What They’re Saying …

—

What They’re Saying … Notes and Quotes at the Midway point of Spring Practices

—

Colorado has conducted seven of its 15 allotted spring practices. After spring break, the Buffs will conduct one more scrimmage (April 1st – closed to the public) before its Spring Game (April 9th, noon, Pac-12 Networks).

At the midway point – and with the Buffs off for Spring Break – we have the opportunity to take a look at the first few weeks of CU Spring Football. Over the next week, we’ll take a look at each unit of the team, with a compilation of notes and quotes from Mike MacIntyre’s post-practice comments to the media, along with stories posted by the CU website, cubuffs.com, the Rivals website, BuffStampede.com, and the Boulder Daily Camera.

The schedule:  Saturday: Quarterbacks … Sunday: Running backs … Monday: Wide receivers … Tuesday: Offensive line and offense overview … Wednesday: Defensive line … Thursday: Linebackers … Friday: Defensive backs and defense overview … Saturday: Special teams

—

Special Teams

Kickers

“It’s just working with my steps,” Diego Gonzalez said. “Apparently I was cheating off a little bit (on steps) from the left hash. I’ve been working on that, so I feel pretty good right now.”

This spring, the Buffs are opening up the kicking competition to include kickoff specialist Chris Graham and punter Alex Kinney.

“I love that,” Gonzalez said. “Competition is always good. If you have better players, competition will be better and you’ll get better eventually.”

Gonzalez is certainly hoping it makes him better.

“I’m ready to have a great year,” he said.

—

This fall, Gonzalez will have competition from more than just Graham and Kinney …

Kicker Davis Price of Evergreen High School has committed to the Buffs as a preferred walk-on and is set to join the team this summer. Price was 37-for-38 on extra points and 12-for-17 on field goals this past season. He also averaged 34.3 yards per punt.

Price’s main strength, however, might be on kickoffs. He put 55 of 63 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks this past season. Although he kicked off from the 40-yard line in high school, Price routinely sent his kicks out of the back of the end zone, so he doesn’t anticipate any issues when he has to kick off from the 35 as a Buff.

“My strengths are definitely my kickoffs,” he said. “I’ve worked on those for a long time and I think that’s where I stand out the most.”

Senior Diego Gonzalez is CU’s returning starter at kicker, while junior Chris Graham returns after handling the kickoff duties last season. Price is hoping to push for both jobs, however.

“I’d love to get the chance to play as soon as I can,” he said.

—

Long-snappers

With long-snapper Wyatt Tucker Smith graduated (and trying to catch on with an NFL team), that duty is being shared by junior Chris Hill and redshirt freshman J.T. Bale. MacIntyre said both “have the ability to do it; we’ve been putting them under pressure and under a lot of different things. They’ve done well so far.”

MacIntyre added that game-day anonymity is a very good thing for a long-snapper: “When you don’t hear the long snapper’s name and don’t really know it, it’s sad for them but great for everybody else.” .

—

Defensive backs

The only four players started every game at the same position last fall, and two were in the defensive backfield. Strong safety Tedric Thompson returns for his senior year, but the Buffs must find a replacement for cornerback Ken Crawley. One option? Sophomore Isaiah Oliver, who started the last two games last season opposite Crawley.

—

Corners coach Charles Clark on Oliver … “He’s a longer corner . . . sometimes when he gets out of position he’s able to make up for it with his speed and length. He ran track in high school (Arizona’s Brophy Prep) and he’s still in track at CU.”

“There’s nothing that can replicate a whole year of actually playing against Pac-12 teams,” Oliver said. “Having that under my belt then coming into this year, with the same defense and knowing the plays and the calls and what to look for here and there – it’s leaps ahead of where I thought I’d be and definitely where I was last year. There’s nothing that can really compare to that. I’m really grateful that I was able to get on the field and play as much as I did. This year I can have the confidence and the ability to go out there and do it again.”

—

Meanwhile, the Buffs return a versatile star in Chidobe Awuzie, who may become a fixture at cornerback …

Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt … “Chidobe Awuzie is extremely valuable, a real key piece to our defense. He is just a great young man that really wants to be good. He competes all the time. I really think a lot of him.”

“We’re going to move him around,” Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre said on using Awuzie. “We’re going to play him at corner. We’ll play him at nickel, too. It is going to depend on, when we go into a game, what the other team does best. If they have a guy they are going to throw to a lot, we’ll put him out there [at cornerback]. If we feel like they are going to run the ball, we might put him inside and blitz him some more. And we might [change up his role] throughout the course of a game, too.”

“If he could have just two or three more [takeaways this season], because he is around the ball so much, those can be game changing plays,” MacIntyre explained (Awuzie had two interceptions and a forced fumble in 2015). “I look for him to be a guy the other team is worried about as a turnover magnet. He had a pick today (Monday) and he had some pass breakups. He is a really good player.”

—

As arguably CU’s best defensive player — maybe its best player, period — Awuzie is excited for the change to cornerback.

“It gives me an opportunity to really try to perfect the position and not really worry about blitzing and covering at the same time,” he said. “It’s been pretty fun so far.”

Moving Awuzie is possible because the Buffs like Nick Fisher’s potential to excel at nickel.

“I like his aggression and I like his speed and his quickness and toughness,” cornerbacks coach Charles Clark said. “We tried to roll him into that role last year a little bit, but with Chido out there at nickel, he didn’t get as much playing time as we wanted him to get.

“He got some time, but the key to it all was him being able to practice every single day and getting reps and just getting him ready for this year.”

—

“I think it’s a good group,” Clark said of the defensive backfield. “We can put together a good rotation right now and then when the young guys get here in the fall, we’ll get them in the mix and see how they do and how they adjust.”

—

Defensive Overview

CU’s defense has been under Jim Leavitt’s tutelage for a full year now. The improvement is obvious, said MacIntyre: “The whole defense is in, now we’re just ‘repping it, repping it, repping it.’ They’re very astute now, especially the older group, understanding nuances you have to have in formations, sets. They’re doing good job of moving forward”.

Leavitt on first half … For his part, Leavitt has been “really happy to be honest with you. Our ‘ones’ are doing some good things – the ‘ones’ and a few other guys. I don’t know if we’ll get to a two-deep this fall, might not. I haven’t in 30 years, so I don’t know why we would now. But if we could find 15 or 16 guys we can really trust . . . the guys with the ‘twos’ are young guys – just learning and I’m proud of them. A lot of those guys won’t be ready this fall but they’re trying. But I’m really happy; we’re doing a lot of stuff now, a lot of stuff and the guys are handling it well.”

As for the night-and-day difference in last spring and this, Leavitt said, “Oh, Lord yes . . . didn’t do a lot (last spring), but the summer was pretty good.”

After spring break, Leavitt’s goal is simple: “We want to get better . . . we’re not good enough.”

—

Linebackers

Addison Gillam and Travis Talianko are out for spring practices, transfer Drew Lewis won’t be on campus until May, and Grant Watanabe is no longer with the team … but there are still a number of linebackers in action this spring …

Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt … “N.J. Falo is a very versatile, gifted athlete and we expect N.J. to be a big player for us this year. We’re playing him mostly at outside linebacker right now. We moved him outside, where he played in high school. Last season was hard for him, we played him outside and inside, we had to, we had so many injuries last year. So we are going to keep him outside now. We are going to keep Christian Shaver outside and let those guys compete.”

During the last part of the season, Falo moved to outside linebacker and said it made an immediate difference. “I started to understand our scheme a lot more and where Leavitt wants to go with this defense,” he said.

“Right now they’re trying to find a home for me, so I’m staying at outside right now,” Falo said. “I do not mind playing both and I love playing both, but outside is my home right now.”

Mike MacIntyre on Christian Shaver … Shaver is “a utility guy, very bright, very willing. He’s had a very good spring”.

—

MacIntyre and Leavitt said it was difficult not to notice sophomore inside linebacker Rick Gamboa.

Gamboa, CU’s leading tackler (96 tackles, 58 unassisted) last season, “is ‘steady Eddie,” MacIntyre said. “He made some nice plays today, a lot of tackles . . . we’re trying not to get him in too much, take every snap.”

But, added Leavitt, the 6-0, 230-pound Gamboa “is our guy . . . (he) had an unbelievable day. Unbelievable. He’s a good football player.”

—

This spring, the Buffs are short on inside linebackers, with senior Ryan Severson and sophomore Rick Gamboa the only healthy scholarship players at that spot.

More on Rick Gamboa … While the Buffs are short on linebackers right now, it could be an area of great depth this fall.

“Competition brings the best out of everyone,” Gamboa said. “At the end of the day, the best one is going to stand out and he’s going to be the one to play on the field. As long as we have the best guy out there and we’re winning, that’s all that matters.”

Gamboa is hoping he’s one of the best guys, which is why he’s trying to get better.

“Getting to the ball and getting my keys a little faster,” he said when asked what he needs to work on to improve. “There was a few times where I was being a little too patient when I should have been more aggressive. Now that I have that experience, I’m getting to the ball a lot faster and I’m seeing the keys. It’s helping me get sideline to sideline a lot faster.”

Gamboa is also playing a leadership role this spring, which he said is “comfortable.”

—

Defensive Line

There were almost as many stories about defensive lineman off the field as on the first two weeks of spring practices.

The Buffs lost one of their defensive lineman last week when Blake Robbins, 22, was charged with eight felonies, including two counts of second-degree assault on a peace officer, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree burglary, second-degree burglary, second-degree arson and criminal mischief.

A senior defensive lineman, Robbins transferred to CU in 2014 from Georgia Military College. He played in four games for the Buffs in 2015 and recorded seven tackles.

Robbins has been suspended from all team activities by CU.

—

Meanwhile, an uplifting story about former defensive end George Hypolite (2005-08) has been posted at cubuffs.com. As to his highlights on the field as a Buff, Hypolite mentioned the Buffs’ 27-24 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma in 2007, and a sack/forced fumble he recorded against quarterback Matthew Stafford in Georgia.

“I remember getting up and my teammates hollering — and that’s all you could hear,” he said. “The rest of the stadium was silent. A hundred thousand people and you could hear a pin drop.”

—

Meanwhile, on the field …

Lyle Tuiloma did earn praise from multiple offensive starters for his performance on the scout team defense last fall. He is one of three redshirt freshmen defensive linemen jockeying for position on the depth chart this spring.

“I am very humble and I work hard,” Tuiloma said. “I don’t feel like I am doing anything exceptionally well right now. I feel like I have a lot of work to do. I am still a young player with a lot to learn.

“I get on myself a lot if I don’t do something right. I am determined to do it right the next time. … My goal for this redshirt freshman season is to play a lot, and to get in better shape.”

“We’re pushing Lyle and Brett Tonz and Frank Umu to be able to play. We’ll find out which of those guys can help us,” Mike MacIntyre said. “Lyle is one of them that has the big girth to be able to play nose tackle. He has shown some good signs out here the last few days.”

—

Remember Sam Bennion, who was a member of the 2014 Recruiting Class? Bennion has been on a Mormon mission for the past two years, arriving in Boulder this January.

“Sam has been running around hard. I call him the Energizer Bunny. He just goes and goes and goes,” Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre. “It has been exciting to see him out here. He gives everything he has. All of this is truly new for him and he is getting his football legs back. He has shown some good things, though.”

Bennion was around 6-foot-5, 240-pounds when he signed with the Buffs in 2014, and upon his return from the mission, he weighed in at 220-pounds. Bennion is listed at 225-pounds on Colorado’s spring roster.

Bennion was recruited as a defensive end, but has been working as an outside linebacker this spring. “I don’t think it is a temporary situation. I think I am just going to stay at outside linebacker,” Bennion said. “I will get my body to the point where it needs to be and then I’ll help out with the outside linebacker corps.”

—

Offensive Line

Colorado is down only one starter along the offensive line, with Stephane Nembot off vying for a spot on an NFL roster. With Jeromy Irwin on his way back to good health, you would think that the Buff starting lineup would be set.

But there is at least one red-shirt freshman interloper who may shake up – and improve – the starting lineup.

Tim Lynott, all 6’2″, 300 pounds of him, has been practicing almost exclusively at center, a position his build seems perfect for.

“For the first spring practice, I was feeling a little iffy about it because center is much different but I am getting used to it and it is already becoming more natural to me,” Lynott said. “I am better now at getting the calls down, getting a good snap off and getting off for the block.”

“He has done well at center,” Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre said of Lynott. “It is still a little bit new. You have to think a little bit more, you have to snap it, and when the fronts start moving around you have to make the calls. But he has done a good job. I thought he had a good day today and hopefully he’ll do really well when we scrimmage on Wednesday.”

How much more challenging is offensive center than guard?  “Well, there is a lot more thinking involved. At guard, you get the call from the center and you maybe tell the quarterback where you are going a little bit. But at center, you get the call down, you have to snap the ball, make sure it is a good snap, and then you have to block. There are a lot more things to do. It is a lot crazier than guard.”

The move would allow Alex Kelley, who started every game at center last year, to play more at guard.

—

Jeromy Irwin was the starter at left tackle last season before being lost for the year in the UMass game. Irwin is still recovering from his torn ACL, but should be a full go for the fall. MacIntyre called Irwin’s lost year “a blessing in disguise”, which allowed Irwin to add weight and get stronger. Irwin is at 309 pounds, “and before he couldn’t ever get over 285,” MacIntyre said.

—

Notes on offense … First half of spring practices

The offense under new co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini … “Chiaverini brings a different intensity,” said junior running back Phillip Lindsay. “If we’re not [going at a fast] tempo, he is taking us out. So that is how it is. Chiaverini, he doesn’t play games. Either you buy in and you are with it, or you are going to be sitting on the bench.”

Said Chiaverini: “It is just a matter of re-training your body. As we consistently work this kind of tempo at practice, they’ll get used to it and it’ll be come second nature for them.”

—

… On the first scrimmage … “This was probably the longest scrimmage we’ve ever had. We got a ton of plays in. We had every situation done,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre told the media afterward. “That is a credit to them and the physical natural of our team. We’re not getting people hurt left and right. They’re stronger and more powerful, and that is good.”

—

… Darrin Chiaverini on the development of the offense … In the second half of spring drills (the spring game is Saturday, April 9), Chiaverini hopes to build on fundamentals taught in the first seven practices and “take it to the next level. We’ll kind of reinstall our offensive packages. Then it’s a matter of being able to do those things at a more elite level.

“That’s the key to this offense – get that first first down and start playing with tempo, then let your playmakers make plays in space. We’ve got some good players; it’s going to start to come together at the end of spring and summer. And we’ve got some more pieces coming too. It’s exciting.”

He added: “There’s not a long ways until we play our first game, but the good thing is we don’t play next week.”

—

Wide Receivers

Colorado will be without record-setting wide receiver Nelson Spruce come fall, but the cupboard is far from bare. How will new wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini utilize the roster?

… “I think Devin Ross has a chance to be a really good player,” said Darrin Chiaverini. “I have seen some plays out of Jay MacIntyre. Lee Walker has shown up. Kabion Ento is starting to make some plays, as well”.

—

… Mid-year Junior College transfer Kabion Ento turned some heads. MacIntrye was asked about the 6-foot-3, 175-pound wide receiver: “He has made some good plays. He has some nice athleticism and every practice the light bulb goes a little brighter. When you come in and have to learn the snap count, how to line up, the routes, adjustments off of it, and all the checks, a little bit your head is spinning. Anybody’s would be. Kabion is doing a good job.”

Co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren on Kabion Ento … “He’s got the ability to go up and get it (ball),” Lindgren said. “He’s made plays on the ball downfield and done some of those things you can’t really teach. We’ve been pleased with him. But we can use as much practice time as we can to keep getting him better through the summer and fall.”

—

… Devin Ross caught 25 balls and had two touchdowns in 2015 but dropped passes overshadowed any success he enjoyed as a redshirt sophomore.

“There were a couple fundamental things he was doing with his eyes,” MacIntyre said when asked about Ross’s drops. “Everybody says you catch a football with your hands. No, you catch it with your eyes.

“He is a very good athlete so we need him to make some of those plays that he didn’t make last year. He knows that better than anybody so he has worked hard at it. We’ll see. He has at least caught the ball out there well the last couple days and hopefully he’ll keep progressing.”

… More on Ross … “He’s playing with a lot of confidence and he’s been catching the ball well and playing really fast,” Lindgren said. “Coach (Darrin Chiaverini) and myself and rest of the offensive staff, we’ve been really impressed with the way that he’s been playing. He’s been kind of up and down in the past, so that’s been really good to see.”

—

…  Shay Fields’ play-making abilities have been obvious early in camp. MacIntyre calls the junior-to-be “Big Play Shay” and says Fields has recovered nicely from the ankle injury he suffered in mid-October against Arizona and hampered him for most of the remainder of the season.

The Buffs signed five receivers in their Class of 2016, but MacIntyre said the arrival of new competition wasn’t necessarily a motivator for Fields: “(He’s) always motivated, really confident. He’ll rise to the occasion and keep working.”

… Darrin Chiaverini on Fields … Chiaverini called the junior-to-be “a talented individual that needs to understand it takes great practice preparation to get you to playing well in the game. He’s got the physical ability to be a very good player, but he hasn’t learned just yet how to practice full speed all the time.

“I’m trying to get him to turn the corner on that, to understand that the great receivers – the ones I played with here and in the NFL – they practice as well as anybody. He’s got to learn that. I’ll stay on him; I tell him, when I stop talking to you is when you have to worry.”

—

Running Backs

Colorado lost Christian Powell to graduation, but otherwise return four of the five top running backs from last season. Much of the early spring attention has been paid to one of those running backs – Michael Adkins – who missed most of last season.

… Michael Adkins just hasn’t been able to stay on the field. He missed the final 10 games of the 2015 season due to a hamstring injury. And as an underclassman, he missed time due to a variety of ailments including an ankle sprain, a knee injury and a concussion.

“Not being able to be out there to contribute is tough. It’s really frustrating but I am real big in my Christian faith so when I encounter problems, an injury or anything in life, I read the bible and those passages help me to keep moving forward,” Adkins said. “The injuries have been unfortunate but I am healthy now so hopefully I can do some good things.”

Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre confirmed Adkins has been a full-participant during spring practices.

“He has gone out every day and done well,” MacIntyre said. “I definitely hope he can stay more durable. I know he wants to. Sometimes it is pure luck on some of it, but he is in great shape. I think he is in better shape than he ever has been. … Knock on wood, hopefully he’ll stay healthy.”

—

… New running backs coach Darian Hagan on red-shirt freshman Dino Gordon … “He’s starting to pick it all up, he’s starting to get it,” Hagan said. “I like where he is. I really believe he can be something.

“He’s a guy that with his size (5’11, 200-pounds), when we do a lot of different things with our backs, he should be in there,” Hagan said. “I’m gaining more and more confidence with him on a daily basis.”

—

.. And don’t sleep on Patrick Carr. The sophomore, who had 272 yards last season, is having, according to Hagan, “the best camp out of all of them.”

—

… Fullbacks? Yes, Colorado has a fullback, George Frazier … Yes, there’s a place for George Frazier in the Buffs’ revamped offense. MacIntyre said the 6-2, 260-pound junior will be used in a similar role as last season – at tight end, H-back and fullback. “The same things as last year,” MacIntyre said. “His use depends on the game . . . but he’ll play on special teams and will definitely be out there.”

“As of right now, coach (Darrin Chiaverini) is doing a great job using a lot of different people at a lot of different positions,” Frazier said. “He’s giving me places to make plays, using me at fullback and making sure I know the tight end. I’m playing a lot so far in the spring, so we’ll see how things go.”

—

Quarterbacks

Considering the fact that the quarterback most likely to take the first snap of the season against Colorado State on September 2nd is not participating in spring drills, there has been a great deal of coverage of the quarterback position.

Sefo Liufau is out with a foot injury suffered late last season, while transfer Davis Webb is still finishing up classes at Texas Tech. As a result, redshirt freshman Steven Montez and senior Jordan Gehrke have been getting the reps … and the comments.

–

Steven Montez … According to MacIntyre, redshirt freshman quarterback Steven Montez “had a couple tough moments but then he had some really good moments” during the first two weeks of practice.

… New co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini on Montez … “I have been really impressed with how Montez has developed these first seven practices. He has some football savvy to him, which I like. He has some natural football leadership qualities. I think he is going to keep developing and hopefully he is not asked to play too soon and he can just keep developing and learn the offense really well. So then, when he gets his opportunity, he is ready. He has been a pleasant surprise this spring for me.”

… For his part, here is what Montez had to say about his first two weeks under center this spring … “It is really all a learning experience for me to get a full grasp of the offense and just get things rolling,” said Montez. “Being thrown in with the ones and twos, it is a different and good experience. It is just a lot faster pace. I am just getting used to it.”

Don’t confuse his lack of experience for a lack of confidence, though.

“Every day I wake up and tell myself this is a day to compete, this is a day you are going to win,” Montez said. “So I just go out here and compete every day. Every throw matters, every rep counts; just give it my all for the team and get ready for the fall.”

… A self-critique by Montez of his first seven spring drills went like this: “I’ve made great strides, learned a lot. It seems that seven practices have gone by really quick . . . I’ve tried to be a sponge in meetings and soak it all up and then come out in practice and apply what we’ve learned.”

–

Meanwhile, senior Jordan Gehrke remains as the other healthy scholarship quarterback this spring … “It’s a good opportunity,” said Gehrke, a fifth-year senior. “Stevie and I are getting the bulk of the reps, and it’s good for Stevie because he’s young, so he’s getting more comfortable with the offense. I’m thinking it’s a great opportunity for both of us.”

… Co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren on Gehrke … “He brings experience. Experience is a huge asset to bring to any team”, Lindgren said. “It’s been a great opportunity to showcase what he can do and get more comfortable with the system and get a head start on those other two guys (Liufau and Webb).

“I think he’s come out with the attitude that he’s going to be open to learning new things.”

–

Senior transfer Davis Webb is still in school in Lubbock, but came to Boulder for his spring break to watch a week of spring practices.

… Davis Webb on his familiarity with CU’s offense … “That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “Looking around at a lot of places in the SEC and Pac-12, I didn’t really know the offense. This is very similar to Texas Tech’s. It would have been kind of hard to come into a place without having spring ‘reps. I feel like I’ll have a pretty good (grasp) of this coming back here this summer.”

That’s what the Buffs are hoping. He and Chiaverini were close in Lubbock and Webb admitted “Chev’s” presence on the CU staff was “instrumental.” Plus, when Webb suffered a 2014 shoulder injury in September against Oklahoma, he said Chiaverini offered constant encouragement.

“He told me I just had to keep working, that success is never a straight line, it’s very squiggly,” Webb recalled. “But at the end of the day, he said hard work can get you to the top. That’s a good outlook to have. I really respect ‘Coach Chev’ and that’s why I came here. I wasn’t coming on blind faith, I knew him and knew I would be given a chance to compete here.”

… Darrin Chiaverini says Webb “knows this offense better than any of us. He’ll be like a coach on the field.” Webb arrives on campus this summer.

–

And then there is the multi-dimensional Jaleel Awini …

“I do see myself lining up at quarterback, a little wide receiver, maybe even coming into the backfield as a running back a couple of times, having two quarterbacks in the backfield at the same time,” Awini said. “I think the coaches think I’m weapon with the ball in my hands.”

“We’ll see,” co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini said. “We have to look at what he can do. We have to see if there are packages we can build around him.”

–

Finally, while not able to participate in drills this spring, incumbent starter Sefo Liufau remains a presence. Chiaverini said Liufau, who is recovering from a Lisfranc (mid-foot) injury, is spending spring practices signaling in plays. “So he’ll understand it. We’re going to be pretty good when this thing comes together.”

—–

This post, about the Spring Practice game, from the 2016 Season, is filed under Article.
You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment.