Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: 'D' Makes Spring Strides; Many More Needed
March 15, 2015 | Football
BOULDER – The Colorado Buffaloes launched spring football practice a month ago with one objective overshadowing most of the others: start the long climb back on defense.
The man tasked with shifting the Buffs into climbing gear – new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt – believes some upward mobility was shown in the 15 spring workouts that concluded with Sunday's final practice/scrimmage at Folsom Field.
But Leavitt, as expected, isn't ready to say that the Buffs will field a better defensive unit this fall. In fact, all he's willing to say is that if tirelessly hard work continues between now and August, the Buffs have a chance to be better.
That's as far as Leavitt will go – a chance.
According to his reckoning, about “80 percent” of what he hoped to install on defense actually reached the practice field. Players picked it up, he said before adding, “Yes, but they're not great at it. The key for us is going to be how hard they work this summer; if they don't do good work then we're not going to be very good. If they work very, very hard this summer then we've got a shot. That's it.”
Arriving from his former job with the San Francisco 49ers – he was the linebackers coach – mere days before spring drills began, Leavitt first had to put names with faces, numbers and positions. “I know the defensive guys now and about half the offensive guys,” he said.
When practice began, he said he saw a series of “ups and downs because of this: we kept putting in things, putting in things, putting in things. So as you keep layering it in, they struggled mentally. We tried to get in as much as we could but we didn't get it all in. We've got to shore it down. But overall, they did good. I was happy with it. The thing about these guys is that they want to be good. It's hard for them because they've been in different systems.”
The 80 percent install, he added, “is probably where I thought it would be. Couple of things we wanted to get in that didn't, couple of things we got in that I didn't think we would. They've just got to have a good summer.”
The learning curve goes both ways – coach to players and back again – but the Buffs as a team learned quickly about Leavitt and his energy level.
“From talking in the locker room away from the coaches, we all just really took pride in his energy,” cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon said. “When you have someone who has such energy you want to put your all in for that person and do your best, really listen and fit into his schemes as best you can. You get to practice every morning and he's meeting you at the gate – 'We're moving, we're moving!' You can't deny that energy. It's awesome.”
It quickly became evident to offensive players as well. “I don't know how to say it, but he's really a lively person,” backup quarterback Jordan Gehrke said. “He brings an atmosphere with him when he comes into a room; everyone knows he's in there. He's always excited, excited when he speaks. He's a great fit.”
Leavitt's tweaking of the Buffs defense and its fronts also proved beneficial to the offense, Gehrke added: “It just adds to what we can do (offensively) when we get more complex looks. His schemes are a little different between an 'Okie' and an under-front. It'll only help us get better.”
Leavitt declined to list players on his side of the ball who caught his eye during the 15 spring drills, his boss – Mike MacIntyre – filled in a few blanks (see below). Leavitt said he wouldn't point out anybody unless “there was somebody who was unreal, off the charts. A lot of guys did some good things, but I don't know if there was anybody who set the world on fire. That's not to say that they didn't some good things.”
Maybe the best thing collectively, he added, was their understanding of where he's coming from in terms of expectations. While those are yet to be met, Leavitt at least said, “I think they understood what my expectations are. I think they're now in the process of trying to get there. Again, we're not where I want to be. They're starting to learn how to work hard and learn what I want.”
From MacIntyre's perspective, the defense in 15 practices under Leavitt “got better” – although what was shown in Sunday's abbreviated work was essentially vanilla. Only one defense was used, with no blitzing and nothing that might be used to confuse a Pac-12 offense this fall.
But, added MacIntyre, “We kept improving. I thought our defensive line got better, we got good depth in the secondary. I'm excited about what we showed this spring. Got to get out there and do it in the fall.”
Players he said made strides included nose tackle Justin Solis, who “went up a level (and) played hard all the time. He's grown up, so to speak.” End Jimmie Gilbert is 10 pounds heavier, stronger with a surgically repaired shoulder and “showed explosion . . . he's a good pass rusher.” Defensive back Chidobe Awuzie “went to another level” and is versatile enough to play corner, safety and nickel on any Saturday. Corner Kenneth Crawley got stronger and better, and Witherspoon, who returned an interception (Gehrke's) 69 yards for a touchdown, had a second consecutive stellar spring.
“My familiarity from last year, you can't even measure it,” Witherspoon said. “I just wanted to continue from where I ended the season and work over the summer and take that right into game one. That's my goal; I'm glad I had a good day (Sunday).”
LINDGREN'S OFFENSIVE LOWDOWN
High on the Buffs' list of spring offensive objectives was improvement in the running game, which coordinator Brian Lindgren says was achieved despite the absence of tailback Michael Adkins II (knee).
Progress was made, said Lindgren, because of O-line improvement: “I was pleased with way we ran the ball. We improved on it a year ago, but we were not where we wanted to be. Our guys up front – coach (Gary) Bernardi did a great job with them. We're going to keep developing more depth; there are more guys we feel more comfortable putting in there.”
In Adkins' absence, the Buffs relied on returnees Christian Powell (tailback/fullback) and Phillip Lindsay, and redshirt freshman Kyle Evans, whose 65-yard TD run was Sunday's longest.
“I'm pleased with his development,” Lindgren said. “He reminds me of Tony Jones (graduated tailback).”
Another running back will join the summer mix. He's transfer Aaron Baltazar, who had major college experience (Boise State) and is a bigger back (5-10, 220).
Also, CU's 2015 offense will have 6-2, 250-pound George Frazier as a full-time member; he won't be switching to defensive end. Frazier can play fullback, H-back and tight end – and Lindgren won't be hesitant to use Frazier's versatility.
“The range of things we can do with him is pretty broad,” Lindgren said. And Frazier said being anchored on offense suits him fine: “I'm happy with it. I knew at the first of spring it was going to happen. (MacIntyre) told me there were more numbers on defense and he would like me to focus on offense.”
Offensive players MacIntyre said made good spring impressions included: receiver Shay Fields, tight end Sean Irwin, center Alex Kelley and tackle Stephane Nembot. “He's gone to another level, he's a really good Pac-12 tackle,” MacIntyre said.
QUARTERBACKS STATUS
Incumbent starter Sefo Liufau beefed up to 240 pounds and, according to Lindgren, got stronger with his decision-making abilities. Liufau will go into August camp with a solid hold on the No. 1 job, with Gehrke just as solid at No. 2.
“Last spring (Liufau) was working on fundamental things,” Lindgren said. “He's come a long way there but this spring was a challenge of understanding where to go with the ball and the looks (defenses) were giving him. Understanding the weakness of a protection, where his outlet is versus a certain coverage . . .
“I think those things will ultimately lead to less turnovers – and that's something I think we challenged him on this off-season. A lot goes into that, but I think he's come a long way this spring and he's got a long time between now and fall camp to build on that.”
Gehrke said he felt “more comfortable with the offense” and that the offense as a whole had benefitted from players – QBs particularly – putting in extra hours of playbook/tape study. Plus, timing between quarterbacks and receivers “is getting good . . . it's all becoming very fluid. And we have all summer to work on it.”
SUNDAY SPRING PRACTICE/GAME WRAP
For those keeping score at home, the Gold team defeated the Black team 14-10. Liufau completed three of four passes for 76 yards, with 70 of those on a TD toss to Devin Ross and the other six yards coming on a pair of flat passes to Powell. Gehrke was 9-of-16 for 54 yards and the pick by Witherspoon.
Evans was the afternoon's top rusher (8 carries, 96 yards), with Lindsay rushing 12 times for 78 yards. No receiver caught more than three passes (Chris Hill).
Diego Gonzalez kicked one PAT and a 38-yard field goal for the Black team, Chris Graham kicked two PATs for the Gold.
Lineman Samson Kafovalu led the Black defense with three tackles (two unassisted), while linebacker Christian Shaver, a converted end, topped the Gold defense with five tackles (three unassisted). Witherspoon recorded four unassisted tackles in addition to his interception.
The Buffs worked with their position coaches, running individual drills for an hour before beginning their scrimmage. Included in the pre-scrimmage work were Oklahoma drills, matching an offensive player vs. a defensive player with a ball carrier running within the approximately four-yard wide boundary behind his blocker.
MacIntyre ran from one of four stations to the next taking it all in. The Oklahoma work ended with the same drill performed at one station at mid-field with the team gathered around watching. The drill, with the same audience, was repeated at halftime.
Rather than conducting a player draft as has been done on occasion in the past, MacIntyre divided the squad's 12 seniors and had them select players for Sunday's game. Safeties Marques Mosley and Jered Bell served as captains, with Mosley winning the coin toss and taking incumbent starting quarterback Sefo Liufau with the first pick.
Leavitt was the Gold team's coach, Lindgren the Black team's coach.
GILLAM UPDATE
Linebacker Addison Gillam was not listed on the official injury report, but was held out of Sunday's full-speed contact work for precautionary reasons.
“He practiced every day, he just didn't do full contact,” MacIntyre said. “He had such a hard year last year – injuries, being sick . . . he's gained 10 pounds since spring started, and our goal is to get him back to 230.”
At the end of last season, MacIntyre said Gillam weighed 202 pounds. “When he gets back to Addison, he's a heck of a football player,”
NOTEWORTHY
MacIntyre, whose 2-10 record last fall gives him a two-season mark of 6-18, said the Buffs' emphasis going into August camp will be weight-room oriented. “We've gotten a lot more powerful,” he said, “and we've got from March 15 until August first – so that gives them a long time in the lifting cycle and in the competition we're going to have in the weight room. The power and strength were going to get will be a big difference. We're not teenagers anymore, we've got a few 20-year-olds playing . . . that's exciting to me.” . . . . Last spring, MacIntyre held the 15th practice on the day after the spring game to brief players on their summer work and give them a practice to conduct themselves. That wasn't necessary this spring because of an NCAA rules change that permits coaches to meet with players weekly. Still, some instruction for player-led summer work was addressed in Saturday's practice, MacIntyre said. “Guys who have been on campus – like Sefo – have been doing player-led practices a while,” he added. “It's been running smooth and we'll be able to do it all the way through (summer).” Players and their position coaches will meet on Thursdays every week through August, MacIntyre said . . . . Eleven players missed Sunday's work due to injuries, including possible starters Jeremy Irwin (OT, ankle), Tyler Henington (DE, knee), Adkins (TB, knee), Jered Bell (S, knee), Bryce Bobo (WR, shoulder) . . . . Also not suiting up Sunday for disciplinary reasons were defensive tackle Josh Tupou, receiver Donovan Lee and linebacker Jaleel Awini . . . . Sunday's winners were to eat steaks for dinner while the losers dined on hot dogs – a spring game menu that is usually rescinded. FWIW: Media and assorted press box guests ate hot dogs . . . . Tentative preseason dates to remember: Aug. 4 – players report; Aug. 5 – first practice; Aug. 8 – practice in full pads; Aug. 9 – Media Day; Aug. 24 – first day of fall classes . . . . Pac-12 football Media Days are scheduled July 30-31 in Los Angeles.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
