Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Hope To Get Hefty Push From Big, Experienced O-Line
August 20, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
Jeromy Irwin’s Return Among Keys To Overall Improvement
(Sixth in a series of position-by-position previews of the 2016 Buffs to be posted on CUBuffs.com during the preseason. Today: Offensive line)
BOULDER – There's a stage in the formation of every good football team when head coaches realize (and acknowledge) what happens in the offensive line usually dictates what happens overall.
Toward the conclusion of fall camp with one of his better University of Colorado teams, former coach Bill McCartney acknowledged it.
He placed five empty chairs in the front of the Dal Ward Athletics Center auditorium. Then, with silence heavy in the room, he summoned his five interior starters to come forward and take a seat.
With the entire team watching and listening intently, McCartney issued a challenge to the entire unit as well as each player.
Paraphrased, McCartney told the O-line fivesome, "We'll only be as good this season as you are . . . how good do you want to be? Tell me."
It was a typical McCartney demand for performance and accountability, and the Buffs turned out to be typically good.
The same challenge could be replayed in 2016 by "Mac II" – fourth-year CU coach Mike MacIntyre. This team could be/should be his best, but it needs a push – not from the back but from the front.
The Buffs have more skill position players on their roster than at any time in the MacIntyre era, have more overall experience than any team in the Pac-12, and have a very real chance to be several clicks above average on defense.
For most observers, chief among the unknown elements is the O-line. It has a new coach – Klayton Adams is in his fourth year on MacIntyre's staff but first coaching the offensive line – but that's where most of the newness ends.
Only one 2015 starter (tackle Stephane Nembot) is gone, while the best overall interior lineman (Jeromy Irwin) returns from a knee injury that sidelined him for 11 games. And back with Irwin, an 11-game starter at left tackle in 2014, are four big interior starters and a handful of reserves with plenty of game experience.
Adams knows he isn't starting from scratch; the cupboard is neither bare nor green. But his adjustment to his new role and gaining the trust of his new players was among his August priorities.
"Any time you're doing a new position there's an adjustment period," said Adams, who made several off-season visits to other schools to study their O-line work. "Just because I've done it before doesn't mean I hit the ground running. I went other places and tried to study and tried to hone in on what I believe that position is supposed to do.
"Just like you want to get your five starters to jell, you want there to be a jelling with the coach. There's so much camaraderie that needs to happen with that group . . . I think we've taken a big jump in that area. We all get in the recovery pool together, me included. We try to eat together as much as we can, try to hang out away from football some so we all have an understanding of each other. It's definitely better now than it was in the spring and I think it'll be better next week than it is now."
Left guard Gerrad Kough believes the bonding, both among players and with their new coach, has been successful. "We're building that camaraderie and bonding, it's been good," Kough said. "But it also helps that a lot of us are really good friends off the field. We talk all the time and watch film together."
Right guard Tim Lynott Jr., who was recruited primarily by Adams, said a position coaching switch "is one of those things where it's always going to be different because it's a different coach. He's different but great; it's been awesome. We're getting closer to him each day."
In trying to ease the coaching transition, Adams retained many of the line-of-scrimmage blocking calls made for the past three seasons under Gary Bernardi, who now coaches the tight ends/H-backs.
"You like to keep a lot of the calls and the adjustments those guys are making because if they make sense, which they did, there's no reason to change," Adams said.
But some things have to change. Not all of the culpability rests with the O-line, which dealt with injuries and accompanying position shifts for most of 2015, but the Buffs allowed 41 quarterback sacks last season, tying them with Washington State for last in the Pac-12. The running game averaged 156.2 yards a game – an OK number given CU's recent running game history but still 10th in conference.
Also, the Buffs' third-down and red zone efficiency were among the worst in the conference – converting 36.1 percent on third down (11th) and 70.4 percent (38-of-54 scores) in the red zone (12th). Again, the offensive line won't be fingered for all of those missed opportunities but better performances up front likely will make both percentages rise, as well as meet an offensive goal of more efficiency and less predictability in both areas.
With just over two weeks (11 practices) remaining until the Sept. 2 opener against Colorado State, Adams' August experimentation with personnel is winding down.
"I think we're starting to tighten it down a little bit," he said. "Every day you see some guys kind of pulling away and some leveling off. I'm hoping some of those guys who've leveled off will take another jump, because regardless of whether those guys are starters or not, at some point they may need to play. You've got to have some depth.
"Then some guys surprise you as you get a little deeper into camp. Sometimes it clicks for somebody. But I'd say right now we've got a pretty good idea of who the top seven or eight guys are and now we need to start solidifying those first five, then create the swing tackle and swing guard and who the backup center is.
"Are they all playing at an elite level where I would feel comfortable with them going in and dominating a game? No. We're not there yet. But I do think we've got close to ten guys who really understand the scheme."
LET'S GET REAL PHYSICAL: With a top seven or eight players who average a shade over 6-4 and 300 pounds, the Buffs will field one of their bigger interior lines in recent seasons.
That should mean more physical play, which has been stressed by Adams since he assumed command and, according to one defender, has been evident in camp.
"They've been really physical this camp – the most physical I've seen them," said inside linebacker Rick Gamboa. "And they're really communicating well with the checks they're making. You have to account for that."
The Buffs' O-line finally looks the part. The vital stats of the top seven players on the Media Day depth chart: LT – Irwin, 6-5, 300; LG – Gerrad Kough, 6-4, 295 or Jonathan Huckins, 6-4, 295; C – Alex Kelley, 6-2, 310 or Huckins; RG – Tim Lynott Jr., 6-3, 305; RT Sam Kronshage, 6-6, 295 or Aaron Haigler, 6-7, 270.
COMING BACK, TAKING CHARGE: The line's unquestioned leader – and a team leader as well – is Irwin, who has finally realized a personal goal and reached 300 pounds. Irwin's return means as much to the Buffs in the locker room as he does on the line of scrimmage.
Said Gamboa: "It's a big piece, not just for the line but for the team in general. He's a captain and someone people look up to. He's a voice for the team; he's going to speak his mind if he doesn't see things going right. He makes a lot of people want to get better."
Redshirt freshman Tim Lynott Jr., a likely candidate to start at right guard and the lone underclassman in the projected starting five, said having Irwin back is "awesome . . . he's a key player for us. It was tough last year when he was out. It affected us for sure.
"He's definitely been a leader ever since he came back . . . the whole time. I've seen him be a leader in our workouts, our practices, meetings – just everything we've been doing. It's great having him as a leader and having him push us to our limits."
He's also pushed himself. Adams said Irwin has been adamant about competing on as many camp snaps as possible.
"I kind of planned on being a little more careful with him (because of the knee injury) but the guy wants to be in there and he's been very durable," Adams said. "I haven't limited him at all . . . when we go live on the goal line, he goes live on the goal line. And I'm pretty sure if I said anything to him about it he'd be pretty pissed off."
COMPETITION KEEN, ONGOING: Lynott appears to have command of the right guard spot, with Kough opposite him on the left side. Huckins is pushing for playing time at guard, but he's also worked at center and is among four players Adams has available at that position. The others are incumbent starter Kelley, Sully Wiefels and Lynott.
One of camp's most competitive battles has been at right tackle between Kronshage and Haigler. Kronshage, said Adams, "has made maybe as big a jump in training camp as anybody. He's showed good technique, made limited mental errors; he's really competed and done a nice job."
But that assessment comes with a caveat – a good one for Adams and his unit. Haigler's camp jump has matched Kronshage's, leaving Adams "pretty excited about those guys and seeing where they're at. Both have the ability to be really good players for us."
THE INSIDE LOOK AT . . .
Offensive line
Coach: Klayton Adams, fourth year on staff, first coaching the O-line.
Returning starters: G Gerrad Kough, Jr.; C Alex Kelley, Sr.; G/C Jonathan Huckins, Jr.; T Sam Kronshage, Jr.; T Jeromy Irwin (2014), Jr.Â
Returnees: C Sully Wiefels, Sr.; G Josh Kaiser, Soph.; G Shane Callahan, Sr.; G Colin Sutton, Jr.; T John Lisella II, Soph.; T Dillon Middlemiss, RS-Fr.; T Isaac Miller, RS-Fr.
Newcomers: OL Mo Bandi, Fr.; OL Kolter Smith, Fr.; OL Kaleb Keefauver, Fr.; OL Justin Eggers, Fr.
Key losses: T Stephane Nembot, C/G Vincent Arvia, T Ed Caldwell.
Stat line: The Buffs were 10th in the Pac-12 last season in rushing, averaging 156.2 yards a game. And they were tied for last with Washington State in sacks allowed – 41 each. Those numbers need to improve this season, and Adams' group must do its part to assure that the upgrade happens.
Bottom line: The O-line features experience, size and depth; there could be as many as four junior starters who average right at 300 pounds. And of the 16 interior linemen listed on the first August depth chart, nine were either juniors or seniors. CU lost only one interior starter from last season's O-line – left tackle Stephane Nembot, who shifted from the right side due to Jeromy Irwin's season-ending knee injury. But Irwin has returned for his junior season, and accompanying him are heightened expectations for the Buffs' running game and their pass protection.
Next: Running backs
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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