Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Buffs Hope To End November On Upbeat Note
November 04, 2014 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Even if the postseason has once again become an afterthought for the University of Colorado football team, it doesn't mean the Buffaloes can't make November a month to remember.
Coach Mike MacIntyre wants the Buffs' focus in their final three games to be on continuing their weekly improvement and affording the team's 15 seniors an appropriate, appreciative sendoff.
MacIntyre's younger players want that, too.
"They are definitely heartbroken and I'm heartbroken for them," redshirt freshman defensive end Derek McCartney said of this senior class being denied postseason participation. It's become a sad habit at CU; the Buffs haven't played in a postseason game since the 2007 Independence Bowl when they were members of the Big 12 Conference.
Aside from honoring their upperclassmen and making weekly progress that hopefully will carry into next season, the Buffs still seek their first Pac-12 Conference win of 2014 when they play at No. 21 Arizona on Saturday (6 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks). After a bye week, a trip to No. 5 Oregon follows on Saturday, Nov. 22, with No. 20 Utah visiting Folsom Field on Saturday, Nov. 29.
MacIntyre hopes his players realize that "you only get so many times to play. Each week, somebody on our team gets injured or something happens where it can be taken away from us . . . each game is precious. Definitely, it hurts for those seniors and for our team not to be able to go to a bowl, but a bowl game is not what I talk about all the time.
"I talk about us getting better, going 1-0 (weekly) and improving. Then, all of a sudden, (a bowl trip) will happen, it will happen. Unfortunately, it won't happen with these seniors, but it will happen with guys on this football team."
MacIntyre said the 2014 seniors "have set the stage" for the Buffs improvement his season with their "buying in, the practice attitude, the way they conduct themselves in the classroom, the way they come over to workouts, their whole attitude change, the whole culture change. These seniors have set that stage. So, when we do go to a bowl, they've helped set that stage because it's a foundation as you help build it up."
McCartney, the team leader in quarterback sacks (four) and forced fumbles (two), said the Buffs seniors have maintained "a good attitude" about finishing out a bowl-less final season because "they love the game. They're going to come out and just give it all they have and play some more because they still have time to play. They're excited for that."
The seniors' leadership over the final three games, noted McCartney, is "going to be huge. We're going to need them to just keep pushing us. We're going to have to help them too and push them. It's just a team effort and we're excited to do it."
That collaborative pushing was apparent on Tuesday. MacIntyre called the morning's work "the best Tuesday practice we've ever had," adding that he sees some players "taking practice to another level . . . to me, that's a great buy-in.
Sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau believes the Buffs (2-7 overall, 0-6 Pac-12) have lost none of their resolve and are "still fighting, still growing, still learning from mistakes and learning to play a full four quarters. We're not going out there and going through the motions -which is something we kind of did last year . . . I'm expecting us to compete in the game on Saturday."
Even in their final four Big 12 seasons - or since they last appeared in a bowl in '07 - November has been a rugged month for the Buffs. Their best November in that span was a 2-2 record in 2010 under interim coach Brian Cabral. CU's final four Novembers as Big 12 members produced a 5-10 record.
Since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011 season, the Buffs' November mark is 2-12, which includes last weekend's 38-23 loss to Washington.
But Nov. 9 (Saturday's date) offers hope: CU has won four consecutive games played on Nov. 8 (Kansas, at Iowa State, Missouri, Iowa State) and six of the last seven played on that date.
GROWTH IN LIUFAU'S GAME
Here's one way Liufau measures his sophomore season improvement: "For the most part, I can say I haven't made the same mistake twice."
He does concede he needs to "take care of the ball and make the right decisions," but MacIntyre said that Liufau's decision-making has evolved more than might be apparent to fans on Saturdays.
"He goes to the line now with three (run or pass) calls," MacIntyre said. "He's getting us in the right plays; he couldn't have done that last year and we wouldn't have asked him to."
Offensive coordinator/QB coach Brian Lindgren "has done a great job" with Liufau, MacIntyre said.
Liufau's 420 pass attempts are the second-most in the Pac-12, trailing only Washington State's Connor Halliday (526). Halliday has thrown 11 interceptions, Liufau 12, and Liufau's 25 touchdown passes are tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
MacIntyre said Liufau's interception against UW - it was returned 30 yards for a third-quarter TD - was "a great pick" by linebacker Travis Feeney, who came off his underneath coverage of a CU receiver, extended for the ball and made the theft in stride.
"It was like he had 'stretch-o' arms," MacIntyre said. "He looked like he had arms that were about eight feet long."
Some of Liufau's dozen picks, noted MacIntyre, have been the result of Liufau "staring it down a little bit" on shorter routes. "Playing quarterback is tough in this league. He's done good things in the league and he'll keep improving."
MacIntyre's job and Liufau's position are the two most scrutinized in the program, taking "the brunt of everything, good or bad," MacIntyre said. "Those are always the two guys. That's part of understanding that you have to be sure within yourself, you have to be honest all the time, be the same person and Sefo is doing that. As our team matures around Sefo, we'll start winning more games. As he keeps maturing, we'll start winning more games . . . Sefo is doing a good job, it's just that you want to find ways to win, for sure."
Liufau admitted his second season as a starter has had its "obvious ups and downs," but he said he has seen growth in the team as well as himself. "Managing the offense" has become more comfortable for him as well as "understanding where to go with the ball."
But the bottom line results - wins - remain elusive.
NOTABLE
The Buffs have lost 22 consecutive road games to ranked opponents and their last 17 against ranked foes . . . . They will also carry a nine-game Pac-12 losing streak to Tucson and a 10-game conference road losing streak . . . . Linebacker Addison Gillam, who missed the UW game with flu-like symptoms, was "feeling better" Tuesday, said MacIntyre. Gillam was diagnosed with "a viral thing that turned into bronchitis. It's very unfortunate for him and us." . . . . MacIntyre was hopeful of having Gillam and safety Tedric Thompson (concussion) back for the Arizona trip. Thompson also missed last weekend's loss . . . . Redshirt freshman tailback Phillip Lindsay, who suffered his first two career fumbles in last Saturday's third quarter, was "probably the most distraught young man I've seen after a fumble," MacIntyre said. But, he added, Lindsay has rebounded and is once again practicing like his "Tasmanian Devil" nickname. "All running backs have fumbled, every one of them in the hall of fame has fumbled," MacIntyre noted. "There's a lot of pride in that running backs room not to fumble." He said CU's ball carriers know they are "carrying the hopes and dreams of everybody." . . . . McCartney's first-year success has been a surprise: "I had no idea what this season would be like . . . it's been fun just being a part of the brotherhood of this team. So, I'm really thankful for that."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
