Fall Camp Notes

Fall Camp Notes

August 25th

Defensive line hoping for improved play this fall

From CUBuffs.com … When Josh Tupou stepped on the scales last spring, the digital figures did a steady tick upward until they stopped at 325. Juda Parker sent the digits climbing to 270. Scroll through the names on Colorado’s defensive line and the story was much the same; weights were significantly higher than the new coaching staff wanted.

From a poundage standpoint, coach Mike MacIntyre wanted to see less of his D-line. In a conference that puts a premium on pursuit, packing 15 to 20 extra pounds can turn a sprint to the ball into a waddle — and waddles don’t bring down many Pac-12 running backs or receivers.

Mandates – the bulk of them pointed at the D-line – were issued for lighter August reporting weights. From January through August, there have been bi-weekly (Monday and Friday) weigh-ins. Post-practice work on stationary bikes throughout August camp has been the norm. As a result, most goals have been met or will be when game week arrives.

“We’re going to have some surprises at the end of this,” defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat said. “Guys will have changed their bodies, but still have a couple of more pounds to go. It’s really good.”

… In the Buffs’ new four-man front, Tupou and senior Nate Bonsu – another returnee charged with changing his body – have been lining up on the first defensive unit’s interior, with Uzo-Diribe and Parker on the outside. But at least until the opener is in the books, everything personnel-related is fluid for defensive coordinator Kent Baer and Jeffcoat, who wants eight or 10 tackles and ends primed to play every week.

“I like to keep them fresh so they can keep attacking,” Jeffcoat said. “I don’t like to play them a lot of plays.” Identifying 10 players for a regular rotation might be a stretch, but depending on special teams needs, Jeffcoat added, “I know I’ll have eight.”

Among the front four penciled in with the No. 1 defense, Uzo-Diribe was the only player who didn’t spend late spring and early summer on a weight-loss mission. He finished 2012 as a solid 250-pounder and has maintained that weight through an off-season conditioning program he called “one of the hardest I’ve ever had. There’s a big, big emphasis on being in shape now.”

… The Buffs ‘D’ wasn’t the stuff of nightmares for any Pac-12 offensive coordinators last season. CU finished No. 117 out of 120 teams in total defense (488.5 yards a game) and No. 120 in scoring defense (46 points).

From the outside, not much improvement is expected for 2013; CU is projected to finish last in the Pac-12 South. From the inside, there’s a much different view.

“I believe we’re better than that,” Tupou said. “I do think we’ll surprise some people in the nation . . . but we’ve still got to go out and play.”

Added Parker: “Reading the papers and seeing what everybody is saying about us . . . we didn’t get the results we wanted (in 2012) so that always puts in a motivating factor for the new season. If everyone is sleeping on us, get ready.”

—

August 24th

MacIntyre calls Friday’s practice the best of the fall

From CUBuffs.com … After 22 practices in the heat of fall camp, coach Mike MacIntyre’s first Colorado football team may have put forth its finest effort on Friday. And with the opening kickoff just nine days away, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I thought today was our best, sharpest, crispest practice the whole fall,” MacIntyre said. “It’s about time, but I thought that was good. I think they’re starting to get everything and understand everything.”

The near-flawless session comes after three weeks of physically demanding practices in which players have had to deal with several days of blistering temperatures as well as the game’s physical demands. A certain level of consistency throughout practice has helped players ever come those hindrances, with Friday’s impressive effort the direct result.

“We’ve kind of had people in the same places now for a little while so I think that helped us a lot,” MacIntyre said. “I was pleased with today’s practice more than I have been all fall.”

That level of consistency also tends to include a steady dose of hitting which tends to raise the level of animosity between teammates. MacIntyre and his players are excited that they will soon be able to transfer that hostility towards an opponent before things reach a boiling point on the practice field.

“I definitely think we’re ready to kickoff. I’m tired of hitting (our guys),” cornerback Kenneth Crawley said. “We’re going to end up injuring each other so we need to just start playing.”

The Buffs will conduct their final pre-season scrimmage – basically a dress rehearsal-style walk-through – on Saturday before they begin the final week of preparation on Monday for the opening game against rival Colorado State on September 1.

The game itself is something that has been highlighted by MacIntyre and his staff since they arrived in Boulder in January, and he knows the team is peaking at exactly the right time.

“I’m really, really excited about it and I know our players are, too,” MacIntyre said. “This is a 365 day a year type game for both schools and what I mean by that is you are going to hear about it for 365 days a year. It’s really important. Our kids are really looking forward to going to Denver and playing a great rival and it’s a lot of fun for the state. Everywhere I go I hear about it and I think we’re going to be ready.”

—

August 23rd

Markeis Reed moves to defensive end

Freshman Markeis Reed, a January enrollee, has moved from linebacker to defensive end.

Reed, listed at 6’4″, 225-pounds, was listed as third on the depth chart at outside linebacker, behind junior Woodson Greer and senior Paul Vigo.

The pre-fall starters at defensive end were sophomore Samson Kafovalu (6’5″, 245-pounds) and senior Chidera Uzo-Diribe (6’3″, 250-pounds).

—

Coach MacIntyre Post-Scrimmage quotes (8/22)

On main concerns remaining before the opener … “First, shoring up our special teams. Second of all, you’ve just got to keep getting the timing better on offense. You’ve got to keep that going. Sometimes when you’re practicing all the time you’ve got to speed up the tempo, change it up, so we’re working on that to try to get the timing better and the flow on offense. Defensively, we’ve got to keep working on our tackling and right gap fits, over and over and over.”

On what he’s been happy with this fall … “The effort. I’m very pleased with what they are doing. We’ve been in pads every day, and they have really pushed through it hard. They have really been physical, and have had a great attitude … I’ve seen a lot of playmaking on both sides of the ball. I feel like we’re progressing each day.”

On return game … “Right now Nelson Spruce will return punts, and I’m not really sure right now who will return kickoffs. That kind of goes by committee sometimes, depending on what happens in the flow of the game.”

On working on CSU … “We’ve worked on them a little bit, not extensively. We’ve got some things in, but we’re getting ready for them. It’s a big game, it’s a huge game, and so we’re excited about that coming up, and so we’re working on that now, now that we are out of camp a little bit, and starting to get into the phases of their game.”

On sophomore Jeffrey Hall, who was tried at wide receiver, but is now back at defensive back … “He’s really improved at corner. He’s much better at corner (now) than he was in the spring at corner. I think he has just gotten used to it, and getting a ton of reps … I’ve been pleased with his progress.”

On the battle for starting quarterback … “It’s still going. They’re competing good; they had a good day today. I think that they are all doing a good job. We’re trying to put them into every situation possible, put as much pressure on them as we can.”

On getting Paul Richardson ready for the season … “What we did with P-Rich, as we do with anyone coming off of knee surgery, when we went two-a-days, they only go one practice a day, so we wouldn’t wear their knee down. There are three or four guys that we did that with, because sometimes wear and tear on it continuously might make it swell up, and we won’t have them back for a week or so. We’ve been fortunate with that, as none of them have suffered a setback.”

—

August 22nd

Nelson Spruce named as primary punt returner

From CUBuffs.com … MacIntyre announced that sophomore wide receiver Nelson Spruce will return punts. Spruce returned one punt last season . . . . No word on who will be returning kickoffs. MacIntyre says that decision “goes by committee” and is based on “what is happening during the flow of the game.” .

Last season, Kenneth Crawley returned the most punts, with 12 returns for 81 yards. The only other Buff with more than one punt return in 2012 was Gerald Thomas, who had two returns for 12 yards.

Buffs turn attention to Rams

From CUBuffs.com … With 10 days remaining before its season-opener, the Colorado football team’s full attention now is focused on in-state rival Colorado State, and head coach Mike MacIntyre is pleased with the progress the Buffs have made thus far in camp.

“I’m very pleased with the effort and what they are doing,” MacIntyre said after Thursday’s practice. “We’ve gone in pads every day and they’ve really pushed through it hard. They’ve really been physical and have had a great attitude. I’ve seen a lot of playmaking on both side of the ball and I feel like we’re progressing each day.”

While the CU coaching staff is impressed with what the team has accomplished during fall camp so far, several areas of concern will continue to be addressed before Sept. 1, including special teams, offensive tempo and tackling.

“Special teams is something you always have to work on and you have to find more and more guys that can do that,” MacIntyre said. “Second, you’ve got to keep the timing better on offense and keep that going. Sometimes when you’re practicing all the time, you’ve got to speed up the tempo and change it up. We’re working on that and trying to get the timing better and getting a flow going on offense. Defensively, we have to keep working on our tackling and right gap fits. We do those over and over again. That’s what we’ll keep working on.”

—

End of Two-a-Days

From CUBuffs.com … The Colorado Buffaloes marked the end of two-a-day drills on Wednesday and began focusing on preparations for their Sept. 1 opener against Colorado State.

First-year coach Mike MacIntyre said the team’s five days of two-a-day work provided more teaching while also giving players extra reps and getting them in the best shape possible.

Overall, he was pleased with the effort of each double session.

“I thought it was good, it made them fight through a lot of different things,” MacIntyre said. “We were able to get a lot of special teams work done too during those five days.”

This season, MacIntyre chose to extend the number of two-a-day practices for the first time in his coaching career. In his previous three seasons at San Jose State the team was only put through three such sessions throughout each camp.

Players often do not look forward to two-a-days but they do understand how beneficial they can be.

“Two-a-days are probably the worst days,” junior cornerback Greg Henderson said. “But those are the dog days and you just have to fight through, be strong, become a man, and keep working.”

Henderson believes the team has already shown signs of improvement through the extended number of practices and has managed to stay healthy in the process.

“Our conditioning has gotten much better,” Henderson said. “We fly around more and I feel like there have been less injuries, too.”

With only nine practices remaining before the annual grudge match against rival CSU, the Buffs’ focus has begun to shift towards game day. The offense and defense began work against scout teams which mimicked what the Buffs might see from the Rams.

—

August 21st

Darragh O’Neill: “I’m definitely ready for the season”

Just like in the mid-80’s, when CU was also trying to pull out of a string of losing seasons, the player most likely to receive conference accolades was one of the busiest players on the team … the punter. In 1985-87, it was Barry Helton, only the second three-time All-Big Eight player in CU history (following Joe Romig).

Now, it’s punter Darragh O’Neill, usually the only Buff mentioned on All-Pac-12 teams (O’Neill made the Sports Illustrated All-Pac-12 first team this week).

For his part, O’Neill is ready to live up to his advance billing.

From the Daily Camera … “I feel good. I’m definitely ready (for the season),” O’Neill said. “We’ve got a few more days to iron some things out along the front line, but I personally feel ready to go. I feel more confident than I have my in my first two seasons here.”

O’Neill has been CU’s starting punter since he joined the team in 2011. The season opener at Hawaii that season was his first organized football game. That naturally led to some nerves for O’Neill, but he got over them quickly.

“Every time I’ve got onto the field and gotten back there, your mind goes blank and you don’t really think like that,” he said. “I think you can’t really think too much or else you’re going to have some bad thoughts go through your head. Every punt in my career essentially, I’ve gone back there and you kind of clear your head. You have to go into each punt like that.”

He’s certainly had plenty of practice to do that. In two years, O’Neill has racked up a whopping 150 punts. By comparison, CU’s opponents have 95 punts in that time. A year ago, O’Neill tied a program record with 76 punts. His 74 punts in 2011 are third all-time in program history for a single season.

… “I definitely want to add a few yards to the average from last year,” he said. “I don’t think it was exactly where I want. It’s just really making better contact on every ball. Once you make good contact, I’m not worried about where it’s going to go.”

An improved O’Neill could be a good weapon for the Buffs. But, O’Neill is also looking forward to his new duties with the team. He will go into the year as CU’s holder on field goals and extra points.

“I want to be out there as much as I possibly can, in whatever way that is,” he said. “I think holding is going to be fun like that, in terms of it’s a high-pressure situation. Lots of people don’t really think about the holder; it’s a lot of pressure on the kicker. But, at the end of the day you have to get the ball down for the kicker, too.”

—

August 20th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Scrimmage quotes (8/20)

On the status of freshman wide receiver Jeff Thomas, who returned to practice this week (hamstring) … “He’s got a lot of ground to make up. He’s got to stay healthy, and he’s got to keep pushing. He’s got good ability, he’s just got a lot of ground to make up.”

On moving freshman George Frazier to fullback … “He’s about 260 pounds, and he played running back and tight end (back in high school). So we’re just going to experiment with him, looking at him. He’s a freshman, we’ll see if he can do that, see if that is something he may be interested in. If he’s not as good (on offense), we’ll move him back to linebacker … With his ability to move, it’s worth taking a look at him over there (and fullback, and perhaps tight end).”

On how many freshmen who might play this fall … “We do have guys who we think are going to be in the mix, and some we definitely think need to get a little bit bigger and stronger at their positions. If they are not ready here in the next week or so, we’ll redshirt them … (wide receiver) Devin Ross and (defensive back) Chidobe (Awuzie) are in right now, and they play on special teams, too. Those two guys I think will definitely play right now. Some others are on the fringe, but if you are asking me today, it would be those two who will play.”

On working on a gameplan for CSU … “We’ve been working on it. We’ve been working on it as coaches, putting in bits and pieces of it. We’ll dive hard into it now … We’ll bring it to the field pretty quick … a lot of stuff we’ve been working on, we’ll do in a game of course. So, we’ve been working on them, just like they are working on us.”

—

August 19th

Josh Ford out with ankle injury

Senior CU running back Josh Ford, according to Brian Howell at the Daily Camera, “might need surgery on his ankle, and it’s possible he’ll miss most of the season”.

“He’s having to probably get his ankle operated on, so he might be out most of the year,” MacIntyre said. “It’s very disappointing. He just got put back on scholarship and earned that and then hurts his ankle. Hopefully he can get back before the year is over. I’d like to see him do that.”

A 1999 graduate of Denver’s Mullen High School, Ford transferred to CU from Barton Community College in 2010. He rushed for 128 yards as a sophomore in 2011 and then added 127 yards and a touchdown last season.

Ford is a fifth-year senior. If he does miss the entire season, he could apply for a medical redshirt to gain a sixth year, but there’s no guarantee that would be granted.

—

Linebacker moving to fullback? …. Freshman George Frazier, who reported with other members of the 2013 signing class in late June, is being given a look at fullback. Frazier is listed at 6’2″, 255-pounds.

No news on starting quarterback … Howell is also tweeting that no decision (at least officially) has been made on the starting quarterback. The Buffs, who will have closed practices from Wednesday on, may go into the Rocky Mountain Showdown without naming a quarterback. Asked Monday on what more he needed to see from his quarterbacks, coach MacIntyre responded, “I just need to keep seeing competition every day; come to work every day. That position, you learn when they make a mistake or throw a pick, how they react and come back the next series. All of that is teachable moments that they’ve got to come through and it tells me a lot about them.”

Other injury updates … Better news here. Adam at BuffStampede.com is reporting that freshman wide receiver Jeffrey Thomas, out with a hamstring injury, was back practicing with the team today … Adam also has news on junior tight end Kyle Slavin (hand injury – back in pads, should be a full go by next week) and junior center Daniel Munyer (out with a fractured fibula since March – continues to improve, could get a full week of practice in with the first team before the Colorado State game).

—

Practices to be closed starting Wednesday

CU Press Release … With two-a-days ending and August camp winding down, University of Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre will be closing his team’s practices beginning this Wednesday, August 21, meaning fans have two more chances to see the Buffaloes in person prior to the season opener against Colorado State.

The Buffs practice Monday afternoon from 4-6 p.m., and then again Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30. MacIntyre indicated practices will be open again at a later date, which has yet to be determined.

Practices will also be closed to the media, with the exception of approximately the first 20 minutes or so for photography and video needs.

The 85th meeting between the Buffaloes and Rams is set for Sunday, September 1 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. Colorado leads the series, 61-21-2.

—

August 17th

Scrimmage notes and quotes

Quarterback race still (at least officially) undecided

From CUBuffs.com … Connor Wood, who entered August camp as a penciled-in starter at QB, played only three series – usually an indication that the offensive staff is trying to identify the two players behind him in backup and No. 3 roles.

MacIntyre appeared pleased with the overall quarterback play of Wood, junior college transfer Jordan Gehrke, sophomore Stevie Joe Dorman and freshman Sefo Liufau. All except Wood tossed a touchdown pass, but Wood directed an impressive scoring drive during situational work in the two-minute offense.

The morning’s work produced four touchdowns: A 64-yard pass from Liufau to Paul Richardson, a 25-yard pass from Gehrke to D.D. Goodson, a 1-yard toss from Dorman to Jordan Murphy, and a 15-yard run by Donta Abron to cap off the march directed by Wood.

Kickers Will Oliver and Justin Castor each were successful on short and long field goals, both hitting from 46 yards.

The day’s QB play, said MacIntyre, will be evaluated on tape, taking into account “on some plays the receiver might have gone the wrong way, you don’t know until you watch. Some of the quarterbacks had pressure, some didn’t . . . but they all made some plays.”

While Wood called his work “pretty limited,” he said he thought he was effective in moving the first offense. He wouldn’t offer a guess as to when a starter will be named or what his coaches are thinking: “I only know what the coaches are saying,” he said. “I know I’m going with the ‘ones’ every time we practice, and that kind of shows you what’s going on. They’ll make a decision when they make a decision.”

The ultimate decision and timing is up to MacIntyre, but offensive coordinator/QB coach Brian Lindgren conceded the ideal scenario for naming a starter would be as soon as Monday, giving the No. 1 two weeks of reps with the first offense before the opener. Also, added Lindgren, it would “solidify the roles of the other guys, too, and start pushing them toward more reps.”

Lindgren said he saw “good things” from all four of his quarterbacks on Saturday in their turns with the No. 1 offense. But, he added, “Overall, we’ve got to throw more completions. Our completion percentage – I don’t know the exact numbers – but just from watching there are some passes we missed that we have to make on third down. As a unit we have to improve as a whole.”

Both MacIntyre and Lindgren said Liufau has been impressive in camp.

“He’s done well; he’s got a lot of tools to be a good football player,” MacIntyre said. “I’m excited about him.”

“He’s learning every day,” Lindgren said. “I’m more pleased with him and his progress than any young guy I’ve been around.”

Lindgren said Liufau is a quick study in a fast-paced offense against a defense “that’s moving quickly and giving us a lot of looks. He’s handling it well . . . there’s definitely times when you’d like him to make that play, but then you realize he’s a true freshman. But he’s done a nice job of not making the same mistake twice.”

If the staff judges Liufau to be capable of helping the Buffs win this year, Lindgren said there be no hesitancy to use him in whatever role: “If a true freshman gives us best chance to win the game and he needs to play, we’re going to play him. He knows that. Ideally you’d love to redshirt him and let him develop, get stronger and develop in your offense. But if he’s the No. 2 guy he’s got to be ready to go.”

The Buffs are attempting to pick up their offensive pace this season, but Lindgren said Saturday’s work was a “tweener” between fast and slow. “There will be times during the season where we’ll go faster, and there’ll be days when we’ll slow it down. A lot of it will be determined by the opponent, who we’re playing. It’s kind of a whole team decision. We have the ability to go fast or slow it down. (Saturday) was a little in-between.”

Scrimmage Notes of Note …

… MacIntyre liked Saturday morning’s heat, as well as Friday afternoon’s high temps. “The first two days (of camp),” said MacIntyre, “they must have had the right prayer lines, because it was nice weather. The last two days have been great; I like the heat, it’s made them push through that.” . . . . The Buffs got in ample special teams work Saturday. “We got in every phase in the kicking game; we got a lot to coach off of,” MacIntyre said. The kickoff return team recorded a pair of long sideline returns – one by sophomore Marques Mosley, the other by freshman Devin Ross – but MacIntyre noted, “You’re not going to get to bounce the ball outside like that (in a game).” But, he added, the returners exhibited good vision on both . . . . Lindgren called CU’s running game “a work in progress. I’m not overly satisfied with where we’re at.” The first offense had seven or eight consecutive early running plays and recorded a couple of first downs, but Lindgren noted, “We’d like to finish (the drive) off.” . . . . On the other hand(s), Richardson and the receiving corps gave Lindgren reason to be happy. “I’m thrilled with Richardson; he’s a tremendous talent,” Lindgren said, adding the Nelson Spruce, Tyler McCulloch and Goodson “will be contributors and take some of the pressure off of Paul. And I like how they’ve all handled man coverage.” . . . . Sunday’s day off, said MacIntyre, is well-deserved: “They’ve gone 15 practices in a row without a break. They’ve done a good job. We’ve gone in pads every time we could go in pads after the first two days in shorts. They’ve been working hard.” . . . . The Buffs must enjoy their off day thoroughly and quickly. It’s back to two-a-days on Monday.

—

Coach MacIntyre Post-Scrimmage quotes (8/17)

Overall … “I thought we got every phase done. In the kicking game, I thought there were some good things there, stuff to coach off of. It’s good to have the high (game) film, get them on the game field with the coaches off of the field.  I thought the offense had a couple of big plays, the defense did some good things at times. There was a great two-minute drive by the offense.”

On the play of the quarterbacks … “I’ll watch the tape, and make some decisions on that, because sometimes you don’t know (why a play didn’t work out). Sometimes the receiver didn’t go to the right place. Some of the quarterbacks had pressure, some of them didn’t. We’ll watch on tape and find out, but I felt that they made some plays.”

On the play of true freshman quarterback Sefo Liufau … “I think Sefo has been doing well. He’s got the tools to be a really, really good football player. I’m excited with what he has done so far.”

On the goals for Saturday’s scrimmage … No. 1: No injuries. We had zero. No 2: I wanted to see us execute, and do things without coaches on the field, substitutions and all that, and I’d say 99% of the time for the most part it was good. A couple of field goal things were a little different, but we had a couple of guys coming in off of the offensive side and defensive side, which we understood (would not go perfectly in terms of timing and set up) … We’ll look at the film, and see how they lined up, they executed. I thought the timing of the offense, in getting the plays called, and getting on the line was very, very good”.

On the play of the receivers … “We had a couple of dropped balls, but I would say that overall, they did a good job … We had two dropped interceptions, too.”

On the play of the incoming freshman class … “I think so far they’re doing good. They had a great summer academically. We’ll see (how they do) when all of the students get here, and all of the pressure starts, but for now I have been really pleased with them … and I’m excited about their athletic ability … They are having fun”.

On the day … “I’m glad it was hot. We’ve had hot days the last few days, which is good … The last few days have been great, with the heat. It’s made them push through that”.

On Sunday being a day off … “Yes. We’ve practiced 15 practices in a row without a break, and they’ve done a good job with that. We went pads every time we could go pads. The only time we were in shorts were the first two days, every time since then we’ve been in shoulder pads or full pads”.

On the play of the defense against the run Saturday … “I liked their aggressiveness, and I thought they did some good things there. We’re getting more physical, tackling better. That’s something we work on every day, leveraging the football, tackling, running to the football. We work on that every … single … day. We had to do tackling drills three times over the other day because they didn’t want to do it at first, so we just kept doing it until they did it right”.

—

August 16th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/16)

On Friday’s practices … “I thought we did good. A lot of special teams. We’re trying to shore that up, especially being a new team, you have to work on it a lot. You always have to work on it but you have to work on it more the first year. You have to figure out who can play what and who is going to fit into what position. So it is a lot of moving parts.”

On conditioning of the team midway through Fall Camp … “The conditioning is good. We’ve only had but one pulled hamstring. The guys are working hard. We’re doing a tremendous amount of running. We did a lot this summer, and in the spring. I think they’re in good shape.”

On having about 40 former players in for Friday’s practice … “They came out, I introduced them to the team. They’re over there talking to some of the team right now, after practice is over. It’s always great to have the former players, we want them all around all the time they can be here. There is great tradition, and this is their school, so it’s exciting to have the around”.

On the emotions and the body language of the players … “I think their emotions and body language is good. It was really hot this morning, which is good. It was hot yesterday … I wish it stayed hot all the time. I like to see them fight through different adversities … The intensity is very high.”

On goals for the scrimmage … “Improvement, and seeing how we function without the coaches being out on the field as much, see how they play by themselves out there; see exactly what they know.”

Can you discuss the format for the scrimmage … “No.”

On positions which may be decided Saturday … “They are (up for grabs) every day. The scrimmage is a little bit bigger, but we make them battle each day. We change things up – see how they perform; how they hustle”.

On freshman running back Phillip Lindsay … “I would call him a bundle of energy and really like Phillip. He is doing really well. It doesn’t look like there are any repercussions from his knee injury. Been very, very pleased with Phillip. Really pleased.”

—

Scrimmage set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday (UPDATE: scrimmage moved up to 9:15)

From CUBuffs.com … The University of Colorado will host Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Folsom Field. Fans will also have the opportunity to see the best seat locations still available for season tickets and three game flex plans during our Select-A-Seat event.

Before the clinic, participants are invited to come watch the CU Football team play in an intrasquad scrimmage beginning at 9:15 a.m. where they can get a first look at this season’s team.

Healthy Kids Day has become a CU tradition where CU student-athletes and coaches run skills and fitness stations for kids 8th grade and under.  Registration for Healthy Kids Day will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will take place at the Northeast entrance to Folsom Field, located at Gate 14 just off of Stadium Drive.   The first 750 registered kids will receive a FREE CU t-shirt.

In conjunction with National Jewish Health and Country Buffet, admission to Healthy Kids Day is FREE.

For more information call 303-492-1976. If you would like to learn more about the Select-A-Seat Event, please contact the CU Athletic Ticket Office at 303-492-8282.

Forty former players attend Friday’s practice

From CUBuffs.com … About 40 former Colorado football players made an appearance at the afternoon portion of the Buffs’ two-a-day practices on Friday.

“It’s always good to be back,” said former linebacker Barry Remington, who played from 1982-86 and still is the school’s career tackle leader 493 (245 solo). “These players put in so much effort and it reminds me of what we went through. Fall camp can be taxing but I’m really excited for these guys.”

Head coach Mike MacIntyre had the former players introduce themselves to the team toward the end of the afternoon practice.

“It was great having the former players here today,” MacIntyre said. “They came out here to see the team. It’s always great to have the former players out here and we want them out here as much as they can. There is great tradition here and this is their school. It’s exciting to have them around and talk to the guys.”

Attending practice brought back memories of their collegiate playing days to many of the former players.

“Being a Buff means everything to me,” said Michael Pritchard (1988-90). “I was voted MVP of the national championship team (1990), which was the highlight of my football career, including my pro career. I have a huge connection to this area and to this school and to the program. I want to be back here and support this team.”

The former wide receiver and first round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft was quick to offer advice to the current players based on his personal experiences.

“Be a sponge,” Pritchard said. “These coaches are going to teach you a lot. As a player, you’re going to learn a lot, but don’t think you know everything. Always be coachable, that’s what really helped me during my playing career.”

Reminiscing on his time at Colorado, former Buffs quarterback John Hessler (1995-97) remembers the countless hours associated with fall camp and preparing for the season. Reflecting on his playing days, he hopes the current team doesn’t take their time at CU for granted.

—

August 15th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/15)

On moving the practice Thursday from the morning to the afternoon … “We had some guys who were beat up, and a couple of kids had some things they needed to do, so we moved it to this afternoon so that they could be at practice.”

Is Will Oliver set as the placekicker? … “Yes he is. We didn’t kick the two main kickers (at Thursday’s practice) because the two main kickers had been kicking so much, and we wanted the younger guys to kick under pressure. It’s hard to rotate four guys, with a lot of hitting up front (on field goal attempts). The kickers are kicking, but the other guys are running into each other, so that’s why we switched today, to give the two other guys (Oliver and Justin Castor) a day of leg rest”.

On how Oliver has been during fall practices … “Will’s be very accurate, very competitive, and very professional in the way he works at it. I’ve been very pleased with Will”.

Is there a timetable to update the depth chart? … “No”.

On avoiding issues with selling autographs … “We personalize autographs. So, if you ask one of our players for an autograph, he’d write your name so you can’t commercialize it … We’ve gone over it a million times. They know they can’t take money or anything like that”.

On the play of the defense on Thursday … “I felt we made some good plays. The offense had two 95-yard drives on them, one with the first team and one with the second team, but the defense also made a pick for a six. I thought the competition was good. I think they are battling”.

On the role of Colorado State transfer Jordan Murphy on the team this year … “He’s working at fullback, and doing a good job there. We’ll find some other roles for him, but right now it’s a fullback role”.

—

B.G. Brooks breaks down the Buffs

Reporter B.G. Brooks is doing a position-by-position analysis at CUBuffs.com.

The series of reports, complete with a few interviews and practice highlights, can be found here.

Some highlights:

Wide receiver D.D. Goodson, a converted tailback/defensive back: “I’m loving the receiver position. I feel really good at this position. Coach (Troy) Walters, he’s out there working with us , running reps with us. He’s pushing us to get the most out of ourselves. It’s been intense, it’s a lot of work … and I think we’re looking really good out here. We’re all competitive, so we all make big plays, we try and limit our mistakes, and we try and compete with the “D” as much as we can.”

Wide receivers coach Troy Walters: “I think we have the potential to be one of the best units in the Pac-12”.

Linebacker – and captain – Paul Vigo: “(Defensive coordinator and linebackers) coach (Kent) Baer brings in a whole different level of intensity. He has great expectations for his ‘backers. As a unit, I think that the older guys have been standing out, we’ve just been competing this whole time … Somebody steps up one day, the next day someone else will bring it. It’s about consistency with us. We’ve got to come out every day and be physical and hit.”

Kent Baer: “I see a big improvement from last spring. These kids worked hard in the summer. I’ve seen a lot of improvement. There’s just a lot of little things, fundamental things, we have to continue to work on”.

According to tight end coach Klayton Adams, senior Alex Wood is the most versatile of the group of returning tight ends, as he also has experience at fullback. Adams says Wood is more likely to be on the field than some of the other tight ends.

Klayton Adams: “The tight end group, I feel is kind of a hard-working, blue-collar group of guys. You’ve got three older guys (Wood, Scott Fernandez and Kyle Slavin) who feel very comfortable with what we are doing. They understand urgency, they understand tempo. They do a great job of leading their group. They understand that being a good college football player isn’t about being a highly recruited guy, it’s about working hard and getting better every single day … We like to be multiple, not use the same personnel grouping every time, so some of them are going to have a lot of opportunities to play.”

Junior Kyle Slavin (NOTE: Slavin suffered a broken bone in his hand this week. It is estimated that he will be out 10-15 days, making him questionable for the CSU game) … “It’s the small things. Getting our hips in on blocks … Coach MacIntyre is all about the small details, and that goes for the assistant coaches, too … I’ve got more of a leadership role than in year’s past, taking the young guys and helping them out where I can … The run game is always a challenge. I’m 240-pounds going against 300-pounders, so that is something I’m always trying to improve on.”

—

August 14th

Interviews with Coach Mac, Connor Wood and Parker Orms

Here is a link to the KOA radio interviews given by Mike MacIntyre, and CU captains Connor Wood and Parker Orms

—

August 13th

Notes from the first scrimmage

From CUBUffs.com … The 90-minute session on the hilltop consisted of scripted situational work for the both the offense and the defense and a comprehensive special teams period in which the team worked extensively on kickoffs, field goals and punts.

“It was fun (to be out there).” MacIntyre said. “It got the kids going. The field’s in phenomenal shape so I think they enjoyed getting in here.”

Players welcomed the opportunity to transition from unit drills to a near game-like environment after eight sweltering days of camp.

“It was good,” said wide receiver, Nelson Spruce. “ It was the first time we’ve been live all summer so it kind of puts us in a game situation, so they intensity cranks up a little bit. It was a good time.”

Seven college football officials from various conferences also attended the practice session. The officials’ presence gave the team the chance to better understand how things will be called during the season after a summer filled with rule modifications and adjustments by the NCAA.

Spruce thinks that the time with the officials will benefit the team greatly down the road as the Buffs attempt to prepare themselves for the upcoming season.

“It keeps everything a little more fair,” Spruce said. “Maybe some plays the offense is holding or the defense is holding so it puts us in more of a game situation. It’s more realistic.”

—

Camp continues on Wednesday with the second day of the five two-a-day practice sessions that will take place this week and next. The morning practice is from 8:30-10:45 a.m. and the afternoon practice is from 4-6 p.m.

—

Buffs Scrimmage in Folsom Field – Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/13)

On the Buffs’ first scrimmage of the fall … “The quarterbacks made some good throws, receivers had some good catches. I thought there was some good hitting, going along. And the DB’s, I felt that they played the deep ball a little bit better today – a lot better than we did in the spring”.

On when the CU offense will use a huddle on offense … “We’ll huddle up when we want to slow the clock down, or we’ve got a momentum change, or if we have somebody who got hurt, and we’re trying to figure out who we’re going to get in there, but most of the time we’re not going to huddle. I’d say 90% of the time we won’t huddle”.

Is the quarterback situation still wide open? … “Yes”.

On linebacker K.T. Tu’umalo playing inside and outside … “He did that some playing for them last year. He’s one of the guys who has the ability to do that. He’s physical enough to play inside, but we’ll play him both places, especially when we are playing spread teams, passing teams, he’ll give us a better player inside”.

On the play of the safeties to date … “I thought they did some good things today. Being an old secondary guy, I am really critical of them. I thought they did some good things, and they did some bad things. I think our secondary has really improved, from the first scrimmage in the spring to now … it’s freakin’ light years”.

On whether there have been a number of injuries to date … “No, not really. We had a couple more come back today. We’ll have a couple more come back tomorrow. We didn’t lose anybody today that I know of. I think that (the ones who have been out) will learn how to fight through it”.

On limiting tackling as the CSU game approaches … “Oh yeah, we’ll do that. You have to always back off, on the piles and things like that. We want them to get their legs back, and we have a whole structure for that, but that is still a ways away. We’re still in training camp. We’re still working on getting the pace better.”

—

Note:  There will likely be a scrimmage with the practice on Saturday. Practice is from 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., with the best guess for a scrimmage time – for those who might like to attend – to be around 10:00 a.m.

If you’re heading out to Saturday’s football scrimmage, you can pick up posters at Healthy Kids Day. According to a press release, “Healthy Kids Day has become a CU tradition where CU student-athletes and coaches run skills and fitness stations for kids 8th grade and under. Registration for Healthy Kids Day will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will take place at the Northeast entrance to Folsom Field, located at Gate 14 just off of Stadium Drive. The first 750 registered kids will receive a FREE CU t-shirt.”

—

August 12th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/12)

On the first day of two-a-day practices … “It was good. It really was. We came out this morning, we were spirited. We got after it. This afternoon, the majority of it went to special teams. I thought that went really well. We had at team period where in 12 minutes we got 28 plays run, which is pretty good. We were on both fields, so we got 56 plays done in 12 minutes. That’s big time stuff. They are starting to understand the tempo, and what we want. They’re having fun with it”.

On the Sunday night discussion about the quarterbacks … “We talked about every position. We felt like in the quarterback position, all four of them are doing well. We’re going to move them around a little bit, have them go with different teams some, and see how they do with different receivers, different lines and so forth. But so far, we’ve been pleased with all of them. We’ve got a couple of linemen who are banged up right now, so we’ve got other guys in there, and they are doing well.”

On offensive lineman Stephane Nembot missing practice … “He’s had a headache. We were worried it might be a concussion, but it wasn’t. He’s got a sinus problem. He’s new to the country a little bit, so it’s a sinus problem. They’ve got that all remedied, and he should be back (Tuesday)”.

Any first year players who have stood out so far in camp … “I think the two young defensive ends have looked good, Jimmy Gilbert and Derek McCartney. I think that Chidobe (Awuzie) has looked good in the secondary, and at linebacker Addison Gillam.  Offensively, I think a couple of the running backs have really showed some things. We’ve just got to make sure they get enough carries, or play enough on special teams (to justify tearing off their red-shirts). The young receivers have made some plays. I thought that Devin Ross has shown some good things. Of course, Sefo (Liufau) at quarterback has played well for a freshman. And then those offensive linemen, they have had to go a ton of reps. They’re getting better and better. It’s really hard for offensive linemen to play right off, but a couple of them might have the chance to help us in backup roles”.

On D.D. Goodson … “D.D. is doing really well. As it always goes, we have to wait until we get into some games, to see if he can keep doing it. But as far as what he has shown in practice, and his abilities to make plays. I’m excited about him with the run after catch, and him doing some things. I’m just as optimistic as the fans. Hopefully, he do things on Saturdays. We’re certainly going to give him the opportunity to”.

An injury update … “No major injuries right now … (hesitating) … No. No major injuries like knees or anything like that. Just hope everything else heals like it should – quickly. Josh Ford hurt his ankle. With ankles – we’re going to have to keep him off of it for about a week, but there aren’t any broken bones or anything like that. It’s just a sprain. With running backs it’s tough, because they have to cut so much, but hopefully we’ll have him back in a week or so”.

On the status of the offensive line … “I still feel good about Stephane Nembot, and Jack Harris at the two tackles. Marc Mustoe is really getting better every day, as he is getting reps on both sides (of the ball at tackle) going back and forth. Inside, we’re rotating those guards and centers, which I think is very important. Hopefully, when (Daniel) Munyer gets back, he’ll be able to step right in and help us. Jeromy Irwin’s foot has a small fracture in it, so he’s out for awhile. It could end up being a red-shirt year, if it doesn’t come back fast enough, because he has a red-shirt year.”

On open practices and social media … “David Plati is my ‘eye in the sky’, and he’s trying to find out for me. I haven’t heard anything out there … Usually, it gets back to me if there is, so hopefully everyone knows what we’re doing on that. I see a lot of people out there with their kids, having a good time, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Notes of note from CUBUffs.com …  Former Colorado head football coach Bill McCartney made an appearance at Monday’s practice . . . . New CU Athletic Director Rick George stopped by for the end of practice, rounding out his first official day on the job.

On Tuesday, the Buffs will practice from 8:35-11:30 a.m. before resuming their second two-a-day practice schedule on Wednesday. Additional two-a-day practices will be held on Friday, Aug. 16 and Monday, Aug. 19, with the final two-a-day drills taking place on Wednesday, Aug. 21.

—

August 11th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/11)

On Sunday’s practice … “I felt we got after it. It was a hot one, which was good for us. We got a lot of things accomplished. We did a lot of situational, like our two minute drill at the end of practice. There were some good things there, on both sides of the ball”.

On “camp legs” setting in … “Oh yeah, probably already. But that’s part of fighting through it. And that happens basically in every sport, when they are first starting their training. But I fell like they are fighting through it pretty good. It probably hits (the freshmen) harder because they haven’t been training year round, like the other guys have … I think that bothers them a little bit sometimes”.

On what he took from Saturday’s practice, the first full practice in full pads … “I thought the running backs ran hard, and were aggressive. I thought that the linebackers were filling the holes well, and, at times, our offensive line was combination blocking pretty well. But we did a few different stunts, and they had a hard time with that, and that happens early in camp. Overall, I was good with the intensity and the physical-ness of the practice”.

On some good hits on defense … “They were breaking on the ball, making some good plays. There were a couple of situations there where they had (the offense) backed up, and they knew they were going to have to throw it, so a couple of the linebackers made a couple of good breaks.”

On the players meeting new athletic director Rick George … “I thought it was very important that they meet him. He just got here today, and the first place he came was the football field, so that was exciting. He talked to the team. He’s been on this field before, and he’s seen teams practice. It was nostalgic for him at the same time. He’s excited about the future here, and what’s going to happen.”

On his first impressions of freshman cornerback Chidobe Awuzie … “A very good athlete. We saw him a lot where we were before. His high school team came to our football camp every year, so I know Chidobe … Nothing surprises me out here. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and I think he’s going to be a very good football player if he keeps pushing. Athletically, he can definitely do it”.

On assessing the first week of practice … “We’re going to talk hard about that again tonight. We kind of go through Sunday, and then have long meetings on the team, change some things around. We’ll meet on that more tonight. All four quarterbacks have made plays and done some good things. We’ll talk more about their strengths and weaknesses tonight, and figure out what areas of the offense they are better at”.

—

Monday practices … The first session of two-a-days will take place on Monday with a morning session starting at 8:30 a.m. and an afternoon practice beginning at 4 p.m.

—

August 10th

Notes of note from CU’s media day

From cubuffs.com … Defensive back Kenneth Crawley is listed at 6-1, 165 on the most recent roster. He says – and a bit indignantly – that he weighs 170 and is noticeably stronger and faster this season. Parker Orms on Crawley: “He’s matured. He’s impressed me so far.” . . . . Junior receiver Paul Richardson sat out Saturday morning’s practice to rest his surgically repaired knee. That might happen more than once in camp. Receivers coach Troy Walters has told “P-Rich,” “It doesn’t matter how explosive you are, if you don’t stay healthy you can’t help us. He’s got to understand that.” . . . . MacIntyre calls Richardson “exciting to watch. You throw it up and watch him get underneath it. If I was a quarterback that would be exciting to me, but we’ve got other wide receivers who have been making plays and doing things, too.” . . . . CU’s offensive line looks to have its starting tackles in place – senior Jack Harris on the left side, sophomore Stephane Nembot on the right. The line’s mid-section, said MacIntyre, is unsettled because of the number of players who can play both guard and center. Combinations are still being scrutinized.

After one practice Sunday morning (8:45-11:30 a.m.), the Buffs on Monday are scheduled for the first of five two-a-day practices. Monday’s practices will be 8:30-10:45 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Other two-a-day drills are scheduled on Wednesday and Friday of next week (Aug. 14, Aug. 16) and Aug. 19 and Aug. 21.

—

Full transcript of Coach MacIntyre’s media day press conference

From cubuffs.com …

General “First of all, thanks for being here, I appreciate you all taking the time to follow the Buffaloes. Fall camp has gone well, today is our fifth day so we’re moving along at it and had a good week of practice. Today I thought was very spirited being the first day in full pads which is a lot of fun, it’s always fun to get out of pajamas and get into real pads and start playing football. I thought they responded well today and practiced well. I think our coaching staff is doing a good job of installing and teaching what we need to get across and they seem very, very spirited. I was glad the sun was out today, it was a beautiful day out there and we need that sun to keep beating down on (the players) and get them used to that.”

On Sefo Liufau “He looked good, he did a good job today in the two-minute (drill). He moves in the pocket well, he is very accurate throwing on the run and I thought he did a good job and has done a good job all week. He seems very calm and poised.”

On His Impressions Of The Team Since Spring “With these young men, it seems like they have done everything we have asked them to do. They have been very spirited in our practices. Our practice tempo is different and they have really bought into it. You know, we got 42 reps in 22 minutes the other day, which is really, really good. The more repetitions, the better you get, I’m a firm believer in that. So, they are working extremely, extremely hard. The one thing I see in them is willingness and a work ethic by the majority of the players has been phenomenal.”

On When They Will Begin Focusing On Colorado State “We have a little bit before we start turning the focus to Colorado State, but we think about Colorado State every day, and I imagine they think about us too. But, you have to get in your basics before you start trying to game plan. You have to have the basics to game plan with. You have to have a library so to speak to pull from, and we’ll be working on ourselves for quite a while. Then, as we get closer to that game we will start honing in on Colorado State at that moment in time.”

On Seeing Signs Of Players Buying In “Well, I think the commitment level, the effort level, I see guys helping each other and creating more of a team atmosphere. That’s hard to put a finger on it, but you see it and you see the different ways kids interact with each other. I’ve seen more excitement and enthusiasm than we saw in the spring, so I think that shows that they are buying in. They’re working extremely hard, and it’s hard work, but they’re also finding a way to enjoy it and I think that is how you get better at anything you do in life. If you don’t enjoy your work you’re not going to get better at it, and I think they’re enjoying it so that’s good.”

On Using Last Year’s Season To Motivate The Team “No, I don’t talk about last year’s season at all. Now, I know that they do, and I hope that they do. But, I don’t bring up anything about last year or things that went on. All I talk about is the future, and now. I talk about now more than I do the future. I talk about what we do now reaps dividends in the future. So, I focus on the now, I focus on the individuals here, I don’t focus on anything quote, ‘that happened last year’. As a football player or as an athlete I imagine you think about different games or different guys you went up against that you might want to get them when you see them again. I think that is a natural competitive instinct and I would hope that they have that, but that is not something that I dwell on at all.”

On Connor Wood “Connor has made a lot of progress and I’ve been pleased with what Connor has been able to do. I think Brian Lindgren is an excellent quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, has a very good feel with how to motivate young men and how to handle quarterbacks and he is a very good play caller. Connor has really improved and he has had a good fall camp so far. The more they can play, the more and more we can have 11-on-11 type reps, the better and better the quarterback is going to get. They have all been improving since the first day, and then Connor and Stevie Joe [Dorman] have improved tremendously since spring too.”

On Character Of Team “First of all, I think we have a lot of great young men on this team. I know every coach says that at every team he coaches and he should believe that, the coach should. If he doesn’t then nobody will. I really believe in our young men. Also, we really look for guys that are committed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So, we are really trying to help develop the whole person if that makes sense to you. I think the majority of our young men have bought in. I’m not around them all the time, but there were a few who aren’t around here anymore that really didn’t buy in. There comes a point in time when you either get in the ship or get off. I want them all to be on the ship, I wasn’t trying to run one person off, but there comes a point in time where they either realize they didn’t want to be part of what we were doing and how we did it. We’re firm and positive, but we hold them accountable and I think that is the only way to build the team that you want to build. We hold our coaches accountable and we hold everyone in the program accountable the best we can. But, we also give out a little bit of grace, a little bit of rope to work with young people there’s no doubt. I feel like the overall character of the team is going in the right direction. The leaders that I lean on are the six captains, they were chosen by the team. We’ve had a lot of meetings together to get the culture across that we want and they’ve been very, very responsive and they’ve given me input and it’s fun watching guys mature in that process. And, it’s good when they ask really open questions as it helps them and it helps our team. I enjoy that part of it, I really do.”

On Defensive Line “The defensive line, I see them improving, they’re losing weight and we have goal we’re trying to get them to and we’re almost there before the first 10 days before the season starts. I’ve watched them improve out there and work out there. We’re still not to the point of playing at full speed every down, but they’re light years ahead of where they were in the spring and they have already improved this fall. D-line and O-line are hard positions, they beat on each other all day and then you have to run to the ball but you don’t ever get to touch a ball. So, they have to be really hungry, humble people. I think we have big strong guys, I think we have some athletic guys, we just need to keep being able to get a little bit quicker step in this league. If you’re that much closer to the (opposing) quarterback, he’ll throw it high. Then all of a sudden you hit him and he starts to get nervous; come off a block and you trip a guy in the backfield and all of a sudden he would have gone 50 (yards), instead it’s a one yard loss. We’re starting to get there, but we’re not quite there yet, but we are making gains.”

On Following Blue Print From San Jose State “Well, my first year as a head coach I was trying to run around and put out every fire there was. When it’s your first time calling the shots it’s a little difficult. So, I’m a lot better this time around I think than I was my first year (at San Jose State). Also, our coaching staff was all brand new, now our coaching staff is all moving in the same direction. We’re doing some things definitely similar but every school is different, every program is different, you have different kids, you have different situations, you have different strengths and weaknesses so you always have to tweak it here and there but our core values are always going to be the same. I learned from Bill Parcells, ‘be who you are’. I have certain core values that I want to live by and I want our program to live by so that’s our basis.”

On Being Able To Name A Starting QB Soon “I don’t know, but they are making big time progress. You want to put them in all kinds of different situations. We had some two-minutes today, we had some different pressure situations were going to do, we’ll do some situational scrimmages through the week and that will tell us a little bit more about each guy. I know it sounds crazy, but I do think all four are really improving. Now, I still think that Connor Wood is ahead, he is still doing a good job but it’s fun to watch other guys make plays and throw the ball accurately and make checks. It gives you confidence that you hopefully have more than one guy. I really think all of them are doing really well at this point and [Jordan] Gehrke is doing really well. I’m not disappointed in Gehrke at all.”

On How Paul Richardson’s Return Will Affect The Offense “I think it’s exciting to watch Paul. You throw it up and watch him get underneath it. If I was a quarterback that would be exciting to me but we’ve got other wide receivers who have been making plays and doing things too. I think the running game is improving. If your running game can do some things it takes pressure of a quarterback. It really does. But Paul Richardson is really fun and we enjoy playing with Paul.”

On Impressions Of Diego Gonzalez “Diego is a phenomenal story and I challenged Toby Neinas to find the best kicker in America and he came back and said ‘coach I found the best kicker but he’s not in America’ and I said ‘ok’. Has a powerful leg. He’s a bright young man and we’re really excited about him being here. The way the NCAA rules work with his situation, he will not be able to play this year due to his situation. He will have to sit but he’ll have three years to play after this year. Because his high school runs into college, it makes it kind of different in Mexico so the way they interpret it he will have to sit this year and play the next three years. He has a very powerful leg. It’s funny because our faculty rep, Dr. Clough went to that same high school. It’s a small world.”

On How Richardson’s Speed Affects The Other Receivers And The Running Game “If you have a guy people can’t really cover one on one and they have to walk a safety out or have a backer underneath it will help your passing lanes and your running lanes. They’re really taking one and a half players, sometimes they have to take two. So we’ll look at that and hopefully we’ll be able to utilize him well enough to do that and we can take advantage of that. There may be some times that we don’t throw it to him 30 times, and we only throw it to him 20 times in the game and that’s because we’re handing it off some other times. So I think it should help us and hopefully that will be the case.”

On Public’s Perception Of The Team “That’s a great question. I guess the public’s perception, if you read the magazines, is not very good. I tell the kids all the time to block out the noise. All we have to worry about is ourselves. Our guys that are putting their helmets on. We just have to worry about what we’re doing. We can’t listen to everything else all around. To really be a good team and a good leader sometimes you have to kind of put the blinders on and just keep going. People don’t think you can do it and then all of a sudden it happens. You see it happen all the time. Look at the Pittsburgh Pirates. You see it happen all the time.. It’s amazing how that happens in sports. I think that’s one of the great things about sports. It’s not a sure thing every Saturday that this is going to happen so I think that’s exciting. We’re really excited about this season. Our players are working extremely hard and thinking they can go toe to toe with anybody they play. That’s what we want to do.”

On Shoring Up The Secondary “A lot of hard work.  A lot of individual work. Andy LaRussa and Charles Clark. I have two secondary coaches on purpose. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but that is a little bit of a trend that’s started in college football. That’s because there’s so much passing.  There’s a nickel back, there’s a dime back, there’s four wides. They’re throwing the ball all over the place so you have to be good in that area. The other thing that you have to be good at that a lot of people don’t think about is they also have to know where they fit on the run. You cover the pass all you want and you’re leaving wide open gaps and they don’t fit right or they over run or they fit wrong on the receiver and the ball pops for a 50 yard gain if they do fit outside instead of inside. Those are the critical things we’ve been working on. Open field tackling with our secondary. We’ve been working extremely hard on that and we’ll continue to. I think they are improving. Again, it’s repetition. They have to keep improving. They’re going against good players, good receivers and good schemes so that should help us get better.”

On Deciding Who To Red-Shirt “I always look first and foremost when you have a young, young player is he ready to play. If we don’t think he’s physically ready to play and we think he could definitely benefit from a year of redshirt then we’re going to redshirt him but if he’s physically mature enough and he can play and he can help us and he’s going to play a significant amount of plays. There’s two ways to look at that , if he can play on four special teams and he can play a back-up role. So you come out of a game and he plays 25 plays a game over 12 games then he’ll play 300 plays in the year then that’s a significant player to help you. So I look at numbers of plays, where they fit in, if so and so got hurt fifth game would he be ready to do it then? Is he better than the other guy? So there’s all these scenarios that go into it. First of all I’m going to look at the physicality of the young man. Then secondly, I’m going to look and see mentally if he can handle it and if he fits those two and he’s going to play significant plays then I’m playing him. I’m going to play him. So that’s kind of how we look at it.”

On How Team Has Responded To Adversity Thus Far “Well I think they’re doing well. We had a couple of situations today in two minute. We had a situation where we thought we had a first down and we had to mark it short so we ran the field goal team out there real fast and kicked it. We executed it. The kid hit the upright. It was good execution. We had another time where they blocked the field goal then I made the other group go back out. They drove down and made the field goal just to get all those different situations. We had a third down type scrimmage today also. Then I do a lot of things with them. Put them in different predicaments of certain things we’re doing. I’m doing certain drills then they’re really tired and then we put them into something where they’ve got to really think and see how they execute that and then we’ll talk about that. So far they’ve done well. It hasn’t always been an A plus but it wouldn’t be on any team in America but I think they’re responding. They are handling it really well though. I don’t hear them complaining about it. To my face that is.

On The NCAA’s New Clocking Rule “If there’s two seconds or less on the clock you can’t clock it anymore. The game’s over. They’re not going to let you clock it and then kick a field goal. You have to clock it with three seconds. So that’s a pretty significant thing. Fans might be watching the game and might say ‘well why didn’t they throw an out route? There was six seconds’. Well if it’s under two or they get tackled and can’t get the first down they’re not going to let you get the first down then clock it anymore.”

On The NCAA’s Objective For The New Clocking Rule “They say when teams play away that the clock guy is a homer. I think that’s what they’re saying. I really do. They’re saying there’s no way that should happen. Kind of like in the NBA, there’s a certain time you can’t dribble, that same type of rule. That’s the way it was explained to me by the officials.”

On Offensive Philosophy And The Type Of Players You Want “I’m just big on functional athlete play. If you bench 500 pounds and you squat 600 pounds and you can’t functionally play. I’m big on functional ability to show up on that football field. Athletes, athletes, athletes, athletic abiltity, moving ,running. You have seen the Pac-12. It’s fast. We’ve got to be the same way. That’s got to be every position. You’ve got to have some size there’s no doubt but if you can only pay two plays and Oregon and all them are lining up and running five plays before you even get back to the line of scrimmage then what good are you? Our kids are starting to understand that. I’m big on athletes and athletic ability at all positions across the board. That’s why you’ll see us recruit a lot of tight end type athletic tailbacks, and all these different athletes and then we’ll find them places to play. Then you’ll have people running all over the place.”

On Evaluating The Offensive Line “That’s a great question. The backups are still learning a lot right now. Daniel Munyer is not out there yet. He looked really good in the spring and he’ll be back but I think Stephane Nembot has improved tremendously. Jack Harris, moving to left tackle, has done a good job there. Then the luxury we have is we have three or four guys who can play guard or center which to me is a real luxury. Because sometimes, You’ve seen it before, a team has a center go down and they can’t even run they’re offense. We are in good shape there. Coach Bernardi does a good job of training those guys. A lot of them just have a good knack and a feel for it too. That has helped us in that area of the offensive line. I really don’t know all the guard and center positions right now but it seems like to me that the two tackle positions are pretty much ironed out. Marc Mustoe and a couple of those other guys are doing a great job and the backups are getting better and better. But I think our two offensive tackles are solid and then inside we’re kind of moving guys around to see what the best combination is and who’s healthy which is a good thing. If someone goes down you’ve been doing that on and off.”

—

August 9th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/9)

On looking forward to Saturday’s practice … “Yeah, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, the first day in full pads … They’re real excited. I’m excited so I guess they’re excited too because they’re the ones putting (pads) on. I think it’ll be a lot of fun for them. We’ve been physical here the last few days but we’ll be a little more physical tomorrow … People will go down, but we won’t scrimmage tomorrow”.

On the first week of practices … “It’s going well. The captains we elected are doing a good job; they’re practicing hard. They guys have been practicing hard every day. I’ve seen a big difference every day.”

On the biggest challenges … “The overall concept of what we’re doing. It’s not just one thing; it’s a lot of different things you have to do. It’s not just about playing, it’s playing to win. There is a difference between playing the game, and playing the game to win. It’s how you prepare, it’s how you practice. It’s all in the things you do add up to that.”

On Connor Wood’s progression … “Connor had a good day today, he’s doing well. He’s getting a tremendous number of reps, along with the other quarterbacks. I feel like the offense is making some plays, They’re putting a lot of pressure on our defense, is what they’re doing.”

On Paul Richardson’s play … “It’s good to see Paul running around, making plays. He brings a lot of energy” … On what he is expecting of Richardson season … “I’m expecting him to catch balls and score touchdowns … He’s one of our captains, so I’m expecting him to be a leader also.”

On the progress to date … “We’ve been on schedule … We haven’t had any setbacks, where we’ve come out and just laid an egg, so that’s been good. We’re going to just keep progressing, keep pushing. We haven’t put in as much as we would a year from now, because we don’t know it all. It’s easier to review it than it is to install it, so that’s slowed us down a little bit, but that’s natural”.

On the progress of the defense … “The defense is making progress. We have good plays and bad plays, but that’s good. You don’t want to completely stuff the offense, because then you’d be really nervous. It’s kind of a give and take situation as a head coach. You want to see big plays on both sides … I think they made progress today. I think they have been aggressive, trying to do what we’re asking them to do.”

—

Saturday’s practice will take place from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and will be followed by media day festivities in the Dal Ward Athletic Center shortly after practice. Fall varsity sports will participate in the event, which will begin with the women’s volleyball program at 11:45 a.m. The football team’s portion of the event begins about 12:10 with the players and assistant coaches, then MacIntyre taking the podium at about 1 p.m.

—

Connor Wood poster

Colorado will have six team posters this fall, one featuring each of the six team captains – Connor Wood; Paul Richardson; Jack Harris; Chidera Uzo-Diribe; Derrick Webb and Paul Vigo. Here is the poster featuring Connor Wood:

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/8)

On putting on shoulder pads for the first time … “It was fun to watch them. It’s good to have to pull them off of each other rather than have to crank them up to hit each other, so I was excited about that. I thought they got after it. They stayed healthy out there today, and we got a lot done”.

On a young and inexperienced group of tight ends … “We use tight ends quite a bit in our offense, in different ways. We have different sets for them. I look for them to be able to help us in a lot of different ways. Some of them will help us in the passing game; some of them will help us in the running game. We’ve got a couple of older guys (Kyle Slavin is a junior; Scott Fernandez and Alex Wood are seniors) who are good; a couple of younger guys (Sean Irwin and Austin Ray are red-shirt freshmen) who are big and strong. And they will be able to find a way to help us on special teams also”.

On freshman tight end Connor Center, who started playing football just … “He’s getting a little bit more comfortable. He’s catching the ball better, but everything is new to him right now. But he’s 6’6″, he can run at 245 pounds. He’s athletic. So we’ll just let him ‘soak’ for a year or two, and he’ll be a good player … His potential is phenomenal. He’s a very bright kid, and he really wants to learn, so I think his growth will be exponential here in the next couple of years.”

On the running game with shoulder pads on … “I felt we did some good things in the running game. You need to run quite a few guys. If you run the same guy over and over again in practice, he gets beat up, and by the fourth or fifth game of the year, he’s worn out already. I thought all of the running backs ran hard. Or course, I will be able to tell a little bit better on film when I get inside, but I thought they gave good effort. I don’t think any of them put the ball on the ground, which is encouraging to see.”

On taking a break about three-quarters of the way through practice, bringing in the players for a “coaching point” … “I’ve seen other coaches do it at the end of practice, but I figured that there were certain things that I wanted to get across, when they are tired. It makes them learn how to think when they are tired, like it will be during a game. It kind of gets their mind off of the grind, and they escape for a minute, and then you can teach them a reality that’s going to help them win a football game, and then you send them right back to work. So now they feel like they have got new knowledge. It’s a way to take a break without taking a break. I like the opportunity to talk to them when they are tired, and look them in the eye, because that is what happens during a game.”

On when center Daniel Munyer might be a full go … “I hope any day now. He’s making good progress (from a fractured fibula, suffered on March 21st). The good thing is that he has played a lot (in the past). He’s been in all of our meetings. He’s a sharp, smart young man. We need to get him back out here. But we’re not going to put him out here too early, where he might reinjure it, and keep him out during the season, and maybe to the end of the season. It’s better to wait until he’s completely healthy, and then we know we’ve got him, so hopefully that is here in a week or so.”

… Fall practice continues Friday with another afternoon session (3:50-6:20 p.m.) …

—

August 8th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/7)

Overall … “I thought it went well. We had a few too many missed snaps today, but I think that’s because we have a couple of freshman centers, so that’s going to happen. But I thought overall we worked hard, we got a lot accomplished, we put in more into our offense and into our defense, and they handled it well.”

On how much of the offense will be installed by the Colorado State game … “I would not say that we will be able to put all of it in, but it just depends on how well they keep grasping it. We’re not behind, we’ve already been able to start adding. We’ll look at it tonight and see what we executed the best. If we can add some more we will. But I’m a true believer in ‘knowledge equals confidence equals playing fast’. I think you can overload them and they will slow down … There’s a fine line there, to make sure you don’t do that.”

On putting in new wrinkles from the San Jose State offense … “Oh yeah (laughing). It’s all new … We put in the wishbone”.

On the players’ stamina … “They’ve had good stamina. They got after it. I thought they finished practice good. We were able to get through a lot of different situations, which is important. Especially with a new team and a new staff. I want these young men to know exactly what is going to happen in all situations, in the pressure situations. I want them to think just like I think. When they can do that, that’s when they can execute in those situations. So you have to do them over and over and over.”

On which positions have the most wide open competitions … “I think we have a few different spots along the offensive line that I would say are wide open. The linebacker / defensive line area, secondary. Of course quarterback. Connor’s been doing well; the other guys are doing good too. There are a few guys who are solid at their spot, if they keep pushing like we should … We’ll play a lot of different people. The way we practice, all the kids gets prepared. That gives us the opportunity to play more people. If someone goes down, or if someone’s not carrying their weight, we can throw the other guy in, and at least he knows exactly what to do, and he’s had repetitions at it.”

On whether anyone has been standing out after two practices … “It’s a little early. I call it ‘running around in pajamas’ yet. I try not to say anything about anybody for a full week. After they go through, and they learn it, go to shoulder pads and helmets and see how they react once the leather is popping.”

—

August 7th

Coach MacIntyre Post-Practice quotes (8/6)

On improvement since spring practices … “We were improved since the last day of spring … We had a period where we got a ton or reps done, more than we’ve ever gotten, even in the spring. It shows they’ve been working hard this summer.”

On goals of a first practice … “We try and get the tempo set. We weren’t able to practice quite like we did in the spring because we didn’t have a 105 guys. We were able to go with two fields, and plenty of repetitions, got a lot of teaching of fundamentals done.”

On the overall conditioning of the team … “I thought the overall conditioning was good, and, as many reps as we did, I felt they did well.”

On team chemistry … “I think it was good, though it’s still early on that. We work on that all the time … They were congratulating each other. You got to have fun. When you play pickup basketball with your friends, you kind of mess with each other, right? I think it’s the same thing. They looked like they were doing that, having fun, even though it was a hard practice.”

On the results of the first practice … “For us to get as many repetitions as we did, without many miscues – it showed that they worked this summer in their player-led-practices. It really paid off, because we haven’t gone backwards, instead we can move forward, because we installed some stuff today, and I felt that went well.”

On instructing on the new restrictions on hitting in practice … “It really isn’t any different than what I’ve always done. I think that all of the coaches in our conference – I think that they all do a good job of taking care of their kids. You have to take care of them. You have to work them, but you can’t hit them too much, because you’ll get them dinged up. It’s a long season, and I think that we all agreed on it.”

—

Paul Richardson: “My excitement level is incredible”

From cubuffs.com … Tuesday afternoon’s rain dampened the practice fields, but did no such thing to the Buffs’ morale. When Colorado’s first practice of the season finally began after a half-hour delay, the only thing left in the air was a great amount of energy and excitement.

The 2013 CU fall camp finally got underway with a nearly three-hour session, which head coach Mike MacIntyre termed enjoyable for all.

“You got to have fun out here, and I think they had fun even after a hard practice,” MacIntyre said. “I thought the overall group was moving well and organized well and did a good job.”

The players also demonstrated a high level of excitement on the first day back.

“It was great,” junior wide receiver Paul Richardson said. “My excitement level is incredible.”

Richardson is taking part in his first fall camp in two years after sitting out all of last season with a torn ACL. After a healthy comeback, Richardson’s only focus is the growth and development of the team as a whole.

“In this camp, I hope to build some team confidence and team chemistry,” Richardson added. “If we go out there as one cohesive unit we’ll shock a lot of teams this year.”

There is much room for improvement after a 1-11 season in 2012, but that is a challenge MacIntyre’s first CU team is fully embracing.

“For us to get as many repetitions as we got without as many miscues, I thought was good,” MacIntyre said. “It showed they worked this summer in their player-run practices and it really paid off.”

Practice resumes Wednesday with another afternoon session from about 4-6 p.m.

—

August 6th

Video from the first day of camp

Here is a link to a cubuffs.com video showing highlights from the first day of practice, including interviews with quarterback Connor Wood and defensive lineman Chidera Uzo-Diribe.

—

An omen?

The Buffs’ first practice of the fall, scheduled to take place from 3:50 to 6:20, was postponed shortly after it got underway. The team was forced indoors due to rain and lightning in the area. The team did eventually get in Practice No. 1 (of 29).

—

Derrick Webb sees CU defense as being in the top three in the Pac-12

Last season, Colorado finished 9th in the Pac-12 in passing defense (97th nationally); 12th in rushing defense (115th); 11th in total defense (117th); and 12th in scoring defense (120th).

CU’s best defender, senior linebacker Derrick Webb, believes there can be dramatic improvement in year one of the Kent Baer era.

Full story at cubuffs.com … Asked how much better CU’s defense can be statistically, Webb offered this:  “Realistically, top three – and that’s very realistic. When you think about the small differences that accumulate during a game – one turnover, a missed tackle – we probably move up to near the middle, just off a couple of simple things we have to fix. You have to fix them or be exploited in this conference. It’s going to be challenging but there’s not that far to go.”

… Webb, a senior and one of the team’s six captains, sees hope in an interior defensive line that – on strict orders from MacIntyre – reported to Tuesday’s first practice of August camp slimmed down to the man. Said Webb: “We had some 300-pounders who knew they had to lose weight and they’ve done it. They knew they had to be quicker and they’ve worked hard all summer.”

Webb, who led the Buffs in tackles last season (88, 61 solo), also likes the experience gained last season by a secondary that was among the youngest in the nation but is undeniably talented and is growing up after allowing an FBS-worst 39 touchdown passes last season. “They learned a lot last year, sometimes the hard way,” Webb said. “I like what I’ve seen from them.”

And at his position, Webb sees “so much potential. I’m just excited to be one of the leaders of this group.” Among the returning linebackers, Webb said Woodson Greer and Brady Daigh “are learning what it takes to succeed; I’m seeing it in how they’ve worked out. We had a couple of guys who had to change some habits. Once I saw that change happen I could tell guys were getting ready to play their best football.”

CU’s summer work, overseen by director of sports performance Dave Forman, produced “my best summer yet for conditioning and focus,” said Webb. “I’m feeling the urgency of my senior year. When you see the end it just makes you want to take it one day at a time, one practice at a time, one rep at a time. That’s been my focus all summer.”

—

Fall Camp begins … Practices open with the request that no information be posted online

From cubuffs.com … Mike MacIntyre opened his first fall camp Monday as the 25th head football coach in University of Colorado history, welcoming 105 players to the Dal Ward Athletic Center for a series of orientations, meetings and a team dinner.

“We’re excited for the 2013 season and we’re ready for that first practice, to improve, and then get set for that second practice and hope to keep improving each and every day leading to the season opener,” MacIntyre said.  “The young men reported back in good physical shape and we’re looking forward to see the improvement they made in their own summer workouts and coach them to the next level.”

The team will practice Tuesday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. (team stretch) to about 6:20 p.m., all on the lower practice fields.  On Saturday, the Buffs are allowed to practice in full gear (pads) for the first time; that practice will commence at 8:30 a.m.  CU will have 29 practices in all leading up to the season opener on September 1 against Colorado State at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (4 p.m., CBS-Sports Network).

The coaching staff has opened practice so fans can enjoy the experience of attending, but have requested that nothing be posted to Internet message boards, chat rooms, etc., regardless of the content.  No cell or camera phones, phones, video cameras or pets permitted; cell phone activity at any practice is prohibited inside authorized areas during practices. This includes calls, text messaging and live blogging as well as transmissions to social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

Kory Rasmussen dismissed from the team

From cubuffs.com … MacIntyre announced one additional player won’t be returning to the team this fall, as redshirt freshman defensive lineman Kory Rasmussen has been dismissed for not complying with team policies and rules.

Rasmussen, a 6’4″, 270-pound red-shirt freshman, sat out last season. Coming to Boulder as part of the Recruiting Class of 2012, SuperPrep ranked him as the No. 3 and Rivals.com as the No. 10 player in the state of Hawai’i, the top defensive tackle on both lists; SP also ranked him the No. 69 player in the Far West Region.  Scout.com ranked him the No. 85 defensive tackle nationally.

Rasmussen was listed third on the defensive tackle depth chart coming out of spring practices, behind Tyler Henington and Justin Solis. While not expected to start this fall, Rasmussen was being counted on to provide depth to a thin defensive line unit.

—

August 5th

Medford Moorer (DB, 2000-03) narrates video shown to CU players at first Fall Camp meeting

If this doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what will …

Thank you, CU video!!

http://vimeo.com/71545031

August 2nd

Coach Mac – “We’ll prepare our team for the first 17 practices (of 28), then we start focusing in on our first three opponents”

From cubuffs.com … It’s been an anything but dull January-July span for MacIntyre, but he conceded the other day with a grin, “That’s part of the fun, right? I wouldn’t say it’s all been a shock to the system. I just know that in college athletics or any business really, there are things that come up and you have to be able to adapt to change.

“You have to be able to be firm, positive in everything you’re doing and keep moving forward. You might get bumped every once in a while; you just have to stay on the road.”

And that means keeping both hands on the wheel and both eyes open for pot holes. Or sink holes. If he needed experience at negotiating either, MacIntyre has gotten it. His first CU camp will be “about 80 percent” similar to what he conducted last season at San Jose State, where a fairly remarkable three-season turnaround produced 12 wins in his last 14 games – including a 10-2 record in 2012 and the school’s first bowl trip since 2006.

“There are definitely some (camp) tweaks because of class schedules and where we are on installments of offense and defense and special teams,” MacIntyre said, alluding to the last summer school session running into the first week of camp. “That kind of messes with the first few days.”

In general, he wants this camp modeled after those he conducted in San Jose, with one exception being five days of two-a-days for the Buffs as opposed to three last August for the Spartans. One major scrimmage is scheduled (Saturday, Aug. 17), but MacIntyre will maintain enough flexibility with his daily practice scripts to scrimmage on the fly.

“Instead of having a couple of real long scrimmages, we’ll do a little bit of scrimmaging throughout in small amounts,” he said. “I think that helps you reduce injuries and you can be a little more intense. We’ll have small scrimmages within practice at different times. A lot of that is because we’re still trying to install and don’t have everything in. When you’re ready to do it you’re going to do it and if you’re not ready, you wait.”

That in-state school up north might not be mentioned during CU’s first week of practice. Instead, MacIntyre and the Buffs will focus inward. “We’ll prepare our team for the first 17 practices,” he said, “then we start focusing in on our first three opponents and, of course, Colorado State.”

… Believing the most successful teams also are the most cohesive, MacIntyre has taken great pains with that construction project. He has divided the Buffs into nine “family groups,” with a dozen players in each group. In forming the groups, there is no selectivity by age, class or position.

It’s a family thing, and MacIntyre knows it worked at SJS. “The first thing is building team unity,” he said. “I’ve talked with our captains about how to be a leader. I want to let our leaders lead. I want to let them make a footprint on this team, and that’s built in to different meetings and functions we’ll have with the team and the captains (in camp).”

CU will enter camp with six captains: senior tackle Jack Harris, junior receiver Paul Richardson, senior defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, senior linebacker Paul Vigo, senior linebacker Derrick Webb and junior quarterback Connor Wood.

At a later point in camp, said MacIntyre, “We’ll start into the X’s and O’s, get our general philosophy and identity on offense, defense and special teams. We’ll put everything in and then focus on specific areas of what we do best.”

According to MacIntyre, a solid foundation was formed in April but he knows much more heavy lifting and fine-tuning await in August. “I hope we’re ahead of where we were at the end of spring so we don’t have to go back and start at ground zero,” he said. “We’ll touch on all of it (early in camp), but we don’t need to spend a lot of time on the first few installs. We need to speed through that, look good at it and then progress to getting better in those areas.”

—

August 1st

Buffs lose defensive back Josh Moten for the season

For a team with questionable depth at every position, Colorado cannot afford to lose too many players to injury this fall.

One down … before fall camp has officially opened. Junior defensive back Josh Moten has been lost for the season, according to the Denver Post. Moten suffered a blown Achilles tendon this summer, and had surgery a few weeks ago.

Moten had eight unassisted tackles, five knockdown blocks and forced three fair catches for 22 special-teams points, tops on the team. He played in four games at cornerback last season (but only 13 total plays, registering no tackles), but was listed second on the pre-fall cornerback depth chart, behind junior Greg Henderson.

—

Colorado signs a kicker from Mexico

From the Daily Camera … International transfer Diego Gonzalez is set to join the University of Colorado, according to the recruiting network Rivals. The 6-foot, 190-pound kicker/punter will report to the Buffs for the 2013 season. Gonzalez is expected to arrive in Boulder this weekend and will be on scholarship. Officially, Gonzalez is a transfer, and will have four years to play four in Boulder.

Kohl’s News, pegged as “your kicking, punting & snapping resource”, had the following to say about Gonzalez, “Diego is a kicker with a 5.0 star kick off leg, lives in Mexico, ball explodes off his foot, his FG at times are very solid, he is still working on becoming more consistent, great get for a college needing a KO guy, eligible to sign in February of 2012, did very well on kickoffs at the National Scholarship Camp, lives in Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, legit kicker who has come to two Kohl’s camps in the US.”

Chris Sailer, who runs a kicking-related website, lists Gonzalez as the No. 3 kicker for the 2013 class and as a division-one recruit. He posted the following on Gonzalez, “Diego is one of the most talented players that I have ever seen come through Chris Sailer Kicking. He has a huge leg, does all 3 at the highest level, and is very strong mentally. Has all the tools to dominate our college game at every position. Plays football in Mexico and should have NCAA eligibility.”

Gonzalez joins a crowded Colorado kicking unit heading into camp – but a camp who will be in need of a new kicker in short order.

The Buffs have senior Justin Castor, junior Will Oliver and freshman Chris Graham listed on their roster. Colorado also has standout junior punter Darragh O’Neill for the next two seasons.

You Tube highlights for Gonzalez in action:

—

July 30th

MacIntyre plans for five two-a-day practices this August

From the Daily Camera … CU coach Mike MacIntyre said he plans to use five two-a-day practices, which is about the maximum he can fit into camp. NCAA rules prohibit two-a-days on any of the first five days of practice and at any time after classes begin. Two-a-days are also prohibited on back-to-back days. That leaves about two weeks for two-a-days.

“The last couple will be dictated on injuries and how we go,” MacIntyre said. “…I don’t plan on cutting any out cause I think we’re going to need em all. They’re spaced out far enough and the last two-a-day is far enough away from the first game that our legs will be able to recover.”

Here is the full August schedule for the Buffs:

AUGUST 5— Players Report (by 2:00 p.m.; compliance meeting, presentations, dinner, team meeting)

AUGUST 6— Meetings, ^Walk-through (8:00-8:40a), Practice #1 (3:50-6:20p)

AUGUST 7— Meetings, ^Walk-through (8:00-8:40a), Practice #2 (3:50-6:20p)

AUGUST 8— Meetings, ^Walk-through (8:00-8:40a), Practice #3 (3:50-6:20p)

AUGUST 9— Meetings, Practice #4 (3:50-6:20p)

AUGUST 10— Meetings, Practice #5 (8:35-11:30a*) First Day In Pads FOOTBALL/OLYMPIC SPORTS MEDIA DAY

(Tentative Schedule: 10:30-12:00 Lunch; 12:10 Players/Assistant Coaches; 1:00 MacIntyre; 1:45 Olympic Sports; TBA Women’s Basketball/Italy Trip Advance)

AUGUST 11— Meetings, Practice #6 (8:45-11:30a*); ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 12— Two-A-Days / Meetings, Practice #7 (8:30-10:45a*), Practice #8 (4:00-6:00p)

AUGUST 13— Meetings, Practice #9 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 14— Two-A-Days / Meetings, Practice #10 (8:30-10:45a*), Practice #11 (4:00-6:00p)

AUGUST 15— Meetings, Practice #12 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 16— Two-A-Days / Meetings, Practice #13 (8:30-10:45a*), Practice #14 (4:00-6:00p)

AUGUST 17— Meetings, Practice #15 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 18— No practice (team day off)

AUGUST 19— Two-A-Days / Meetings, Practice #16 (8:30-10:45a*), Practice #17 (4:00-6:00p) PHOTO DAY (team, private)

AUGUST 20— Meetings, Practice #18 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 21— Two-A-Days / Meetings, Practice #19 (8:30-10:45a*), Practice #20 (4:00-6:00p)

AUGUST 22— Meetings, Practice #21 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p)

AUGUST 23— Meetings, Practice #22 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p) GLOBAL JAM / CU CAMPUS

AUGUST 24— Meetings, Practice #23 (8:35-11:30a*), ^Walk-Through (4:45-5:55p) SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON

AUGUST 25— No practice (team day off) AD WELCOME BACK PICNIC (no interviews)

AUGUST 26— Meetings (7:10a), Practice #24 (8:30-11:00a*) FIRST DAY OF CLASSES; GAME WEEK PREP BEGINS

AUGUST 27— Meetings (7:10a), Practice #25 (8:30-11:00a*) MacINTYRE KOA RADIO SHOW (Fate Brewery, Boulder; 7-8 p.m.)

AUGUST 28— Meetings (7:10a), Practice #26 (8:30-11:00a*)

AUGUST 29— Meetings (7:10a), Practice #27 (8:30-11:00a*) BOULDER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCHEON (11:30, Balch Fieldhouse)

AUGUST 30— Meetings (7:10a), Practice #28 (8:30-11:00a*)

AUGUST 31— Meetings, Practice #29 (TBA)

SEPTEMBER 1— FIRST GAME: CU vs. Colorado State in Denver (Sports Authority Field; CBS-Sports Network, 4:00 p.m.)

—

July 29th

Fall Roster set

Lost in the multiple articles about how poorly CU will fare on the field this fall, there was some “no news is good news” stories this summer. First, as posted under the “Colorado Daily”, the Buffs had a good spring in the classroom, with a cumulative GPA of 2.688. In addition, all of the incoming freshmen qualified academically without incident or nail-biting.

While many in the freshmen class will (hopefully) red-shirt this fall, and will become the nucleus of good things to happen in the future, we should start off the fall by making note of the new names who will be donning CU uniforms for the first time this August.

The 22 new Buffs:

ADKINS II, Michael ………………………….. RB 5-10 190 San Diego, Calif. (Helix)

AWUZIE, Chidobe ……………………………. DB 6- 0 190 San Jose, Calif. (Oak Grove)

BOBO, Bryce …………………………………… WR 6- 3 190 Covina, Calif. (Charter Oak)

CENTER, Connor ………………………………TE 6’7 240 Clifton Park, New York (Christian Brothers)

COLEMAN, Timothy Jr. …………………… DL 6- 3 245 Denver, Colo. (Mullen)

DUNSTON, Elijah …………………………….. WR 6- 0 180 Reseda, Calif. (Chaminade Prep)

FRAZIER, George …………………………….. LB 6- 2 255 Monrovia, Calif. (Monrovia)

*GEHRKE, Jordan …………………………….. QB 6-2 190 (Soph.) Scottsdale, Arizona (Notre Dame Prep / Scottsdale CC)

GILBERT, Jimmie ……………………………. DL 6- 5 230 College Station, Texas (A&M Consolidated)

#GILLAM, Addison ………………………….. LB 6- 3 225 Palo Cedro, Calif. (Foothill)

GRAHAM, Gunnar ……………………………. OL 6- 5 305 Belvedere, Calif. (Marin Catholic)

HUCKINS, Jonathan …………………………. OL 6- 3 310 The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands)

KRONSHAGE, Sam ………………………….. OL 6- 5 275 The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands)

LINDSAY, Phillip ……………………………… RB/DB 5- 7 170 Aurora, Colo. (Denver South)

LISELLA II, John ……………………………… OL 6- 4 240 Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)

LIUFAU, Sefo ………………………………….. QB 6- 4 215 Tacoma, Wash. (Bellarmine Prep)

OLUGBODE, Kenneth ………………………. LB 6- 1 205 San Jose, Calif. (Bellarmine Prep)

#REED, Markeis ……………………………… LB 6- 4 220 Napa, Calif. (Vintage)

ROSS, Devin …………………………………… WR 5-10 180 Altadena, Calif. (Bishop Alemany)

SEVERSON, Ryan ……………………………. LB/RB 5-11 195 San Jose, Calif. (Valley Christian))

SUTTON, Colin ………………………………… OL 6- 5 295 Foothill Ranch, Calif. (Orange Lutheran)

THOMPSON, Tedric …………………………. DB 6- 1 200 Valencia, Calif. (Valencia)

# – grayshirts from the Class of 2012; enrolled in January and participated in spring drills

* – junior college transfer

The 18 lettermen from 2012 who are no longer with the Buffs:

Wide receivers … Dustin Ebner; Jarrod Darden; Gerald Thomas

Offensive linemen … David Bakhtiari; Alexander Lewis; Eric Richter; Ryan Dannewitz

Tight ends … Nick Kasa; Vincent Hobbs; DaVaughn Thornton

Quarterbacks … Nick Hirschman; John Schrock (Shane Dillon was a red-shirt freshman in 2012)

Defensive linemen … Will Pericak

Linebackers … Douglas Rippy; Kyle Washington; Jon Major

Defensive backs … Ray Polk

Specialists … Zach Grossnickle

—

Tags: Kory Rasmussen, Medford Moorer
This post, about the Fall Camp game, from the 2013 Season, is filed under Article, Uncategorized.
You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment.