ranks quickly in his coaching career, and as co-offensive coordinator at Colorado, he has been excellent not only in working with the wide receivers but also in recruiting and game planning. His ability to expand Lindgren's play-calling repertoire and explain the details of the plan to the players has been outstanding.
The receivers under Chev have become a dominant force in the conference. They not only catch the ball with outstanding purpose, but their blocking for each other and the runners coming from out of the backfield has been exemplary.
The Buffs have had 13 plays covering more than 40 yards this year so far, and 38 that have gone for more than 20. Many of those big plays can be attributed to downfield blocking by the receivers.
As for Chev, his energy and infectious enthusiasm fires up players and fans alike and his relentless social media presence makes him a remarkable ambassador for the University of Colorado.
Brian Lindgren -- A
Quarterbacks and Co-Offensive Coordinator
Lindgren has done a remarkable job as quarterbacks coach this season. Sefo Liufau has played the best of his career this season, and Steven Montez covered the QB position admirably while Liufau was hurt. Lindgren, Liufau and Montez have combined to be one of the most efficient offensive forces in the Pac-12. If he was only being graded on the play of the quarterbacks, he would have an A+.
Although it has been much better this season due to the overall strength of the offensive coaching, training and players, Lindgren has still had one shortcoming. Most of the game prep done throughout the season has been spot on. The Buffs have been the only team this year to put a hurting on #2's Michigan's defense. And they did it on the road.
But the Buffs did that prior to Liufau's injury in Ann Arbor. Once Montez came in (quite obviously unprepared for the possibility), the play-calling suffered as Lindgren did not adapt to having a redshirt freshman who had barely played this year even though the Buffs had put together several blowout wins.
At USC, their defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergrast put together a brilliant game plan to take away the run game from the Buffs. It worked, and by the time Lindgren got around to adjusting in the 4th quarter, the Trojans' lead was too big to surmount.
The Buffs again sputtered offensively against Stanford on the road. Liufau had by far his worst game of the season. Fortunately, the defense was prepared and able to shut down the Cardinal, holding them to their fewest points in more than a decade. This allowed the Buffs to escape with a 10-5 win.
Colorado Buffaloes Overall Offensive Grade -- A-
The Buffs offensively have been very good, and deserving of a full A for much of the season. But the small failures to adapt in the face of adversity cost the Buffs their two losses, and could have led to a third if not for fine defensive play.
As the going gets rougher in the meat of the schedule, every team we play will want to beat the first place team. The Buffs need to be ready before the game offensively, and need to be ready to adapt when the situations arise.
Some would say that the Buffs deserve a straight up A for how far they've come. But the layers want to be an A team against the best of the Pac-12, not just compared to how bad they used to be.
The next four games, three at home, will determine the overall success of the season. We know they will be playing in a bowl game. But they want to play in the Pac-12 Championship, and they want to play in the Rose Bowl. To do that for sure, they need to win out in the regular season.
-----------------------
Next up:
November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff
and
2016 Grade for Mike MacIntyre After 9 Games
No, this team wants more. They want it all, really. And the men responsible for that attitude are not just the ones playing in the games, but also the ones doing the coaching and training.
And for the first time in more than a decade, the grades are not as scary as the Halloween season.
Drew Wilson -- A+++
Director of Football Strength and Conditioning
Technically, Wilson is not a coach. But, throughout the year, no one spends more time with the players than Wilson. The players love him, and Wilson's expertise in his field and motivational prowess has turned the Buffs into a team of gym rats.
No longer are the Buffs being pushed around by the rest of the Pac-12. Indeed, they may now be the most physical team in the league. What makes this even more impressive is that Wilson did not even join the staff until January of this year. Rick George and Mike MacIntyre need to do whatever it takes to keep Wilson.
OFFENSE
Klayton Adams -- A+
Offensive Line Coach
Adams has been with MacIntyre for six years (beginning at San Jose State). This is his first year coaching the offensive line at Colorado. The best line coaches make their charges realize that the line must play as an integrated unit to succeed, and not focus on individual achievement. Adams has done that quite well and the Buffs are reaping the rewards.
Gary Bernardi -- C-
Tight Ends and Full Backs
Bernardi was the coach of the offensive line during MacIntyre's first three years at Colorado. The Buffs were 2-25 in Pac-12 play during that time and finished 6th (last) in the Pac-12 South each season.
The tight ends and full backs have been relegated to blockers only this year. They have no carries among the fullbacks and no tight end has more than one catch. Their blocking has been part of the offensive rejuvenation this season, but their production has been non-existent.
Darian Hagan -- A+
Running Backs
This season is Hagan's second stint coaching running backs. He has excelled this time with Phillip Lindsay as well as his first go round with Rodney Stewart and Hugh Charles, who both rushed for more than 1000 yards under Hagan's tutelage. Barring injury, Lindsay should become Hagan's third 1K rusher.
On top of that, Hagan has his RB's blocking as well as running. Even though they are small in stature, Kyle Evans and Lindsay are two of the strongest pound for pound players on the team.
Darrin Chiaverini -- A+++
Wide Receivers and Co-Offensive Coordinator
Like Darian Hagan, Chev is a guy who played at Colorado. Hagan was a force of nature on the field and has become an excellent coach. Chiaverini was an excellent player but has become a force of nature as a coach.
He has risen through the ranks quickly in his coaching career, and as co-offensive coordinator at Colorado, he has been excellent not only in working with the wide receivers but also in recruiting and game planning. His ability to expand Lindgren's play-calling repertoire and explain the details of the plan to the players has been outstanding.
The receivers under Chev have become a dominant force in the conference. They not only catch the ball with outstanding purpose, but their blocking for each other and the runners coming from out of the backfield has been exemplary.
The Buffs have had 13 plays covering more than 40 yards this year so far, and 38 that have gone for more than 20. Many of those big plays can be attributed to downfield blocking by the receivers.
As for Chev, his energy and infectious enthusiasm fires up players and fans alike and his relentless social media presence makes him a remarkable ambassador for the University of Colorado.
Brian Lindgren -- A
Quarterbacks and Co-Offensive Coordinator
Lindgren has done a remarkable job as quarterbacks coach this season. Sefo Liufau has played the best of his career this season, and Steven Montez covered the QB position admirably while Liufau was hurt. Lindgren, Liufau and Montez have combined to be one of the most efficient offensive forces in the Pac-12. If he was only being graded on the play of the quarterbacks, he would have an A+.
Although it has been much better this season due to the overall strength of the offensive coaching, training and players, Lindgren has still had one shortcoming. Most of the game prep done throughout the season has been spot on. The Buffs have been the only team this year to put a hurting on #2's Michigan's defense. And they did it on the road.
But the Buffs did that prior to Liufau's injury in Ann Arbor. Once Montez came in (quite obviously unprepared for the possibility), the play-calling suffered as Lindgren did not adapt to having a redshirt freshman who had barely played this year even though the Buffs had put together several blowout wins.
At USC, their defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergrast put together a brilliant game plan to take away the run game from the Buffs. It worked, and by the time Lindgren got around to adjusting in the 4th quarter, the Trojans' lead was too big to surmount.
The Buffs again sputtered offensively against Stanford on the road. Liufau had by far his worst game of the season. Fortunately, the defense was prepared and able to shut down the Cardinal, holding them to their fewest points in more than a decade. This allowed the Buffs to escape with a 10-5 win.
Colorado Buffaloes Overall Offensive Grade -- A-
The Buffs offensively have been very good, and deserving of a full A for much of the season. But the small failures to adapt in the face of adversity cost the Buffs their two losses, and could have led to a third if not for fine defensive play.
As the going gets rougher in the meat of the schedule, every team we play will want to beat the first place team. The Buffs need to be ready before the game offensively, and need to be ready to adapt when the situations arise.
Some would say that the Buffs deserve a straight up A for how far they've come. But the layers want to be an A team against the best of the Pac-12, not just compared to how bad they used to be.
The next four games, three at home, will determine the overall success of the season. We know they will be playing in a bowl game. But they want to play in the Pac-12 Championship, and they want to play in the Rose Bowl. To do that for sure, they need to win out in the regular season.
-----------------------
Next up:
November 1st Grades of Colorado's Defensive Coaching Staff
and
2016 Grade for Mike MacIntyre After 9 Games
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Colorado Buffaloes Hold Stanford Without a Touchdown, Win 10-5 at "The Farm"
The Colorado Buffaloes traveled to Stanford and beat the Cardinal for the first time since joining the Pac-12. It was the second consecutive home loss for head coach David Shaw, who came into the game with a Stanford record of 58-16 (with only five home losses) since taking over as head coach in 2011.
The five points scored by Stanford represented the fewest that Stanford has scored in the Shaw era, and the fewest since they scored only 3 points against Arizona State in 2007. More importantly for the Cardinal this year, the team has scored only FOUR offensive touchdowns in the last 5 games.
Colorado, on the other hand, shook some monkeys off their backs with the win. California, one of their prime recruiting grounds, has not been kind to the Buffs over the years. The Buffs came into the game having won only TWO out of 23 games in the Golden State.
The Buffs also managed to win despite some serious problems. Two drives with "first and goal" ended with the Buffs missing chip shot field goals. Another field goal of slightly longer also missed the mark. Things were so bad that punter Alex Kinney attempted a field goal after Chris Graham missed his first two attempts. Kinney's attempt missed as well.
It was a sign of how things have changed for the Buffs. Over the years since joining the Pac-12, a major breakdown in any aspect of the team usually led to yet another big loss.
That is not the case now. Jim Leavitt's defense played lights out, causing multiple turnovers and keeping last year's Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey under wraps for the most part. A full 40% of Stanford's points came on a safety when the Buffs opted to give up the two points with 8 seconds remaining rather than try to punt out of the end zone.
Mike MacIntyre's Buffaloes now leave California with a 6-2 record, bowl eligibility, and first place in the Pac-12 South heading into their "bye-week" before hosting UCLA on national television on Thursday, November 3. Things have most definitely changed for the Colorado Buffaloes.
The way things have been going, Folsom Field should be packed to the hilt for the game. The Buffs are marching inexorably toward their goal of playing for a Pac-12 championship, and at this point they control their own destiny with three of their last four games being played at the most beautiful stadium in the country, Folsom Field.
More posts to come as stats and info becomes available.
The five points scored by Stanford represented the fewest that Stanford has scored in the Shaw era, and the fewest since they scored only 3 points against Arizona State in 2007. More importantly for the Cardinal this year, the team has scored only FOUR offensive touchdowns in the last 5 games.
Colorado, on the other hand, shook some monkeys off their backs with the win. California, one of their prime recruiting grounds, has not been kind to the Buffs over the years. The Buffs came into the game having won only TWO out of 23 games in the Golden State.
The Buffs also managed to win despite some serious problems. Two drives with "first and goal" ended with the Buffs missing chip shot field goals. Another field goal of slightly longer also missed the mark. Things were so bad that punter Alex Kinney attempted a field goal after Chris Graham missed his first two attempts. Kinney's attempt missed as well.
It was a sign of how things have changed for the Buffs. Over the years since joining the Pac-12, a major breakdown in any aspect of the team usually led to yet another big loss.
That is not the case now. Jim Leavitt's defense played lights out, causing multiple turnovers and keeping last year's Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey under wraps for the most part. A full 40% of Stanford's points came on a safety when the Buffs opted to give up the two points with 8 seconds remaining rather than try to punt out of the end zone.
Mike MacIntyre's Buffaloes now leave California with a 6-2 record, bowl eligibility, and first place in the Pac-12 South heading into their "bye-week" before hosting UCLA on national television on Thursday, November 3. Things have most definitely changed for the Colorado Buffaloes.
The way things have been going, Folsom Field should be packed to the hilt for the game. The Buffs are marching inexorably toward their goal of playing for a Pac-12 championship, and at this point they control their own destiny with three of their last four games being played at the most beautiful stadium in the country, Folsom Field.
More posts to come as stats and info becomes available.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Colorado Posts Largest Conference Winning Margin in 24 Years, Routs Oregon State 47-6 and Takes Over 1st Place in Pac-12 South
The question most Colorado fans had at the beginning of the season is whether the Buffs could finally "turn the corner" in Mike MacIntyre's 4th season at the helm. The question has been answered emphatically the last two weeks with a win on the road at Oregon and a Folsom Field annihilation of Oregon State.
The Buffs have not only turned the corner, they are accelerating out of the curve.
The comparisons between MacIntyre and the great Bill McCartney have been hot and heavy for several years now. The similarities are rather remarkable. McCartney's record after 3 seasons was 7-25-1. MacIntyre's record after 3 was 10-27. McCartney's first three teams won only 4 conference games. MacIntyre's first three won only 2 games against conference foes.
For the first coach Mac, the turnaround came in year four (1985) when the Buffs won 7 games after winning only one the previous year. The job of McCartney was so impressive to his fellow coaches in the Big 8 that he was voted Coach of the Year even though Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooner team won the National Championship.
Now, in Mike MacIntyre's 4th season, the Buffs stand at 4-1. More importantly, CU is 2-0 in conference play. What does that mean?
The Colorado Buffaloes will go to bed tonight knowing that they are alone in first place in the Pac-12 South Division.
With Cal's goal-line stand to win against Utah, and USC's throttling of Arizona State, the only team in the South with a perfect conference record is Colorado. To put it in more perspective, the last time the Buffs won consecutive conference games was 2010. This was different, however. The 2010 Buffs lost their first 5 conference games before the two game winning streak. The last time they won two in a row when it mattered was 2005.
Colorado still has seven conference games to play this season. But, none of the teams remaining on the schedule looks unbeatable. USC is 2-3. Arizona State, undefeated coming into today, was exposed as a horribly flawed team.
Even Stanford, a preseason pick to make the national championship playoff, was destroyed against Washington in their worst loss in almost a decade. The Buffs know they can play with anyone in the conference. But, they won't play Washington unless both make it to the Pac-12 Championship game.
But today, right now, the Buffs look like serious contenders to win the Pac-12 South. And Mike MacIntyre looks like a serious threat to win Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Amazing Signature Win for Colorado Buffaloes Over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene
The Colorado Buffaloes, behind an amazing debut starting performance from Steven Montez and an interception to seal the game by Ahkello Witherspoon, shocked the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, 41-38.
Early in the 3rd quarter when the CU Buffs had taken a 16 point lead (33-17), it appeared that Colorado was headed for a dominating victory. But great teams like Oregon, with the 3rd most wins in the FBS over the last five years, do not fold for anybody.
Oregon scored three touchdowns in the third quarter (aided by two interceptions) to retake the lead 38-33.
At that point, many Buff fans had flashbacks to games led but then lost over the last 10 years. "Here we go again!" was running through many a mind in Buffland. Thankfully, this year's Buffs have incredible backbone. After appearing to be on their heels defensively, the Buffs stiffened and kept Oregon out of the end zone the rest of the game.
While Montez played one of the best games ever for a CU quarterback in their first start, he was helped immensely by some highlight-reel catches by his receivers.
More to come --- TIME TO CELEBRATE!
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
A Warm and Moving Tribute to Bill McCartney in his Return to the Big House in Ann Arbor
Bill McCartney is a Colorado legend and a Buff forever.
All CU Buffs fans acknowledge that Hall of Fame Coach Bill McCartney is and shall remain a Buff forever. McCartney is the most winning coach in the history of the program and led the Buffs to their only football national championship following the 1990 season. All coaches since him have been held up to the standard he created.
What many people in Colorado do not realize is that McCartney was a legend in Michigan before moving to Boulder. Mac was born and raised in Michigan. He coached Dearborn Divine Child High School's football AND basketball teams to state titles in 1973. Shortly thereafter, he became the only high school coach ever hired to coach at the University of Michigan by legendary coach Bo Schembechler. Mac worked for Bo from 1974-1981 and rose to the level of defensive coordinator before being hired at Colorado.
A fine article by Mark Snyder from the Detroit Free Press details the influence that Mac had at Michigan and how closely intertwined he is with current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his family.
Before the Colorado-Michigan game this past weekend, many of the Wolverine faithful were fired up because former QB Tom Brady was in town to act as honorary captain. What was quite surprising to the Colorado fans in attendance was that the welcome for McCartney was equally as loud and moving as that for Brady.
The crowd showed that like Colorado, Michigan fans remember their roots. Mac grew up as a local boy who made good coaching two different high school sports to championships. He then moved on and up at The Big House in Ann Arbor under Schembechler, before finally moving on to his last coaching gig in Boulder.
Mac's last visit to Ann Arbor as a football coach broke the hearts of Michigan fans when Kordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook hooked up for one of the most memorable plays in college football history. The Miracle at Michigan is a play that is forever etched in the minds of Colorado fans. And it remains one of the more heart-wrenching endings in Michigan Stadium's storied history (at least to Michigan fans).
All history aside, McCartney was welcomed home as a returned son. To all of the Colorado fans there to see the game, it became quite clear.
Bill McCartney is a Michigan legend and Wolverine forever too.
Friday, September 2, 2016
As Predicted Yesterday, the Colorado Buffs hand the CSU Rams a Beating of Epic Proportions 44-7
You have to go all the way back to October 13, 1956 to find a game between Colorado and Colorado State in which the winning margin was as large as the one the Buffaloes walked away with tonight. By a final score of 44-7, the Buffs hammered the Rams in the Rocky Mountain Showdown and most likely put the final nails in the coffin of CSU's delusional fantasy of being invited to join the Big 12 conference.
To add insult to injury for the Lambies from Fort Collins, there's nothing quite like being embarrassed on national television by an in-state rival who walked away from the Big 12 for the more exclusive and academically inclined Pac-12. The Rams can be certain that the Big 12 Poobahs were none-too-impressed.
The defense put together by Jim Leavitt and his staff more than lived up to expectations from the outset. The Rams first six possessions all went three and out. By the end of the first quarter, the Rams had run 18 plays for a total of 16 yards, while the Buffs had more points than the Rams had offensive plays.
Long before the first half was over, the Rams knew they were in for their worst loss to Colorado in 60 years. By the third quarter, the coaches and players from the Fort were just hoping to score a point and not be further embarrassed by ending the game with a goose-egg on the scoreboard.
More posts to come as stats and interviews become available.
To add insult to injury for the Lambies from Fort Collins, there's nothing quite like being embarrassed on national television by an in-state rival who walked away from the Big 12 for the more exclusive and academically inclined Pac-12. The Rams can be certain that the Big 12 Poobahs were none-too-impressed.
The defense put together by Jim Leavitt and his staff more than lived up to expectations from the outset. The Rams first six possessions all went three and out. By the end of the first quarter, the Rams had run 18 plays for a total of 16 yards, while the Buffs had more points than the Rams had offensive plays.
Long before the first half was over, the Rams knew they were in for their worst loss to Colorado in 60 years. By the third quarter, the coaches and players from the Fort were just hoping to score a point and not be further embarrassed by ending the game with a goose-egg on the scoreboard.
More posts to come as stats and interviews become available.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
CU Buffs: Reasons for Optimism... and an Epic Beatdown of the CSU Rams
The defense was vastly improved last year even though defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin did not join the Buffs until right before spring training. With a full year to evaluate talent and gear their defense to take best advantage of the Buffs' skill-set, L+T have put together the Buffs best defensive unit in a decade.
Making the job easier for the defensive gurus is the return of three key components. Man-mountain nose tackle Josh Tupou (6-3, 32 lbs) returns from suspension and will be a force to be reckoned with anchoring the defensive front. At linebacker, the return of Addison Gillam should be a huge factor. Coaches and fans are hoping that Gillam has recovered enough to return to his Freshman All-American form. And in the defensive backfield, tackling machine Ryan Moeller is starting at free safety after missing most of last season due to injuries received in a scary moped accident. Their collective impacts should be immense.
Returning offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren has rightfully taken a lot of heat over the last three years for the Buffs' inability to find an offensive identity other than being wholly predictable in their play calling. But head coach Mike MacIntyre came to the rescue and hired fireball Darrin Chiaverini as co-offensive coordinator. Lindgren's quiet and cerebral yin and Chiaverini's innovative and emotionally fire-charged yang have come together to give the Buffs something that has been missing for many years.
On the strength and conditioning front, Mac made a home-run hire in Drew Wilson following last season. Wilson combines the intellectual knowledge of the old S&C coach, with leadership and motivation that had long been missing from the program. The players rave about Lewis and what he has brought to the Buffs.
And, finally, after months and months of rehab following his devastating Lisfranc foot fracture, QB Sefo Liufau is back in the saddle and ready to go for the season. One of the good things to come out of the rehab was that Liufau's ongoing shoulder injury that had hampered him for more than a year is now also completely healed. He's also lost weight while gaining strength and coaches and players alike rave about how much more zip the QB seems to have on the ball. Playing without pain for the first time in several years, Liufau is looking to lead the Buffs to their first bowl game since 2007.
Yes, there are reasons to be very optimistic about the University of Colorado football team this year. If all goes accordingly, the Buffs should put a beating on Colorado State to open the season in a manner that hasn't been seen since 2001, when the Buffs handed the Rams a 41-14 loss.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
QB Davis Webb Commits to Colorado Buffaloes for 2016
"Thank you @CoachMikeMac and CU for the opportunity... I have committed to Colorado!"
Webb is very highly thought of by his coaches at Texas Tech. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury called Webb "the hardest working individual I've ever had the privilege of coaching," and added that Webb "will immediately change the outlook" of whatever program Webb finally chooses. Kingsbury also added that Webb has the tools to be a "top 5" NFL pick.
The 6 foot 5, 220 lb. Webb has thrown for 46 touchdowns (against 22 interceptions) and 5,557 yards in his career. He will graduate this spring after just 3 years at Texas Tech. He is only 20 years old.
Fox Sports reports that Colorado 3 year starter at QB is now expected to miss the 2016 season due to a serious Lisfranc injury suffered late in the 2015 season. The other quarterbacks on the Colorado roster have only a combined three starts (and zero victories) in their CU careers.
New Co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini also came from Texas Tech, and posted on Twitter (@CoachChev6):
"Huge news out of Texas! West Texas Gunslinger in Boulder! Let's Ride Buffaloes!
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