Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: 'D' Drawing Attention, But 'O' Not Ignored
February 25, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - With a new defensive coordinator, a new secondary coach whose previous job was as a defensive coordinator, and defensive stats that lagged badly in most Pac-12 categories, the area in which Colorado hopes to see the most dramatic improvement throughout the 2015 football season is . . . .
You can fill in the blank. Shouldn't be too taxing.
The other side of the ball was pretty good. The Buffaloes set or tied 107 individual and/or team records in 2014, the bulk of them on offense. CU scored 342 points last fall, the most since 2002, and averaged 439.2 yards in total offense, reaching the 400-plus plateau for the first time since 2001. Red zone productivity (88.9 percent) was at its best since 1997 (89.7) and last season's 42 offensive touchdowns were 11 more than in 2013 and 15 more than in 2012.
But the haunting numbers the Buffs will haul into 2015 are 2-10 and 0-9 - their overall and Pac-12 marks. If major improvement is expected on defense, the offense hasn't been given license to slide during spring drills.
On the contrary this spring, coach Mike MacIntyre has targeted third-down proficiency (40.1 percent, ninth in the Pac-12), run scoring (13 of 42 TDs were rushing last fall), and sharpening/toughening the Buffs' mindset on drives from the 25-yard line to the end zone.
And, in the interest of not standing pat, "a couple" of the things that worked offensively last season are being tweaked to stave off predictability. "We'll see what (defenses) started adjusting to," MacIntyre said, "and try to get things off of that. But we don't want to put in so much that you confuse your players; we'll refine a lot of things."
Very general talk, but one area of offensive improvement that he and coordinator Brian Lindgren can get specific on is quarterback play. While incumbent starter Sefo Liufau set a handful of seasonal school records in 2014, his 15 interceptions and three lost fumbles offer a downside as well as clear spring/fall goals.
MacIntyre, Lindgren and Liufau can't ignore the turnovers, but each says that through six spring practices Liufau is exhibiting a better understanding of the defenses he's seeing and is better at making decisions. A qualifier should be inserted here: Liufau isn't seeing the same things defensively he saw from the Buffs last spring and fall. If new coordinator Jim Leavitt isn't in major overhaul mode, he's at least into moderate tweaking.
Said Liufau: "Our new defense is a lot faster, they move faster and switch coverages a lot on us. So for me, in terms of reading defenses, that's a big key and something I've really improved on."
Lindgren said understanding whatever defensive schemes and coverages the Buffs face is a major goal for Liufau as he preps for his junior year. "We've watched games from last year and the ways people tried to attack us with schemes," Lindgren said. "You try and build anticipation for that. I think he's done that, but we've still got a lot of time before fall. So there are some things to still work on."
Leavitt's schemes also have benefitted the entire offense, noted Lindgren: "It's a little different from what we'd seen . . . there's a few new wrinkles. It's been really good for us as an offense to see that stuff and have to adjust. It's been different. I think coach Leavitt has brought so much energy and passion and that's kind of given the whole team a little bit of a spark."
Along with the intangibles - reading defenses, making better decisions - Liufau identified for personal spring improvement, he concentrated on improving his mobility through off-season weight/conditioning work with director of sports performance Dave Forman and his staff.
"My mobility is definitely better this spring," said Liufau, who ran 69 times last fall for 262 yards before sack yards (126) were subtracted. "It comes down to being in the weight room with coach Forman and working on strength in my legs and flexibility. I'm not there yet, far from where I want to be for next year, but it's definitely an improvement."
Running-wise, Liufau is hoping the biggest difference in his mobility is apparent in the execution of the zone-read option. "I think I'll be better at (it)," he said. "It'll definitely help our running backs and give them some more open holes and running lanes. It'll create indecision among the linebackers."
In the passing game, where he completed 65.3 percent of his throws (325-of-498) in 2014, Liufau is looking at better accuracy when he throws to his left. He hedged in saying he had "concentrated on that specifically . . . but it was a weakness I had last year so I definitely wanted to improve and put a little focus on it. Obviously you want to work on it and I have. Overall, I want to have my hips open up a lot more so I'm able to throw across my body or throw deeper down the field."
MacIntyre said Liufau's accuracy has shown gradual improvement in years one (59.4 percent) and two, and that his accuracy already had climbed during the first five spring practices. Liufau throwing to his left, conceded MacIntyre, "was a trouble spot at times (last season). But right now, he's throwing a higher completion percentage to his left than his right - and we're counting drops there, too."
One area that has been a constant in Liufau's nearly two full seasons as a starter has been his leadership. Lindgren sees it on a daily basis and says the offense - truthfully, the team - does, too. "I've been really pleased with that," Lindgren said. "In competitive drills, I see guys really responding to him, with his experience and his making good decisions with the football. I'm really excited to watch him play this year."
In other areas of offensive interest this spring:
- Redshirt freshman QB Cade Apsay is "still trying to learn and get more comfortable with the system," Lindgren said. Junior Jordan Gehrke remains a solid No. 2 behind Liufau, but further evaluation will come at the conclusion of spring drills. "I've been pleased with Cade's and Jordan's development so far," Lindgren said.
- Before spring drills began, sophomore Donovan Lee was mentioned by MacIntyre as a strong candidate to replace graduated D.D. Goodson as a slot receiver. That plan remains in place, but Lee - a shifty 5-8, 170-pounder - also has showed well among a thin spring running back corps. Said Lindgren: "He's someone you can do a lot of different things with. I think we can be pretty creative with how we use him. Last year we used him on some reverses and some different things . . . I think between now and the season we have to see what he can handle and what he can't and the role he'll play."
- Sophomore George Frazier (6-2, 250) is still listed as a fullback/defensive end, but by the beginning of fall camp one of those roles could be scratched. Lindgren says Frazier is "athletic enough and smart enough to do both," but adds, "Selfishly, we'd love to keep him on offense (exclusively). But we've got to make a decision as a staff as to what's best for the team, what's going to help us win football games. Coming out of the spring going into fall, we'll look at our depth, whether we're healthy or not and where he can best help us."
WEDNESDAY SCRIMMAGE REPORT
In their major scrimmage of spring practice, MacIntyre said the Buffs showed well overall, particularly in their physicality. The morning's work, conducted inside the team's practice bubble, covered a variety of scenarios - including overtime, two-point conversions, sudden changes in field position, the offense being backed up and various third-down situations.
"I was pleased on both sides . . . one side was not ahead of the other," MacIntyre said. "Guys made plays on both sides. It was a good scrimmage and no one got hurt."
Defensive lineman Samson Kafovalu missed the work due to a minor injury suffered earlier, MacIntyre said.
Wednesday's practice marked the sixth of the Buffs' NCAA allotted 15. Two more scrimmages - both also closed - are scheduled before the annual spring game on Sunday, March 15 in Folsom Field (2 p.m.).
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
