Buffs Say Game Plan Won't Change Much With Apsay

BOULDER — The quarterback will change but Colorado coaches insist the offense will remain largely the same.

That was the message Monday morning, when the Buffs completed their first practice of the season without Sefo Liufau as their No. 1 quarterback. Liufau, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in Friday's 27-24 loss to USC, watched on crutches from the sidelines as the Buffs began preparations for Saturday's contest at Washington State (8:45 p.m., ESPN2).

It will mean an especially intense week of preparation for redshirt freshman Cade Apsay, who replaced Liufau against the Trojans, and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren.

Lindgren, however, said he doesn't foresee any dramatic shifts in the Buffs' game plan.

“I don't see it changing too much,” Lindgren said. “There will be some things that I think are Cade's strengths and we'll get called for him, and there are some things where Sefo was good at and we played off his talents. But it will be very few. The offense will remain pretty much similar.”

Indeed, there wasn't a lot of difference in CU's offense when Apsay took over after Liufau's injury in the USC game. Liufau had guided the Buffs to their first touchdown of the night — a 61-yard drive, the Buffs' longest touchdown drive of the evening — on CU's second possession, and completed six of eight passes for 94 yards. Apsay came in and led the Buffs to two touchdowns and a field goal, completing 18 of 23 attempts for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

“We were pleased with some of the things he did, and I was really pleased with the way he competed and battled,” Lindgren said. “He took some shots and was playing against a really talented defense and he got up after he got knocked down and made some throws and moved us at times and got the ball in the red zone. I thought there were some things to build off and obviously a lot of things he's got to keep working at.”

No doubt there are differences between Liufau and Apsay. At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Liufau is a powerful runner, and the Buffs had used that part of his game more and more in recent weeks.

The 6-1, 195-pound Apsay is not as powerful, but Lindgren said they will be able to mix in some running plays to take advantage of his quickness. At Canyon High School in California, Apsay ran for 413 yards and four touchdowns as a senior and 341 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.

“I don't know that we want him running it and carrying it as much as we did with Sefo,” Lindgren said. “But I still think we'll have some things that he can do to keep the defensive ends and linebackers in there.”

Apsay had seen late-game duty twice earlier this season, against Nicholls State and Stanford. In his first appearance with the game on the line, he did display the accuracy that coaches say is his strong point — and one of the big reasons they recruited him for CU's offense.

“He's one of the more accurate guys that I've been around as far as a passer,” Lindgren said. “He did some good things as far as targeting the football. He's what I like, he's really comfortable in the gun, he's really efficient with it and he throws a lot of completions.”

One thing Apsay definitely has to work on? His voice.

“My voice obviously is different (than Liufau's),” Apsay said. “I have a problem with being loud; I need to be more loud on the line of scrimmage.”

Apsay, who gave himself an “average” grade after Friday's game, hadn't changed the assessment by Monday morning after watching film of the game. He admitted he could have done a better job of checking off on some of the blitzes USC threw his way — he was sacked five times — and he said he needed to work on being more assertive on the field.

But, he also said his teammates have been fully supportive.

“I think they like me,” Apsay said with a chuckle. “So far it's been positive. They're all behind me, they believe in me. Having them behind me is helping me get ready.”

Apsay said Liufau is also providing help in film sessions.

“He's been awesome helping me prepare,” Apsay said. “I asked him to help me in film. I've been asking questions and he's been a great help.”

At Friday night's postgame press conference, head coach Mike MacIntyre said Apsay had matured a great deal this year.

“The first day of fall camp, I just told myself that I have a team I need to prepare for and they need me, so I have to step it up,” Apsay said. “Who I was as a player, as a person, at the beginning of fall camp and now is completely different.”

Liufau has started 29 of CU's last 30 games, a streak that stretches back to his freshman season. He missed one start last year — against Oregon — but appeared in relief, and has played in 31 straight games. Saturday, for the first time in nearly three years, he won't be available to the Buffs.

Lindgren is confident in Apsay.

“He's a talented guy,” Lindgren said. “I think he's got a big upside and can do a lot of different things. We'll get him some stuff that he's comfortable with and try to get him off to a good start, get him some confidence and get him rolling.”

UTAH GAME TIME SET: CU's final regular season game, Nov. 28 at Utah, will kick off at 12:30 p.m. and will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu