Brooks: Even Minus Bell, Secondary Looks Less Porous

(Last in a series of position-by-position previews of the 2014 Buffs to be posted on CUBuffs.com during the preseason. Today: Defensive backs)

BOULDER - In another scenario, in another business, it might not have worked. Or, it might have worked but only under great duress. Imagine: Your cubicle mate is transferred to another position within the firm and the boss takes his place.

Suddenly, like it or not, your time with the big guy increases exponentially. Another set of eyes - the eyes that matter - are on you daily. Hourly, in fact.

That's close to what has happened with Charles Clark, who coaches the safeties at the University of Colorado. Accompanying coach Mike MacIntyre from San Jose State to CU two winters ago, Clark worked in tandem with Andy LaRussa last season - Clark coaching the safeties, LaRussa the cornerbacks.

But last spring, MacIntyre moved LaRussa to work with the defensive ends. The shift stuck, leaving a void in the secondary assignments. Not to worry; MacIntyre put down his coaching roots working with the corners.

So...

"'Coach Mac' was always involved with his DB background," Clark said. "I don't think he could ever let it go actually . . . after being a position coach for so many years I don't think you can just walk away from it completely. But it's been a good deal for us. I've been with 'Coach Mac' for going on seven years now. I learned the game from him; a lot of his knowledge I know."

Yes, MacIntyre and Clark go back, way back. There's not so much a player-coach relationship as there is a coach-coach relationship. Recruited by MacIntyre to Ole Miss in 2002, Clark became a starting safety. By then, MacIntyre had left for the NFL (Dallas), but after Duke hired David Cutcliffe as its head coach, he lured MacIntyre back into the college game. Clark initially was hired as Duke's defensive quality control intern but eventually was elevated to a full-time assistant. Then, Clark followed MacIntyre to San Jose State and ultimately to CU.

In short, MacIntyre and Clark aren't strangers. It's an executive-employee relationship that's about as comfortable as possible. And, of course, Clark appreciates the help. "Just having him in the room gets a lot of extra knowledge to our players, which is always good," Clark said.

Senior corner Greg Henderson called MacIntyre "a great cornerback coach. He did it in the NFL and he's doing it now. He's preparing us to be the best corners that we can be, to make plays whenever we can."

In truth, even when LaRussa assisted in the secondary last season, MacIntyre might have spent more time in the DB meeting room than with any other position. Now, his time there has increased but he still roams the hallways, randomly landing in position meetings. Same agenda at practice; he spends time with the corners but generally oversees the day's work.

Clark says CU's secondary continues to grow and improve. Depth is being developed at all spots - and it's a good thing. The Buffs lost starting free safety Jered Bell for the season last week with an ACL injury, the second of his CU career.

Bell's injury ramped up Clark's camp project of having all the defensive backs learn all secondary positions. "We're in the process of double-teaching everybody," he said. "We've got corners playing nickel, nickels playing safety, safeties playing some corner . . . we're just going to rotate (personnel) and get a good feel for it for the next week.

"But right now we're just rolling guys at those positions - not only because Jered went down but we've been doing that anyway. Jered had been working at safety and corner. We hadn't been necessarily planning for this, but planning if a guy does have to come out of the game we want the best guys in there."

Once he undergoes surgery and returns to the sideline, Clark said Bell can regain his leadership role. However, sophomore Chidobe Awuzie contends that while Bell's on-field presence will be missed, the Buffs will have expanded leadership across the board because of every DB learning every position.

"We all played together last year, but we've got two freshmen who are learning quick, too," Awuzie said. "We really trust each other to keep each other at a high level. If someone messes up we pretty much all know what the person did wrong because we're all trying to learn each position. We're all becoming leaders in the secondary."

Everyone knowing every position "is pretty much what you want in a true DB," Awuzie added, noting that this season's comprehensive learning approach wasn't stressed as much last season. "It was a little bit but not really . . . we had a new coaching staff so everybody was learning. We've all got it down now so we're able to play different positions. If someone's tired we can sub for him and know what to do."

Awuzie is among the candidates to replace Bell. Breaking in last season mainly as a nickel back, Awuzie's role began expanding to safety even before Bell's injury. "I know a lot of the defense; they can put me at any spot in the secondary and I know what to do," he said. "They trust me back there and I trust myself. I'm going to do my job."

Awuzie's comfort level is obviously up from his freshman season. Last August's uncertainty has disappeared. "Last year I was learning what I was doing, this year I knew it coming in," he said. "Right now I'm trying to play fast, be quick and anticipate what the offense does - the tendencies and stuff. It's just another level. I'm a sophomore now so I have to grow up."

Before Bell went down, Clark potentially had three senior starters in the secondary - Bell, Henderson and strong safety Terrel Smith. Henderson, a four-year starter, is an all-star candidate who led the Buffs in interceptions (four) last season and is second among the returning tackle leaders (68, 46 solo).

Smith, maybe the most tenacious hitter among the DBs, sat out last season after opting to undergo shoulder surgery. Smith called his final preseason camp "a long time coming . . . I've been working hard and preparing myself this off season and getting my body right so I can go out and perform. I'm so excited to be out here. My shoulder feels good, nice and strong, not loose. I'm ready to hit and that's all that matters."

Henderson, who had TD returns last fall on an interception and a fumble recovery, said his personal improvement in his final season is focused on "making more plays on the ball and getting better in my press technique." He also is shooting for a healthy rise in his aggression and strength at the line of scrimmage, enabling him to "beat (receivers) up at the line and not let them get a free release and get down the field. It's my last go at it. I have to have the best season ever."

Opposite Henderson at right corner likely will be junior Ken Crawley, who contributed two of CU's 10 interceptions last season and, according to MacIntyre, has added strength that will enhance his playmaking ability.

The Buffs' 10 pick total was up from three in 2012, and Clark believes the 10 thefts in 2013 can be improved on this season. CU claimed 30 turnovers last fall (20 recovered fumbles, 10 interceptions) and Clark wants to see that number at least duplicated this season.

"We want to see the turnovers jump," he said. "We want to be over 30 and if we can get to the 40s we're doing a really good job . . . we had a big jump in interception numbers last year from the year before, so I definitely think it's realistic (to surpass 30 turnovers). We work on it, we drill on it, every day. We keep track of it, we chart it, and our kids are buying in. We also show them opportunities we could have had. I think that number is definitely attainable."

Cutting back on TD passes allowed also should be a shared goal for the secondary. A year ago, the Buffs gave up 24 TD passes and finished ninth in the Pac-12 in pass defense. But that was a huge improvement compared to 2012, when 39 TD passes were thrown on (mostly over) the Buffs.

In addition to the final season savvy offered by Henderson and Smith, junior Marques Mosley is an experienced DB. And there is younger experience in Awuzie and freshman Tedric Thompson, who played in nine games last season, starting one at free safety in place of Bell and two in place of the injured Parker Orms at strong safety.

Thompson, currently in the mix to replace Bell or to start elsewhere, said playing in his first college season was invaluable in preparing him for his second. "I knew what to expect this fall camp," he said. "I'm still getting help from the older guys, but things have slowed down for me."

From their positions in the secondary, safeties are expected to read offensive formations and keys, then communicate with the rest of the defense. Thompson, maybe due to his youth, said he was "horrible at talking on the field last season. I didn't want to give the wrong call. Safeties are kind of like the quarterback of the defense. Now, I feel like I'm more vocal. Coach Clark and 'Coach Mac' have really been in my head about staying more vocal. That's one thing I've really improved in."

Another is the realization that the college game is, ah, just a little different. "I didn't know how big these college guys were," Thompson said, grinning. "I thought I could just lay everybody out, but it wasn't like that."

Thompson is among the players Clark cited for their work in August camp. Others include Awuzie, sophomore transfer corner Ahkello Witherspoon, sophomore Yuri Wright, and freshmen Evan White and Jaisen Sanchez.

And Bell, making an observation formed earlier in camp before his injury, likes what he's seen of the younger players. "I see a fire, I see competition in their eyes," he said. "They come out here and want to compete and win. That's what we need from the young guys in order to turn this program around. I've got a lot of faith in them."

By the Aug. 29 opener against Colorado State, Clark hopes to have enough reliable players identified to be two deep in the secondary. "I'd like to have a rotation of guys who are actually going to play," he said. "One thing I see is guys competing. We're mixing a lot of guys in there and moving guys in every day. I see a lot of guys really competing - that's the biggest thing. That builds depth and the more depth you can have on any team is always good, especially back there."

THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .

Defensive backs

Coaches: Charles Clark, safeties; Mike MacIntyre, corners; second seasons at CU for both.

Returning starters: CB Kenneth Crawley, Jr.; CB Greg Henderson, Sr.; N/S Chidobe Awuzie, So.

Returnees: CB Yuri Wright, So.; S Terrel Smith, Sr.; S Marques Mosley, Jr.; CB John Walker, So.; CB Brandan Brisco, Jr. (WO); S Richard Yates II, Jr. (WO); S Ryan Moeller, Fr.-RS (WO); CB Jeffery Hall, Jr. (suspended); S Jered Bell, Sr. (injured).

Newcomers: CB Ahkello Witherspoon, So.; DB Jaisen Sanchez, Fr.; DB Evan White, Fr.

Key losses: S Parker Orms; DB Josh Moten; DB Isaac Archuleta; DB Harrison Hunter.

Stat line: The Buffs allowed 25 TD passes in 2013, but that was an improvement over the 39 allowed in 2012.

Bottom line: CU's secondary - actually the defense as a whole - should be better in the second year in coordinator Kent Baer's 4-3 scheme. Younger players have grown up and understand more of what is expected of them, which will help in finding a replacement for Bell. Regardless, Bell's playmaking ability will be missed; like Henderson, he returned a recovered fumble and an interception for scores last season. Henderson, who led the Buffs with four interceptions in 2013, can be an elite corner. Crawley should be a more physical presence in coverage than he was in 2013. Smith and Thompson lend experience to the safety spots and as good as Awuzie was as a freshman nickel, he should take a bold step forward as a sophomore at any of the secondary positions. Overall depth in the secondary, as well as an understanding of the system, should be improved in 2014.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU