The worst thing about the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team "shooting themselves in the foot, the leg, the head" (Head Coach Mike MacIntyre quote) in their embarrassing loss to Hawaii is that the blogosphere and web and news comments have been riddled with angry fans singling out PLAYERS by name to blame for the loss. That should not happen.
ALL BLAME FOR LOSSES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL BELONGS WITH THE MEN MAKING MILLIONS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
IT SHOULD NOT EVER BE PUT ON THE SHOULDERS OF YOUNG MEN WHO ARE FULL TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Fans need to remember that kids on the field DO NOT call the plays and they DO NOT decide who is going to play. Those prerogatives belong to the coaches, and ultimately, the Buck Stops on the Head Coach's desk.
If a fan feels that the quarterback is to blame, the reality is that the blame belongs with the QB coach/offensive coordinator (Brian Lindgren) and Mike MacIntyre. Not Sefo Liufau. The quarterback does not call the plays, the coaches do. Also, the coaches decide which young men will be playing.
If fans feel the offensive line blocked horribly on passing plays, the blame goes to the offensive line coach (Gary Bernardi), Lindgren, and MacIntyre. Not the players on the field. The coaches are responsible for training the unit as a team dedicated to protecting the quarterback. When the QB gets hammered over and over again, the blame is on the coaches.
If special teams gave up turnovers and points, blame the special teams coordinator (Toby Neinas) and MacIntyre. It's not the punter's fault that no one blocked. If a return man makes a bad decision, it is ultimately because he was not trained properly by the people who are paid very handsomely to teach him.
MANY OF THE COLORADO BUFF PLAYERS PLAYED VERY WELL. THEY DESERVE TO BE PRAISED BY NAME.
The Colorado Defense played remarkably well when one considers the pressure put on them by turnovers and play calling on the offensive side of the ball which often left the defense backed up in their own end.
Last year the defense managed only three interceptions all year. In the game against Hawaii, they grabbed three of Hawaii's passes. One was nullified on a horrible pass interference penalty called on a player 15 yards away from the interception. Ryan Moeller showed why he earned a starting nod by being all over the field.
The rebuilt defensive front put lots of pressure on the Hawaii QB and will only get better as they get more experience under coach Jim Jeffcoat. Derek McCartney got an interception played very strong, and new players Jase Franke and Jordan Carrell made fine debuts. Ahkello Witherspoon also showed why fans were excited about him last year before he was slowed by injuries.
The influence of new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and new safeties coach Joe Tumpkin was obvious. This might turn out to be the best Colorado defense in a decade.
Michael Adkins was beginning to dominate running the ball. Yet, inexplicably, the man calling the plays (LINDGREN) decided to stop running the ball and try to move the ball almost exclusively through the air.
Diego Gonzalez made all of his field goals and extra points in his first game and made it look effortless even though his FG's were from 40 yards out. Many fans are excited to see this young man with the powerful leg get a chance to boom one in from 50-60 yards out or more.
FANS NEED TO HOPE THE COLORADO COACHES MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY TO WIN SOME GAMES. THE TALENT IS THERE, BUT IT IS UP TO THE COACHES TO USE IT PROPERLY.
The Buffs beat themselves against Hawaii. They have three more games to correct the mistakes and ready themselves for Pac-12 play. Fans should give them a chance to make those changes before wholeheartedly dismissing the 2015 Buffs. And if they must criticize, they should criticize those professionals who are being paid very well to do their jobs.
Go Buffs!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre Has Some Tough Decicisions to Make
Mike MacIntyre has been raving about the new facilities at Folsom Field. His office has the most beautiful view of any football coach's office in the country, college or pro. I hope he is enjoying it while he can, because it is likely that he will no longer be the occupant of that office when New Years Day rolls around.
There are things he can do to avoid that fate, but they will be difficult. He needs to hold himself and his entire staff accountable. That responsibility comes with the title and $2 Million (plus incentives) salary.
Some folks on the staff are NOT doing their jobs. The game against Hawaii was lost for many reasons and there is lots of blame to go around, so let's look at some of the most egregious examples.
Special Teams Coordinator--
Special Teams play against Hawaii was horrendous. Not every coaching staff has a coach whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to coach Special Teams. But the BUFFS have had the same one now entering his third year. If Toby Neinas doesn't resign out of sheer embarrassment following the debacle against Hawaii, MacIntyre should do the right thing and show him the door. Or reassign him... or maybe put him in charge of the Gatorade. Anything except let him continue to coach the special teams unit.
Much time has been spent talking about replacing the punter and place kickers from last year. The good news is Diego Gonzalez looks to be solid and Alex Kinney will only get better. It's hard to be a true freshman starting his first game. Chris Graham also did well on the kickoffs. What those young men can't control is blocking, and it's up to the coordinator to have good blocking schemes. They didn't on either side of the ball.
MacIntyre needs to take over from Neinas or reassign another coach to this position. The Buffs are not good enough yet to overcome special teams blunders that give other teams easy points.
Offensive Coordinator / Play Calling
Brian Lindgren REALLY needs to work on his play calling. The Buffs never seem to get a rhythm going against Hawaii, and that happened in many games last year as well. At one point, the Buffs had started dominating running the ball. Even the announcers pointed out how tired the Hawaii line was getting. Then, the next three times the Buffs got the ball they did nothing but throw the ball (very poorly) to go three and out each time. That provide Hawaii some rest and they got stronger again.
Time management also needs to be worked on. The Buffs have no one to blame but themselves for not having time at the end of the game. Yes, the refs were horrible in not allowing the Buffs to have a final snap. But the only reason it was an issue is because of two wasted timeouts in the third quarter. Also, with 10 seconds to play and needing a touchdown, what you are supposed to do is throw passes into the end zone. If the ball is caught, you score. If not, the clock stops. If you throw to the five yard line and the guy doesn't score, the game is over. That's what Lindgren called. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING in crunch time.
It's time for MacIntyre to take over the play calling duties.
Offensive Line Coach
Gary Bernardi needs to let his guys know that it okay to block on passing plays. Sefo had no time in the pocket all night. Last year the Buffs gave up the fewest sacks in the Pac-12. This year looks like they will give up the most. And Sefo is going to be pretty damned banged up as well.
Also, you need to forget the "great story" aspect of some of your players and put the best football players on the field. The RIGHT TACKLE is horrible. He's smart, a wonderful being, and speaks many languages. That's nice. But he's has no football intelligence and gets hung out to dry over and over again on passing plays. Just wait until he starts playing against Pac-12 talent. I could say it's going to get ugly, but it's been ugly for 28 games now. Just because a guy LOOKS like he should be a great player does not make it so. The funny thing is, the guy looks so good that he will probably be drafted into the NFL. He'll ace the Wonderlic test, blow them away at the combine with his size and strength, and when he puts pads on in camp he will look formidable. But when it's time to pass block they will find out the flaw. Liken him to a baseball player who rips it up in the minors and then finds out he can't hit a major league curve.
The Good News
Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin are awesome. It's going to be fun watching the Buffs play defense this year, and they will get better and better as they learn from these two great coaches.
Conclusions for MacIntyre
The Buffs should win handily next week. They should have won handily against Hawaii. Three guys on the coaching staff owe the team an apology (and one a resignation).
When Mac gets back into his office, he needs to take a good look around and decide what he's willing to do to keep his job. If he is not willing to make some changes, and quickly, he will be forcing Athletic Director Rick George to start making changes of his own.
There are things he can do to avoid that fate, but they will be difficult. He needs to hold himself and his entire staff accountable. That responsibility comes with the title and $2 Million (plus incentives) salary.
Some folks on the staff are NOT doing their jobs. The game against Hawaii was lost for many reasons and there is lots of blame to go around, so let's look at some of the most egregious examples.
Special Teams Coordinator--
Special Teams play against Hawaii was horrendous. Not every coaching staff has a coach whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to coach Special Teams. But the BUFFS have had the same one now entering his third year. If Toby Neinas doesn't resign out of sheer embarrassment following the debacle against Hawaii, MacIntyre should do the right thing and show him the door. Or reassign him... or maybe put him in charge of the Gatorade. Anything except let him continue to coach the special teams unit.
Much time has been spent talking about replacing the punter and place kickers from last year. The good news is Diego Gonzalez looks to be solid and Alex Kinney will only get better. It's hard to be a true freshman starting his first game. Chris Graham also did well on the kickoffs. What those young men can't control is blocking, and it's up to the coordinator to have good blocking schemes. They didn't on either side of the ball.
MacIntyre needs to take over from Neinas or reassign another coach to this position. The Buffs are not good enough yet to overcome special teams blunders that give other teams easy points.
Offensive Coordinator / Play Calling
Brian Lindgren REALLY needs to work on his play calling. The Buffs never seem to get a rhythm going against Hawaii, and that happened in many games last year as well. At one point, the Buffs had started dominating running the ball. Even the announcers pointed out how tired the Hawaii line was getting. Then, the next three times the Buffs got the ball they did nothing but throw the ball (very poorly) to go three and out each time. That provide Hawaii some rest and they got stronger again.
Time management also needs to be worked on. The Buffs have no one to blame but themselves for not having time at the end of the game. Yes, the refs were horrible in not allowing the Buffs to have a final snap. But the only reason it was an issue is because of two wasted timeouts in the third quarter. Also, with 10 seconds to play and needing a touchdown, what you are supposed to do is throw passes into the end zone. If the ball is caught, you score. If not, the clock stops. If you throw to the five yard line and the guy doesn't score, the game is over. That's what Lindgren called. HORRIBLE PLAY CALLING in crunch time.
It's time for MacIntyre to take over the play calling duties.
Offensive Line Coach
Gary Bernardi needs to let his guys know that it okay to block on passing plays. Sefo had no time in the pocket all night. Last year the Buffs gave up the fewest sacks in the Pac-12. This year looks like they will give up the most. And Sefo is going to be pretty damned banged up as well.
Also, you need to forget the "great story" aspect of some of your players and put the best football players on the field. The RIGHT TACKLE is horrible. He's smart, a wonderful being, and speaks many languages. That's nice. But he's has no football intelligence and gets hung out to dry over and over again on passing plays. Just wait until he starts playing against Pac-12 talent. I could say it's going to get ugly, but it's been ugly for 28 games now. Just because a guy LOOKS like he should be a great player does not make it so. The funny thing is, the guy looks so good that he will probably be drafted into the NFL. He'll ace the Wonderlic test, blow them away at the combine with his size and strength, and when he puts pads on in camp he will look formidable. But when it's time to pass block they will find out the flaw. Liken him to a baseball player who rips it up in the minors and then finds out he can't hit a major league curve.
The Good News
Jim Leavitt and Joe Tumpkin are awesome. It's going to be fun watching the Buffs play defense this year, and they will get better and better as they learn from these two great coaches.
Conclusions for MacIntyre
The Buffs should win handily next week. They should have won handily against Hawaii. Three guys on the coaching staff owe the team an apology (and one a resignation).
When Mac gets back into his office, he needs to take a good look around and decide what he's willing to do to keep his job. If he is not willing to make some changes, and quickly, he will be forcing Athletic Director Rick George to start making changes of his own.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Colorado Buffaloes Football 2015: What to Expect
Head Coach Mike MacIntyre is starting his third season at the helm in Boulder. His first two seasons produced four wins, and two wins, respectively. Entering his third season, the head coach knows the expectations for his Buffs is much higher than in the first two.
Mac took over a program that was arguably one of the very worst in the country at the Division 1 level, and absolutely the worst team from one of the Power Five Conferences. He knew he had his work cut out for him at Colorado, but he was fresh off an amazing job turning San Jose State from a perennial cellar dweller to a 10 win bowl team in three years.
Nobody expects the Buffs to reel off 10 wins this year, but seven wins and a bowl game are what most Buff fans have in mind. They need to remember that the Buffs won only two games last year. On the other hand, the Buffs were a few lucky bounces from being a six game winner last year. The goal this year is to win those close games, particularly against Pac-12 foes. The Buffs lost in DOUBLE overtime not once, but twice last year (UCLA and CAL).
Facing the Buffs is the reality that they play in the Pac-12 South, the toughest (bar none) conference division in college football. How do the other teams of that division rank in the opening AP poll?
- USC is ranked #8
- UCLA is ranked #13
- Arizona State is ranked #15
- Arizona is ranked #22
- And Utah is ranked #30
Even for an experienced rebuilder like MacIntyre, it will still be a tough row to hoe. But if anyone can achieve it, it is Mac and his staff. Mac is known for his organizational prowess. When he got into Boulder following the disastrous 2012 season, he started putting the foundational blocks down to build the Colorado football program back to respectability.
He brought in Brian Lindgren as his offensive coordinator. Lindgren's first year as OC at San Jose State saw the Spartans win 10 games. Lindgren took the raw and young Colorado offense which was one of the worst in the country and made the passing attack #34 in the country last year. The Buffs also rushed for more than 4 yards a carry and more than 150 yards a game for the first time in a decade.
Mac also brought Dave Forman, one of the best young Sports Performance Directors in the country. Forman came in and transformed the old "strength and conditioning" routine into a modern machine capable of increasing strength, speed, and stamina for athletes across many collegiate sports. The Buffs were routinely out-muscled back when Mac and Company arrived, but the Buffs are now able to compete in the Conference of Champions knowing they are just as strong or stronger than their opponents.
The results on the field on the defensive side of the ball have been slower to arrive to the casual fan. At the end of the day (or season), many look only at the wins and losses. But it is important to remember how the wins and losses occurred. In 2012, the Buffs were losing by an average for more than FOUR touchdowns a game (28.17 pts.). In 2013, that dropped to less than 13 points a game, and in 2014 it dropped to 10.5 points per game.
The response of the defense, which still ranked in the bottom fifth in the country last year, was not fast enough for Mac. He responded by bringing in two "Home Run" type hires for his defensive staff. The legendary Jim Leavitt was coaxed away from the San Francisco 49ers and joined the staff as defensive coordinator, and brought in Joe Tumpkin from Central Michigan University, where he had served as defensive coordinator. At Colorado, Tumpkin will coach the Safeties, which now have the added responsibility of calling the on-field defensive plays.
Leavitt is known as one of the finest defensive minds in all of football. His style of defense is known for its aggressive and attacking style. Tumpkin is known for creating hard hitting defenses which cause a lot of turnovers. That experience and prowess can only help the Buffs, which was one of the worst teams in the country last year in creating turnovers. In fact, the Buffs only had three interceptions the entire year, despite the fact that they play in one of the most pass-happy conferences in the country.
Expect much to change this year. The Buffs offense should be even better this year, perhaps a top 30 in the country if the rushing game can jump to the next level. The defense should be a great surprise to fans and opponents alike. Expect to see waves of defensive players going into and out of games to keep the players fresh. Expect more turnovers created by the defense and fewer committed by the offense.
Expect Nelson Spruce to again be one of the best receivers in the country and expect to hear his name called in the next NFL draft. Expect Sefo Liufau to cut his number of interceptions by more than half, while continuing to be a very efficient passer.
Expect Colorado to win at least seven games this year and go bowling. Expect one or more of those rated teams coming into Folsom Field this year to leave with a loss. Expect Colorado to have turned the corner after a decade of futility.
Expect the Colorado Buffaloes to be a winning football team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)