University of Colorado Athletics
Brooks: Sacks That Got Away In '09 Haunt Herrod
August 11, 2010 | Football, B.G. Brooks
"We actually counted eight or nine," the intense Colorado senior said. "One was a facemask call (against Iowa State) that was, when you look at the film, absolutely not a facemask. Two others got taken off for guys getting off-sides, or whatever, penalties . . . I literally had the sacks and lost them. That's a little disappointing, but I know definitely I can get that number up."
For a CU D-line desperate to put pressure on the quarterback, losing any sacks to preventable mistakes nearly is unforgivable. One of position coach Romeo Bandison's power points this season is creating opportunities and seizing them, not permitting chances to disappear. Herrod's sacks-that-weren't in 2009 are prime examples of what Bandison wants to avoid in 2010.
"We can't pass up opportunities, which I think we did sometimes last year - especially in the pass," he said. "We had opportunities to get to the quarterback. We need to be in position to make plays. It's not so new to us anymore; we've just got to play like vets and not make rookie mistakes."
To be sure, Bandison's bunch should be past the rookie mistake stage. All of his starters are back - and then some. Seasoned tackles Curtis Cunningham and Will Pericak have starting experience on their resumes, as do ends Forrest West and Herrod. Then there are tackles Nate Bonsu, Eugene Goree and Conrad Obi, ends Nick Kasa and Josh Hartigan - and we haven't gotten to the newly arrived freshmen.
For the first time, Bandison has plenty of numbers to crunch, personnel decisions to ponder. "I'm going to have some tough ones to make here soon," he said. "I've got 11 guys to cut down to 6-7-8, depending on how we play. And all have played pretty much.
"But this is where you want to be - having a lot of competition. You like to have depth with very little drop-off when you rotate. That's what we're starting to get to."
Added Herrod: "I'm happy this year because it's the first time I think we actually have a rotation - and I'm totally OK with that. Guys can come in, swap out and rotate every few plays; it keeps everyone fresh and playing hard at their best."
The D-linemen opened training camp with getting to the quarterback and being stiffer run-stuffers among their top priorities. The Buffs have been trying to replace primo QB chaser Abe Wright only for, oh, about five seasons. Herrod hopes that search is close to being called off.
"I think I have a very good shot at being that guy," he said. "Like I said, my (sack) total last year should have been somewhere around 10 . . . I really take pride in pass rushing, I love pass rushing. I'm just going to go out there and do my thing, but I definitely think I have the skills and now the experience to go out there and put up the good numbers."
If Herrod doesn't meet his expectations in that area, any of several fellow DEs might do it. West and Kasa showed they were fast off the edge last season as freshmen, and Hartigan showed spring promise. West still is rehabbing a knee after off-season arthroscopic surgery, but Kasa is fully recovered from an injury/illness-plagued rookie season and is coming on fast, according to Bandison.
Kasa's freshman camp was curtailed by a knee injury. After recovering from that, he developed mononucleosis. He wound up playing 47 snaps spread over four games, and Bandison believes if Kasa had been able to work for the entire 2009 preseason camp he'd be more fundamentally sound than he is now.
"During the season there's not as much individual work; it's more assignment stuff, a lot of group things, run fits and working together," Bandison said. "He just missed a whole lot of 'reps.'"
Said Kasa: "It's hard to look at plays and figure them out when you can't actually run them. It put me a little behind; then I kind of caught up during the year but went out again. That put me behind, and the mono, too, because I couldn't work out or do anything for five weeks. But I think I've caught up a lot and feel really good right now."
What's more, he looks really, really good; his weight is back up to 270-275 pounds and at 6-foot-7 he carries it formidably. "All" he lacks is the game experience he missed out on last fall.
"I think he's going to make his biggest improvements in the games," Bandison said. "You've got to get in the games and fail once in a while to figure it out. You've got to lose contain once in a while, get kicked out of your gap once in a while.
"In practice, you know the consequences. You learn, just not as fast. What happens in the games with 50,000 people watching and five coaches yelling at you, you give up a 10-yard gain . . . his biggest improvement will come on Saturdays."
The D-line's newbies include Chidera Uzo-Diribe, a swift and sizable (6-3, 230) end who could blossom before preseason camp ends. He caught the attention of CU's veterans in summer 7-on-7 work and quickly caught Bandison's eye when camp opened.
Uzo-Diribe playing early "depends on how fast he learns the defense . . . what kind of shape he's in," Bandison said, noting that the longer spring terms in California high schools (Uzo-Diribe is from Corona) delay players' arrival on campus.
"But he's smart, moves well, makes very few mistakes and has good speed," Bandison added. "Would we like to redshirt him? Absolutely. We just don't want to play all these freshmen every year. But if he's ready, better than some other guys and competes, we'll see where he fits in."
Bandison's band of veterans contends the entire defense is hungrier and more motivated this August than last. And shouldn't a three-win season should whet a few appetites?
"You can see it in every man's demeanor on the field . . . you can see it in the way we run to the ball, the way everybody is hungry to make a play," said Herrod, who is scheduled to graduate in December. "When there's an interception, the entire defense is clearing the sidelines.
"That used to be the type of thing that was forced; now, it's genuine - guys are excited to fly around, be there and make plays for their teammates. And that's what we need."
THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .
Defensive line
Coach: Romeo Bandison, fifth season.
Returning starters: DT Will Pericak, Soph.; NT Curtis Cunningham, Jr.; DE Marquez Herrod, Sr.
Returnees: DE Josh Hartigan, Jr.; DE Tony Poremba, Jr.; DE Nick Kasa, Soph.; DE Forrest West, Soph.; DT Conrad Obi, Jr.; DT Nate Bonsu, Soph.; NT Eugene Goree, Jr.
Newcomers: DL Kirk Poston, Fr.; DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Fr.; DL Dakota Poole, Fr.
Key losses: DT Taj Kaynor, DT Tyler Sale.
Stat line: CU's 27 quarterback sacks in 2009 placed the Buffs ninth in the Big 12 Conference. Of that total, 11 sacks were registered by defensive linemen, with Herrod (six) and Pericak (three) the pacesetters. The Buffs also were ninth in the Big 12 in rushing defense, allowing 161.2 yards a game.
Bottom line: Virtually intact from last season, the D-line potentially is a defensive strength. Still, there are specific upgrades needed, starting with stiffening the rushing defense and generating more pressure on the quarterback. Cunningham and Pericak should benefit from last season's starting experience and Herrod expects to improve on his 2009 sack total. Kasa and West - once he fully recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery - also should be factors on the perimeter.
Next: Offensive line
WEDNESDAY NOTEBOOK
KEEP 'JT' IN MIND: But read the following with this in mind: It's still early and fall camp's first major scrimmage isn't until Thursday (noon-3 p.m., Folsom Field) . . . still plenty of time for anyone to rise or fall.
In scrutinizing the four incoming freshmen running backs, position coach Darian Hagan's longest first look has gone to Justin Torres, a 6-foot, 215-pounder from La Mirada, Calif.
Why? Because "JT" not only hit the ground running, but thinking. He apparently is one quick study - and that's significant in itself because Torres arrived on campus about a month after his classmates.
But like 2009 freshman receiver Will Jefferson, Torres has caught up fast. Their circumstances were different, though: Jefferson was a late signee, Torres merely was among the Californians whose high schools were well into the summer before finishing. His didn't finish until June 22.
Hagan likened Torres to "a computer . . . you tell him something and it instantly registers. He's really, really smart and retains what we're installing. He wasn't here all summer, but it seems like he was because he's picked it up so fast. I don't have any qualms about putting him in with the vets . . . and he does a good job."
Added junior tailback Brian Lockridge: "He's definitely the one that keeps his head in the playbook. He knows everything . . . out of all the freshmen, he's the one that's more knowledgeable about the plays. I think that's one thing you have to already have. It looks like he had it at an early age and it's made it easier for him to transition."
On Media Day last Saturday, Torres was asked about his late arrival. "I've just got to overcome it," he said. "I'm a hard-worker and I'll take anybody on. You've just got to deal with what you have to do now."
Hagan is anxious to see Torres and fellow freshman Cordary Allen (6-1, 230) perform in short yardage situations Thursday. But Torres already has a leg up after a week of work, said Hagan: "I know Justin is really, really tough and really, really smart. And that's something we need from one or two of those freshmen. We need one or two of them to step up and he's proven we already have one."
Hagan's take on the other three:
Allen - "Cordary does a good job, but he confuses himself sometimes because he over-thinks."
Tony Jones (5-7, 180) and Trea' Jones (5-10, 190) - "They're both swimming a little bit - Tony more than Trea'. Trea' early in camp was really, really doing well with the plays, but the last couple of days I think fatigue and not having so many plays (of work) have kind of gotten to him."
DON'T FLAG ME: Football operations personnel Chip Marks, Jashon Sykes and Todd Ritter carry yellow penalty flags during practices. They're throwing them frequently, too.
Among the emphases in this camp is penalty reduction; the Buffs were flagged 107 times in 2009, costing them 907 yards. That's too many flags for coach Dan Hawkins. When players draw a penalty in practice, they're sent to strength/conditioning coach Jeff Pitman for a 20-yard bear crawl and a roll back - or something similar.
Marks said the flags he, Sykes and Ritter throw in practice hopefully will be more plentiful than what the Buffs see on Saturdays: "When they're in a game going at full speed, we don't want them to be surprised when a flag flies. If they're doing something (wrong) in practice, they need to know it."
MCKNIGHT BEING WATCHED: Senior receiver Scotty McKnight, who needs three catches to become CU's career receptions leader, is among 52 players - six from the Big 12 Conference - to make the 2010 Biletnikoff Award watch list.
In addition to McKnight, the other Big 12 receivers on the list are Kendall Wright (Baylor), Niles Paul (Nebraska), Uzora Nwachuku (Texas A&M), Detron Lewis (Texas Tech) and Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma).
BUFF BITS: CU's practice goal posts are six feet narrower (12 feet, 6 inches) than those at Folsom Field. "We just wanted to make it a tougher target," Hawkins said. "Some basketball coaches use a smaller rim or a bigger ball." . . . . Junior tailback Rodney Stewart has been wearing a blue (non-contact) pullover since last weekend. Hawkins said it was a precautionary measure after Stewart was involved in a minor automobile accident in the area Saturday night. "He's OK . . . we just wanted to be careful with his head and his neck. Red light/green light doesn't always mean stop and go to some people." . . . . Wheelbarrow duty returned Wednesday as Pitman's hauling and re-hauling prescription for injured players was refilled. Said Hawkins: "You don't want to get too comfortable on the IR (injured reserve)." . . . . Uzo-Diribe has been hard not to notice, said Hawkins: "He can really run. He comes off the edge and is a kind of an Abe Wright type guy. He's doing a good job so far." . . . . New receivers Paul Richardson (freshman) and Travon Patterson (senior) made plays in Wednesday morning's work. "Both of those guys can get open," Hawkins said . . . . Thursday's scrimmage will be situational and long enough to allow good looks at a number of players. "We'll be out there a while," Hawkins said . . . . Recapping the first seven practices, he said, "We're heading in the right direction but we're a long way from the finish line." Improvement, he added, comes from attending to details.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
