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October 7th – Boulder Arizona 45, Colorado 42
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Kahlil Tate set an FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback, going for 327 yards and four touchdowns (on only 14 carries), leading Arizona to a 45-42 victory in Boulder. Tate was also almost perfect through the air, completing 11-of-12 passes for 142 yards and another touchdown.
The loss wasted the efforts of senior running back Phillip Lindsay. On a night when Lindsay became CU’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, Lindsay had 41 carries for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Steven Montez went 19-for-32 for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including two to tight end Chris Bounds.
The teams were close in total yards (Arizona 567; Colorado 551) and first downs (Colorado 29; Arizona 25), but the Buffs committed 12 penalties for 110 yards … and couldn’t tackle Kahlil Tate, who didn’t even start the game.
“Could someone please tackle No. 14 [Khalil Tate] for Arizona?”, joked CU head coach Mike MacIntyre after the game, though no Buff fans were laughing. “That was the difference in the football game. He was amazing. He should be National Player of the Week. He’s a phenomenal player.”
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Arizona took the opening kickoff … and made it look easy, marching down the field against little resistance from the Colorado defense.
Utilizing an option rushing attack which the Buffs couldn’t stop, the Wildcats did face a fourth-and-one at the Colorado 41-yard line, but quarterback Brandon Dawkins easily converted with a two-yard run, keeping the drive alive. A hit out-of-bounds took Dawkins out of the game, but also gave the Wildcats an additional fifteen yards.
Two plays later, however, the Wildcats stopped themselves, when a completion to Shun Brown turned into a forced fumble by Afolabi Laguda, recovered for the Buffs by Ryan Moeller at the Colorado 21-yard line.
The Buffs first play from scrimmage also seemed to foreshadow the course of the evening, when quarterback Steven Montez was sacked for a loss of 16 yards back to the Buff five yard line. The result was a quick three-and-out for the Colorado offense.
Even more quickly, it was 7-0, Arizona.
The Wildcats took over at their own 42-yard line after the punt, and, on the first play from scrimmage, backup quarterback Khalil Tate raced 58 yards for a touchdown. Six minutes into the game, had run 12 plays for 113 yards; the Buffs three plays for minus-six.
The Colorado offense got its act together on its second drive. A holding penalty on the first play of the drive made another three-and-out seem imminent, but, on third-and-four at the 31, Montez hit Jay MacIntyre for a 39-yard gain to the Arizona 30-yard line.
Three plays later, facing a third-and-11, Montez connected with Shay Fields for 15 yards to keep the drive alive. Thereafter, it was all Phillip Lindsay. Four carries later – the last being from five yards out – the score was tied at 7-7 with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.
The Wildcats didn’t blink on their next drive … going 75 yards in only six plays to reclaim the lead.
Kahlil Tate hit Tyrell Johnso for a 28-yard gain on the first play of the drive, racing it in himself from 28 yards out four plays later to make it a 14-7 game late in the first quarter.
After the teams traded punts, the Buffs took over at their 15-yard line with 11:58 remaining in the first half.
The Colorado offense then took off on an epic, 19-play, 85-yard drive to tie the score.
The Buffs actually had to cover 95 yards, as there was a holding penalty early in the drive. Facing a second-and-22 at the the CU 16, Phillip Lindsay got the Buffs out of the hole with a 35-yard run to midfield. Three plays later, Montez connected with Bryce Bobo for nine yards on third-and-eight to keep the drive alive.
Faced with a fourth-and-two at the Arizona 30-yard line, Phillip Lindsay went for ten yards and a fresh set of downs. Four plays later, the Buffs faced another fourth down, this time a fourth-and-one at the Arizona 11. Phillip Lindsay got the call again, going for three yards and a first-and-goal at the eight yard line.
Three plays later, Lindsay finished off the drive with a one-yard scoring run, completing the 19-play, 85-yard journey which took 9:34 off of the second quarter clock.
Could the well-rested Colorado defense make a stand, keeping it a tie game over the final 2:17?
No chance.
The Wildcats opened the drive at their 32, after the Buff special teams surrendered the longest kickoff return of the first half of the season. On the first play from scrimmage, Kahlil Tate went for 37 yards, embarrassing Ryan Moeller at the line of scrimmage with a move that left Moeller grasping for air. Not to be outdone, Dante Wigley was called for a late hit out of bounds at the end of the run, setting the Wildcats up at the Buff 16-yard line.
Two plays later, Tate hit a wide open Shun Brown for a 13-yard touchdown and a 21-14 Arizona lead.
The Buffs still had 1:21 to work with, with Montez completions to Bryce Bobo of 14 and 8 yards, and a completion of 11 yards to Jay MacIntyre getting the ball into the Arizona side of the field. A seven-yard completion to MacIntyre on second-and-eight at the 40, however, kept the clock running, with the Buffs unable to get off more than one play in the final 28 seconds.
Called on to attempt a 50-yard field goal with three seconds remaining, Buff kicker James Stefanou was short. leaving the Buffs with a touchdown deficit at the break.
Halftime score: Arizona 21, Colorado 14
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With the Buffs getting the ball to start the second half, there was hope for Buff fans that the Colorado offense would be able to knot the score early in the third quarter.
Instead, after yet another holding call set the Buffs back, the CU offense was off the field in only four plays.
The Arizona offense, however, had no such issues. The Wildcats needed only four plays to cover 70 yards to make it a two-score game. Kahlil Tate, who didn’t even start the game, continued to vex the Buffs, this time with a 47-yard scoring run.
Less than three minutes into the second half, Tate had six carries for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Arizona 28, Colorado 14.
Down two scores, the Colorado offense had its back to the wall, but came up with another long drive. This time, the Buffs covered 75 yards in 15 plays, again consuming a great deal of clock (5:08).
The Buffs faced four third downs on the drive, converting all four. The first three third downs, the Buffs called on Phillip Lindsay, who went for five yards on third-and-one at the CU 34, for five yards on third-and-two at the Arizona 29, and for five yards on third-and-four at the Arizona 13.
On the fourth third down, a third-and-four at the Arizona seven yard line, Steven Montez hit Bryce Bobo for a seven yard touchdown, making it a 28-21 game midway through the third quarter.
Could the Buff defense finally make a stand, and give the offense the ball back with a chance to tie the score?
Nope.
The Wildcats methodically moved down the field, matching the success of the Buff offense. Kahlil Tate had runs of 11 and 28 yards to keep the chains moving, with Zach Green completing the drive with a one-yard score.
In all, the Arizona offense covered 75 yards in 12 plays, taking over five minutes off the clock. Arizona 35, Colorado 21, with less than two minutes remaining in the the third quarter.
As effective as Kahlil Tate was for Arizona, Phillip Lindsay continued to be effective for Colorado. A 45-yard run pushed the ball into the Arizona red zone. Six plays later, the Buffs faced a fourth-and-goal at the Wildcat two yard line.
With no choice but to go for it, everyone looked to Phillip Lindsay. Instead, Lindsay went in motion, and Steven Montez appeared to be taking off on a quarterback draw. Instead, he pulled up, and threw a jump pass to a wide open Chris Bounds. The second completion of the season by the Buff offense to a tight end made it a 35-28 game, with 13:21 still to play.
Plenty of time for the Buffs to steal a win … if they could only stop Kahlil Tate.
Tate took the steam out of the Folsom Field crowd right away, however. On Arizona’s next play, Kahlil Tate went 75 yards for yet another touchdown, giving him 290 rushing yards and four touchdowns … and giving Arizona a 42-28 lead.
Needing a quick score to keep the game competitive, the Buff offense delivered. A 13-yard run by Phillip Lindsay put the senior over 200 yards for the night, with a 14-yard completion from Montez to Shay Fields on third-and-eight at the 47 keeping the drive alive.
On the next play, Montez hit Chris Bounds for CU’s third completion to a tight end on the season. This time, the combination went for 39 yards and a touchdown. With 11 minutes still remaining, the Buffs were still alive, making it a 42-35 game.
Two plays into Arizona’s next drive, Kahlil Tate burned the Buffs again … this time with his arm. Tate hit Tony Ellison for 60 yards, down to the Colorado 13 yard line.
There, the Colorado defense finally held, forcing a field goal attempt. Josh Pollack was true from 24 yards out, making it a two-score game, at 45-35, with eight minutes remaining.
Phillip Lindsay went for 36 yards on CU’s next play from scrimmage, giving the Buffs new life. Three plays later, the Buffs faced another do-or-die situation, with a fourth-and-four at the Arizona 33-yard line. Lindsay was called upon, going for 11 yards and a first down. Three plays later, Lindsay went up the middle for 11 yards and his third touchdown of the game. Arizona 45, Colorado 42, with five minutes still to be played.
Could the Buff defense finally – finally? – hold.
The Buffs did have a chance at its first three-and-out of the game, but the Arizona offense converted on third-and-four with an eight-yard completion. Later, with a third-and-seven at the Buff 48, the Colorado defense had one last chance to make a stand … but Kahlil Tate went for 31 yards to set a new FBS record for rushing by a quarterback.
Game over, as Arizona was then able to run out the clock.
Final score: Arizona 45, Colorado 42.
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“Any loss is tough, going 0-3 in the Pac-12 is not what we set out to do at all,” said Steven Montez, who went 19-for-32 for 251 yards and three touchdowns. “I think there’s still a whole lot of season left, I think we have great guys and there is still a lot of guys in there that are hungry and so we just have to stay together as a unit and not let any outside factors break us apart and I think we’ll be fine.”
“At the end of the day, we did not get the win,” said Phillip Lindsay, who had 281 yards rushing on 41 attempts, scoring three touchdowns. “That is what we wanted. We are going to go back to square one and get stuff rolling again. I am proud of my teammates.”
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Game Notes …
— Attendance was 49,976, the most-ever for a CU/Arizona game;
— Phillip Lindsay became CU’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards on the game, with 4,989, passing Rodney Stewart (4,669, 2008-11). Lindsay also became the first Buff to ever have over 600 yards rushing against a single opponent, going for 605 v. the Wildcats over three games;
— Arizona has had a 300-yard rusher in a single game only twice in school history … both times against Colorado. Ka’Deem Carey set the record with 366 in Tucson on Nov. 10, 2012, and Khalil Tate eclipsed it with 327 on 14 carries tonight. The next highest is 268 by Kansas’ David Winbush;
— Tight end Chris Bounds became the first CU tight end with two touchdown receptions in a game since Joe Klopfenstein had two touchdown receptions against Kansas in 2005;
— Chris Bounds, defensive back Dante Wigley and offensive lineman Chris Miller had their first career starts against Arizona;
— CU’s 19-play, 85-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter was the third-longest in school history, and took up the fourth-most game clock (9:34) in school annals.
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33 Replies to “Arizona 45, Colorado 42”
I don’t think it mattered which QB we played against, our defense should have been geared to stop the option and make them beat us with the pass. Oh well another shot in the foot. These games seem a lot like the games of 2015. The difference is in 2015 we could lose the game and console ourselves with “at lease we are in the game now”. But this year not only should we be in the game we should be winning against lesser opponents. Or am I looking through Rose colored glasses and we just aren’t as good as I think we should be. We need to find and identity.
GO BUFFS!
Wow. The vibe here is so decidedly despondent. Still six games to go. That’s why they play them. They will make a bowl game.
Coming into this year, I figured the Buffs would drop one they shouldn’t. They’ve dropped two. At UCLA and to AZ. Both were winnable, no doubt.
I also figured they’d steal one or two nobody thought they would. I still see that. I also don’t see OSU as a gimme. Buffs better show up. I believe they will.
If there’s locker room strife and finger pointing, it sure doesn’t sound like it from hearing the players and coaches, to me. VK, you’re clearly an insider, so share your sources, right? Wire tapping the locker room? Rumors at the put put course behind the windmill?
For all the griping about the offensive play calling, that was possibly their best offensive game of the year, both in execution and play calling. The O line still wasn’t pass protecting much so? They adjusted. That’s why they ran the ball even when behind by 14, in the 3rd and 4th, Mark. Better move the ball and get points vs. trying to throw, and giving it right back to the guy they couldn’t stop.
On that note, if anyone understands X’s and O’s they saw that “most” of the defensive calls were the right ones to match the offensive set. They also recognized that “most” of Tate’s gains were not the play called. He improvised. And, even when he did “most” of the time, he was corralled. When your X’s and O’s are matched up, kids got to make plays.
Having said that, nobody – Mac included – disputes they need to coach that better. Struggling against dynamic, true dual threat QBs has been a weak point for Mac – even under Leavitt. What helps? The kids knowing their assignments, and having the foresight to not over run everything, in their excitement to make a play. That’s experience. That’s where this D is a bit lacking. We saw that in spades last night. Over run a kid like Tate, and that’s what happens. He very well may have been the best, or one of the best athletes on the field last night.
Each of AZ’s next opponents will be way more mindful of that going in.
For me? I’m still on board. Again, go back to the beginning of the year. Without my Black and Gold glasses – which rarely come off – we knew this team would be 7-5 or 8-4 ish. We knew this.
That’s still well within reach.
You want progress? Montez staying in the pocket, making it to his third read. Bisharat? Nice surprise. He’s coming along. TE both in the run game and pass game? EP’s gotta like that. Being able to get Lindsay going, both between the tackles and outside.
Reasons for worry? Montez’ touch. He has a cannon. He will learn when to dial it back, just a sliver. He is, in fact. But, those misses were not the problem last night. They still scored.
It’s just one of those days where the Buffs grew on one side of the ball, and fell flat on the other.
They’re still clawing past the “lost decade” and are in the win/lose close phase (look at how many close wins they had last year). It’s a process people.
And, to those that will say “yeah, but they got crushed by Okie State, UW, etc.? Well, I don’t think anyone here is saying our Buffs are elite. Yet. They’re good. They’re getting better. They’re a mid-level team right now, that will make a bowl game, and keep improving.
Someone this week was already looking to next year, and… how that could be a special one for this team. I think it’s too early for that, but… they sure do have some potential. I believe they’ll realize it.
See you all at the bowl game.
Go Buffs.
?
You have the hollow words of the HC down pat.
And you have your negative drumbeat down pat. Note: In Bold.
Six games left, buddy!
Go Buffs.
Poor response by you
Negativity? Reality
Buffs
Ahhhh! The old Armchair whoopee cushion must be well-grooved by now, if your cheap talk is any proof thereof!
Players make plays. Players win games.
Neither of those dropped TD passes against UCLA were made by GL or Chiv. Nor were tackles missed against Tate, by anyone over 23 years of age.
Nor will this team be affected by a broken-down, geezer armchair QB like you!
Go find some wiffle balls to chip! My son noted you’re a wit. He was half right.
from last to first and first to last. Missing the D line, Gilbert and Sefo made that much difference? The coaching sure hasnt changed….other than missing Sefo
Ummm….everything I have read made it clear that Dawkins was the Starter but they were giving Tate looks here/there, which makes the following quote from the Camera dismaying:
“We didn’t even know his number, to be quite honest,” Moeller said of Tate. “We were expecting a different guy. Someone else came in the game and we didn’t execute.”
Why do people keep saying last year was a fluke? I’m disappointed in this year’s team, but that shouldn’t take away from the achievements and accomplishments of last year’s squad. We had a record-setting qb that played his heart out, a solid d with several veteran leaders and a good coordinator, and a whole different mentality and fight and toughness. Our 4 losses came against teams that finished in the final top ten. We were good last year and deserved the accolades and plaudits. I knew we’d struggle this year, and maybe next, and was more hopeful that people would understand that given the talent we lost, we’d have to wait for sustained success. Is it frustrating and disappointing? Yes. I don’t think that means we undermine our 2016 Buffs or give up on this current group of young men.
Buffalo up!
I saw two games last night, one where the Buffs looked flat and one where they tried to get back into the game… at least the offense. The defense had a few good plays at the end where they showed the same fire they had last year with Leavitt on the sidelines and even then they couldn’t stop Tate from getting the 1st down and sealing the game.
I’ll wait to see how Tate plays in his next few games to fully digest what happened last night, if he runs all over everyone else or not. The way the announcers were talking about him, he could have been the starter out of camp if not for RR’s staying loyal to Dawkins. And, Tate had offers from a large list of power5 schools (some highly ranked), UofA “only” got him because they were the only ones to offer him the QB position, everyone else thought he was a RB or WR.
I liked the use of the TE in the game and for 2 TDs no less, what a surprise! Lindsey was awesome and there were a few new plays too. I think this team is going to struggle more this year then originally expected and right now getting more then 4 wins is looking like it’s going to take some vast improvement. Except OSU, all the “preseason expected” lower teams in the PAC12 are playing better ball then predicted and the Buffs don’t have any automatic wins.
That Defense was embarassing. I woke up so ashamed of my allegiance to this team. When Laguda stood above a WR jawing and Tate ran right by him, I mean Laguda never even turned or was concerned with the play. The terrible penalties. Is there no discipline, have the coaches lost control? Most of way I’m seeing is preparation, mental and play calling. ASHAMED AND EMBARRASSED!!!!
Are we gonna hear the “details” excuse again? You know…..the little things like shedding blocks and tackling…..
Oh Boy. 0 and 3 in the Pack
6 games left
OSU 0 and 3 away
WSU 3 and 0 away
Cal 0 and 3 home
ASU 1 and 1 away
USC 3 and 1 home
Ute 1 and 1 away
Need 3 wins for a bowl. Don’t see it. But ya gotta play the game. Which would be a nice change eh??
Mac is a defensive genius. Well actually he was when Levitt was here but with Baer and Eliot he was/is not. Course the “loan Shark” will tell us different as usual. “Blinded by the Light” with no real understanding of what happened. Will use the Mac Lingo….”Couldn’t tackle 14″ Lousy excuse for an ill prepared team and a befuddled head coach and defensive coaching staff.
Arizona surprised the head coach and the defensive coaching staff with a new and different offensive scheme. That qb was amazing. The defensive adjustments during the game were not. Cause there weren’t any. Did you listen to Mac after the game? Reminded me of BL in the press box after the Pac 12 championship and the bowl game. “Glazed over look and responses”……
The offense: The oline can’t pass block. The center fires back worm burners, like Az’s (the poster) tee shots. The qb can play but other than Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay he has minimal support. And he is not at this time a drop back qb (should be roll outs period….either direction) and Mac says they want him to stay in the pocket. Huh? A $4,000,000 coach has got to know his personnel and their strengths and limitations. Mac does not.
Offensive identity???? Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay!!!!!
Cute names….
“The Money gang”…………is broke
“The Blackout Boys……….have the masks on backward
Neither have contributed really. Must be the players.
Remember the Mac
“The offense is going to be great” And they kinda were to night against one of the worst defenses in the country.
Mac is over his head. His offensive staff is weak. Except for the RB coach. The tight end coach, the QB coach and the Ol coach are MWC holdovers. Sorry but it is time for a change. The defensive coaches are a mess. I have dropped support of Eliot. He is what is was and is. Lower lever DC. I was hoping for better (Loan-boy disease)
Well then I am just gonna leave this here:
CSU leads the MWC Mountain Division.
Buffs.
Note: Peter is in the Mighty Buffs Coaching Offices
“well at least we beat CSU”….right? Have our respective schools changed status?
A few plays away from being 5-1 2-1, we should beat osu, cal, and asu, and maybe Utah…
Call the loan shark. He can keep you supplied in the necessitates to continue to be oblivious.
Buffs
What I watched was clearly a return to yesteryear. Hawkins, Embree. A team that was not prepared. Soooo many missed tackles, penalties. Only positives out of this game: We were treated to an imaginative play. The pop pass. Wow Lindgren, you outdid yourself on that one. 2: no issues with kickers. 3: Lindsay is the man.
At this point, maybe its time to try another qb. Again Montez pulls the ball down prematurely, was way off target on long balls. For a team that was supposed to be an absolute passing display, the wide receivers are being cheated. Bobo had a good game. Fields was frustrated all night. What happened to Ross? I was glad to see Bisharat get some solid playing time.
Overall, Oregon State is licking their chops. If the Buffs play like this again, a 3 win season may be all .
What is McIntyres record just in the Pac 12 since he came here? Does anyone know?
10-29 after the Arizona game – 23-34 overall.
I was fully supportive of the staff until the last game, and this game put me over the edge. Like I said last week, the Buffs keep finding ways to lose. This week the recipe is the saddest defensive performance in probably 2+ years. All week with the talk about how they have a strategy to contain a mobile QB, gonna have somebody watching him all game. Total BS. It looked like they never practiced. Too many penalties. Out of bounds late hits. It’s 2012-2013-2014 all over again. But this time there is no excuse about lack of talent. Who seriously things the Buffs will beat Oregon St on the road?
Yo Stuart,
I’d like to say the Buffs offense finally showed up today, but the fact is Arizona isn’t very good on defense. The same can be said for Colorado now.
Khalil Tate, backup to Brandon Dawkins, came in after Dawkins was injured to have perhaps the greatest game in NCAA history for a guy coming in after the starter was injured. Seriously.
Tate averaged more than 23 yard per carry on his way to breaking the NCAA rushing record for QB’s with 327 yards. He also completed 11 or 12 for 142 yards. Wow. If Colorado and Arizona had been Top 10 teams, Tate would be on the cover of Sports Illustrated next week and moving up the Heisman charts.
That’s a big if, of course. In reality, Tate is very good, and a star may very well have been born on the grass at Folsom Field. Most likely, though, most of the credit for his performance will be finger pointing blame at the Colorado defense.
Most serious fans see MAYBE two more wins this season for Colorado. More likely, the Buffs might be done for the season as far as wins are concerned unless changes are made.
Changes you ask? Colorado scored a lot of points, right? Yep, against a bad defense.
Go back and look, however, and you will see that the Buffs have an absolutely amazing ability to be their own worst enemy with clock management during close games. When they’ve got the lead, they manage to give the ball back without taking much time off the clock. When they are behind by two touchdowns, like tonight, they put together long, time consuming drives. Those would be perfect IF they were ahead. Instead, they just denied themselves the time to come back.
Of course, you can’t really come back when the defense can’t stop anything. I’m waiting to hear from all the Leavitt bashers now. DJ Eliot has looked pretty good so far this year with the D that Leavitt built, but when things were falling apart, Eliot could not adapt on the fly to slow down Arizona’s 2nd string QB. This wasn’t Cam Newton or Marcus Mariota the Buffs were facing, it was the backup on a bad team.
When I pointed out that this was the most important game for MacIntyre since he arrived at Colorado, it was meant to illustrate that this will be a tough hole to dig out of. Fans will disappear in droves from Folsom now. And, more importantly, I don’t know if his players believe in him anymore.
That could change, but I expect a great deal of finger pointing from the coaches toward the players. It’s been the modus operandi, and I think the players are tired of the coaches’ game plans being blamed on them.
Once a coach loses the minds and hearts of his team, only drastic action will change it. I’m not sure if Mac is capable of it. His guys are physically the equal of their Pac-12 brethren, but when it comes to game day coaching and changes on the fly, the coaching staff is wanting.
I hope I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Mark
Boulderdevil
On the subject of ‘hearts and minds’:
Did you (or anyone else here) also get the feeling that the wide receivers don’t like or respect Montez? It seemed like there was a weird friction that only got more obvious after he overthrew Fields the third or fourth time.
I think there is friction there. The receivers aren’t smiling much.
I don’t believe that is the issue. The issue lies in the now dysfunctional leaders the offense. This includes the head coach. And it ain’t just the receivers and Montez. The qb gets the krap beat out of him every game. And yup some is because he has a hard time getting rid of the ball. No blocking, no open receivers, but most of all no offense period. Ignore all aberrations.
This team is a team in disarray. He HC is in disarray. All the coach of the year awards. Leavitt leaving, The pac 12 championship blow out, bowl game blowout, Tumpkin, delays in hiring coaches, raise put on hold, fined and admonished, predicted a great offense, and a decent defense…………..and now this.
I have said it and I will say it again, there is a problem right here in Boulder City and it starts and ends with the HC.
Buffs.
So there.
Hey ol codger…………you die?
I guess I’m a little bit less of a pessimist and a little bit less of a Jim Leavitt fan boy (he was and is a great defensive mind but he’s also a Pepsi enthusiast…how bright can he be?) but I’ll bite.
The coaching staff does a lot of things right.They have brought in talent far beyond what Hawkins and Embree were able to pull. They have developed that talent beyond what scout, rivals, hudl, etc. expect of them.
They have shown up for the program. They just do not show up on game day. They need a coach who can call a game. Leavitt could do that. That is what they are missing. It doesn’t matter if you have a team of 4 and 5 star players if you have them running a dated defense (seriously, a Pac 12 team needs a hybrid or nickel base in 2017) and can or will not adjust the game plan and play calls once the game starts.
The Buffs don’t need to get rid of their head coach (he has done a lot for the program. If your fandom is that fair weather put on scarlet and cream or go cheer for Jim Leavitt at Oregon!) it is to replace some of the coaching staff with coaches who can COACH the players on gameday. I do not care how many connections you have in Texas or Cali or Florida or Louisianna. Can you beat a zone defense? Do you know when to sub in a nickel package? (WHOLE DIFFERENT LOOOOOOOONG STORY.) Becuase Colorado needs someone who can handle THOSE responsibilities. It’s called balance. Successful teams have it on the field and off the field.
(I’m serious though, VK. Your comments read like every Nebraska fan ever. Just find and replace “Huskers” with “Buffs.” We are better than that.)
VK made some comments before the game regarding turnaround versus running things leaders. I agreed that there is a big difference between the two but I felt the jury was out before this contest. This was a “must win” game and I have rarely seen a team so flat, so uninspired into the 3rd quarter. This team was not ready to play. That is squarely on Macintyre as is this loss. This game was a preliminary indication that he does not have what it takes to run things. Jury is starting to weigh in. I also agree with the other comments that this coaching staff has limited ability to make adjustments and respond to circumstances on the fly. Those qualities are needed, much more than “coach speak”. A bowl looks like a long shot.
I’ll try to elaborate tomorrow when Stu posts his thoughts: Colorado is doing a lot of things right. It has been a lot worse BUT…there are different kinds of coaches. There are there are recruiters, there are developers, and CU seems to be deep with both of these. What the Buffs are lacking (and what JL was) is a coach who can game plan and then adapt on the fly. The X’s and O’s are not a strength but when the X’s become Y’s you let a backup quarterback set a new record.
There is talent on the coaching staff. Most of it is just irrelevant once the game starts.
Hope you are right don’t see much good with the staff. No line no D. Lindsay is a stud!! Blackout boys are blacked out and have not had a chance to change a game.
I hope someone will take this staff!! They are not going to make this team worth much.
That was embarrassing. Felt like I was watching a Buff Defense from 5 years ago. The offense showed up… But the defense didn’t do anything but chase the QB down the field.
I want to remain positive, since the offense played well. But I think the reality is that we won’t be going to a bowl game this year.
Good one Brian. This was a Dan hawkins return. When there are that many penalties, its time to point to the coaching. Laguda was nil heard. About the same for Worthington and Lewis. Oliver played like he was lost. Time to put out the help wanted sign I guess.
What are the chances we can get ole miss to take macintyre off our hands? Even assist in the buyout? Clearly Leavitt was the only thing (if anything, really just a fluke) that pushed us over last year. Back to the basement.