Brooks: Special Teams Stepping Up

BOULDER - It is not the way anyone involved wants to perceive it, but in an 0-2 start for Colorado, special teams play has proved to be among a few desperately needed silver linings.

"The effort's been awesome, but it's a team game and anytime you lose you think maybe there's something we could have done that would have made the difference," special teams coach Kent Riddle said.

"You know, whatever we can do to change the outcome of those games, you gotta do. We're always trying to make something happen to help the team out. Whenever you lose, are there bright spots? Are guys doing a good job? Yeah, absolutely they are. But we need it to be 11 on every play."

Entering Saturday's game against Wyoming at Folsom Field, a contest that has taken on greater importance than most anticipated, Riddle's group has played collectively well - from Aric Goodman's placekicking /kickoffs, to Matt DiLallo's punting, to the return work of Darrell Scott (kickoffs) and Jason Espinoza (punts), and the blanket kick/punt coverage by Travis Sandersfeld, Arthur Jaffee and crew.

Improving special teams play was a focal point in the off-season through August camp and the emphasis hasn't stopped, said Jaffee, a sophomore from Fairview High School who leads in special teams points with eight.

"One thing we've focused on is to be consistent and use our speed," he said. "That's the best thing we have going for us; we have some great athletes who hustle. It's important for special teams to stand out; in my opinion, if you can get a score or a big play on special teams, it's just as important.

"I know everyone else is going down there to make a big play, and every time I step on the field I'm thinking there's that opportunity."

Along with the speed factor, Jaffee and Sandersfeld agreed that more players bringing experience to special teams also have made a difference.

"On some (teams), I think we're better because we're older," said Sandersfeld, a sophomore from Limon whose forced fumble on a kickoff at Toledo set up a second-half CU touchdown.

"But the new way is just attack, attack instead of thinking about it," continued Sandersfeld, whose seven special teams points rank him just behind Jaffee. "I think that's what's going to help us a little more this year.

"We switched some stuff up from last year, mainly to get fast guys on the field . . . but it's pretty simple: just go down and the tackle the guy."

Like many of their peers, Jaffee and Sandersfeld see much of their playing time on special teams - and they intend to make those occasions special for the entire team.

"It's definitely been helping us and it's a good opportunity for those like myself who don't get a chance to play that often. We want to make plays, too, so there's a good balance," Jaffee said, noting seeds for improvement were being cultivated in July.

"Even in the summer during seven-ons, we'd work some special teams - and even that took me by surprise. Cody (Hawkins) was like, 'All right, let's line up and do some punt.' I was like, 'Really?' But it was good."

The kickoff return team's standing goal, said Jaffee, should be obvious, but it's re-stated every time the unit gathers: "Every time we get out there, in the huddle before, we all get together, get the call and on three, we say, 'Take it to the house.'

"That's the mentality; we want to take it to the house."

Or keep the other guys out of it.

A statistical look at the Buffs' early special teams work (Big 12 Conference ranking in parenthesis):

Field goals/PATs (No. 5) - Goodman, a junior transfer from Wyoming, has made two of three field goal attempts, including a career-best 54-yarder against Colorado State, and is seven-for-seven on extra point kicks. He's shortened the steps in his approach on field goals and seems overall more focused this season.

Riddle's view: "He's doing a solid job. Again, we'd love to be perfect (Goodman is 2-of-3 on FGs, 7-of-7 on PATs). But we talk about being perfect inside the red zone and he has been there. He's doing a nice job on kickoffs (five of seven inside the 20- or 25-yard line, one touchback), but we're still trying to improve. We're trying to make everything exactly perfect every time."

Punting (t-No. 6) - DiLallo's rigorous off-season work has produced solid results (39.9 gross, 35.6 net), but the senior still is working towards his goal of averaging 42 yards (net). His gross average is a tick under 40 yards, and he's had four punts downed inside the 20 and two inside the 10.

Riddle's view: "He's doing a nice job. There's little stuff that goes unseen. He's doing a great job getting the ball off in a hurry. He's done a pretty good job with hang time. So, are we doing OK in that regard? Yeah. Can it be better? Absolutely. And I expect it to get better."

Kickoff/punt returns (No. 5 KOR, No. 10 PR) - Scott, a sophomore, is getting more opportunities (13) than he or CU's defense ever imagined, but on the bright side, he's taken advantage. He's averaging 26.3 yards a return (No. 3), which has helped boost his all-purpose yardage total to 221.5 yards a game (No. 1). Espinoza, meanwhile is doing what Riddle expects of his punt returners - being sure-handed and getting whatever yards he can (five returns, 5.0 average, No. 7). On the other end of the spectrum from Scott, Espinoza, also a sophomore, is getting fewer return chances because the defense isn't forcing many punts.

Riddle's view: "If at the end of the year (Scott) is averaging almost 30 yards a return, obviously everybody would be pretty damn happy. But there's still a lot of stuff we can clean up here or there and let that stuff make a difference for us. A 30-yard return is great, a 70-yard return is better. A 100-yard return is better than that."

Kickoff coverage (No. 2) - If the Buffs have been susceptible to "explosion plays" on defense, they've so far avoided them in this area and punt returns. Goodman's deep, high kickoffs have helped, as has loading up on speed on both coverage squads. The Buffs finished last in the conference in 2008 in kickoff coverage, so improvement was more a mandate than a suggestion.

Riddle's view: "It's not necessarily a surprise (to improve) . . . we've got a lot of guys doing what we expect them to do - Sandersfeld, Jaffee, Anthony Wright - a lot of guys. The effort's there and we're making progress. But it only takes one play to change that in a hurry. So you've got to be on top of it all the time, every time."

ONUS ON DEFENSE: With CU's two-game defensive statistics stunningly bad, coaches have tried to reduce their players' mental loads this week by cutting back on the calls to be used.

"I think what we've tried to do to some degree is be so doggone perfect and so doggone exact that sometimes maybe you overdo it just a hair . . . sometimes you just have to say, let's line up and beat the guy," coach Dan Hawkins said.

"We just have to be able to not worry about every single exact nuance, but maybe the simplicity allows the complexity . . . I think maybe you get tied into knots of trying to do too much and thinking a little bit.

"Part of that is from an experience nature, particularly with those kids up front (defensive line). Part of it is trying to be such a great coach that you want to put them into the exactly right spot every single time or just saying, 'Hey, we're going to play this coverage and you've got to adjust to that.'"

Hawkins used an offensive analogy to explain what's being tried on defense, saying that often in a goal line offense only a couple of plays are needed, but coaches over think and add three to five more before returning to the tried and tested pair.

"So the analogy is instead of maybe having three fronts for this formation, maybe you have two," he said. "Two coverages instead of three . . . you ratchet down a little bit."

The Wyoming game could see the Buffs reduce their total defensive calls from as many as 20 to about half a dozen.

"Last week we had a lot of packages in - I think about five different personnel (groups) in," outside linebacker B.J. Beatty said. "At one time there could be about six DBs on the field, we're running back and forth and there's a lot of confusion.

"I think right now the coaches are trying to put it in one group and keep it simple and (substitute) for a couple of plays here and there so everybody can be on one page and get the job done."

Beatty said the problem became apparent after Game 2, not the opening loss against Colorado State: "It was after Toledo that we saw we might have had too much in at one time."

The Buffs defense "just needs to keep going," Beatty said. "If we get hit with a big play and are down on the goal line, we can't hang our heads, we can't think it's over.

"We just need to redial and move on to the next play. We try to rally around each other and keep each other positive."

Beatty claimed his unit, which has allowed 1,000 yards and 77 points in two games, is more frustrated than shocked by those performances.

"This team has worked really hard, and I know we're a good team," he said. "If you work as hard as we did, it gets down on you a little bit. But knowing how good we are, this will turn around."

FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE: The Buffs are agonizingly familiar with the Cowboys offense; new Wyoming coach Dave Christensen coordinated the Missouri up-tempo spread attack that torched CU for 58 and 55 points in their two most recent meetings.

"We just have to prepare for it," Beatty said. "They got big plays (and) hit us early on defense. That early momentum, that's what killed us in those two games."

It's also what devastated the Buffs in their first two games this season. They've been outscored a combined 43-6 in two opening halves and have given up almost a season's worth of big plays.

LINE 'EM UP: CU's offensive line takes on a new look (sort of) with sophomore right guard Ryan Miller sliding out to right tackle. He started at that position in 2008 before being sidelined in September with a broken leg.

Miller replaces redshirt freshman Bryce Givens, who has not practiced this week for "personal reasons," according to O-line coach Denver Johnson. Givens' status for Game 3 and beyond isn't known.

In Miller's absence, several players have worked at right guard, including Blake Behrens, Matt Bahr and backup center Keenan Stevens.

News of Miller's return to tackle first surfaced earlier in the week on his Facebook page. On Wednesday, "just to have some fun," he said, he posted that he was moving to the defensive line.

Some of his Facebook readers didn't get the joke; CU's sports information office received several calls seeking confirmation.

COMMISH IN TOWN: Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe arrived in Boulder Friday and will attend Saturday's game. Beebe spent much of the afternoon with CU athletic director Mike Bohn, but also got a tour of the Buffs' new basketball operations center and revamped locker rooms at the Coors Events Center.

He said he spoke with men's basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik about league matters, including a change in conference official coordinators.

"Just my usual deal," Beebe said, adding, "And since this is a non-conference game (with Wyoming), I can wear Buff colors (he sported a black and muted gold patterned tie)."

Beebe also observed some of the football team's mid-afternoon walk-through at Folsom Field and spoke with coach Dan Hawkins afterwards.

BUFF BITS: If starting quarterback Cody Hawkins needs a temporary substitute, it likely will be true freshman Seth Lobato. Sophomore Tyler Hansen and freshman Clark Evans remain redshirt candidates, but Hansen's still could come off in an extreme situation . . . . Linebacker Shaun Mohler, who missed the Toledo game after suffering a concussion in the opener, is expected to return . . . . Tailback Rodney "Speedy" Stewart (hamstring) also will be back in the lineup. He did not play against Toledo, affording the opportunity for Scott (12 carries, 85 yards) to step up.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU