Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Buffs Well Aware Of Cardinal’s Past Dominance Up Front
October 18, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
Strength at line of scrimmage has been Stanford’s trademark
BOULDER – Ask any upperclassman in Colorado's offensive line what he recalls about Stanford's visit to Boulder last November and every answer is hauntingly similar.
"Yeah, from what I remember about Stanford is that they came in here, into our house, and out-muscled us, out-physicaled us," said senior center Alex Kelley, summarizing his O-line teammates' starkest recollection of the Cardinal's 42-10 rout.
For the past five seasons, CU hasn't been alone in feeling (and reeling from) Stanford's muscle up front. From 2011 through last weekend's 17-10 win at Notre Dame, the Cardinal has won 54 games (14 losses) with most of those victories underscored by Stanford's dominance at the line of scrimmage.
Physical, grind-'em-down line play has been the Cardinal's calling card, which clarifies the goal for Kelley & Co. on Saturday afternoon when the Buffs visit Stanford Stadium (1 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Networks).
Said Kelley: "Going into this (game) our goal is to be the more physical team. We know what they did to us last year."
The Buffs' O-line is coming off what is arguably its most dominant performance of the season. In last Saturday's 40-16 pounding of Arizona State, CU rushed for a season-high 315 yards (580 total offense), with junior tailback Phillip Lindsay running for a career-best 219 yards and three touchdowns.
Earning Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors, Lindsay didn't lose a yard on any of his 26 carries (8.4 yards a carry) against a defense that entered the game ranked No. 5 nationally in run defense (89.3 yards a game). He acknowledged his O-line's contribution to his night by having the entire group attend his postgame news conference.
"We could have played better – as always," said junior left tackle Jeromy Irwin. "But you run for 315 yards and throw for 265 – that's a pretty good night."
ASKED IF THE ASU GAME marked his unit's most physical performance this season, O-line coach Klayton Adams answered, "That's hard to say. We had a couple of (missed) protections, penalties and gave up a sack . . . the biggest key for us is to be consistent and make sure we're the best version of ourselves regardless of who we're playing, where we're playing or what the defense is."
Irwin agreed with his coach: "No, honestly . . . but it's up there. We were coming off a tough loss to USC, which is a good team, and we knew ASU would be physical and thought we would have to be aggressive early."
Aggressive early and late, the Buffs took full advantage of the Sun Devils' blitz-happy defensive scheme, often going in the opposite direction of the blitz and "gashing" ASU with big plays.
"Once we started running away from the blitzes, then cut up the backside and found that crease, it was there," Irwin said. "You just have to seize the opportunity."
With its blitzing from some position on nearly every play, ASU's defense is an anomaly in the Pac-12. "What ASU does schematically is very different from any team in our conference," Adams said. "But (Stanford) does some things that are similar and can certainly can be aggressive (blitzing) at times."
Added Irwin: "Stanford doesn't blitz like ASU does; I'm not going to say (Stanford) is more gap sound because ASU had a great defense. But definitely when you say control the line of scrimmage, if we do that like we did last week then we'll be good."
Kelley called the Cardinal's line-up-and-overpower-you approach as "just their style of play. They think their guys are capable of playing straight up and competing with the best. I feel like we have the same attitude. I like the matchups."
Stanford is third in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (125.7 yards allowed a game), fourth in scoring defense (22.0 points) and fifth in total defense (376 yards). The Cardinal is No. 8 in pass defense (241.3 yards).
In the 32-point rout of CU last season, the Cardinal held the Buffs to 231 yards in total offense – 83 rushing, 148 passing for an average of 4.3 yards a play. The Buffs didn't have a run longer than 11 yards by a tailback, with quarterback Sefo Liufau's 43 yards on seven carries CU's best ground effort.
But this season, the Buffs and their coach believe they can go toe-to-toe, hand-to-hand with the Cardinal defensive front. Since the opening win against Colorado State on Sept. 2, Adams says his group has "taken small jumps every week, and that's kind of what you need to do with a long season in a good conference. You need to take little bites at a time and try to make sure you're getting better."
Those "small jumps" and "little bites," he said, are the result of modifying the in-season weight room regimen as well as having a core of veteran players "who understand how long the season is."
Fundamental work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday isn't done simply because it's required, but because "guys realize they need to do it to get better week to week. These guys have that mentality," Adams said.
CU'S O-LINE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY stable through seven games – at least compared to 2015. Guard Jonathan Huckins (hand) was sidelined early but played last weekend, while tackle Aaron Haigler (knee) remains in rehab mode. Haigler and Sam Kronshage were in fierce competition until Kronshage (ankle) was injured. He's back now and has started the past two games at right tackle.
Otherwise, the lineup of Irwin (left tackle), Gerrad Kough (left guard), Kelley (center) and Tim Lynott Jr. (right guard) has remained intact.
Even though Adams says his group has made weekly progress he continues to call it a "work in progress." To reach best-game status, he says his group will have to be penalty free and not allow a sack.
So far, the Buffs have been sack-free in two games (Idaho State, Oregon State) and are tied with Oregon for sixth place in the Pac-12 in sacks allowed (13 each). CU is fourth in the conference in both rushing offense (214.9 yards a game) and passing offense (300.4), and second in total offense (515.3).
But each week is a test and Saturday brings a significant one. Passing it will require physical play from both lines, a point being hammered home daily by coach Mike MacIntyre. Even though he's in his first season coaching CU's O-line after three seasons of directing the running backs/tight ends, Adams recalls Stanford's up-front domination last season.
"It doesn't matter where you play or what level you play at, the offensive line is about being physical," he said. "And it's not just being physical in the run game, you have to be physical in pass protection. You have to have the mentality that goes with that.
"We try not to focus on any other game than the one we're playing, but last year they came in here and embarrassed us a little bit that way. So that's not the circumstance every week but it's definitely on our minds (this week)."
"We're going to have to play physical to beat them, come in with the same mindset that we had last week," Irwin added. "If we handle the line of scrimmage the rest will take care of itself. Colorado will be Colorado."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
"Yeah, from what I remember about Stanford is that they came in here, into our house, and out-muscled us, out-physicaled us," said senior center Alex Kelley, summarizing his O-line teammates' starkest recollection of the Cardinal's 42-10 rout.
For the past five seasons, CU hasn't been alone in feeling (and reeling from) Stanford's muscle up front. From 2011 through last weekend's 17-10 win at Notre Dame, the Cardinal has won 54 games (14 losses) with most of those victories underscored by Stanford's dominance at the line of scrimmage.
Physical, grind-'em-down line play has been the Cardinal's calling card, which clarifies the goal for Kelley & Co. on Saturday afternoon when the Buffs visit Stanford Stadium (1 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Networks).
Said Kelley: "Going into this (game) our goal is to be the more physical team. We know what they did to us last year."
The Buffs' O-line is coming off what is arguably its most dominant performance of the season. In last Saturday's 40-16 pounding of Arizona State, CU rushed for a season-high 315 yards (580 total offense), with junior tailback Phillip Lindsay running for a career-best 219 yards and three touchdowns.
Earning Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors, Lindsay didn't lose a yard on any of his 26 carries (8.4 yards a carry) against a defense that entered the game ranked No. 5 nationally in run defense (89.3 yards a game). He acknowledged his O-line's contribution to his night by having the entire group attend his postgame news conference.
"We could have played better – as always," said junior left tackle Jeromy Irwin. "But you run for 315 yards and throw for 265 – that's a pretty good night."
ASKED IF THE ASU GAME marked his unit's most physical performance this season, O-line coach Klayton Adams answered, "That's hard to say. We had a couple of (missed) protections, penalties and gave up a sack . . . the biggest key for us is to be consistent and make sure we're the best version of ourselves regardless of who we're playing, where we're playing or what the defense is."
Irwin agreed with his coach: "No, honestly . . . but it's up there. We were coming off a tough loss to USC, which is a good team, and we knew ASU would be physical and thought we would have to be aggressive early."
Aggressive early and late, the Buffs took full advantage of the Sun Devils' blitz-happy defensive scheme, often going in the opposite direction of the blitz and "gashing" ASU with big plays.
"Once we started running away from the blitzes, then cut up the backside and found that crease, it was there," Irwin said. "You just have to seize the opportunity."
With its blitzing from some position on nearly every play, ASU's defense is an anomaly in the Pac-12. "What ASU does schematically is very different from any team in our conference," Adams said. "But (Stanford) does some things that are similar and can certainly can be aggressive (blitzing) at times."
Added Irwin: "Stanford doesn't blitz like ASU does; I'm not going to say (Stanford) is more gap sound because ASU had a great defense. But definitely when you say control the line of scrimmage, if we do that like we did last week then we'll be good."
Kelley called the Cardinal's line-up-and-overpower-you approach as "just their style of play. They think their guys are capable of playing straight up and competing with the best. I feel like we have the same attitude. I like the matchups."
Stanford is third in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (125.7 yards allowed a game), fourth in scoring defense (22.0 points) and fifth in total defense (376 yards). The Cardinal is No. 8 in pass defense (241.3 yards).
In the 32-point rout of CU last season, the Cardinal held the Buffs to 231 yards in total offense – 83 rushing, 148 passing for an average of 4.3 yards a play. The Buffs didn't have a run longer than 11 yards by a tailback, with quarterback Sefo Liufau's 43 yards on seven carries CU's best ground effort.
But this season, the Buffs and their coach believe they can go toe-to-toe, hand-to-hand with the Cardinal defensive front. Since the opening win against Colorado State on Sept. 2, Adams says his group has "taken small jumps every week, and that's kind of what you need to do with a long season in a good conference. You need to take little bites at a time and try to make sure you're getting better."
Those "small jumps" and "little bites," he said, are the result of modifying the in-season weight room regimen as well as having a core of veteran players "who understand how long the season is."
Fundamental work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday isn't done simply because it's required, but because "guys realize they need to do it to get better week to week. These guys have that mentality," Adams said.
CU'S O-LINE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY stable through seven games – at least compared to 2015. Guard Jonathan Huckins (hand) was sidelined early but played last weekend, while tackle Aaron Haigler (knee) remains in rehab mode. Haigler and Sam Kronshage were in fierce competition until Kronshage (ankle) was injured. He's back now and has started the past two games at right tackle.
Otherwise, the lineup of Irwin (left tackle), Gerrad Kough (left guard), Kelley (center) and Tim Lynott Jr. (right guard) has remained intact.
Even though Adams says his group has made weekly progress he continues to call it a "work in progress." To reach best-game status, he says his group will have to be penalty free and not allow a sack.
So far, the Buffs have been sack-free in two games (Idaho State, Oregon State) and are tied with Oregon for sixth place in the Pac-12 in sacks allowed (13 each). CU is fourth in the conference in both rushing offense (214.9 yards a game) and passing offense (300.4), and second in total offense (515.3).
But each week is a test and Saturday brings a significant one. Passing it will require physical play from both lines, a point being hammered home daily by coach Mike MacIntyre. Even though he's in his first season coaching CU's O-line after three seasons of directing the running backs/tight ends, Adams recalls Stanford's up-front domination last season.
"It doesn't matter where you play or what level you play at, the offensive line is about being physical," he said. "And it's not just being physical in the run game, you have to be physical in pass protection. You have to have the mentality that goes with that.
"We try not to focus on any other game than the one we're playing, but last year they came in here and embarrassed us a little bit that way. So that's not the circumstance every week but it's definitely on our minds (this week)."
"We're going to have to play physical to beat them, come in with the same mindset that we had last week," Irwin added. "If we handle the line of scrimmage the rest will take care of itself. Colorado will be Colorado."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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