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“We kind of gave the game to them”
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With the 38-24 loss to the No. 15 USC Trojans, Colorado’s season record dipped to 5-6.
The Buff Nation woke up the day after the loss cheering for a team under .500 for the first time since November 28, 2015, when CU finished off a 4-9 campaign with a 20-14 road loss to Utah.
Almost two full years of being on the positive side of the ledger.
Little solace to fans knowing that their team should not only be bowl eligible by now, but be comfortably above .500 for the second year in a row.
Colorado was a 13.5-point underdog to USC, so, to the rest of the college football world, a 38-24 result was to be expected.
We know better.
“We had some critical mistakes and kind of gave them the game,” said head coach Mike MacIntyre. “We had some opportunities tonight and squandered it away.”
Let us count the ways … (note: while I am discussing players and units, I am also taking to task – explicitly or implicitly – those who coach those players and positions)
Quarterback Steven Montez:
No doubt Montez has the physical attributes fans want in a quarterback. Montez is 6’5″, 225-pounds, and has a canon for an arm.
Sometimes, though, that canon works against him, as he throws fastballs even on short slant patterns. There have been dozens – literally dozens – of times this fall when a short pass from Montez has gone right threw the hands of a receiver.
Montez also makes some poor decisions (Again, this must be taken in context, both in terms of play-calling and overall talent on the offense).
This season, Montez set the school record for consecutive passes without an interception. That streak came to an end with a meaningless pick on a Hail Mary at the end of the Arizona State game. His next pick, though, was a pick six late in the first half against USC.
His last pick of any consequence before that was a pick six against Washington on September 23rd.
This just in … you can’t throw interceptions for touchdowns against ranked teams and expect to win.
“We ran a pick route,” explained Montez of the game-altering interception. “I was trying to throw it to the flat to get him out of bounds. I thought the guy had gotten picked but he played over the top of it and jumped it. He picked it and took it the house. I really didn’t even see him. I thought he was with the pick guy. I thought they ran into each other”.
Running back Phillip Lindsay:
Lindsay came into the game with more carries (263) than any back in the FBS. Against USC, Lindsay had only 20 carries (for 68 yards) and two receptions (for 11).
Simply put, that’s not enough touches.
To paraphrase Keyshawn Johnson: “Give him the damn ball!”.
I understand that opposing defenses are scheming to stop Lindsay, but when you have a once-in-a-generation talent, you give him the ball. In his final home game, Lindsay deserved every opportunity to contribute. Direct snaps, swing passes, put him in the slot … find a way to put him in space and let him do his thing.
With his 11 paltry yards receiving against the Trojoans, Lindsay was left just six yards shy of CU’s all-time record for receiving yards by a running back (969, by Rodney Stewart). Lindsay can catch the ball, he can create his own yards … 22 touches in 83 offensive plays are not enough.
Wide receivers:
The No. 9 on the roster Buff fans were scanning their programs for was Juwann Winfree. The junior wide receiver had five catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns against USC. In the first ten games of the 2017 season, Winfree had a grand total of 12 catches for 109 yards.
Winfree was reported to be the best wide receiver in camp in August, 2016, before he suffered a torn ACL which cost him the season.
Where has Winfree been all season? A season in which the “Blackout Boyz” have failed to live up to their advanced billing?
You tell me …
Offensive line:
We’ve covered this before.
In August, Mike MacIntyre said of his offensive line: “I’ve said it a few times, this is the best offensive line we’ve had since I’ve been here”.
Compare that quote to what offensive line coach Klayton Adams had to say in the days leading up to the USC game when asked about losing center Tim Lynott for the season. “It is what it is,” Adams said. “It’s not necessarily open competition, but we’re trying to figure out what the best five are, which seems like it’s been (like that) every week this year for us. We’re preparing to win with the guys we have.”
The “guys” haven’t come through.
Despite having one of the best running backs in the history of the program to block for, the Buffs are 64th in the nation in rushing offense. The offensive line is surrendering over three sacks per game (96th in the nation), and are scoring only 28.0 points per game (70th).
Klayton Adams prided himself on preparing eight or nine players in multiple positions, so that, when the inevitable injuries hit, the Buffs wouldn’t be scrambling to insert a new player into the lineup.
It doesn’t appear that the reality hasn’t been as positive as the theory.
Defensive Line:
Another unit Buff fans have discussed at some length.
The Buff Nation knew that the defensive line was the weakest link heading into the season. We understood that the Buffs lost three starters along the line to the NFL. We understood that plugging in junior college transfers into the starting lineup was a risky proposition.
We just didn’t know how bad it would be.
“We have depth this year and I think it’s pretty good depth,” line coach Jim Jeffcoat said of his unit back in August. “When we have depth and don’t have to have a guy play 70 to 75 plays, that helps us. That keeps them fresh and it keeps them involved in the game. It’s why I like to play more than three guys if I have the young guys who can do it and the depth. We have to keep them fresh.”
We were sold a bill of goods.
We knew the CU defensive line would take a step back this season.
We didn’t know that the step back would be taken … on each snap of the ball by the opposing offense.
The Buffs have been pushed around to the tune of 199.3 rushing yards per game. The Buffs also entered the USC game ranked 96th in the nation in sacks, and 92nd in the nation in third down conversion defense.
Special teams:
Getting upset at kicker James Stefanou would be unfair.
The freshman did have two kicks blocked (and yes, both kicks were low), but Stefanou has been money all season. Coming into the game, Stefanou was 16-of-18 in field goal attempts, and was the only Buff to be named a semi-finalist for a major national award (the Lou Groza award, given to the nation’s best kicker).
Still, Stefanou’s struggles were emblematic of CU’s season … the Buffs have not been able to put together a complete game all year.
Another example:
Buff fans will long remember the pick-six Steven Montez threw just before halftime against USC.
Most Buff fans won’t remember, however, just how the interception was set up.
The Buffs had missed a field goal with 1:40 remaining before halftime. The Trojan offense, though, went three-and-out. USC punter Reid Budrovich mi**** his kick, but punt returner Ronnie Blackmon, instead of fielding the kick, allowed the ball to roll past him. The net result was a 57-yard punt, pinning the Buffs back at their own nine yard line.
Had the Buffs started that drive at the 30-yard line instead of the nine, perhaps a telegraphed series of sideline routes would not have been required to move the ball. Perhaps the Buff offense would have been able to move the ball into field goal position, making it a 14-3 game at halftime, instead of a debilitating 20-0.
Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda.
Such as been the lament of Buff fans all season.
“We shot ourselves in the foot two games in a row and you just can’t do that,” said Mike MacIntyre. “We need to find a way in the bye week to come back and hopefully do something that hasn’t been done around here in 14 years (actually 12, but who’s counting?) and that’s what we’d like to do.”
Arguments can be made that the Buffs should have won the Arizona, UCLA, and Arizona State games … with at least a puncher’s chance at upsetting Washington and USC.
The Buffs are out of chances. A loss to Utah in the season finale, the Buffs will not only miss out on a bowl, they will miss out on the much needed 15 additional practices which come with a bowl.
“I’m approaching it like it could possibly be my last college game,” said senior safety Afolabi Laguda of CU’s bye week leading up to the season finale against Utah. “I’m going to wear myself out, there’s nothing left to keep in the tank. I’m going to enjoy these next two weeks and enjoy every practice. When we play Utah, that’s the last time this team will have a regular season game together. The future is unknown, nobody knows what will happen after that, but that’s our last guaranteed one. I’m going to empty it out these next two weeks”.
Fingers crossed.
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Stuart
Continue reading...
“We kind of gave the game to them”
—
With the 38-24 loss to the No. 15 USC Trojans, Colorado’s season record dipped to 5-6.
The Buff Nation woke up the day after the loss cheering for a team under .500 for the first time since November 28, 2015, when CU finished off a 4-9 campaign with a 20-14 road loss to Utah.
Almost two full years of being on the positive side of the ledger.
Little solace to fans knowing that their team should not only be bowl eligible by now, but be comfortably above .500 for the second year in a row.
Colorado was a 13.5-point underdog to USC, so, to the rest of the college football world, a 38-24 result was to be expected.
We know better.
“We had some critical mistakes and kind of gave them the game,” said head coach Mike MacIntyre. “We had some opportunities tonight and squandered it away.”
Let us count the ways … (note: while I am discussing players and units, I am also taking to task – explicitly or implicitly – those who coach those players and positions)
Quarterback Steven Montez:
No doubt Montez has the physical attributes fans want in a quarterback. Montez is 6’5″, 225-pounds, and has a canon for an arm.
Sometimes, though, that canon works against him, as he throws fastballs even on short slant patterns. There have been dozens – literally dozens – of times this fall when a short pass from Montez has gone right threw the hands of a receiver.
Montez also makes some poor decisions (Again, this must be taken in context, both in terms of play-calling and overall talent on the offense).
This season, Montez set the school record for consecutive passes without an interception. That streak came to an end with a meaningless pick on a Hail Mary at the end of the Arizona State game. His next pick, though, was a pick six late in the first half against USC.
His last pick of any consequence before that was a pick six against Washington on September 23rd.
This just in … you can’t throw interceptions for touchdowns against ranked teams and expect to win.
“We ran a pick route,” explained Montez of the game-altering interception. “I was trying to throw it to the flat to get him out of bounds. I thought the guy had gotten picked but he played over the top of it and jumped it. He picked it and took it the house. I really didn’t even see him. I thought he was with the pick guy. I thought they ran into each other”.
Running back Phillip Lindsay:
Lindsay came into the game with more carries (263) than any back in the FBS. Against USC, Lindsay had only 20 carries (for 68 yards) and two receptions (for 11).
Simply put, that’s not enough touches.
To paraphrase Keyshawn Johnson: “Give him the damn ball!”.
I understand that opposing defenses are scheming to stop Lindsay, but when you have a once-in-a-generation talent, you give him the ball. In his final home game, Lindsay deserved every opportunity to contribute. Direct snaps, swing passes, put him in the slot … find a way to put him in space and let him do his thing.
With his 11 paltry yards receiving against the Trojoans, Lindsay was left just six yards shy of CU’s all-time record for receiving yards by a running back (969, by Rodney Stewart). Lindsay can catch the ball, he can create his own yards … 22 touches in 83 offensive plays are not enough.
Wide receivers:
The No. 9 on the roster Buff fans were scanning their programs for was Juwann Winfree. The junior wide receiver had five catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns against USC. In the first ten games of the 2017 season, Winfree had a grand total of 12 catches for 109 yards.
Winfree was reported to be the best wide receiver in camp in August, 2016, before he suffered a torn ACL which cost him the season.
Where has Winfree been all season? A season in which the “Blackout Boyz” have failed to live up to their advanced billing?
You tell me …
Offensive line:
We’ve covered this before.
In August, Mike MacIntyre said of his offensive line: “I’ve said it a few times, this is the best offensive line we’ve had since I’ve been here”.
Compare that quote to what offensive line coach Klayton Adams had to say in the days leading up to the USC game when asked about losing center Tim Lynott for the season. “It is what it is,” Adams said. “It’s not necessarily open competition, but we’re trying to figure out what the best five are, which seems like it’s been (like that) every week this year for us. We’re preparing to win with the guys we have.”
The “guys” haven’t come through.
Despite having one of the best running backs in the history of the program to block for, the Buffs are 64th in the nation in rushing offense. The offensive line is surrendering over three sacks per game (96th in the nation), and are scoring only 28.0 points per game (70th).
Klayton Adams prided himself on preparing eight or nine players in multiple positions, so that, when the inevitable injuries hit, the Buffs wouldn’t be scrambling to insert a new player into the lineup.
It doesn’t appear that the reality hasn’t been as positive as the theory.
Defensive Line:
Another unit Buff fans have discussed at some length.
The Buff Nation knew that the defensive line was the weakest link heading into the season. We understood that the Buffs lost three starters along the line to the NFL. We understood that plugging in junior college transfers into the starting lineup was a risky proposition.
We just didn’t know how bad it would be.
“We have depth this year and I think it’s pretty good depth,” line coach Jim Jeffcoat said of his unit back in August. “When we have depth and don’t have to have a guy play 70 to 75 plays, that helps us. That keeps them fresh and it keeps them involved in the game. It’s why I like to play more than three guys if I have the young guys who can do it and the depth. We have to keep them fresh.”
We were sold a bill of goods.
We knew the CU defensive line would take a step back this season.
We didn’t know that the step back would be taken … on each snap of the ball by the opposing offense.
The Buffs have been pushed around to the tune of 199.3 rushing yards per game. The Buffs also entered the USC game ranked 96th in the nation in sacks, and 92nd in the nation in third down conversion defense.
Special teams:
Getting upset at kicker James Stefanou would be unfair.
The freshman did have two kicks blocked (and yes, both kicks were low), but Stefanou has been money all season. Coming into the game, Stefanou was 16-of-18 in field goal attempts, and was the only Buff to be named a semi-finalist for a major national award (the Lou Groza award, given to the nation’s best kicker).
Still, Stefanou’s struggles were emblematic of CU’s season … the Buffs have not been able to put together a complete game all year.
Another example:
Buff fans will long remember the pick-six Steven Montez threw just before halftime against USC.
Most Buff fans won’t remember, however, just how the interception was set up.
The Buffs had missed a field goal with 1:40 remaining before halftime. The Trojan offense, though, went three-and-out. USC punter Reid Budrovich mi**** his kick, but punt returner Ronnie Blackmon, instead of fielding the kick, allowed the ball to roll past him. The net result was a 57-yard punt, pinning the Buffs back at their own nine yard line.
Had the Buffs started that drive at the 30-yard line instead of the nine, perhaps a telegraphed series of sideline routes would not have been required to move the ball. Perhaps the Buff offense would have been able to move the ball into field goal position, making it a 14-3 game at halftime, instead of a debilitating 20-0.
Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda.
Such as been the lament of Buff fans all season.
“We shot ourselves in the foot two games in a row and you just can’t do that,” said Mike MacIntyre. “We need to find a way in the bye week to come back and hopefully do something that hasn’t been done around here in 14 years (actually 12, but who’s counting?) and that’s what we’d like to do.”
Arguments can be made that the Buffs should have won the Arizona, UCLA, and Arizona State games … with at least a puncher’s chance at upsetting Washington and USC.
The Buffs are out of chances. A loss to Utah in the season finale, the Buffs will not only miss out on a bowl, they will miss out on the much needed 15 additional practices which come with a bowl.
“I’m approaching it like it could possibly be my last college game,” said senior safety Afolabi Laguda of CU’s bye week leading up to the season finale against Utah. “I’m going to wear myself out, there’s nothing left to keep in the tank. I’m going to enjoy these next two weeks and enjoy every practice. When we play Utah, that’s the last time this team will have a regular season game together. The future is unknown, nobody knows what will happen after that, but that’s our last guaranteed one. I’m going to empty it out these next two weeks”.
Fingers crossed.
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...