Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: After Two Weeks Of TCB, The Buffs’ Business Gets Serious
September 10, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
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CU takes impressive 2-0 record into September’s two toughest weeks
BOULDER – It's halftime of Saturday's Michigan-Central Florida game – Michigan has this one well in hand, 34-7 – and ESPN goes to its halftime studio guys, two of whom are Mark May and Mack Brown.
Their theme, naturally, is the totally dominant, virtually unchallenged Big Blue. May winds up his short discourse on the first two quarters with this thought: Michigan must schedule tougher non-conference opponents, citing blowout victims Hawai'i (63-3) and UCF (51-14 eventually) . . . before smirking just a little and adding that Colorado visits Ann Arbor next Saturday.
If the Buffs want to play the no-respect card this week, they're entitled. They've been shoved into the same category – at least for Michigan's non-conference noshing purposes – as the Wolverines' first two September sweets.
None of it might matter to the rest of the college football world, for the Buffs will go to the Big House next weekend given as much chance for survival as an hors d'oeuvre at a tailgate.
Which is not a bad thing. Despite their 2-0 record, the Buffs are pretty much under the radar, maybe even off of some screens. It's an OK position for the Buffs, who nonetheless did receive one vote each in last week's AP and Coaches' Top 25 balloting.
The Buffs will get mentioned by ESPN on next Saturday's College GameDay, yet not on the merit of their 2-0 start. It will be because they're next up for the Big Blue in the Big House, but whatever is said really doesn't matter, according to CU DB-of-all-trades Chidobe Awuzie.
"At the end of the day we're not really focused on what people think about us," he said. "We have a goal of being Pac-12 champions, so everything revolves around that . . . right now we're not really caring if anybody respects us or not. We like being the underdog, it humbles us and makes us work harder."
Fact is, for two weeks now CU has worked hard and showed up in a steadfast, steady and serious TCB mode. As happened a week ago in the season-opening beat down of Colorado State (44-7), business was taken care of again in Saturday's 56-7 rout of Idaho State.
But from here, the schedule gets, ah, interesting. And challenging. And telling. From this point forward, no more rides on the dessert cart. Next week's trip to No. 5 Michigan is followed by the Pac-12 Conference opener at No. 24 Oregon.
If there are questions locally and certainly nationally about the Buffs (and there are) answers will be provided on September's final two weekends.
IN HIS POSTGAME MEDIA conference CU coach Mike MacIntyre naturally was asked about the upcoming opponent, and he concluded his response with wanting his players to "just be Colorado" as they prepare to make the season's first road trip.
To senior tight end Sean Irwin, that means staying "shoulder to shoulder, everybody for everybody. We have scout team players who are just as important as our starters. I tell them every day if you don't give the offensive line a good look it's going to screw us in the game. Just be Colorado . . . the only important name on the schedule is our name."
Added senior defensive tackle Jordan Carrell on "being Colorado": "Be uncommon, do the uncommon things and do them extraordinarily well. Be us. At the end of the day it all falls on us."
In Saturday's home opener, it was pretty easy to be Colorado. The Buffs' first-half numbers were otherworldly – 49 points, 410 yards of total offense, 21 first downs, while holding Idaho State scoreless and limiting them to 48 yards in total offense and three first downs. The Buffs averaged 9.1 yards a play, ISU 1.5. The Buffs scored on seven of eight first-half possessions, punting once while the Bengals punted eight times and never crossed midfield in the first two quarters.
Sefo Liufau enjoyed a statistically rich first half, completing 15-of-18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing six times for 54 yards and one TD. He overthrew a pair of open receivers in the first quarter but quickly settled in and made amends with his deep throws.
With 1:49 left in the half, Liufau's afternoon was done when redshirt freshman Steven Montez replaced him and promptly teamed with junior transfer Kabion Ento for a 69-yard scoring play to send the Buffs up 49-0.
It was Montez's first college completion, Ento's first FBS reception. It was that kind of afternoon.
But even more impressive than the home team's big, glitzy numbers was CU simply doing what needed to be done in dispatching an FCS team that hasn't beaten an FBS opponent since 2000 (0-25). The Bengals were outscored in two FBS games last season 132-8, and those figures are mentioned here merely for perspective on the runaway.
Of more importance was CU playing hard, taking command early, allowing MacIntyre to go deep into his roster and get out of the afternoon with no serious injuries. Nearly every available Buff who suited up played (71 of 86 players who dressed) – something that hasn't happened in a while.
But there were some early fixable flaws that must/will be addressed before the trip to Ann Arbor. Most noticeable were Liufau's pair of overthrows of Kyle Evans and Shay Fields in the first quarter. There also were drops of probable interceptions by Buffs linebackers Kenneth Olugbode and Rick Gamboa. Coaches will replay the tape and strongly remind that such chances must be seized in the Big House.
"We missed a couple of things here and there, that up the middle wheel pass to the running back," Irwin said. "Those are things we'll work on and fix."
GAMBOA, A SOPHOMORE, SAID he'd barely made it back to the sidelines on the possession change before his dropped pick became a hot topic: "I heard about it as soon as I hit the sideline. I know I should have had it and I know (coaches) are going to keep making the point that I should have had it. I'll take it and know that I have to make that play . . . Coach (Jim) Leavitt calls them missed opportunities and in a game like (Michigan) we can't have them."
The Buffs have made good on MacIntyre's wish to treat each game like its own season. Go 1-0 each week for 12 weeks and don't get ahead of yourselves along the way. But a couple of players admitted to me that the Michigan trip has been hard to relegate to the background.
"I looked at the schedule when it came out about four or five years ago and saw Michigan in Ann Arbor," Irwin said. "I've been waiting for it for a long time, I just can't believe it's already here. We're ready, man."
"I'm not going to lie," added Carrell, "I've been looking forward to this game since the schedule came out. I'm excited to play in the Big House and show what we can do . . .We're not worried about rankings or anything like that; we're just here to play football. It would be nice to get some (national) coverage, but we're not worried about that either. We're worried about us and being the best we can be."
After their 2-0 start and the way they've gone about it, the national perception of the Buffs is likely to be this: Maybe they're for real, maybe they can go to Ann Arbor and, with a break or two, make it an interesting afternoon.
But that's not what this team has in mind. Interesting is for movies and books. A good showing against a top five opponent isn't interesting. Winning is interesting. MacIntyre wants this team to dream big – and he's convinced that it's doing just that.
"I mean, I try to go week by week and not look forward, but it's finally time. It's Michigan week," Gamboa said. "We can't put one game higher than another, but a game like this – playing one of the best teams in the country – there's definitely going to be a lot of eyes on us."
"Being Colorado" might not have meant much in recent seasons. This one might be different.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Their theme, naturally, is the totally dominant, virtually unchallenged Big Blue. May winds up his short discourse on the first two quarters with this thought: Michigan must schedule tougher non-conference opponents, citing blowout victims Hawai'i (63-3) and UCF (51-14 eventually) . . . before smirking just a little and adding that Colorado visits Ann Arbor next Saturday.
If the Buffs want to play the no-respect card this week, they're entitled. They've been shoved into the same category – at least for Michigan's non-conference noshing purposes – as the Wolverines' first two September sweets.
None of it might matter to the rest of the college football world, for the Buffs will go to the Big House next weekend given as much chance for survival as an hors d'oeuvre at a tailgate.
Which is not a bad thing. Despite their 2-0 record, the Buffs are pretty much under the radar, maybe even off of some screens. It's an OK position for the Buffs, who nonetheless did receive one vote each in last week's AP and Coaches' Top 25 balloting.
The Buffs will get mentioned by ESPN on next Saturday's College GameDay, yet not on the merit of their 2-0 start. It will be because they're next up for the Big Blue in the Big House, but whatever is said really doesn't matter, according to CU DB-of-all-trades Chidobe Awuzie.
"At the end of the day we're not really focused on what people think about us," he said. "We have a goal of being Pac-12 champions, so everything revolves around that . . . right now we're not really caring if anybody respects us or not. We like being the underdog, it humbles us and makes us work harder."
Fact is, for two weeks now CU has worked hard and showed up in a steadfast, steady and serious TCB mode. As happened a week ago in the season-opening beat down of Colorado State (44-7), business was taken care of again in Saturday's 56-7 rout of Idaho State.
But from here, the schedule gets, ah, interesting. And challenging. And telling. From this point forward, no more rides on the dessert cart. Next week's trip to No. 5 Michigan is followed by the Pac-12 Conference opener at No. 24 Oregon.
If there are questions locally and certainly nationally about the Buffs (and there are) answers will be provided on September's final two weekends.
IN HIS POSTGAME MEDIA conference CU coach Mike MacIntyre naturally was asked about the upcoming opponent, and he concluded his response with wanting his players to "just be Colorado" as they prepare to make the season's first road trip.
To senior tight end Sean Irwin, that means staying "shoulder to shoulder, everybody for everybody. We have scout team players who are just as important as our starters. I tell them every day if you don't give the offensive line a good look it's going to screw us in the game. Just be Colorado . . . the only important name on the schedule is our name."
Added senior defensive tackle Jordan Carrell on "being Colorado": "Be uncommon, do the uncommon things and do them extraordinarily well. Be us. At the end of the day it all falls on us."
In Saturday's home opener, it was pretty easy to be Colorado. The Buffs' first-half numbers were otherworldly – 49 points, 410 yards of total offense, 21 first downs, while holding Idaho State scoreless and limiting them to 48 yards in total offense and three first downs. The Buffs averaged 9.1 yards a play, ISU 1.5. The Buffs scored on seven of eight first-half possessions, punting once while the Bengals punted eight times and never crossed midfield in the first two quarters.
Sefo Liufau enjoyed a statistically rich first half, completing 15-of-18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing six times for 54 yards and one TD. He overthrew a pair of open receivers in the first quarter but quickly settled in and made amends with his deep throws.
With 1:49 left in the half, Liufau's afternoon was done when redshirt freshman Steven Montez replaced him and promptly teamed with junior transfer Kabion Ento for a 69-yard scoring play to send the Buffs up 49-0.
It was Montez's first college completion, Ento's first FBS reception. It was that kind of afternoon.
But even more impressive than the home team's big, glitzy numbers was CU simply doing what needed to be done in dispatching an FCS team that hasn't beaten an FBS opponent since 2000 (0-25). The Bengals were outscored in two FBS games last season 132-8, and those figures are mentioned here merely for perspective on the runaway.
Of more importance was CU playing hard, taking command early, allowing MacIntyre to go deep into his roster and get out of the afternoon with no serious injuries. Nearly every available Buff who suited up played (71 of 86 players who dressed) – something that hasn't happened in a while.
But there were some early fixable flaws that must/will be addressed before the trip to Ann Arbor. Most noticeable were Liufau's pair of overthrows of Kyle Evans and Shay Fields in the first quarter. There also were drops of probable interceptions by Buffs linebackers Kenneth Olugbode and Rick Gamboa. Coaches will replay the tape and strongly remind that such chances must be seized in the Big House.
"We missed a couple of things here and there, that up the middle wheel pass to the running back," Irwin said. "Those are things we'll work on and fix."
GAMBOA, A SOPHOMORE, SAID he'd barely made it back to the sidelines on the possession change before his dropped pick became a hot topic: "I heard about it as soon as I hit the sideline. I know I should have had it and I know (coaches) are going to keep making the point that I should have had it. I'll take it and know that I have to make that play . . . Coach (Jim) Leavitt calls them missed opportunities and in a game like (Michigan) we can't have them."
The Buffs have made good on MacIntyre's wish to treat each game like its own season. Go 1-0 each week for 12 weeks and don't get ahead of yourselves along the way. But a couple of players admitted to me that the Michigan trip has been hard to relegate to the background.
"I looked at the schedule when it came out about four or five years ago and saw Michigan in Ann Arbor," Irwin said. "I've been waiting for it for a long time, I just can't believe it's already here. We're ready, man."
"I'm not going to lie," added Carrell, "I've been looking forward to this game since the schedule came out. I'm excited to play in the Big House and show what we can do . . .We're not worried about rankings or anything like that; we're just here to play football. It would be nice to get some (national) coverage, but we're not worried about that either. We're worried about us and being the best we can be."
After their 2-0 start and the way they've gone about it, the national perception of the Buffs is likely to be this: Maybe they're for real, maybe they can go to Ann Arbor and, with a break or two, make it an interesting afternoon.
But that's not what this team has in mind. Interesting is for movies and books. A good showing against a top five opponent isn't interesting. Winning is interesting. MacIntyre wants this team to dream big – and he's convinced that it's doing just that.
"I mean, I try to go week by week and not look forward, but it's finally time. It's Michigan week," Gamboa said. "We can't put one game higher than another, but a game like this – playing one of the best teams in the country – there's definitely going to be a lot of eyes on us."
"Being Colorado" might not have meant much in recent seasons. This one might be different.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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