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Spring Game on March 18th
- Thread starter Buffnik
- Start date
SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
Here's my worthless, anecdotal take:
After the Utah game when all the fans ran out on the field, I stood right next to Gamboa in pads and at first thought he must be a long-snapper. When he turned around and I saw his nameplate I was surprised who it was. He did not look (to my very amateur eyes) like a P5 linebacker.
Also he was one of the last players still out on the field when the game ended, so he clearly had trouble out-running a slew of drunken students and middle-aged fans getting back to the locker room.
After the Utah game when all the fans ran out on the field, I stood right next to Gamboa in pads and at first thought he must be a long-snapper. When he turned around and I saw his nameplate I was surprised who it was. He did not look (to my very amateur eyes) like a P5 linebacker.
Also he was one of the last players still out on the field when the game ended, so he clearly had trouble out-running a slew of drunken students and middle-aged fans getting back to the locker room.
"Buff" is what Moeller did after McCartney went down last season and it looks like that is becoming more of a base defense. It kind of changes us from a 3-4-4 to a 3-3-5 with an extra safety replacing the linebacker (the Buff position). Last year, when we went 3-3-5, it was usually to go to Nickel coverage with Chido sliding in. That was our actual base against many opponents. This year, I think we'll see Buff package instead of Nickel package as one of our base defenses, with Nickel becoming a specialty package reserved for true passing situations and for protecting a big lead.
Sykobuff
Well-Known Member
White has never been mentioned or tried at LB except on these boards!
8Jah
Well-Known Member
The middle line-backer in the 4-3 has to do all things. They have to make the reads, they have to move across the whole field, they have to cover, they have to tackle. They are these elite, hard to find athletes. I think that's what you guys are thinking about when you are evaluating our LB talent. We don't need that guy.
The great thing about the 3-4 is you don't have to find one guy that does everything! Much easier to find two guys that can do 1/2 of everything and teach them to work together. You have the stout and smart guy that makes the reads and handles the lead blocker. He is totally in synch with the faster, smaller Mike; who makes tackles and pressures the QB. The TED is the 'lesser talent,' but he is the leader of the two. If you are getting beat badly up front, the TED's stat sheet will look great 'cause they aren't allowing your system to execute. If you see Gamboa get burned trying to set the edge; then someone else missed an assignment or got burned first.
Yea it would be nice if he were faster, bigger and better looking, and you could say that about anyone on the team, but Gamboa is a good TED.
The great thing about the 3-4 is you don't have to find one guy that does everything! Much easier to find two guys that can do 1/2 of everything and teach them to work together. You have the stout and smart guy that makes the reads and handles the lead blocker. He is totally in synch with the faster, smaller Mike; who makes tackles and pressures the QB. The TED is the 'lesser talent,' but he is the leader of the two. If you are getting beat badly up front, the TED's stat sheet will look great 'cause they aren't allowing your system to execute. If you see Gamboa get burned trying to set the edge; then someone else missed an assignment or got burned first.
Yea it would be nice if he were faster, bigger and better looking, and you could say that about anyone on the team, but Gamboa is a good TED.
There were quite a few articles and quotes when he was out this season saying the he was going to bulk up and play linebacker, straight out of his and McChesney's mouths.
White_Rabbit
Well-Known Member
I was really down on Gamboa when we signed him and I'm not where nik is with him, but LBers that are not prototypical size and speed can be successful, especially in college. He's not big and he's not fast, but he just tackles people. He did it at Chaminade even though I thought he was not a college player watching their games, and he does it here. He'll probably end up being Zach Thomas in the NFL somehow too just to spite me. We probably want to avoid having him cover the Jake Butts of the world, though.
I don't think my Jake Butt sarcasm was really noted in my earlier post... Jake Butt is a really good college TE, but he's an average all around athlete. His acceleration isn't great, his route running is whatever, and he's not quick or agile in and out of his breaks. My point was that, to be where CU wants to be, we are going to have to have LBs that can cover TEs with average athleticism, and both Gamboa and Olugbode haven't cut it in that department. I think most people would agree that the ILB positions were, by far, the weakest link in last year's defense...
hawg1
Well-Known Member
One back set. Delay back out of backfield. Run him right at Gambia. One cut. Open. YAC +7. Bad weakness. Easily exposed.
8Jah
Well-Known Member
I agree that LBs were the worst position group last year. But I am comparing them against our secondary, which was one of the best, and our DL, which was very good. So I don't think our ILBs were bad either. They made huge strides last year compared to where they were. To go to the next level we have to find better LBs for our system. I won't disagree with that, and I think that is going to happen in 2-3 years with some of the folks we have coming.
8Jah
Well-Known Member
show me a game where that happened consistently.
BuffNut99
Club Member
Banjul was one of our Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing Sites for Space Shuttle launches, back in the day. Some poor astronaut always drew the short straw and ended up supporting the launch from there instead of Spain.
Here was an article in the BDC in June of 2016:
Scout article in July:
I think we kind of ran with the position switch because we love us some fast LBers (I submit Gamboa as evidence). But in fairness, the whole "Buff position" is the cause for confusion. I suspect White will play some safety and some Buff (which is a LB position), without making a position transition!
Bottom line - it's the kind of things we have to do to make up for that slow LB named Gamboa!
Gamboa would have made a great ILB in the late 90's/early 2000's. He is great inside a box when you can read and react quickly inside the tackles. When you stretch him out and make him cover someone, or go sideline to sideline, with even a split second of hesitation, he will get burned and burned bad every time.
He is what he is. Physically speaking he won't get bigger. He won't get faster. He does bring smarts and he reacts very well. However, once you get him in the above scenarios, he is in trouble. It's not his fault, he is what he is and will be a key LB for CU in the next two years. Can be a good player to have on your team every year, just not someone you better have as your best ILB in this defense.
He is what he is. Physically speaking he won't get bigger. He won't get faster. He does bring smarts and he reacts very well. However, once you get him in the above scenarios, he is in trouble. It's not his fault, he is what he is and will be a key LB for CU in the next two years. Can be a good player to have on your team every year, just not someone you better have as your best ILB in this defense.
The Ogre
Well-Known Member
Yeah, would you quit pissing in it?
Gamboa was mfjl's favorite, for whatever reasons. His starting role is no longer a sure thing - somebody else needs to step up.
Every team in college football is going to have players who have certain weaknesses. Even teams like Alabama and Clemson winning National Championships are going to have some players who don't make the NFL because of certain weaknesses in their game. Doesn't mean they aren't good football players, just means they aren't great at everything.
Gamboa is a very good football player with some weaknesses, nothing wrong with that. What it means though is that the Buffs coaches have to be aware of his weaknesses and take steps to cover them meaning that they may be giving up some other things. In his case it may mean that they keep a safety closer in passing situations to help him in coverage, shrink his zone or assist in man coverage. This isn't any different that the adjustments that other teams make for their guys.
His starting role is basically a certainty.
The Ogre
Well-Known Member
Did you not read the first sentence in my post?
You're likely right about him starting, but after the fourth game somebody else will probably need to have things clicking. Or, maybe Gamboa out performs expectations (if he lines up facing the offense Duff might be slightly pleased).
My whole point in this thread is that Gamboa will play and likely a lot, but he is not irreplaceable. If forced to go with a youth movement, we will not be totally screwed because we have some very capable players coming in. I am hoping we see the freshmen at ILB with Gamboa being an okay player. We just need to see those young players sooner rather than later.