Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Five Areas To Watch In CU-Hawaii Game
August 31, 2015 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Folks who follow Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt on Twitter are usually treated to a (very) early morning message, quite often what amounts to a 140-character pep talk.
But Monday morning's delivery from Leavitt was to the point:
Leave tomorrow for Hawaii. Need to play. Can only practice for so long. i am proud at how our guys have worked. Now time to play. Go Buffs!
— Jim Leavitt (@CoachJimLeavitt) August 31, 2015
Yes, the Buffs are ready to play. They'll depart from Denver early Tuesday morning and arrive in Hawaii soon after 1 p.m. (HST). They're then scheduled to hold a short practice Tuesday afternoon, with another practice and a visit to Pearl Harbor slated for Wednesday.
Then it's game day. Thursday night, 7 p.m. kickoff in Hawaii, 11 p.m. in Colorado (and 1 a.m. for those hardy souls on the East Coast), with the CBS Sports Network providing the telecast.
“I think they're really excited about playing, and I'm excited about watching them play,” head coach Mike MacIntyre said after Monday morning's practice. “I know they're going to come to play.”
MacIntyre said he's not worried about the late kickoff. “College students are nocturnal,” he noted with a laugh. He also believes the side trip to Pearl Harbor will be educational and inspirational.
But there's no doubt MacIntyre will also spend the next few days worrying about the details, hoping that everything the Buffs worked on throughout fall camp hit home.
Five things you can bet are on the CU coaching staff's mind as they count down to kickoff:
Weather. The Buffs spent all of August practicing in hot weather, but it's nothing like what they will experience at kickoff. The current forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 80s, humidity in the same range, and a strong chance of rain showers. Those are the kind of conditions that can sap even the best-prepared players, and it's why depth will play a major role for the Buffs.
For Colorado, that's finally a good thing. Not only do the Buffs have experienced starters across the board, they have experienced backups ready to give the starters a rest. It will mean fresher players throughout the game, and particularly in the fourth quarter — another point of emphasis throughout camp.
Wet weather will also mean ball security issues. The Buffs have been excellent under MacIntyre in keeping the ball in their hands (CU's running backs had just three fumbles all of last season), and the Buffs have been practicing with wet balls to simulate the expected conditions. Hawaii's players are used to wet weather; the Buffs need to make sure it doesn't affect them.
Max Wittek. The former Southern California quarterback is a big — 6-foot-4, 240 pounds — strong-armed gunslinger whose debut has been the talk of Hawaii football since the day he arrived on campus. He'll not only provide a big test right away for the Buffs' secondary, he'll also be a test for the Buffs' pass rush. While he's not a scrambler in any sense, he's still a tough target to bring down. The Buffs' secondary is experienced and deep, but they'll still need their friends up front to put some pressure on Wittek from the beginning.
Takeaways and turnovers. Both were an issue for the Buffs a year ago, but it's the defensive takeaways that have been a focus throughout camp. Colorado's defense forced just 11 turnovers a year ago, a number the Buffs need to increase significantly this year. If Wittek comes out throwing as expected, the Buffs will have their chances, especially if they get some pressure up front.
Offensively, the key will be in quarterback Sefo Liufau's hands. A year ago, Liufau threw 15 interceptions, but that was a number inflated by the fact that he found himself in so many come-from-behind situations. Liufau's decision-making process has no doubt improved — but he'll also need an improved running game and a little more defensive support to help in that area.
Running game. Did we just mention the running game? We did, and it's an area the Buffs have been working steadily to improve, as they finished just ninth in Pac-12 rushing a year ago. While Christian Powell has been tabbed as the starter, CU coaches have indicated they'll also be giving Phillip Lindsay and Michael Adkins II a share of the carries. It also wouldn't be a surprise to see true freshman Patrick Carr get his first taste of college ball — he made enough of an impression in camp that he had his name included on the depth chart. The key here will be whether the Buffs can establish a consistent threat on the ground behind an offensive line that should be improved. If the Buffs can move the ball effectively and consistently on the ground, it will take pressure off Liufau and open up the passing game.
Special teams. MacIntyre has expressed confidence in his kickers/punters throughout camp, but truth is, none of CU's kickers have ever attempted a field goal or punted in a college game. Diego Gonzalez, Chris Graham and Alex Kinney have all had solid camps, and all responded well under pressure in scrimmage situations, but how they react in a true game situation is still a question that hasn't been answered. We'll know a lot more by early Friday morning.
