Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Buffs Expecting To Offer Good Prime Time Showing
November 10, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – It's not like the Colorado football team must overturn rocks and peek into dark corners to find motivation for Friday night's final regular-season home game against Southern California.
Let's count the reasons the Buffaloes should be geeked:
1. It's Senior Night for 15 Buffs, the last run behind Ralphie at Folsom Field and their last chance for a home win;
2. With three games remaining and three wins needed for bowl eligibility – something this senior class hasn't experienced – the postseason window still is open but is in danger of slamming shut;
3. There's an ugly residue remaining from last weekend's 42-10 beat down by Stanford, CU's most lopsided loss of the season and a performance that most players concede was their collective worst;
4. The Buffs desperately need a breakthrough, a win against a marquee Pac-12 program that would provide a sign of tangible progress rather than the "near misses" that have been the team's trademark for going on two seasons;
5. It's show time, prime time, time to shine. CU – not just the school's football team – and USC are featured nationally on ESPN2 (7 p.m.). If it's not the only game in town, it is the lone FBS televised Friday night game. In other words, the Buffs (and the Trojans) have the stage to themselves.
At his weekly news conference on Tuesday, CU coach Mike MacIntyre was asked if the tone of his third season and his team's most recent loss added any pressure for a good performance on ESPN on Friday night.
"I think there is always pressure to have a good performance," he answered. "I just think it's exciting for our kids to have a night game at home on a Friday night. There will be a lot of high school kids all over the country watching."
That includes prospective recruits, and MacIntyre expects CU's new multi-million dollar facilities renovation – the Champions Center and soon-to-be-completed indoor practice facility – to be prominently featured on the telecast.
"One thing, it can show off our stadium, our program," he said. "I think there will be some stuff on there about our new facility, which will be great for us. It's the only game on in America and it will be good exposure . . . . Then, of course winning the football game helps a lot also."
The Buffs could make it greater still by winning for the first time against the Trojans, who lead the series 9-0 (4-0 in Boulder) and have averaged 48.8 points in four Pac-12 wins against CU.
The media's preseason pick to win the conference's South Division and the league championship game, USC appeared headed into disarray before the Oct. 12 dismissal of coach Steve Sarkisian. Since then under interim coach Clay Helton, the Trojans have won three of four (6-3, 4-2) and are talented enough to validate the media's preseason prediction.
The Buffs don't have fond memories of Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler, who threw seven touchdown passes – four in the first quarter, five in the first half – last season in a 56-28 rout of CU. Kessler's seven TD passes tied the Pac-12 record for a regulation game.
This season he's thrown 20 touchdown passes (fourth in the Pac-12) and his 163.6 efficiency rating leads the conference. He's completed 196-of-282 (69.3 percent, ninth nationally) with five interceptions.
MacIntyre called Kessler, a senior and two-year starter, "a weapon . . . he can really get out of the pocket and is very accurate. He's able to make plays on the move."
Protecting Kessler is an experienced offensive line that MacIntyre says "is really what it makes it go." The Trojans are in the middle of the Pac-12 pack in sacks allowed (23, tied for sixth) as well as in total offense (480.1 yards a game, sixth).
But MacIntyre sees a balanced offense stocked with top-flight athletes, particularly in the skill positions. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is third in the league in receptions (60 for 1,094; nine TDs) but first in receiving yardage per game (121.6).
And Adoree' Jackson is a three-way player – receiver, returner, cornerback. He's made 23 receptions for 379 yards and five touchdowns; averaged 22.6 yards on 19 kickoff returns and 8.2 yards on 18 punt returns; has 18 tackles and one interception return for a score.
Jackson is the only FBS player with at least 300 receiving yards, 400 in kickoff returns, 100 in punt returns and having made at least 10 tackles.
"I'm glad there's only one Adoree' Jackson because it seems like there is four of him," MacIntyre said. "He's everywhere, he's an excellent player. We have to know where he is; when he comes in on offense we have to know where he is, and he's also an excellent returner."
Defensively, USC is as talented as Kessler & Co. The Trojans are fourth in the Pac-12 in total defense (397.1 yards a game), fourth in rushing defense (142.3) and fourth in scoring defense (22.6 points a game).
MacIntyre said USC's defensive front is imposing and its linebackers are long and athletic. But the secondary – featuring Jackson, fellow corner Iman Marshall and safeties Chris Hawkins and Leon McQuay or John Plattenburg – is the heart of the Trojans defense. USC, UCLA and CU each have 11 interceptions this season.
USC, said MacIntyre, has "the most (athletes) we've seen. They've had the most we've seen every year. On defense you have to anticipate a little bit more. They have certain guys (on offense) that you need to get close to. You have to run to the football like crazy because if they make you miss at least the next guy can get there . . . we need to make sure we're on our P's and Q's this week."
The nation will be watching.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
