Colorado University Athletics
Buffs to Rest, But Remain Focused During Bye Week
October 25, 2016 | Football
BOULDER – The No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes are taking time this bye week to heal the bumps and bruises suffered over the last three months and to dial in on what has the making to be a favorable stretch run – four games remaining, three to be played at home below the Flatirons at Folsom Field.
Where the Buffaloes stand on their bye week: 6-2 overall, 4-1 in league play and tied for the Pac-12 South lead with No. 17 Utah (the 7-1 Utes host fourth-ranked and undefeated Washington this weekend).
The objective now is simple; focus on the gold games as the Buffs hunt down their first Pac-12 South Division title.
"These are the games where we have to peak now," running back Phillip Lindsay said Tuesday of what the team calls its gold games – the games in November. "Going into this four-game stretch, now that we have this little rest, but now is the time to go to the next step if we want to become Pac-12 Champions."
It is helpful to know that CU is the only South Division team that plays three of its four November games at home. However, that doesn't guarantee you anything even if CU is outscoring opponents 143-29 while holding a 580.0 to 173.7 advantage in total offense at Folsom Field this year.
Obviously not everything has gone perfect for the Buffaloes in the first eight weeks of the season – there are only nine FBS teams after all who have not lost a game. Even with two blemishes on the record, one being in Pac-12 play to USC, the Buffs have done an awful lot right to position themselves to make a run down the stretch.
"It was a great feeling, but people were more thinking about the Pac-12 Championship than just winning six games and going to a bowl game," senior safety Tedric Thompson said after last Saturday's win at Stanford that made CU bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. Thompson was named the league's defensive player of the week on Monday. "We are still focusing on that Pac-12 Championship."
So how do the Buffaloes get there?
"We just got to say focused," Lindsay said. "It starts today with our lift. We are back here and time for us to start grinding it out. The coaches will have a great game plan for us when it is time, but for us (as players) we need to stay focused, the team needs to stay together and we need to go into practice and do the little things right. Then try to get stronger and try to heal your body up. You do that by staying in the training room, staying in the weight room and getting rest when you are supposed to."
It's more than fair to say the Buffs have excelled on both sides of the ball this fall. Colorado is one of just seven schools in the country that ranks in the top 20 nationally in both total offense (18th, 495.8 yards per game) and total defense (12th, allowing just 307.8 yards per game).
You would have to go back to 1996 to find the last Buffalo team that ranked in the top 25 nationally in both total offense and total defense, which speaks to just how well the Buffs are playing right now.
CU's defensive backs, boy are they good. The Buffaloes' 11 interceptions rank in a tie for eighth in the FBS, CU is sixth in pass efficiency defense at 97.92 and 15th in passing yards allowed with just 178.6 per game.
The defensive linemen, they are bruisers that set the tone. The front three eat up blocks, plug gaps and allow the linebackers to flow. CU only gives up 129.1 yards per game on the ground.
Two important facets for the defense to continue on with is getting off the field on third downs (Buffs lead the Pac-12 and rank No. 15th nationally in third-down conversion defense at 30.9 percent) and keep creating havoc - i.e. more Jimmie Gilbert strip sacks or Kenneth Olugbode's sure tackling (his 86 tackles by CU's count would rank as the fourth-most of any player in the nation).
Offensively the Buffs need to secure the ball (it has been nine quarters since CU's last offensive turnover), block well up front and let the multitude of playmakers do their thing.
CU's 10 plays this year of 50 or more yards is tied for the fourth most in the country. The Buffaloes are averaging 35.4 points per game and with their defense playing the way it is, CU has some cushion if they don't light up the scoreboard every game (kind of like how the Stanford game was won).
"Going into our gold games now, we have to peak," Lindsay said of the offense. "If you are going to go anywhere in this last four-game stretch you have to be able to run the ball."
Lindsay has posted back-to-back 100-yard games and CU's offense has averaged 269.5 yards rushing in its last two victories.
There is no question that CU has played great in two of the three phases of the game this year. Well, maybe November is the month to put it all together and add in the third phase of the game to that. A big play from Anthony Julmisse on a kickoff return, Jay MacIntyre or Isaiah Oliver potentially bringing a punt back to the house, or how about CU blocking a punt or field goal? There are plenty of ways to make an impact on special teams.
This week the Buffs are taking Tuesday and Friday as workout days in the weight room, Wednesday and Thursday as days out on the practice field and time in between in the ice tubs and film room.
"The bye week is going to be great for all of us," Lindsay said. "For me, I'm not going to rest too much. I do a lot of working out anyways, so I'm just going to keep chugging along."
Come Sunday, it will be game week for the Buffs with their focus on the UCLA Bruins. Not lost on Colorado was the game against the Bruins last year at the Rose Bowl. But that was last year and it means nothing come next Thursday, Nov. 3, under the lights at Folsom Field (7 p.m./Fox Sports 1).
Right now, it is a start of a new season for the Buffs. In control of their own destiny, CU has its sights on greater goals, but knows better than that to look too far ahead and not focus on the UCLA Bruins.
Where the Buffaloes stand on their bye week: 6-2 overall, 4-1 in league play and tied for the Pac-12 South lead with No. 17 Utah (the 7-1 Utes host fourth-ranked and undefeated Washington this weekend).
The objective now is simple; focus on the gold games as the Buffs hunt down their first Pac-12 South Division title.
"These are the games where we have to peak now," running back Phillip Lindsay said Tuesday of what the team calls its gold games – the games in November. "Going into this four-game stretch, now that we have this little rest, but now is the time to go to the next step if we want to become Pac-12 Champions."
It is helpful to know that CU is the only South Division team that plays three of its four November games at home. However, that doesn't guarantee you anything even if CU is outscoring opponents 143-29 while holding a 580.0 to 173.7 advantage in total offense at Folsom Field this year.
Obviously not everything has gone perfect for the Buffaloes in the first eight weeks of the season – there are only nine FBS teams after all who have not lost a game. Even with two blemishes on the record, one being in Pac-12 play to USC, the Buffs have done an awful lot right to position themselves to make a run down the stretch.
"It was a great feeling, but people were more thinking about the Pac-12 Championship than just winning six games and going to a bowl game," senior safety Tedric Thompson said after last Saturday's win at Stanford that made CU bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. Thompson was named the league's defensive player of the week on Monday. "We are still focusing on that Pac-12 Championship."
So how do the Buffaloes get there?
"We just got to say focused," Lindsay said. "It starts today with our lift. We are back here and time for us to start grinding it out. The coaches will have a great game plan for us when it is time, but for us (as players) we need to stay focused, the team needs to stay together and we need to go into practice and do the little things right. Then try to get stronger and try to heal your body up. You do that by staying in the training room, staying in the weight room and getting rest when you are supposed to."
It's more than fair to say the Buffs have excelled on both sides of the ball this fall. Colorado is one of just seven schools in the country that ranks in the top 20 nationally in both total offense (18th, 495.8 yards per game) and total defense (12th, allowing just 307.8 yards per game).
You would have to go back to 1996 to find the last Buffalo team that ranked in the top 25 nationally in both total offense and total defense, which speaks to just how well the Buffs are playing right now.
CU's defensive backs, boy are they good. The Buffaloes' 11 interceptions rank in a tie for eighth in the FBS, CU is sixth in pass efficiency defense at 97.92 and 15th in passing yards allowed with just 178.6 per game.
The defensive linemen, they are bruisers that set the tone. The front three eat up blocks, plug gaps and allow the linebackers to flow. CU only gives up 129.1 yards per game on the ground.
Two important facets for the defense to continue on with is getting off the field on third downs (Buffs lead the Pac-12 and rank No. 15th nationally in third-down conversion defense at 30.9 percent) and keep creating havoc - i.e. more Jimmie Gilbert strip sacks or Kenneth Olugbode's sure tackling (his 86 tackles by CU's count would rank as the fourth-most of any player in the nation).
Offensively the Buffs need to secure the ball (it has been nine quarters since CU's last offensive turnover), block well up front and let the multitude of playmakers do their thing.
CU's 10 plays this year of 50 or more yards is tied for the fourth most in the country. The Buffaloes are averaging 35.4 points per game and with their defense playing the way it is, CU has some cushion if they don't light up the scoreboard every game (kind of like how the Stanford game was won).
"Going into our gold games now, we have to peak," Lindsay said of the offense. "If you are going to go anywhere in this last four-game stretch you have to be able to run the ball."
Lindsay has posted back-to-back 100-yard games and CU's offense has averaged 269.5 yards rushing in its last two victories.
There is no question that CU has played great in two of the three phases of the game this year. Well, maybe November is the month to put it all together and add in the third phase of the game to that. A big play from Anthony Julmisse on a kickoff return, Jay MacIntyre or Isaiah Oliver potentially bringing a punt back to the house, or how about CU blocking a punt or field goal? There are plenty of ways to make an impact on special teams.
This week the Buffs are taking Tuesday and Friday as workout days in the weight room, Wednesday and Thursday as days out on the practice field and time in between in the ice tubs and film room.
"The bye week is going to be great for all of us," Lindsay said. "For me, I'm not going to rest too much. I do a lot of working out anyways, so I'm just going to keep chugging along."
Come Sunday, it will be game week for the Buffs with their focus on the UCLA Bruins. Not lost on Colorado was the game against the Bruins last year at the Rose Bowl. But that was last year and it means nothing come next Thursday, Nov. 3, under the lights at Folsom Field (7 p.m./Fox Sports 1).
Right now, it is a start of a new season for the Buffs. In control of their own destiny, CU has its sights on greater goals, but knows better than that to look too far ahead and not focus on the UCLA Bruins.
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