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
Showing posts with label Darian Hagan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Darian Hagan. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Buffs in Good Hands at Quarterback with either Liufau or Montez
There was a lot of hand wringing among the Buff faithful last week when most assumed that MacIntyre's "game time" decision about Liufau and his injured ankle was in reality an admission that Sefo would be out for the game. At Oregon.
Flash back to two years ago, when an injured Sefo Liufau was unable to start. Jordan Gehrke was thrown to the wolves against a #3 Oregon team that would go on to play in the national championship game. Oregon, led by Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and Royce Freeman, put almost 600 yards of offense on the Buffs, while holding CU to 240. The final score was 44-10, but the game was not really that close. Oregon took their foot off the pedal, emptied the bench, and did not score in the 4th.
With the Buffs heading off to Autzen Stadium with Sefo injured again, CU fans were feeling deja vu all over again. An ill-prepared Montez had finished the game at Michigan after Liufau's injury with a big zero under the number of completed passes as the Wolverines took over the game in the second half. The young man from El Paso truly got a baptism by fire in Ann Arbor.
Many commenters on sites such as this were ready to concede the game to Oregon and hope for better health from Sefo down the road. But a funny thing happened for Montez with the Big House experience and a week to work with the #1 offense in practice.
Montez stepped up and became "The Man" for Colorado.
In his first college start, against a team that was only 16 games removed from the national championship game, Montez became the first QB in Colorado history to throw for 300 yards while also running for more than 100. Darian Hagan never did it. Neither did Kordell Stewart or Sefo Liufau. Montez is now in the Colorado record books after one start.
Not all the credit goes to Montez however. He got a lot of help. Sefo was there before and after each drive to calm the redshirt freshman and give advice and words of encouragement. Also on the sidelines to help was co-OC Darrin Chiaverini.
But the biggest kudos need to go to the much maligned Brian Lindgen.
Co-OC Lindgren is also the quarterbacks coach. He got Montez ready for the game during practice and was in his ear all during the game. Every time Montez came back to the bench, he was soon on the headset talking to Lindgren up in the booth.
Moving forward in Pac-12 play, the Buffs face 4 teams in the next five weeks that they have never beaten (0-14) since joining the conference. They've been outscored in those games 623-279. Of course, if the win at Oregon proved anything it's that past history does not necessarily predict future performance. Thank goodness.
One can't imagine this Colorado team getting complacent now after finally getting a breakthrough win. If anything, these Buffs will probably work even harder now that they've gotten a taste of a big win over a good team.
Whatever happens over the remainder of the season, Colorado fans can be sure that the Buffs will be in good hands at quarterback. Both Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez are tough as nails and can quarterback the Buffs to lots of yards and enough points to win against anyone in the country.
With the best CU defensive team in a decade, this Colorado team has the chance to not only make a bowl game, but to also contend for a conference title. It bodes well that even right after the big win in Eugene, the players were ready to put the game behind them and get ready to go 1-0 next week too. And the next week, and the next week...
Go Buffs!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Rest in Peace, Dee Dowis: Looking Back to 1989 when the State of Colorado had the Best Rushing QB's in the Country
Seeing the news about Dowis immediately brought back memories of 1989. Here in Boulder, 1989 was the year that we lost Sal Aunese to stomach cancer. It was also the year that the Buffs came together as a family and put together one of the most dominant regular seasons in CU history. After going undefeated in the regular season, the #1 ranked Buffs lost in their first attempt at a national title.
Down in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy, another option QB was also lighting up college football. Cadet Dee Dowis, a whopping 153 pounds dripping wet when he first became the QB for the Falcons, led Air Force to an 8-4-1 record.
For the season, Dowis rushed for 1,286 yards and 18 touchdowns, while also passing for 1,285 yards and 7 touchdowns. Up in Boulder, Hagan rushed for 1,004 yards and 17 touchdowns, and threw for 1,002 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Back in the 80's, a quarterback rushing and passing for more than 1000 yards in a season was extremely rare. In fact, Reggie Collier at Southern Miss was the first player to achieve the benchmarks at the Division 1 level in the 1981 season.
Dowis and Hagan were rewarded for their efforts by being seriously considered for the Heisman Trophy. In the final ballots, Hagan finished 5th and Dowis finished 6th.
For their careers, Dowis rushed for 3,612 yards and passed for 2,870, while Hagan ran for 2,004 and passed for 3,801 yards.
Both Hagan and Dowis will go down as two of the finest option quarterbacks of all time. And in 1989, the best running quarterbacks in all the land played their football in Colorado.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Exceptional Quarterbacks are Very Rare, Exceptional Coaches are Even More So
An exceptional quarterback is the dream shared by fans as well as QB coaches, offensive coordinators and head coaches. He is what allows a bad team to be ordinary, an ordinary team to be good, and a good team to become great.
A great quarterback rains fire from the sky and sometimes even slashes and burns across the gridiron. Like a general who will not be defeated, he marshals his troops to the most advantageous and strategic positions to ensure victory.
Fans know that certain quarterbacks give their team a REAL chance to win to every time they step on the field. Some coaches use their proximity to exceptional quarterbacks to further, or even "make" their careers. They can do this because coaches can take credit for an exceptional quarterback. The problems arise when the exceptional quarterback leaves and the coach has not found another one to take his place.
No one can doubt that Troy Aikman was an exceptional quarterback. After two years at Oklahoma he transferred to UCLA, where he went on to become a consensus All-American and the #1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. He was a 3-time Super Champion for the Dallas Cowboys and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
One coach who rode Aikman to greater glory for himself was Rick Neuheisel. He parlayed his role as QB coach to Aikman in 1988 to fancy himself a quarterback guru in years to come. Back in the late 80's, reality set in when he was moved to coach wide receivers a year after Aikman was gone.
That didn't slow down slick Rick, however, as he moved on to the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1994, and as quarterbacks coach, he inherited not one, but TWO exceptional quarterbacks in Kordell Stewart and Koy Detmer. (Just a note: The Slickster's Wikipedia page claims that Neuheisel was the offensive coordinator for CU in 1994, but that is NOT true. Elliot Uzelac was the offensive coordinator under Bill McCartney in '94).
The 1994 Buffaloes were arguably the best CU team ever. It was loaded with NFL talent. They had SEVEN players taken in the first 3 rounds of the 1995 NFL Draft, and nine drafted overall. Needless to say, that would have been a great team no matter who was coaching quarterbacks.
Neuheisel somehow convinced CU president Judith Albino he was the right guy to fill the shoes of Bill McCartney when Mac suddenly announced his retirement at the end of the season. Rick was young, good looking, had a law degree, and seemed like the perfect guy to carry on the McCartney legacy (in Albino's eyes, anyway). Problem was, Neuheisel was not a Mac guy. He had only been in Boulder for one year. Mac gave Albino advice on who to promote to head coach, but his advice was ignored.
In '95 and '96, Neuheisel had teams that were built by Mac and led by perhaps the best football mind ever to take a snap at CU in Koy Detmer. This writer remembers when Koy came to Colorado and hearing stories from some sports writers at the Daily Camera about how football savvy the kid was.
Traditionally, when college players go to meetings it is to learn from their coaches. Stories were told then about the young gun from Texas who taught his coaches a thing or two about playing quarterback. (It helps when your father is a high school coaching legend and your brother is a Heisman Trophy winner.) Put it this way, if Koy had the body or athletic gifts of Troy Aikman or Kordell Stewart, he would have been the best quarterback ever to play the game. He was a football savant with a skinny and fragile body.
With Detmer as the primary QB, the Buffs won 10 games each year in '95 and '96. When he left, along with all those great players recruited by McCartney and his staff, the wheels fell off the bus at Colorado. With Koy on the field (or the sideline when injured), the Buffs finished the season ranked #4 in '95 and #8 in '96. Their record was 20-4.
After Detmer graduated on to the NFL, Neuheisel's Buffs won 13 games and lost 10 over the next two years. There were also reports that the NCAA was investigating Colorado for recruiting violations. Like a rat fleeing a sinking ship, the Slickster headed west and took the job at Washington.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH COLORADO IN 2015?
Brian Lindgren, the current Colorado QB coach and Offensive Coordinator, came with coach Mike MacIntyre to Colorado in 2013 after leading San Jose State to 11 wins and a top 25 ranking in 2012. It was Lindgren's first year at SJS, and the success of that team gave him great reviews as one of the best young offensive coordinators around.
When one goes back, however, it is easy to note that maybe the success Lindgren had at SJS was due mostly to David Fales, their excellent quarterback now with the Chicago Bears. Fales holds most of the SJS passing records despite being at the school for only two years.
When MacIntyre and Lindgren came to Colorado in 2013, they inherited a team that was possibly the worst in the country in 2012. What they also inherited was a 5* quarterback transfer from Texas in Connor Wood. Despite the pedigree, Lindgren was unable to coach Wood into a top quarterback. In fact, seven games into the season, Wood was benched and freshman Sefo Liufau took over the reins. Wood decided to leave football after that year.
Liufau finished out 2013 as the starter and in 2014 broke many Colorado passing records. Most of the records were due to the sheer volume of passes attempted. Sefo attempted 498 passes in 2014.
By comparison, Koy Detmer threw 458 in '95 and '96 combined. And Kordell Stewart averaged 261 passes each of his three seasons as starter. Kordell also left CU with more almost 1300 yards rushing.)
"Yards per Attempt" (Y/A) is one of they key stats for quarterbacks. Compare the following #'s in Y/A for notable quarterbacks:
9.1 -- Koy Detmer
9.0 -- Darian Hagan
8.9 -- David Fales
8.4 -- Troy Aikman
8.3 -- Kordell Stewart
6.5 -- Sefo Liufau
Each pass attempted by the first five listed was 30-40% more effective in gaining yards than those thrown by the Colorado QB who broke so many records under the guidance of Brian Lindgren.
Even more important than Y/A is the record a team has under the guidance of an exceptional quarterback. These records are for when each was the primary quarterback (starter unless injured) for their team.
30-5-3 Darian Hagan
28-6-2 Kordell Stewart
20-4 Koy Detmer
20-4 Troy Aikman
17-8 David Fales
3-15 Sefo Liufau
Sefo Liufau has been added purely for statistical and comparative reasons. Unlike the others listed above, he was truly thrust into the fire his true freshman season. No redshirt year... no backup up year.... Just take over for a team that has been struggling for a decade.
That being the case, his QB coach and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren needs to take all the criticism for lack of production from the quarterback and the offense.
If (or when) the Buffs turn it around, all the credit should go to Sefo and his fellow players. If not, the blame falls on the coaches. Like in war, privates and corporals can be heroes, but the loss of the battle belongs on the officers, and ultimately the commanding officer.
A great quarterback rains fire from the sky and sometimes even slashes and burns across the gridiron. Like a general who will not be defeated, he marshals his troops to the most advantageous and strategic positions to ensure victory.
Fans know that certain quarterbacks give their team a REAL chance to win to every time they step on the field. Some coaches use their proximity to exceptional quarterbacks to further, or even "make" their careers. They can do this because coaches can take credit for an exceptional quarterback. The problems arise when the exceptional quarterback leaves and the coach has not found another one to take his place.
No one can doubt that Troy Aikman was an exceptional quarterback. After two years at Oklahoma he transferred to UCLA, where he went on to become a consensus All-American and the #1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. He was a 3-time Super Champion for the Dallas Cowboys and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
One coach who rode Aikman to greater glory for himself was Rick Neuheisel. He parlayed his role as QB coach to Aikman in 1988 to fancy himself a quarterback guru in years to come. Back in the late 80's, reality set in when he was moved to coach wide receivers a year after Aikman was gone.
That didn't slow down slick Rick, however, as he moved on to the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1994, and as quarterbacks coach, he inherited not one, but TWO exceptional quarterbacks in Kordell Stewart and Koy Detmer. (Just a note: The Slickster's Wikipedia page claims that Neuheisel was the offensive coordinator for CU in 1994, but that is NOT true. Elliot Uzelac was the offensive coordinator under Bill McCartney in '94).
The 1994 Buffaloes were arguably the best CU team ever. It was loaded with NFL talent. They had SEVEN players taken in the first 3 rounds of the 1995 NFL Draft, and nine drafted overall. Needless to say, that would have been a great team no matter who was coaching quarterbacks.
Neuheisel somehow convinced CU president Judith Albino he was the right guy to fill the shoes of Bill McCartney when Mac suddenly announced his retirement at the end of the season. Rick was young, good looking, had a law degree, and seemed like the perfect guy to carry on the McCartney legacy (in Albino's eyes, anyway). Problem was, Neuheisel was not a Mac guy. He had only been in Boulder for one year. Mac gave Albino advice on who to promote to head coach, but his advice was ignored.
In '95 and '96, Neuheisel had teams that were built by Mac and led by perhaps the best football mind ever to take a snap at CU in Koy Detmer. This writer remembers when Koy came to Colorado and hearing stories from some sports writers at the Daily Camera about how football savvy the kid was.
Traditionally, when college players go to meetings it is to learn from their coaches. Stories were told then about the young gun from Texas who taught his coaches a thing or two about playing quarterback. (It helps when your father is a high school coaching legend and your brother is a Heisman Trophy winner.) Put it this way, if Koy had the body or athletic gifts of Troy Aikman or Kordell Stewart, he would have been the best quarterback ever to play the game. He was a football savant with a skinny and fragile body.
With Detmer as the primary QB, the Buffs won 10 games each year in '95 and '96. When he left, along with all those great players recruited by McCartney and his staff, the wheels fell off the bus at Colorado. With Koy on the field (or the sideline when injured), the Buffs finished the season ranked #4 in '95 and #8 in '96. Their record was 20-4.
After Detmer graduated on to the NFL, Neuheisel's Buffs won 13 games and lost 10 over the next two years. There were also reports that the NCAA was investigating Colorado for recruiting violations. Like a rat fleeing a sinking ship, the Slickster headed west and took the job at Washington.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH COLORADO IN 2015?
Brian Lindgren, the current Colorado QB coach and Offensive Coordinator, came with coach Mike MacIntyre to Colorado in 2013 after leading San Jose State to 11 wins and a top 25 ranking in 2012. It was Lindgren's first year at SJS, and the success of that team gave him great reviews as one of the best young offensive coordinators around.
When one goes back, however, it is easy to note that maybe the success Lindgren had at SJS was due mostly to David Fales, their excellent quarterback now with the Chicago Bears. Fales holds most of the SJS passing records despite being at the school for only two years.
When MacIntyre and Lindgren came to Colorado in 2013, they inherited a team that was possibly the worst in the country in 2012. What they also inherited was a 5* quarterback transfer from Texas in Connor Wood. Despite the pedigree, Lindgren was unable to coach Wood into a top quarterback. In fact, seven games into the season, Wood was benched and freshman Sefo Liufau took over the reins. Wood decided to leave football after that year.
Liufau finished out 2013 as the starter and in 2014 broke many Colorado passing records. Most of the records were due to the sheer volume of passes attempted. Sefo attempted 498 passes in 2014.
By comparison, Koy Detmer threw 458 in '95 and '96 combined. And Kordell Stewart averaged 261 passes each of his three seasons as starter. Kordell also left CU with more almost 1300 yards rushing.)
"Yards per Attempt" (Y/A) is one of they key stats for quarterbacks. Compare the following #'s in Y/A for notable quarterbacks:
9.1 -- Koy Detmer
9.0 -- Darian Hagan
8.9 -- David Fales
8.4 -- Troy Aikman
8.3 -- Kordell Stewart
6.5 -- Sefo Liufau
Each pass attempted by the first five listed was 30-40% more effective in gaining yards than those thrown by the Colorado QB who broke so many records under the guidance of Brian Lindgren.
Even more important than Y/A is the record a team has under the guidance of an exceptional quarterback. These records are for when each was the primary quarterback (starter unless injured) for their team.
30-5-3 Darian Hagan
28-6-2 Kordell Stewart
20-4 Koy Detmer
20-4 Troy Aikman
17-8 David Fales
3-15 Sefo Liufau
Sefo Liufau has been added purely for statistical and comparative reasons. Unlike the others listed above, he was truly thrust into the fire his true freshman season. No redshirt year... no backup up year.... Just take over for a team that has been struggling for a decade.
That being the case, his QB coach and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren needs to take all the criticism for lack of production from the quarterback and the offense.
If (or when) the Buffs turn it around, all the credit should go to Sefo and his fellow players. If not, the blame falls on the coaches. Like in war, privates and corporals can be heroes, but the loss of the battle belongs on the officers, and ultimately the commanding officer.
Monday, August 25, 2014
It's Time for Colorado Buff Fans to Get Over Paul Richardson
With less than four days before the start of the 2014 Colorado Football season, some Buff fans are doing some serious hand-wringing and fretting over the fact that Paul Richardson has moved on to the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. They need to stop worrying.
The 2014 CU Buffs will be a better TEAM without Richardson.
While reading the stories and blogs (and their comments) about CU football, a common theme is that the Buffs will be unable to overcome the loss of Paul Richardson. Many of the comments by younger folks than myself give the impression that they think that Paul Richardson was the best player ever to don the Black and Gold. These people need to listen to their elders when we tell them that is not the case. In reality...
Richardson was the best player on some of the worst Colorado teams ever.
Colorado's record while he was in Boulder was 13 wins and 36 losses, and many of those were some of the worst losses in CU history. Although Paul stood out as a shining light in some very dark times for Colorado football, the fact remains that he was not enough of an impact player to make CU a winning team.
His stats from 2013 were impressive:
Compare Richardson's season with that of Mike Pritchard in 1990.
His stats from CU's National Championship team were amazing:
The moral of the story is that Pritchard was a great player on a great team.
A winning team is not made by lots of passes to just one guy.
In addition to the National Champion team in 1990, every Buff fans should know about the 1989 and 1994 teams.
The '89 team went undefeated in the regular season and lost in the Orange Bowl as the #1 team. That 1989 team threw a grand total of only 102 passes the entire year. But they had 4 receivers who averaged more than 24 yards per catch. They also rushed for 4,090 yards as a team.
The 1994 team may have been the most talented in Colorado history.
Quarterback Kordell Stewart threw for 2071 yards and rushed for 639. His top 5 receivers that year were:
(Those numbers do not reflect the bowl game -- Salaam rushed for 3 touchdowns, while Stewart took the Offensive MVP with 205 yards passing and 143 rushing.)
The team blew one game to arch-rival Nebraska to be denied the National Championship game. I watched from the stands as they destroyed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl 41-24 to finish the season ranked #3.
The 2013 Buffs threw lots of passes. They had to. The were one of the worst teams in the country at rushing the ball.
Last year, the Buffs threw four times as many passes as the 1989 team that played for the National Championship.
They threw twice as many as the team that won the National title in 1990.
They threw 155 more passes than the 1994 team.
The 2014 Buffs must be able to run the ball and control the field.
Last year, the Buffs were the worst in the Pac-12 at getting into the red-zone and also into the end zone for touchdowns on their way to a four win season.
This year, if they want to be competitive in the best conference in the country, they need to change that. They need to compete in the trenches. If they continue to get manhandled on the lines, a great talent like Paul Richardson cannot make them a winning team.
Football is a TEAM sport, and great numbers for one guy don't mean squat.
The 2014 CU Buffs will be a better TEAM without Richardson.
While reading the stories and blogs (and their comments) about CU football, a common theme is that the Buffs will be unable to overcome the loss of Paul Richardson. Many of the comments by younger folks than myself give the impression that they think that Paul Richardson was the best player ever to don the Black and Gold. These people need to listen to their elders when we tell them that is not the case. In reality...
Richardson was the best player on some of the worst Colorado teams ever.
Colorado's record while he was in Boulder was 13 wins and 36 losses, and many of those were some of the worst losses in CU history. Although Paul stood out as a shining light in some very dark times for Colorado football, the fact remains that he was not enough of an impact player to make CU a winning team.
His stats from 2013 were impressive:
- 83 catches for 1,343 yards.
- 1 rush for 7 yards.
- 10 touchdowns.
- Total all purpose yards -- 1,350 on 84 touches.
- An average just over 16 yards every time he touched the ball.
Compare Richardson's season with that of Mike Pritchard in 1990.
His stats from CU's National Championship team were amazing:
- 28 catches for 733 yards.
- 29 rushes for 450 yards.
- 16 kickoff returns for 331 yards.
- 11 touchdowns.
- Total all purpose yards -- 1,514 yards on 73 touches.
- More than 20.7 yards every time he touched the ball.
The moral of the story is that Pritchard was a great player on a great team.
A winning team is not made by lots of passes to just one guy.
In addition to the National Champion team in 1990, every Buff fans should know about the 1989 and 1994 teams.
The '89 team went undefeated in the regular season and lost in the Orange Bowl as the #1 team. That 1989 team threw a grand total of only 102 passes the entire year. But they had 4 receivers who averaged more than 24 yards per catch. They also rushed for 4,090 yards as a team.
The 1994 team may have been the most talented in Colorado history.
Quarterback Kordell Stewart threw for 2071 yards and rushed for 639. His top 5 receivers that year were:
- Michael Westbrook -- 36 catches for 689 yards.
- Christian Fauria -- 35 catches for 356 yards.
- Rashaan Salaam -- 24 catches for 294 yards.
- Phil Savoy -- 17 catches for 283 yards.
- Rae Carruth -- 14 catches for 255 yards.
(Those numbers do not reflect the bowl game -- Salaam rushed for 3 touchdowns, while Stewart took the Offensive MVP with 205 yards passing and 143 rushing.)
The team blew one game to arch-rival Nebraska to be denied the National Championship game. I watched from the stands as they destroyed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl 41-24 to finish the season ranked #3.
The 2013 Buffs threw lots of passes. They had to. The were one of the worst teams in the country at rushing the ball.
Last year, the Buffs threw four times as many passes as the 1989 team that played for the National Championship.
They threw twice as many as the team that won the National title in 1990.
They threw 155 more passes than the 1994 team.
The 2014 Buffs must be able to run the ball and control the field.
Last year, the Buffs were the worst in the Pac-12 at getting into the red-zone and also into the end zone for touchdowns on their way to a four win season.
This year, if they want to be competitive in the best conference in the country, they need to change that. They need to compete in the trenches. If they continue to get manhandled on the lines, a great talent like Paul Richardson cannot make them a winning team.
Football is a TEAM sport, and great numbers for one guy don't mean squat.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
The Bill McCartney Connection Still Runs Deep for the University of Colorado Buffaloes
Getting out to watch the CU Buffs fall football camp was made even more exciting on Monday when I noticed that one of the men moving along the sidelines of the practice fields was none other than retired Colorado coaching legend Bill McCartney. Even now, almost 18 years since he roamed the hallowed grounds of Folsom Field, his presence is still commanding.
Bill still has the great smile and his deep voice remains capable of stirring the soul and rousing passion for life and football. Having him there was a great thing for new coach Mike MacIntyre. After all, McCartney is the man who led Colorado to two National Championship games (and barely missed out on a third) and one title. He also earned national Coach of the Year honors once as well as Big 8 Coach of the Year 3 times. Earlier this year he was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame
All these years later, when Bill McCartney talks, coaches and players alike are well advised to listen. That being the case, one of the great things that the CU football team has going for it is the fact that the team has TWO grandsons of McCartney involved in the program.
Graduate assistant T.C. McCartney is the son of former CU starting quarterback Sal Aunese, who died on Sept. 23, 1989, from stomach cancer. That CU team rallied around Aunese and, led by Darian Hagan, ran the table during the season to go undefeated and was ranked number one in the country going into the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Buffs lost the national title after playing their worst game of the season to Notre Dame. After a poor start the following year, the Buffs rallied from a 1-1-1 record to begin the season to winning the national championship following a rematch victory over Notre Dame.
Sal Aunese was recruited to Colorado by current LSU coach Les Miles. Media reports have said that Miles made a promise that he would make sure that Sal's infant son would have a scholarship waiting when he graduated high school. Miles kept that promise, and T.C. was a member of the LSU National Championship team in 2007.
Following his graduation from LSU, T.C. worked with Les Miles as a graduate assistant and helped get his team to the BCS title game. Following that year, he moved back to Boulder to become a graduate assistant at CU.
On the field itself for Buffs is another McCartney grandson. Derek McCartney is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman who father Shannon Clavelle played for the Buffs in the 1990s before moving on to the NFL Green Bay Packers in 1995. Clavelle also played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both T.C. and Derek attended high school in Colorado. T.C. played for his uncle Tom McCartney at 4A Fairview High School in Boulder before attending LSU. Derek played his high school ball at 2A Faith Christian High School in Westminster.
It was a great thrill to see Bill on the practice field with the Buffs, and it gives hope for the future that two of his grandsons are with the program. They have had their whole lives to learn from their grandfather, and the lessons they have learned can only help their teammates.
Bill still has the great smile and his deep voice remains capable of stirring the soul and rousing passion for life and football. Having him there was a great thing for new coach Mike MacIntyre. After all, McCartney is the man who led Colorado to two National Championship games (and barely missed out on a third) and one title. He also earned national Coach of the Year honors once as well as Big 8 Coach of the Year 3 times. Earlier this year he was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame
All these years later, when Bill McCartney talks, coaches and players alike are well advised to listen. That being the case, one of the great things that the CU football team has going for it is the fact that the team has TWO grandsons of McCartney involved in the program.
Graduate assistant T.C. McCartney is the son of former CU starting quarterback Sal Aunese, who died on Sept. 23, 1989, from stomach cancer. That CU team rallied around Aunese and, led by Darian Hagan, ran the table during the season to go undefeated and was ranked number one in the country going into the Orange Bowl in Miami. The Buffs lost the national title after playing their worst game of the season to Notre Dame. After a poor start the following year, the Buffs rallied from a 1-1-1 record to begin the season to winning the national championship following a rematch victory over Notre Dame.
Sal Aunese was recruited to Colorado by current LSU coach Les Miles. Media reports have said that Miles made a promise that he would make sure that Sal's infant son would have a scholarship waiting when he graduated high school. Miles kept that promise, and T.C. was a member of the LSU National Championship team in 2007.
Following his graduation from LSU, T.C. worked with Les Miles as a graduate assistant and helped get his team to the BCS title game. Following that year, he moved back to Boulder to become a graduate assistant at CU.
On the field itself for Buffs is another McCartney grandson. Derek McCartney is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman who father Shannon Clavelle played for the Buffs in the 1990s before moving on to the NFL Green Bay Packers in 1995. Clavelle also played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both T.C. and Derek attended high school in Colorado. T.C. played for his uncle Tom McCartney at 4A Fairview High School in Boulder before attending LSU. Derek played his high school ball at 2A Faith Christian High School in Westminster.
It was a great thrill to see Bill on the practice field with the Buffs, and it gives hope for the future that two of his grandsons are with the program. They have had their whole lives to learn from their grandfather, and the lessons they have learned can only help their teammates.
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