Colorado University Athletics
CU's Leavitt Sees Progress, But Wants More
October 28, 2015 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — There may be no tougher critic of the Colorado defense than Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt.
CU head coach Mike MacIntyre brought Leavitt to Colorado last winter to improve a defense that finished near the bottom of the nation in 2014 in nearly every key statistical category.
Improvement has been made, and Leavitt is optimistic. But for the man who helped turn Kansas State from a national laughingstock into a nationally ranked program as its co-defensive coordinator, it's just the beginning.
"There's some moments that you see that it's getting a little better," Leavitt said Tuesday morning. "The end of Colorado State was a good thing. The last game (Oregon State) was good. The end of Arizona was very bad. And then moments in other games … we're starting to build a little foundation, maybe."
Leavitt talks to the media in much the same manner he talks to his team during practice: a rapid-fire, staccato delivery that wastes few words. A man who is almost constantly on the move in practice, who jogs on and off the field every day, he is quite literally a man of action.
He expects the same from his defense. Players run onto the field at the beginning of practice and off the field at the end. When they move from position drill to position drill, one thing is a constant: Leavitt exhorting his players, "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
It's had an effect. Ask defensive players what they like about Leavitt, and the same words invariably pop up: passion, enthusiasm, energy.
Ask Leavitt what he likes about his players, and the answer is just as quick:
"The attitude," Leavitt said. "They're working hard. They want to be good. They want to do good things."
Leavitt warned when he arrived that there would be no miracles, no silver bullet that would suddenly transform the Buffs defense into a giant killer overnight. It would take time, he said. It would be a process, an effort that would encounter more than a few obstacles along the way.
But thus far, the results have been positive, at least when compared to where the Buffs were a year ago.
As Leavitt noted, there was the defensive stand in overtime against Colorado State and another dramatic fourth-down stop deep in CU territory in the same game. There were two scoreless quarters against Arizona, and a standout fourth-quarter effort against Oregon State, when the Buffs stifled three straight OSU possessions to secure a 17-13 win.
But, as Leavitt also noted, there was Arizona's 21-point fourth quarter against the Buffs, a barrage that erased a 24-17 CU lead; and Oregon's 24-point second half to break open a 17-17 halftime tie.
In some statistical rankings, the Buffs haven't made much headway. They're still near the bottom of the nation in total defense, yielding 426.3 yards per game.
But they don't award points for yards. In the defensive category that matters most — scoring defense — the Buffs are 57th in the nation and fifth in the Pac-12, allowing 25.8 per game. A year ago, they gave up 39 points per game.
It's only fair to note the Buffs have five games against five high-powered offenses still remaining on their schedule. Those numbers will likely go up.
But even after eight games a year ago, the Buffs were giving up more than 38 per game.
Now, Leavitt wants more improvement. He remembers the great Colorado teams of the late 1980s and 1990s — he was coaching at Kansas State at the time — and he envisions another similar era for the Buffs.
"Colorado's not going to win unless they play really great defense, and that hasn't happened in a long, long, long time," Leavitt said. "We're not there now. But that's got to happen. If this program wants to win like they used to win, they've got to play great defense. That's the key. Special teams, very important. Quarterback is critical, and he's the most important position. But defense, you've gotta have it."
Leavitt's task has been made more difficult this year because of injuries. He lost one of his starting inside linebackers — also one of the team's best players — in the second week of the season. He lost another starting inside linebacker for two games, and is now without a starting safety. That's just the short list of injuries that have affected the defense.
But in Leavitt's world, injuries are excuses that he's not buying — and certainly not selling to anyone else.
"I don't make 'em," Leavitt said. "The guys, they're in the lineup, they're expected to play."
Not that Leavitt isn't supportive or proud of his players. It's just the opposite. His players love his enthusiasm and feed off his passion. Leavitt even reaches out through Twitter to show his support.
This from last week:
What an awesome day. Convinced more than ever we can build this program to being special. Totally convinced. These guys mean so much to me!
— Jim Leavitt (@CoachJimLeavitt) October 22, 2015
And this after the Oregon State win:
Just got home! Proud of the effort. We made plays when we had too. Must continue to get so much better. For now I will sleep with a smile!
— Jim Leavitt (@CoachJimLeavitt) October 25, 2015
The win at Oregon State was important for a variety of reasons, with ending a 14-game Pac-12 losing streak at the top of the list. But it also gave the Buffs a boost of confidence, something they sorely needed.
"It's important," Leavitt said. "It's important when you win in the fourth quarter because that hasn't happened around here very much. It helps, a little bit of a building block."
But, as Leavitt repeatedly notes, there's plenty more work to be done. Leavitt believes they're establishing a foundation, but are still far away from anything close to a finished product.
"We've got to continue to play hard," Leavitt said. "We're playing harder than I think they've played hard in the past, but it's not good enough."
But they are getting better, and that excites Leavitt. It's one step closer to where he believes the Buffs could be.
Couldn't sleep last night. Thinking about how special our guys are. Really enjoy being around them. They played hard. And Finished! Go Buffs
— Jim Leavitt (@CoachJimLeavitt) October 27, 2015
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
