Colorado University Athletics
Experience, Improved Defense Give Buffs Optimism
July 30, 2015 | Football, Neill Woelk
A year ago, the Colorado Buffaloes were still asking questions of themselves.
Twelve months later, there's no question in their minds.
“I expect us to win this year,” said Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre at Thursday's Pac-12 Media Days. “We're going to win a lot of those close games this year...We expect to win every game.”
Of course, confidence in late July is to be expected. Everybody is undefeated. Everybody has had great offseason workouts. And then ...
Truth is, not many people expect the Buffaloes to win much this year, just one year removed from a 2-10 (0-9 Pac-12) finish. Playing in arguably the toughest division in college football — five teams in the Pac-12 South are ranked in someone's preseason top 25 — the Buffs aren't projected to be a major factor. Most prognosticators say they'll be better, but measuring that improvement in such a brutal division won't be easy because of the schedule they face, one that could include seven nationally ranked teams.
And the Buffs?
The Buffs are quietly smiling. They firmly believe they can compete with the best the Pac-12 has to offer. They are confident that last year's heartbreaks -- two double-overtime defeats, four conference losses by a combined 15 points -- can be converted to victory celebrations.
Thursday, MacIntyre ticked off just a few of the reasons why the Buffs will be not only better in terms of competitiveness, but better -- much better -- in the win-loss column this year.
Experience: While the Buffs have just 12 seniors this year, they are loaded with a host of sophomores and juniors who recorded plenty of playing time a year ago. That's what he means when he says, “We have depth that has played.”
Offensive firepower: Quarterback Sefo Liufau, MacIntyre said, is “the best junior quarterback in the nation.” Meanwhile, wide receiver Nelson Spruce, one of the best in the conference a year ago, is back for an encore performance.
Defensive improvement: More than anything, this will be the key to the Buffs' successes this year. In the offseason, MacIntyre switched defensive coordinators, bringing in Jim Leavitt, a coach with college head coaching and NFL experience. If the Buffs are indeed ready to turn those close losses into wins, it will be Leavitt's defense that will drive that bus.
Stephane Nembot, coach Mike MacIntyre and Kenneth Olugbode at Pac-12 Media Day.
“The way we improve on defense ... if we can get ahead and keep a lead, that will be the difference,” MacIntyre said.
Indeed. While the Buffs were one of the most improved offenses in the nation last year — they jumped from 87th to 37th in total offense — their defense was still mired near the nation's bottom, actually dropping from 112th to 116th. That meant added pressure on the offense every time it took possession.
But, MacIntyre said, that shouldn't be the case this year. An improved defense should take some unnecessary pressure off Liufau and reduce his interceptions (15 last year). Meanwhile, if the the Buffs can force a few more turnovers of their own (just three interceptions last season), it will give the offense more opportunities with the ball.
“Say we go from three to eight (interceptions by the defense) and from 15 to 10 the other way,” MacIntyre said. “That wins us a lot of those close games right there.”
As for Leavitt's influence, MacIntyre said it's been immediate.
“His energy, his enthusiasm, his knowledge — the kids feed off all that at once,” MacIntyre said. “He brings a sense of energy and a sense of urgency to the table. The kids feel that and are ready to respond.”
There are other reasons for the Buffs' optimism. They are indeed bigger, stronger and faster. As an example, MacIntyre simply pointed across the room Thursday afternoon, where offensive lineman Stephane Nembot and linebacker Kenneth Olugbode held court at their tables.
Nembot now stands 6-foot-6 and tips the scales at 325 — all muscle. “He's going to be a pro football player,” MacIntyre said matter-of-factly.
Olugbode, meanwhile, has beefed up to 220, a far cry from the 205 he weighed a year ago -- when he still led the Buffs in tackles.
But how will that match up in the nation's toughest division?
“Every team but us in the Pac-12 South is in the top 25,” MacIntyre said. “It just means when we beat a couple of those teams, we'll be in the top 25.”
Yes, it's still July. Everyone is undefeated.
But the confidence these Buffs are carrying doesn't seem to be false bravado.
"We've gone from 'Can we beat them?' to 'Can they beat us'” MacIntyre said. “When I hear them say that, I know they mean it. The accountability, the standards, have risen.”
