Although the Colorado Buffaloes sit at 3-1, one third of the way through the regular season, things seem to be amiss in the Buffaloes program. After finally having a breakthrough winning season last year, most fans expected Colorado to double down on all the hard work that had brought them from worst to first in 2016.
With one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the FBS, the Buffaloes were expected to romp in their first three games and then show the country how far they'd come in the rematch of last season's Pac-12 Championship game. Instead, Mike MacIntyre's team seemingly sleepwalked to 3-0 against over-matched opponents and then were bulldozed yet again by the Washington Huskies in a carbon copy of their beat-down last December.
Now the Buffaloes venture outside the State of Colorado for the first time this season, and travel to Pasadena to take on UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Even though the Bruins have struggled mightily this season, they are still favored to beat Colorado. How will the Buffs react to that?
Washington is a Top 5 or 6 team, so CU knew they would be the underdog. Although UCLA has some outstanding players who are destined to end up in the NFL, collectively they are not a very good team. They are ranked worse than 100th in numerous categories on defense. Yet they are still favored to beat Colorado. It will be telling to see how the CU coaches and players play out this game.
If Colorado comes out and plays a full game for the first time this season, and dominates the Bruins, they can fully expect to contend for the Pac-12 South title. This is especially true with USC having already lost this weekend.
If the Buffaloes are manhandled by UCLA like they were Washington, however, it could turn into a long and disappointing season in Boulder. Coach MacIntyre's coach of the year trophies from last year will make interesting resume topics if the Buffaloes fall back to their losing ways.
This game may very well be the most important game of the year for MacIntyre as the Buffaloes. Indeed, it will be a bellwether game for good or bad if the score isn't close.
If it's a close game win for Colorado, they can still move forward and improve their team. If it's a close loss, the Buffaloes can learn and still go bowling. But a loss of any sort or magnitude will likely take them out of the running for the Pac-12 South.
The question at hand, 90 minutes before kickoff, is whether the 2016 inspired Buffaloes finally show up and show they care or not. The next few hours will be very telling.
Showing posts with label Rose Bowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rose Bowl. Show all posts
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
The Pac-12's "Moral Authority" Took a Beating This Week
Those of us who have been lifelong fans of the Pac 8-10-12 over the decades have always been pretty firm in our belief that "our" college athletics was handled in the proper manner. We believed that the primary reason for our universities was to educate, and that those attending our schools needed to be students first and athletes second. And despite this, the conference was the "Conference of Champions" in the national landscape.
We believed our blood brothers in this rightful hierarchy of academic and athletics was the Big 10. The schools in the two conferences were not only among the best in the country, but also the world. In the latest world rankings of universities for academic achievement, the two conferences tied to the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them All) put a combined 16 schools among the best 100 in the entire world.
As schools from other parts of the country struggled to properly balance school with sport, we smugly patted ourselves on the back. When an investigative report on a national news program (like 60 Minutes) told us of some professional sports players filing suit against their universities because they had been pushed through and graduated to keep them eligible even though they were functionally illiterate, we shook our heads knowing that "those things" didn't happen in our parts of the country.
As college sports became Big Time and Big Money, however, the temptation for schools to win on the national stage became overwhelming. Simply allowing unqualified students to attend to help a school win seemed almost noble in comparison. Some rationalized that they would help these poor young men get the education they missed in high school, where they were also passed along to keep them eligible for sports.
Schools, particularly in basketball, went hard with handfuls (or bags full) of cash after young men who they knew would never even attend a collegiate course. They'd come in as FIVE STAR players, with cash in hand, play for one season and move on to professional basketball in the US or overseas before the NCAA caught on that they were not really students. There's even a name for them among the fans and press: The One and Done's.
It's a system which works for basketball because exceptional hardwood talents can be among the best in the country even as freshmen. It's much harder to do in football, but not totally unheard of.
When the FBI announced that they had made the first arrests of college coaches involved in high stakes bribery, and that system involved agents, financial managers, and even shoe companies, no one who follows college athletics was really surprised. Coaches were paid to advise young men who to hire as agents and advisors, and they were also directed to use money to lure young men to the "right" schools, where those with a financial stake could exercise influence over them.
That the Pac-12 had two of the first four coaches arrested was shocking to fans. Although, in reality, the USC coach was not a shock because, after all, USC has gotten in trouble before for athletes being paid. In fact, most fans in the Pac-12 refer to USC as an "Honorary SEC team" because of their predilection for running afoul of NCAA rules. The arrest of a coach at Arizona was another matter altogether.
The Wildcats were one of the Top 10 in all-time winning percentage. They had made it to the NCAA tournament every year except one in the last 32 years. They were the most consistently excellent program in the Pac-12 during those years. And now, it turns out, they've been paying players to go to Tucson. Head coach Sean Miller has not been arrested or indicted... yet. But his assistant, Emanuel "Book" Richardson was among the first arrested by the FBI. Most of us have a sneaking suspicion that the nickname "Book" has absolutely nothing to do with reading.
We were never surprised if the Louisville's or Kentucky's or Alabama's of the college landscape got caught paying players. Why would anyone willingly go to those places unless there was money involved? Isn't it amazing how certain we can be in our naivete?
The FBI claims that the first arrests were just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger, nationwide, problem of a multi-billion dollar industry being largely dependent on (officially) unpaid young athletes. How could that system possibly go wrong, right?
No matter what happens, fans from the Pac-12 have had their moral assured-ness in the propriety of their college athletics take a severe beating. They likely will never feel that way again. Overall, maybe that's a good thing. Blind faith in anything only leads to trouble.
We believed our blood brothers in this rightful hierarchy of academic and athletics was the Big 10. The schools in the two conferences were not only among the best in the country, but also the world. In the latest world rankings of universities for academic achievement, the two conferences tied to the Rose Bowl (The Granddaddy of them All) put a combined 16 schools among the best 100 in the entire world.
As schools from other parts of the country struggled to properly balance school with sport, we smugly patted ourselves on the back. When an investigative report on a national news program (like 60 Minutes) told us of some professional sports players filing suit against their universities because they had been pushed through and graduated to keep them eligible even though they were functionally illiterate, we shook our heads knowing that "those things" didn't happen in our parts of the country.
As college sports became Big Time and Big Money, however, the temptation for schools to win on the national stage became overwhelming. Simply allowing unqualified students to attend to help a school win seemed almost noble in comparison. Some rationalized that they would help these poor young men get the education they missed in high school, where they were also passed along to keep them eligible for sports.
Schools, particularly in basketball, went hard with handfuls (or bags full) of cash after young men who they knew would never even attend a collegiate course. They'd come in as FIVE STAR players, with cash in hand, play for one season and move on to professional basketball in the US or overseas before the NCAA caught on that they were not really students. There's even a name for them among the fans and press: The One and Done's.
It's a system which works for basketball because exceptional hardwood talents can be among the best in the country even as freshmen. It's much harder to do in football, but not totally unheard of.
When the FBI announced that they had made the first arrests of college coaches involved in high stakes bribery, and that system involved agents, financial managers, and even shoe companies, no one who follows college athletics was really surprised. Coaches were paid to advise young men who to hire as agents and advisors, and they were also directed to use money to lure young men to the "right" schools, where those with a financial stake could exercise influence over them.
That the Pac-12 had two of the first four coaches arrested was shocking to fans. Although, in reality, the USC coach was not a shock because, after all, USC has gotten in trouble before for athletes being paid. In fact, most fans in the Pac-12 refer to USC as an "Honorary SEC team" because of their predilection for running afoul of NCAA rules. The arrest of a coach at Arizona was another matter altogether.
The Wildcats were one of the Top 10 in all-time winning percentage. They had made it to the NCAA tournament every year except one in the last 32 years. They were the most consistently excellent program in the Pac-12 during those years. And now, it turns out, they've been paying players to go to Tucson. Head coach Sean Miller has not been arrested or indicted... yet. But his assistant, Emanuel "Book" Richardson was among the first arrested by the FBI. Most of us have a sneaking suspicion that the nickname "Book" has absolutely nothing to do with reading.
We were never surprised if the Louisville's or Kentucky's or Alabama's of the college landscape got caught paying players. Why would anyone willingly go to those places unless there was money involved? Isn't it amazing how certain we can be in our naivete?
The FBI claims that the first arrests were just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger, nationwide, problem of a multi-billion dollar industry being largely dependent on (officially) unpaid young athletes. How could that system possibly go wrong, right?
No matter what happens, fans from the Pac-12 have had their moral assured-ness in the propriety of their college athletics take a severe beating. They likely will never feel that way again. Overall, maybe that's a good thing. Blind faith in anything only leads to trouble.
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?
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Colorado's Offensive Shortcomings Exposed in 41-10 Loss to Washington in Pac-12 Championship Game
Once again, a top-notch defensive coordinator exposed the weaknesses of Colorado's offensive play caller, Brian Lindgren. The Huskies also exposed that Colorado's head coach Mike MacIntyre and the QB coach (Lindgren) sort of melt down emotionally and intellectually when Sefo Liufau gets injured.
The Colorado Buffaloes are a good football team. That is a good thing for long-suffering CU fans and students. The foundation and culture has been built for the Buffs to remain a Top 25 team for years to come.
The key to this foundation of Top 10 play is that the Buffs have one of the best defensive coordinators in all of college football in Jim Leavitt. They also have an excellent defensive staff in Joe Tumpkin, Charles Clark, and Jim Jeffcoat. Make no mistake about it, the outstanding D is the reason the Buffs won 10 games this year.
The great parts of being a Top 25 program are numerous. Lots of positive press and interest from top tier recruits combine with school and civic pride to make football fun and exciting for fans and players alike. Watch some of the videos from this year of jubilant students celebrating with their football playing classmates. The times have changed in Boulder.
The hard part of being a Top 25 team is that expectations are raised exponentially. Nobody is interested in the Buffs "playing a good game" and still coming up short. The Buffs had a decade of losing which led to fans grasping for any positive signs. After 10 wins this year, that's over.
Fans know that the Buffs will be playing excellent teams and that they probably will not win them all. They play in the Conference of Champions, and year in and year out they can expect that around half the teams in the Pac-12 will be Top 25 teams. And if they make it to the conference championship, they will likely be playing a Top 5 team.
It's tough sledding, but that's how competitive it is in the Power 5 conferences. Colorado needs to get used to that.
Every decent head coach and coordinator in football from high school on knows that you have to have a plan for each game. Every good coach knows that it should be a good plan. What makes a truly great coach is not only excellent planning, but also the ability to adapt to unexpected circumstances during the game.
The head coach needs to be on top it, for sure, but the coordinators are the ones who have to make the plans and then adjust during the game. It's their job.
Leavitt is excellent in all facets. He knew that Heisman candidate Jake Browning (he of the 65% completion percentage, 42 TD passes and only 7 interceptions) could dominate the game like he had against most of their opponents this year. Leavitt gambled that if the Buffs shut down Browning, the would be able to stay in the game. In fact, if someone was unable to watch the game and only read that the Buffs had held Browning to only 9 completions in 24 attempts, they would have likely assumed that the Buffs dominated the game.
Unfortunately for Leavitt and the Buffs, the offense did not seem to have a backup plan after it became clear that what they hoped for was not going to pan out. It's been a pattern against the better defenses all year. Another pattern is that the offensive play-caller tends to freeze up if Sefo Liufau goes down to injury.
What makes that strange is that when Steven Montez was expected to start a game this season, Lindgren seemed comfortable designing a call scheme for him. It worked against Oregon and Oregon State just fine.
But in the games against Michigan and Washington, it seemed as if Liufau's injured ankle has some sort of psychic connection to Lindgren's brain. Sprained ankle for one led to sprained brain for his coach.
Sefo Liufau injured his ankle in the first quarter in the game against Washington. It was a tough defensive battle with Washington holding a tenuous 14-7 lead at halftime. Montez had made some good throws and his team was ready to face adversity and follow him the rest of the game.
After watching Liufau struggle to walk on the sidelines and being led off to the locker room, every Buff fan felt bad for the young man. But they also hoped their team would overcome adversity and play strong in the second half.
Some of us watching the game on TV knew it was a bad omen when the sideline reporter quoted MacIntyre as saying "We need to get Sefo Liufau back in this game" instead of stating that Buffs needed to adjust and rally behind Montez. He was stating that ONLY Liufau could lead the Buffs to victory. He was wrong.
Despite the lopsided loss, apparently Mac and Lindgren got what they needed because they put an injured Sefo Liufau back in and that decision and typically bad play-calling led to three interceptions.
The first interception was a pick-six and the Buffs were down 21-7 with 14 seconds gone in the 3rd quarter. A close defensive game quickly became a rout as Liufau was unable to follow through on his throws which caused them to sail high, often into the arms of Washington defenders..
Although Liufau finished the game with only 3 completions in 13 attempts (and 3 interceptions), neither MacIntyre nor Lindgren could fathom the idea of taking Liufau out of the game to rest his sprained ankle. No, apparently the idea of taking him out would be admitting they screwed up.
What Mac and Lindgren need to realize is that whether they admit it or not, they screwed up and screwed their team.
Some simple stats --
While Montez was in the game, the Buffs and Huskies each scored 7 points.
With Sefo Luifau in the lineup at quarterback, the Huskies outscored the Buffs 34-3.
Draw you own conclusions.
When MacIntyre and Lindgren opted to put an injured QB back in to start the 3rd quarter, they risked an entire season's worth of hard work by 100 guys to protect the legacy of one guy.
It's an old adage that the good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one. Unfortunately for the many on the Colorado sidelines (and in the stands and watching on TV) last night, the few who could have made the right choice instead opted for the good of the few (or the one).
--------------------------------
But hey, it was a successful season. Nobody expected 10 wins. Nobody expected the Rose Bowl either, and the Colorado coaches shouldn't expect it now either. If they lost a close defensive game to the #4 team in the country, they could have argued that Colorado deserved the Rose Bowl if Washington was in the Playoffs. But a 41-10 destruction is another matter. Most folks on the east coast didn't even see the game, they just saw the score this morning and figured the Colorado got beaten across the board
But the truth is that only one of the big three of the Buffs (Leavitt) did the job well. Mac and Lindgren faced adversity and found themselves wanting. Again.
I hear it's lovely in San Antonio.
The Colorado Buffaloes are a good football team. That is a good thing for long-suffering CU fans and students. The foundation and culture has been built for the Buffs to remain a Top 25 team for years to come.
The key to this foundation of Top 10 play is that the Buffs have one of the best defensive coordinators in all of college football in Jim Leavitt. They also have an excellent defensive staff in Joe Tumpkin, Charles Clark, and Jim Jeffcoat. Make no mistake about it, the outstanding D is the reason the Buffs won 10 games this year.
The great parts of being a Top 25 program are numerous. Lots of positive press and interest from top tier recruits combine with school and civic pride to make football fun and exciting for fans and players alike. Watch some of the videos from this year of jubilant students celebrating with their football playing classmates. The times have changed in Boulder.
The hard part of being a Top 25 team is that expectations are raised exponentially. Nobody is interested in the Buffs "playing a good game" and still coming up short. The Buffs had a decade of losing which led to fans grasping for any positive signs. After 10 wins this year, that's over.
Fans know that the Buffs will be playing excellent teams and that they probably will not win them all. They play in the Conference of Champions, and year in and year out they can expect that around half the teams in the Pac-12 will be Top 25 teams. And if they make it to the conference championship, they will likely be playing a Top 5 team.
It's tough sledding, but that's how competitive it is in the Power 5 conferences. Colorado needs to get used to that.
Every decent head coach and coordinator in football from high school on knows that you have to have a plan for each game. Every good coach knows that it should be a good plan. What makes a truly great coach is not only excellent planning, but also the ability to adapt to unexpected circumstances during the game.
The head coach needs to be on top it, for sure, but the coordinators are the ones who have to make the plans and then adjust during the game. It's their job.
Leavitt is excellent in all facets. He knew that Heisman candidate Jake Browning (he of the 65% completion percentage, 42 TD passes and only 7 interceptions) could dominate the game like he had against most of their opponents this year. Leavitt gambled that if the Buffs shut down Browning, the would be able to stay in the game. In fact, if someone was unable to watch the game and only read that the Buffs had held Browning to only 9 completions in 24 attempts, they would have likely assumed that the Buffs dominated the game.
Unfortunately for Leavitt and the Buffs, the offense did not seem to have a backup plan after it became clear that what they hoped for was not going to pan out. It's been a pattern against the better defenses all year. Another pattern is that the offensive play-caller tends to freeze up if Sefo Liufau goes down to injury.
What makes that strange is that when Steven Montez was expected to start a game this season, Lindgren seemed comfortable designing a call scheme for him. It worked against Oregon and Oregon State just fine.
But in the games against Michigan and Washington, it seemed as if Liufau's injured ankle has some sort of psychic connection to Lindgren's brain. Sprained ankle for one led to sprained brain for his coach.
Sefo Liufau injured his ankle in the first quarter in the game against Washington. It was a tough defensive battle with Washington holding a tenuous 14-7 lead at halftime. Montez had made some good throws and his team was ready to face adversity and follow him the rest of the game.
After watching Liufau struggle to walk on the sidelines and being led off to the locker room, every Buff fan felt bad for the young man. But they also hoped their team would overcome adversity and play strong in the second half.
Some of us watching the game on TV knew it was a bad omen when the sideline reporter quoted MacIntyre as saying "We need to get Sefo Liufau back in this game" instead of stating that Buffs needed to adjust and rally behind Montez. He was stating that ONLY Liufau could lead the Buffs to victory. He was wrong.
Despite the lopsided loss, apparently Mac and Lindgren got what they needed because they put an injured Sefo Liufau back in and that decision and typically bad play-calling led to three interceptions.
The first interception was a pick-six and the Buffs were down 21-7 with 14 seconds gone in the 3rd quarter. A close defensive game quickly became a rout as Liufau was unable to follow through on his throws which caused them to sail high, often into the arms of Washington defenders..
Although Liufau finished the game with only 3 completions in 13 attempts (and 3 interceptions), neither MacIntyre nor Lindgren could fathom the idea of taking Liufau out of the game to rest his sprained ankle. No, apparently the idea of taking him out would be admitting they screwed up.
What Mac and Lindgren need to realize is that whether they admit it or not, they screwed up and screwed their team.
Some simple stats --
While Montez was in the game, the Buffs and Huskies each scored 7 points.
With Sefo Luifau in the lineup at quarterback, the Huskies outscored the Buffs 34-3.
Draw you own conclusions.
When MacIntyre and Lindgren opted to put an injured QB back in to start the 3rd quarter, they risked an entire season's worth of hard work by 100 guys to protect the legacy of one guy.
It's an old adage that the good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one. Unfortunately for the many on the Colorado sidelines (and in the stands and watching on TV) last night, the few who could have made the right choice instead opted for the good of the few (or the one).
--------------------------------
But hey, it was a successful season. Nobody expected 10 wins. Nobody expected the Rose Bowl either, and the Colorado coaches shouldn't expect it now either. If they lost a close defensive game to the #4 team in the country, they could have argued that Colorado deserved the Rose Bowl if Washington was in the Playoffs. But a 41-10 destruction is another matter. Most folks on the east coast didn't even see the game, they just saw the score this morning and figured the Colorado got beaten across the board
But the truth is that only one of the big three of the Buffs (Leavitt) did the job well. Mac and Lindgren faced adversity and found themselves wanting. Again.
I hear it's lovely in San Antonio.
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
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Day Sefo Liufau Became "The Man" -- and the Colorado Buffaloes Became a TEAM
November 2, 2013 -- Make note of the day. In years to come, it will be remembered as the day Sefo Liufau grew from the true freshman just months out of high school into the MAN who will lead Colorado back to respectability.
Critics of the Buffaloes will harp on the fact that Colorado's loss to #16 UCLA in the Rose Bowl was yet just another in too many consecutive losses to Pac-12 opponents. What these critics DO NOT see is just how how far Colorado has come under Mike MacIntyre. And they do not see how close CU came to playing a competitive ball game for four quarters against a ranked opponent on the road.
Even if he does not share it publicly, the head coach of the Buffs must be very happy in his heart this morning. He took a downtrodden program that was known for quitting or just going through the motions last year, and began the arduous task of rebuilding the Buffaloes into a TEAM.
It took much of spring practice to get the guys to enjoy playing football again, and it took much of pre-season for them to learn to respect and support one another again. Seven games into the 2013 season, the Buffs had tripled their win total from last year.
In game eight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Buffs made their biggest improvement to date because they learned to FIGHT. The offense, led by star wide receiver Paul Richardson, finally decided that they were not going to take BS from anyone. And when the entire offensive line went after Anthony Barr, the top defensive player in the country, following his cheap shot on Liufau, the path back to respectability by the Buffs was finally chosen.
The impetus for the change most certainly came from Liufau. No matter how many times he was knocked down by cheap shots from UCLA, he got up and went back at 'em. He stood up to Barr, and his line came back to help. Despite the pounding, Liufau completed 25 of 36 passes for 247 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. After this game, Sefo will never again be the young kid trying to adjust to the speed of the college game. He has seen it and knows he can play.
Truth be told, two plays separated this game from a nail biter. An unfortunate fumble by Ryan Severson on a kickoff return gave the Bruins the ball in scoring position. And a long 76 yard pass from Brett Hundley to Devin Fuller that was oh-so-close to being a sack or at least being hit as the ball was thrown. Take those two plays away and the Bruins are looking at one touchdown game.
Take a couple of missed field goals by CU and the game is neck and neck. Turn a couple of those field goals into touchdowns and CU maybe wins this game. The willingness to fight and protect their leader Liufau will make CU a team to be reckoned with going forward.
If the defense and the special teams can adopt the same fight, Colorado will be a much better team from this point on. If it happens this week, the Buffs stand a real chance of standing toe to toe with Washington on the road. Liufau grew up in Washington and has lots of family and friends that will be on hand to support him. He is ready to lead the Buffs to their first Pac-12 win of the season. There will be many more to come.
Mark down the date. The Buffs have 16 games between now and the end of next season. The prediction here is that Colorado wins at least half those games. MacIntyre and his staff have worked very hard to get the program at Colorado turned around. The game against UCLA marked a major turning point, and it was one that had to made before the Buffs finally start to see their progress reflected in the final score.
********************************
Seeing the Colorado and UCLA players on field after the game sharing handshakes and hugs was all the proof anyone could ever need to see why Colorado has found the right home in the Pac-12. CU has a huge alumni base in California. Moving forward, since so many of the Buff football players come from the Golden State, it will only help in recruiting the fertile football valleys of California if those young men know that they can return home and play in front of their families and friends, and with and against longtime rivals.
Go Buffs!
Critics of the Buffaloes will harp on the fact that Colorado's loss to #16 UCLA in the Rose Bowl was yet just another in too many consecutive losses to Pac-12 opponents. What these critics DO NOT see is just how how far Colorado has come under Mike MacIntyre. And they do not see how close CU came to playing a competitive ball game for four quarters against a ranked opponent on the road.
Even if he does not share it publicly, the head coach of the Buffs must be very happy in his heart this morning. He took a downtrodden program that was known for quitting or just going through the motions last year, and began the arduous task of rebuilding the Buffaloes into a TEAM.
It took much of spring practice to get the guys to enjoy playing football again, and it took much of pre-season for them to learn to respect and support one another again. Seven games into the 2013 season, the Buffs had tripled their win total from last year.
In game eight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Buffs made their biggest improvement to date because they learned to FIGHT. The offense, led by star wide receiver Paul Richardson, finally decided that they were not going to take BS from anyone. And when the entire offensive line went after Anthony Barr, the top defensive player in the country, following his cheap shot on Liufau, the path back to respectability by the Buffs was finally chosen.
The impetus for the change most certainly came from Liufau. No matter how many times he was knocked down by cheap shots from UCLA, he got up and went back at 'em. He stood up to Barr, and his line came back to help. Despite the pounding, Liufau completed 25 of 36 passes for 247 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. After this game, Sefo will never again be the young kid trying to adjust to the speed of the college game. He has seen it and knows he can play.
Truth be told, two plays separated this game from a nail biter. An unfortunate fumble by Ryan Severson on a kickoff return gave the Bruins the ball in scoring position. And a long 76 yard pass from Brett Hundley to Devin Fuller that was oh-so-close to being a sack or at least being hit as the ball was thrown. Take those two plays away and the Bruins are looking at one touchdown game.
Take a couple of missed field goals by CU and the game is neck and neck. Turn a couple of those field goals into touchdowns and CU maybe wins this game. The willingness to fight and protect their leader Liufau will make CU a team to be reckoned with going forward.
If the defense and the special teams can adopt the same fight, Colorado will be a much better team from this point on. If it happens this week, the Buffs stand a real chance of standing toe to toe with Washington on the road. Liufau grew up in Washington and has lots of family and friends that will be on hand to support him. He is ready to lead the Buffs to their first Pac-12 win of the season. There will be many more to come.
Mark down the date. The Buffs have 16 games between now and the end of next season. The prediction here is that Colorado wins at least half those games. MacIntyre and his staff have worked very hard to get the program at Colorado turned around. The game against UCLA marked a major turning point, and it was one that had to made before the Buffs finally start to see their progress reflected in the final score.
********************************
Seeing the Colorado and UCLA players on field after the game sharing handshakes and hugs was all the proof anyone could ever need to see why Colorado has found the right home in the Pac-12. CU has a huge alumni base in California. Moving forward, since so many of the Buff football players come from the Golden State, it will only help in recruiting the fertile football valleys of California if those young men know that they can return home and play in front of their families and friends, and with and against longtime rivals.
Go Buffs!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
What Colorado Buff Fans Should Expect Against UCLA at the Rose Bowl
Mike MacIntyre's Colorado Buffaloes take on the Bruins of UCLA today at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The game will be televised at 5:30 pm (Mountain Daylight Time) on FS1.
The Bruins were undefeated and riding high with a national ranking to match after their first five games to the season. The were scoring points at the clip of almost 46 points per game, while giving up a mere 18.
But that was before running into the conference buzz saws of Oregon and Stanford, both on the road, the last two weeks. During those contests, their offensive output dropped to 12 points per game in the two losses, while the Bruins surrendered 33 points per game.
The Bruins are quite happy to be back home in the Rose Bowl to face Colorado, and they are hoping to get their numbers back to "normal" and another win. A win by UCLA would make them bowl eligible. Future games that will be harder to count on as wins include a tough trip to Tucson to face Arizona before welcoming Washington and the red hot Arizona State Sun Devils to Pasadena. The Bruins finish off the regular season a few miles down the road against bitter rival and rejuvenated USC at the Coliseum. For UCLA, the Colorado game looks to be the only "gimme" left in a conference where gimme's are hard to come by.
The Buffaloes arrived in Los Angeles with four big losses in conference games this year, and a losing streak in the Pac-12 that goes back to early in the 2012 season. Coach Mac and his Buffs know that they have tough row to hoe to pull off the upset.
What do the Buffs have going for them?
Well, for starters, more than 40 players for CU grew up in and played their high school football in the Golden State. Lots of them will have friends and family in the stands and they do not want to look bad in front of their peeps. On top of that, many of them played with and against the players from UCLA, and they share rivalries that go back to high school and before.
The Colorado kickoff returns continue to get better and better each week. Ryan Severson has gotten very close to breaking one for a touchdown and may be able to take one to the house today. As it is, he now stands 2nd in the Pac-12, averaging 28.6 yards per return. Buff fans hope, however, that Severson does not get too many opportunities to break one.
Although CU starting quarterback Sefo Liufau is only a freshman making his third start, he is becoming more aware of the speed of Pac-12 defenders and adjusting his game. Fortunately, Sefo should have his favorite receiver Paul Richardson available for the game. Having a guy who is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball makes life as a quarterback a little less stressful.
The Buffs have the Pac-12's leading tackler in freshman Addison Gillam. Greg Henderson leads the conference in interceptions per game and also passes defended. And Chidera Uzo-Diribe leads the conference and the nation in fumbles forced per game.
What problems do the Buffs face?
The offensive and defensive lines of the Buffaloes have been consistently overpowered within conference play. They have sometimes held their own for a quarter or even close to a half, but then tend to wear down.
The play-calling by CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, especially when throwing the ball, has been VERY predictable and easy to defend. Even with the skills of Richardson, the Buff passing game is not nearly as big a threat as it could be.
The running game, or lack thereof, can most certainly be attributed to the youth of the offensive line. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the most effective running back, Michael Adkins, will miss (most likely) the game due to a concussion suffered last week.
Do the Buffs stand a chance?
Realistically, not much of one. But it certainly would not be the biggest upset ever if they do pull out a win. Colorado would have to play their best game in several years to win this one unless UCLA hurts itself over and over again with turnovers and penalties.
Keys to the Game for Colorado:
Go Buffs!
The Bruins were undefeated and riding high with a national ranking to match after their first five games to the season. The were scoring points at the clip of almost 46 points per game, while giving up a mere 18.
But that was before running into the conference buzz saws of Oregon and Stanford, both on the road, the last two weeks. During those contests, their offensive output dropped to 12 points per game in the two losses, while the Bruins surrendered 33 points per game.
The Bruins are quite happy to be back home in the Rose Bowl to face Colorado, and they are hoping to get their numbers back to "normal" and another win. A win by UCLA would make them bowl eligible. Future games that will be harder to count on as wins include a tough trip to Tucson to face Arizona before welcoming Washington and the red hot Arizona State Sun Devils to Pasadena. The Bruins finish off the regular season a few miles down the road against bitter rival and rejuvenated USC at the Coliseum. For UCLA, the Colorado game looks to be the only "gimme" left in a conference where gimme's are hard to come by.
The Buffaloes arrived in Los Angeles with four big losses in conference games this year, and a losing streak in the Pac-12 that goes back to early in the 2012 season. Coach Mac and his Buffs know that they have tough row to hoe to pull off the upset.
What do the Buffs have going for them?
Well, for starters, more than 40 players for CU grew up in and played their high school football in the Golden State. Lots of them will have friends and family in the stands and they do not want to look bad in front of their peeps. On top of that, many of them played with and against the players from UCLA, and they share rivalries that go back to high school and before.
The Colorado kickoff returns continue to get better and better each week. Ryan Severson has gotten very close to breaking one for a touchdown and may be able to take one to the house today. As it is, he now stands 2nd in the Pac-12, averaging 28.6 yards per return. Buff fans hope, however, that Severson does not get too many opportunities to break one.
Although CU starting quarterback Sefo Liufau is only a freshman making his third start, he is becoming more aware of the speed of Pac-12 defenders and adjusting his game. Fortunately, Sefo should have his favorite receiver Paul Richardson available for the game. Having a guy who is a threat to take it all the way every time he touches the ball makes life as a quarterback a little less stressful.
The Buffs have the Pac-12's leading tackler in freshman Addison Gillam. Greg Henderson leads the conference in interceptions per game and also passes defended. And Chidera Uzo-Diribe leads the conference and the nation in fumbles forced per game.
What problems do the Buffs face?
The offensive and defensive lines of the Buffaloes have been consistently overpowered within conference play. They have sometimes held their own for a quarter or even close to a half, but then tend to wear down.
The play-calling by CU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, especially when throwing the ball, has been VERY predictable and easy to defend. Even with the skills of Richardson, the Buff passing game is not nearly as big a threat as it could be.
The running game, or lack thereof, can most certainly be attributed to the youth of the offensive line. Unfortunately for the Buffs, the most effective running back, Michael Adkins, will miss (most likely) the game due to a concussion suffered last week.
Do the Buffs stand a chance?
Realistically, not much of one. But it certainly would not be the biggest upset ever if they do pull out a win. Colorado would have to play their best game in several years to win this one unless UCLA hurts itself over and over again with turnovers and penalties.
Keys to the Game for Colorado:
- Win the turnover battle
- Convert 3rd downs at 50% (or close) level
- Liufau needs to complete a high percentage of his passes with no interceptions
- Score touchdowns instead of field goals when in the red zone
- Get Paul Richardson the ball, and mix it up to avoid double coverage
- Pressure UCLA QB Brett Hundley
- Limit "home run" plays over 25 yards by the Bruins
- No dumb penalties that kill drives or extend drives for UCLA
Go Buffs!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Midweek Thoughts Regarding Colorado Loss to Arizona Wildcats
Looking back on the game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona Wildcats, it seems there were some blown opportunities all around. The result of those blown chances was yet another loss to a conference opponent.
I am willing to take some of the blame. After all, I did offer good advice that was not specific enough. Since UA All-American Ka'Deem Carey had rushed for an ungodly 366 yards against CU last year, I had recommended that a key to the game was that the Buffs take Carey out of the game and limit him to 150 or less yards rushing. The Buffs did just that, and only allowed Carey 119 yards.
The problem with the recommendation was that it was too specific to Carey. I should have advised that the Buffs dedicate themselves to shutting down the Wildcat running game, and force them to beat the Buffs with the pasHes. But I didn't, and the Buffs didn't. Arizona put up 405 yards rushing, with 286 coming from folks other than Carey. The biggest hit on the ground came from quarterback B.J. Denker, who averaged almost 13 yards per carry on his way to 192 yards rushing.
On top of the rushing, Denker added 265 yards of passing to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. UCLA QB Brett Hundley must be licking his chops this week, since the Pac-12 OPW generally goes to the QB facing Colorado during conference play.
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Colorado special teams continued their upward spiral this past week. That does not include the idiotic decision to run a fake punt from their own red zone. Coach MacIntyre gets the blame for that. Kickoff returner Ryan Severson continues to edge ever closer to going the distance. On his two returns Saturday, he averaged 39.5 yards. Punter Darragh O'Neill had three punts downed inside the 20 with no touchbacks, and had none returned. Kicker Will Oliver had only 1 return of his kickoffs.
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True freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau continued to show positive signs while also showing the growing pains of a young quarterback. His completion percentage against the Wildcats was only 53% (17 of 32, 1 interception), compared to the near 70% he showed against ASU and Charleston Southern). On the positive side, Liufau was not sacked. It was the first time a Buff QB has not been sacked since the Arizona game last year.
Liufau also showed his youth and inexperience by throwing the ball out of the endzone on 4th and goal. As the TV announcer pointed out, you gotta give your own guy a chance to catch the ball since the other team is gonna get the ball anyway on 4th down.
WR Paul Richardson again demonstrated himself as one of the best in the Pac-12 and the country. Unfortunately, he sprained an ankle late in the game and is now listed as day to day. He is hoping to be able to play Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
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The Buff passing game under offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continues to be predictable, as can be seen by the chart below:
Key to the graphic:
Like the game against Charleston Southern, the Buffs had only THREE passes between the hashmarks (and two ON the left hashmarks). 85% of the passes thrown by the Buffs went to the outside 50% of the field, leaving only 15% to the inner half of the field. Note -- the field is 160 feet wide, which means only 5 of 32 passes were thrown within 40 feet of the center of the field.
Considering that the Wildcats had both starting safeties out with injury, one might think that the Buffs would have been better served by attacking the middle.
Another thing to note is that the Buffs were damn lucky that at least one of their passes to the flat was not only almost intercepted but would have been taken to the house for a pic-six. It seems that Pac-12 defensive coordinators are noting (like myself) that the Buffs are very predictable in where they throw the ball. 24 of their 33 passes were thrown within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage, and mostly to the outside part of the field. That's much easier to defend than spreading it across the entire field of play. It also means the ball is spending a lot of time in the air going sideways instead of up the field.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
MacIntyre and the team thought that Arizona was a beatable foe. That may be true, but the same can and is said about Colorado. And right now, CU is more beatable. They have a great deal of young players in starting positions, and that inexperience is being taken advantage of.
The CU offensive and defensive lines are currently losing the battles in the trenches in conference play. That may take a couple years of development to change.
The CU passing game is the most predictable and easiest to defend in the conference. Only the presence of Paul Richardson keeps opposing defenses honest. The Buffs should also do whatever they can to get the ball into the hands of D.D. Goodson -- he is better built for the pounding of reverses and over the middle catches than Richardson.
I am willing to take some of the blame. After all, I did offer good advice that was not specific enough. Since UA All-American Ka'Deem Carey had rushed for an ungodly 366 yards against CU last year, I had recommended that a key to the game was that the Buffs take Carey out of the game and limit him to 150 or less yards rushing. The Buffs did just that, and only allowed Carey 119 yards.
The problem with the recommendation was that it was too specific to Carey. I should have advised that the Buffs dedicate themselves to shutting down the Wildcat running game, and force them to beat the Buffs with the pasHes. But I didn't, and the Buffs didn't. Arizona put up 405 yards rushing, with 286 coming from folks other than Carey. The biggest hit on the ground came from quarterback B.J. Denker, who averaged almost 13 yards per carry on his way to 192 yards rushing.
On top of the rushing, Denker added 265 yards of passing to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. UCLA QB Brett Hundley must be licking his chops this week, since the Pac-12 OPW generally goes to the QB facing Colorado during conference play.
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Colorado special teams continued their upward spiral this past week. That does not include the idiotic decision to run a fake punt from their own red zone. Coach MacIntyre gets the blame for that. Kickoff returner Ryan Severson continues to edge ever closer to going the distance. On his two returns Saturday, he averaged 39.5 yards. Punter Darragh O'Neill had three punts downed inside the 20 with no touchbacks, and had none returned. Kicker Will Oliver had only 1 return of his kickoffs.
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True freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau continued to show positive signs while also showing the growing pains of a young quarterback. His completion percentage against the Wildcats was only 53% (17 of 32, 1 interception), compared to the near 70% he showed against ASU and Charleston Southern). On the positive side, Liufau was not sacked. It was the first time a Buff QB has not been sacked since the Arizona game last year.
Liufau also showed his youth and inexperience by throwing the ball out of the endzone on 4th and goal. As the TV announcer pointed out, you gotta give your own guy a chance to catch the ball since the other team is gonna get the ball anyway on 4th down.
WR Paul Richardson again demonstrated himself as one of the best in the Pac-12 and the country. Unfortunately, he sprained an ankle late in the game and is now listed as day to day. He is hoping to be able to play Saturday against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
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The Buff passing game under offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren continues to be predictable, as can be seen by the chart below:
- Black Circle with R inside = completed pass
- Large R = touchdown reception
- Red null symbol (circle with a slash) = incomplete pass
- Blue null symbol = incomplete pass in the endzone
- Yellow lightning bolt = interception
- 30 yard line as line of scrimmage is used only as a reference
- Click on the graphic to see an enlarged version
Like the game against Charleston Southern, the Buffs had only THREE passes between the hashmarks (and two ON the left hashmarks). 85% of the passes thrown by the Buffs went to the outside 50% of the field, leaving only 15% to the inner half of the field. Note -- the field is 160 feet wide, which means only 5 of 32 passes were thrown within 40 feet of the center of the field.
Considering that the Wildcats had both starting safeties out with injury, one might think that the Buffs would have been better served by attacking the middle.
Another thing to note is that the Buffs were damn lucky that at least one of their passes to the flat was not only almost intercepted but would have been taken to the house for a pic-six. It seems that Pac-12 defensive coordinators are noting (like myself) that the Buffs are very predictable in where they throw the ball. 24 of their 33 passes were thrown within 12 yards of the line of scrimmage, and mostly to the outside part of the field. That's much easier to defend than spreading it across the entire field of play. It also means the ball is spending a lot of time in the air going sideways instead of up the field.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
MacIntyre and the team thought that Arizona was a beatable foe. That may be true, but the same can and is said about Colorado. And right now, CU is more beatable. They have a great deal of young players in starting positions, and that inexperience is being taken advantage of.
The CU offensive and defensive lines are currently losing the battles in the trenches in conference play. That may take a couple years of development to change.
The CU passing game is the most predictable and easiest to defend in the conference. Only the presence of Paul Richardson keeps opposing defenses honest. The Buffs should also do whatever they can to get the ball into the hands of D.D. Goodson -- he is better built for the pounding of reverses and over the middle catches than Richardson.
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