Colorado Daily – Cal Week

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Colorado Daily – California Week

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October 23rd – GameDay!

Colorado at Cal: Storylines

From the San Jose Mercury News …

Cal storylines: The Bears again seek their first Pac-12 victory and first win over an FBS opponent. Cal is 2-8 since the start of the COVID-shortened 2020 season after going 15-11 the two previous seasons . . . Cal’s defensive shortcomings include ranking 11th in the Pac-12 in third-down conversions (allowing 46.7 percent) and last in fourth-down conversions (5 for 7 or 71.4 percent) . . . Cal senior safety Elijah Hicks had his first career interception against Colorado three years ago, returning it 34 yards for a touchdown . . . The Bears will play their fifth straight game without OLB Kuony Deng, who still has not been declared out for the season.

Colorado storylines: The Buffaloes are hoping that freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis can build on his performance last week when he threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns in CU’s 34-0 win over Arizona. In five previous games, he’d averaged just 95 passing yards while completing 53 percent . . . Colorado’s win over Arizona was its first over an FBS team this season . . . CU’s top receiver is redshirt freshman Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Brenden Rice caught three passes for 111 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown, last week against Arizona . . . The Buffaloes have been solid defensively this season, especially in the secondary, where they’ve surrendered just six touchdown passes, second-fewest in the Pac-12.

Stats that matter: Chase Garbers leads the Pac-12 in total offense (283.8 yards), is second in passing yards per game (248.7) but 10th in pass efficiency (130.06) . . . Cal’s defense continues to be far from what we saw in its recent peak seasons of 2018 and ’19, ranked ninth in points allowed (27.0) and 11th in yards allowed (407.7) . . . Colorado linebacker Nate Landman, a two-time All-Pac-12 linebacker from Monte Vista High in Danville, has 399 career tackles.

… Read full story here …

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October 22nd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Buffs hoping for bounce from Arizona game: “Definitely it builds a confidence level”

From the Daily Camera … There was a bit more bounce in the step and confidence in the voices of Colorado football players this week.

Breaking a losing streak will do that.

“Definitely it builds a confidence level,” outside linebacker Carson Wells said of last week’s 34-0 win against Arizona. “I feel like football is a big game of going in each week having momentum and whoever is playing the hardest (wins). It’s hard to get up sometimes for each game, especially when you’re losing so definitely that win helps put us back on the right track moving forward.”

On Saturday, the Buffs (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) will find out if the confidence gained from that win will carry them forward. CU visits California (1-5, 0-3) in their second road test of the season.

“We definitely want to continue the momentum that was built from the (Arizona) game,” head coach Karl Dorrell said.

The confidence came not only from winning but from having progress pay off.

“I mentioned it weeks ago when I felt we were making progress, but it wasn’t quite showing on the field,” Dorrell said. “That’s what gets frustrating after a while when you’re doing it well in practice and it’s not translating to the field on game day. I think we’re getting over that hurdle. We’re starting to see the benefits of a lot of the stuff that we’re doing to improve our football and I think the light is starting to glow now. They see the roots of why things are getting better, why we’re playing better.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Neill Woelk’s Friday Five Keys

From CUBuffs.com … For the second week in a row, the Colorado Buffaloes face an opponent in similar circumstances:

A season that did not go as planned over the first half, a losing record and a sense of urgency to turn the tide in the second half.

But at least Karl Dorrell‘s Buffs (2-4 overall, 1-2 Pac-12) have a league victory in their pocket. Justin Wilcox’s Bears (1-5, 0-3), who have endured a season’s worth of bad luck in just six games, are still searching for their first Pac-12 win of the season.

The two teams meet Saturday at TFX Field in a 1:30 p.m. contest (Pac-12 Networks, KOA Radio).

The Buffs have a chance to win their second straight game, something they haven’t done since last year’s shortened season. Coming off their best performance of the season, a 34-0 win over Arizona — maybe the most-complete game in the Dorrell era — CU would love to roll up a little momentum.

But it won’t come easy against the Bears, whose record isn’t a true reflection of their abilities. Four of their five losses have come by seven points or less, including a 31-24 overtime loss at Washington and last week’s 24-17 loss at Oregon, a game that saw Cal on the doorstep of the end zone when time expired.

So what must the Buffs do to keep the wind in their sails?

1. Get the ball to playmakers. While it took the offense most of three quarters last week to get untracked, the results were outstanding when quarterback Brendon Lewis and his cohorts finally found their rhythm.

The offense was particularly effective when Lewis put the ball in wide receiver Brenden Rice’s hands, who had a 62-yard touchdown catch and a 31-yard reception to set up a field goal. Also coming up with big catches were Dimitri Stanley, Montana Lemonious-Craig and Chris Carpenter. Another Buff with big play potential is tight end Brady Russell, who owns CU’s longest play of the year, a 65-yard reception against USC.

It is critical that the Buffs get their passing game in gear — preferably early. Cal’s run defense is giving up just 133 yards per game on the ground, and it’s a good bet the Bears will be stacking the box and forcing Colorado to throw.

If Lewis and Co. can put some big plays and points on the board early, it will open up the run game — something the Buffs need.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 21st 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Mustafa Johnson glad to be back: “A happy, hyped feeling. No words to describe it”

From the Daily Camera … Following an offseason of uncertainty and a long reinstatement process, Colorado’s Mustafa Johnson isn’t looking back.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it, so it’s a huge sense of relief,” Johnson said this week. “I’m just going out there and doing what I do, really.”

What he does is wreak havoc in the trenches on game day and he’s done just that in his two games since rejoining the Buffs (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12), who visit California (1-5, 0-3) on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif. (1:40 p.m., TV: Pac-12 Network).

“It feels great. No words to describe it,” Johnson said. “It’s just a big rush of adrenaline; a happy, hyped feeling. That’s all there is to it.”

A 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman, Johnson was a dominant force for the Buffs from 2018-20 and then declared for the NFL Draft in January. He went undrafted and unsigned, however. Johnson and CU then went through the process of applying for a waiver from the NCAA to regain his final year of eligibility.

Reinstated earlier this fall, Johnson had to sit out the first four games but has picked up where he left off since rejoining the lineup on Oct. 2.

“He’s been really instrumental,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said. “When you have a veteran experience like that, it’s always big. It helps the younger players kind of bring their game forward too, so from a leadership standpoint that’s been really good.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Continuity along offensive line helping consistency

From CUBuffs.com … After having four different starting offensive line combinations in the first four games, the Buffs have now had the same starting group the last three games: Jake Wiley at left tackle, Kary Kutsch at left guard, Colby Pursell at center, Casey Roddick at right guard and Frank Fillip at right tackle.

“I believe we played better last week,” Dorrell said. “We want to continue to shore up our issues on that in terms of our offensive front and I believe we’re going to play better now.”

Fillip is finally rounding into shape after missing much of the spring and all of fall camp.

“He played much better last week,” Dorrell said. “He’s kind of starting to get into the groove.”

Only two of CU’s linemen — Wiley and Kutsch — have started every game this fall.

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Freshman Tyrin Taylor to play for the injured Nigel Bethel

From the Daily Camera … In preseason camp, Colorado coaches and players often commented on the talent possessed by the true freshman trio of cornerbacks.

At times, Kaylin Moore, Nikko Reed and Tyrin Taylor have played like veterans in practice. CU cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin refers to the group as the “Three Amigos,” and he’s spent the first half of the season focusing on their development.

The spotlight will shine a bit brighter on at least one of the Amigos when the Buffs (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) visit California (1-5, 0-3) on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif. (1:40 p.m. MT, TV: Pac-12 Network).

Earlier this week, CU head coach Karl Dorrell said that veteran corner Nigel Bethel Jr. will be sidelined for “a while” with a knee injury. Bethel has been the Buffs’ No. 3 cornerback, an important role that will now go to Taylor.

Christian Gonzalez and Mekhi Blackmon are the starters at corner, but Bethel has been on the field for 151 snaps and played well in nickel situations, so he has big shoes to fill.

Taylor leads the young trio with 71 snaps played, with Reed (57) not far behind. Moore has played 13 snaps.

“We’ve had a chance to get them some experience so far this season and it’s good that some of those guys got a chance to play and do some really good things for us in the course of what we’ve done to this point,” Dorrell said. “It’s like the next man up theory. If you lose a guy you feel like the next guy should be ready to do it. … Some of these younger guys are doing that; they’ve had some playing time already, so we hope the transition’s not too difficult for (Taylor).”

… Continue reading story here …

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October 20th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Chase Garbers: “He’s multi-faceted … He’s a seasoned player”

From the Daily Camera … Throughout his college career, California quarterback Chase Garbers hasn’t posted big numbers, but the senior has experience and has done enough to impress Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell.

CU (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) will visit Cal (1-5, 0-3) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. (1:40 p.m., TV: Pac-12 Networks) and facing Garbers might be at the top of the list of Dorrell’s challenges.

“The best thing is that when you have a veteran defense going against a veteran quarterback then that kind of neutralizes some of that, but he’s a really good player,” Dorrell said. “I think he manages their system really well.”

Now in his fourth season as Cal’s starter, Garbers has thrown for 5,541 yards and 43 touchdowns, with 21 interceptions in his career, while completing 61.5 percent of his passes. This season, he’s thrown for 1,492 yards and nine touchdowns, putting him on pace for career highs in both categories.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Garbers is also a good runner, with 929 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. College Football Hall of Famer Joe Kapp is the only quarterback in Cal history with more rushing yards (931), but Garbers needs just three yards to break that mark.

“I think sometimes you can disregard how athletic he is just because he’s a pocket passer, but he can make some plays with his legs,” Dorrell said. “They do feature him at times in some quarterback runs. So he’s multi-faceted. Plus, if you give them time in a pocket to really go through his progressions, he’ll find the open guy. He’s a seasoned player.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs hoping improved passing game will help open rushing attack

From the Daily Camera … Throughout the season, Brendon Lewis’ struggles have coincided with a rough stretch for the offensive line. CU went into last week averaging just 100.4 passing yards per game and Lewis had been sacked 15 times. Without feeling much of a threat from the Buffs through the air, opponents have focused on shutting down the run game. That has led to a less effective rushing attack.

“In most opponents’ minds, if you stop CU’s run game and (the Buffs) haven’t been able really to throw it, we probably have the best chance of having success,” Dorrell said. “Teams the last three or four weeks, that’s what they’ve been doing. They’ve been trying to put the game in Brendon’s hands. That’s why we had to get our passing game some relevance.”

Until this past week, CU hasn’t been able to counter with big plays in the passing game. Through the first five games, CU had three passes of at least 20 yards. Against Arizona, the Buffs had five explosive passes, including a 62-yard touchdown to Brenden Rice, a 31-yard pass to Rice and a 43-yarder to Alex Fontenot.

All of a sudden, Cal and other opponents on the CU schedule might have to think more about the Buffs’ passing attack.

“We had to start to show some signs of life so that we can create balance and not play with such a hard box of running the football when teams knew that you couldn’t throw it,” Dorrell said.

CU is still waiting to see its run game pop. Jarek Broussard, who was the Pac-12 offensive player of the year in 2020, has just 309 yards this season and the Buffs, as a team, are averaging 138.3 per game, which ranks seventh in the Pac-12. The Buffs’ 3.53 yards per carry ranks ninth.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 19th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Carson Wells becoming a factor for Buff defense: “I’m getting that confidence level back”

From the Daily Camera … Carson Wells’ parents, who are from Florida, come to Boulder for every home game, but Wells also had grandparents in attendance on Saturday for Family Weekend.

“It was big,” he said. “It’s always nice knowing you have a support system in the stands. It’s always nice to have that.”

The family watched Wells put together one of the best games of his career. Wells, of course, wasn’t alone, as the Buffs shut out the Wildcats and had several defensive players step up, but he was the leader on this day.

“It was fun to see him having some fun,” CU head coach Karl Dorrell said. “He was out there in the backfield making some plays. … He had a very, very productive day along with Nate Landman. Nate had a very productive day too. It was good to see Carson kind of get in rhythm of making some big plays for us. We’re hopeful that he’s going to continue that as we go into this week and through the stretch here.”

A year ago, Wells led the country in tackles for loss per game, with 2.67 per game. He had a slow start to this season, however, with no sacks or tackles for loss in the first two games.

He’s now had at least one TFL in four consecutive games, including six in the past two.

“I’m getting that confidence level back,” Wells said. “We had a new system (this year). I’m not trying to make excuses, but the new system, you slow down a little bit. You’ve got to think a little bit more. You’ve got to get a process that you go through each play. When you get tired, it can slow you down a little bit. But now it’s clicking.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Injury update: Nigel Bethel; Ashaad Clayton sidelined

From the Daily Camera … Sophomore cornerback Nigel Bethel Jr. has played a significant role for the Colorado Buffaloes this season, but they will be without him for the foreseeable future.

Bethel injured a knee during Saturday’s 34-0 win against Arizona and head coach Karl Dorrell said on Monday that Bethel “will be down for a while.”

Dorrell didn’t go into specifics on the nature of Bethel’s injury, but said, “Nigel had his MRI today. He’s getting his knee examined. Right now it doesn’t look so good. … Just from the diagnosis from what the doctors did on site, it could be a very challenging injury. It’s unfortunate.”

… Dorrell said second-year freshman running back Ashaad Clayton was not in uniform for the Arizona game because “he went through a minor procedure.”

Dorrell did not elaborate, but said Clayton “won’t be back playing for at least another week or two.”

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La’Vontae Shenault may return from suspension next week

From the Daily Camera … Receiver La’Vontae Shenault is still on suspension and Dorrell said, “As of today it’s one more game.”

That means Shenault won’t play Saturday at California (1-5, 0-3) but could return for the Buffs’ Oct. 30 game at Oregon. He has missed the last five games.

“He’s practicing and doing a great job in giving a great look for defense and we’re giving him some of the stuff that we’re doing offensively to kind of get him ready when his reinstatement does come in play just to kind of make the transition smoother for him,” Dorrell said. “Believe me, he wants to play and he wants to help and we all want all of our great players playing. But, he understood he made a mistake and he’s going to deal with it just like he’s been doing and he’ll be ready to go when that time comes.”

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October 18th

… CU in a few minutes … 

**Video: Karl Dorrell press conference (plus LB Carson Wells and OL Kary Kutsch)**

From BuffsTV …

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Trevor Woods named Pac-12 Special Teams Player-of-the-Week

From the Pac-12 … The Pac-12 today announced its 2021 football season’s seventh weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva.

OFFENSE:  Cameron Rising, So., QB, Utah (Ventura, CA)

Also nominated:  Travis Dye, RB, Oregon; Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA; Jayden de Laura, QB, Washington State; Brendon Lewis, QB, Colorado; Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State

DEFENSE:  Devin Lloyd, Jr., LB, Utah (Chula Vista, CA)

Also nominated:  Carson Wells, OLB, Colorado; Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon; Quentin Lake, DB, UCLA; Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State; Ron Stone, Jr., Edge, Washington State

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Trevor Woods, Fr., Safety, Colorado (Katy, TX)

• In Colorado’s 34-0 win over Arizona, and with the Buffs ahead 6-0 a little over midway in the third quarter, he first blocked a punt, chased it down and then returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. It was CU’s first blocked punt since 2018, and the first blocked punt returned for a TD since 2004.
• First Colorado player to win this award since 2019 when Kicker Evan Price and Punter Alex Kinney each won it once.

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Kickoff time for CU at Oregon on hold until Sunday

… Best guess … The winner of this week’s game between UCLA and Oregon will get the 1:30 p.m., MT, time slot, with the loser relegated to Pac-12 After Dark … 

Pac-12 kickoffs for Week Nine

On hold (kickoff time to be announced next Sunday) …

• Colorado at Oregon … Either … 1:30 p.m., MT, Fox … Or … 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN
• UCLA at Utah … Either … 1:30 p.m., MT, Fox … Or … 8:00 p.m., MT, ESPN

Other Pac-12 games for next weekend are set … 

• Washington State at Arizona State … 1:00 p.m., MT, FS1
• Arizona at USC … 5:00 p.m., MT, ESPN2 or ESPNU
• Oregon State at Cal … 5:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks
• Washington at Stanford … 8:30 p.m., MT, FS1

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Buffs hoping Arizona game launches a better second half to the season

From the Daily Camera … Coming out of a bye, Colorado head football coach Karl Dorrell knew his team faced a critical game on Saturday.

Watching his squad rise up to the challenge with a 34-0 rout of Arizona at Folsom Field made him proud.

“We needed it,” Dorrell said. “A lot of hard work went into it. A lot of faithful young men that stayed true to themselves and it was good to get some reward from all the stuff that they’ve stayed committed with. Very, very excited about them being able to get themselves this opportunity and this win.”

CU (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) snapped a four-game losing streak but now must figure out how to build upon the performance. On Saturday, they will visit California (1-5, 0-3).

“We’ll enjoy it – enjoy the win,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said, “but tomorrow we get back to work. Put the win past us, but let it fuel us and get ready for an away game against a good Cal team.”

What made Dorrell and the Buffs most pleased was not simply getting the win, but how they got it.

Through the first five weeks, the Buffs never did put together an all-around game. On Saturday, they did.

… Continue reading story here …

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October 17th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Neill Woelk’s Takeaways from Arizona game

From CUBuffs.com … One victory by no means guarantees a turnaround, but every turnaround begins with one victory.

Today, Karl Dorrell‘s Colorado Buffaloes have that opportunity in their grasp after a 34-0 thrashing of Arizona on Saturday that was arguably the Buffs’ best overall effort in the Dorrell era.

Consider:

— CU scored touchdowns in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — something that hadn’t been done by a Colorado team since the late years of the Gary Barnett era.

— CU’s defense pitched a shutout against an FBS team, again something that hadn’t happened since the Barnett years.

— Two weeks of practice sandwiched around a bye week paid big dividends, as evidenced by some dramatic improvement in several key areas.

— But perhaps most importantly, Dorrell’s team received some validation for its hard work. The Buffs had faith in the process, didn’t give up, and were rewarded for their resilience.

“They took ownership,” Dorrell said of the two weeks the Buffs spent regrouping, retooling and resetting their season. “That’s really what happened. They took ownership over the (bye week). They weren’t pointing fingers. It was more like ‘I have to do that better’. I think once a team realizes that they can do it better, which collectively makes everything happen, that’s where we’re at right now. They see the results of everybody taking ownership of it.”

No doubt, a victory over an 0-6 program that hasn’t won a game since 2019 doesn’t qualify as a stunner.

But the Wildcats were also poised for a breakout game. They had been within one point of UCLA in the third quarter and a score away from Oregon heading into the fourth this season. They had produced some flashes of good play and were looking for their turnaround moment.

The Buffs squashed those hopes on a quintessential sun-splashed fall afternoon at Folsom.

“They’re going to tell you ‘We’re a good football team,'” Dorrell said of his players. “They know we’re a good football team. We just haven’t put it all together. Hopefully, this is a great example for them to realize, ‘Wow, when we have this type of mindset we can achieve the goals and aspirations we set for ourselves, which is winning ball games.’ It’s a great testimony to these young men that they accepted the challenge.”

Other takeaways from Saturday’s victory …

… Continue reading story here …

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Buffs open as a ten-point underdog to Cal Bears

From VegasInsider.com …

Pac-12 lines for Week Seven: 

• Washington at Arizona … Washington is a 15.5.0-point favorite on the road (Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN)
• Colorado at California … California is a 10.0-point favorite (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)
• No. 10 Oregon at UCLA … UCLA is a 1.5-point favorite (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., MT, ABC)
• BYU at Washington State … BYU is a 2.0-point favorite on the road (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., MT, FS1)
• USC at Notre Dame … Notre Dame is 6.5-point favorite (Saturday, 5:30 p.m., MT, NBC)
• Utah at Oregon State … Utah is 3.5-point favorite on the road (Saturday, 5:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

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Pat Rooney: Any reclamation project has to begin somewhere

From the Daily Camera … While the promised subtle changes may not have been anything more than taking on lowly Arizona instead of USC, the Buffs nonetheless vented a month’s worth of frustrations on Saturday, getting consecutive touchdowns on special teams and defense before the CU offense finally displayed a level of efficiency absent all season in a 34-0 beatdown of the Wildcats.

It was a much-needed performance for the Buffs and head coach Karl Dorrell, who might have been staring at the very real possibility of going winless this season against FBS-level foes if they couldn’t dispatch an Arizona team that extended its program-record losing streak to 18 games.

We’ll see exactly how “fixed” the Buffs are when they visit Cal next week. Take nothing away from the Buffs, but they ran into an offense that, as improbable as it sounds, makes CU’s 34 points-in-four games struggles seem quaint by comparison. (Arizona’s first and second down calls on a first-and-goal situation from the one late in the first half, a quarterback sneak and toss sweep, were as boggling as anything we’ve seen from the CU catalog this season. That sequence, like the Buffs’ failed and-goal situation against Texas A&M, changed the course of the game.)

But a win is a win, and a shutout win at home within the conference no doubt is cause for celebration. Yet if there was an omen that might serve the Buffs well down the stretch, it was letting the training wheels off embattled quarterback Brendon Lewis in the second half.

… Continue reading story here …

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This post, about the California game, from the 2021 Season, is filed under Article.
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