Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Tupou Effect, Leavitt Vs. Harbaugh, Up-Tempo Offense And More On Michigan
September 11, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
(This article was updated on 9/12)
BOULDER — Notes, quotes, observations and opinions as the Colorado Buffaloes get ready to prepare for a trip to Michigan and a matchup with Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines:
SERIOUS "D": While the Colorado offense has put up some gaudy numbers in the first two games of the season, the Buffs' defense has been equally stingy. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt's game plans have strangled two opponents in a row, first throttling Colorado State's running game, then stifling Idaho State's pass attack.
It's thus no surprise to see the Buffs atop the Pac-12 statistics in both scoring defense (7.0 points per game) and total defense, a category in which they also led the nation as of Sunday morning (160.5 yards per game). The Buffs have given up just 62 yards per game in the air — an amazing statistic in today's college game, no matter who the opponent — and just 98.5 yards per game on the ground.
Not that their performance thus far is a surprise. In the wake of last year's improvement, most observers expected the Buffs' defense to take another step forward and thus far, they haven't disappointed. CU's veteran secondary has been outstanding, as have CU's inside and outside linebackers.
But perhaps the biggest improvement has been up front — and if you are looking for one player who has had maybe the biggest role in changing the entire character of CU's defense, look no farther than nose tackle Josh Tupou.
The 6-foot-3, 325-pound senior has proven to be a disruptive force in every aspect of the game. He's been a monster against the run and has shown the ability to literally push the pocket on his own. Opponents have double-teamed him on regular basis — something he'll likely see all season — but to little avail. He was credited with three tackles, including one for loss, against Idaho State, but his biggest impact has been that of freeing up his teammates to make plays. Fellow defensive lineman Jordan Carrell collected his first sack of the season Saturday, and CU's inside linebackers — Rick Gamboa, Kenneth Olugbode and Addison Gillam — are racking up tackles at a rapid rate.
It's exactly what a quality nose tackle is supposed to do.
In the past couple of weeks, I've talked to a number of coaches, analysts and former college players (from a variety of programs). They all agree that CU's defense has the chance to be very good. Defensive backs Chidobe Awuzie and Tedric Thompson are both poised for great seasons, Olugbode is rapidly making a name for himself, Afolabi Laguda is an up-and-comer, Jimmie Gilbert is a man on mission and defensive linemen Carrell and Samson Kafovalu are playing solid interior defense. But the player coaches and analysts say is changing the dynamic more than any other single player is Tupou.
It may be unfair to compare current Buffs to past CU greats, but Tupou reminds me of former Buffs standout Joel Steed, CU's starting nose tackle in 1989-91. Steed played with more ballyhooed players such as Alfred Williams, Chad Brown, Leonard Renfro, Greg Biekert and Kanavis McGhee, but it was Steed's rock-solid presence in the middle that helped those players make plays that made headlines.
Not to say this current group is by any means ready to accomplish what Steed and his cohorts managed.
But this bunch does have the chance to be good, and Tupou is one very big reason.
INTERESTING MATCHUP: Speaking of Leavitt, one storyline that's sure to be part of this week's Colorado-Michigan narrative will be the Leavitt vs. Jim Harbaugh matchup.
CU's defensive coordinator served as Harbaugh's linebackers coach for four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The two parted ways in early 2015, when Harbaugh left San Francisco to take the Michigan job and Leavitt accepted an offer from MacIntyre to become the Buffs' defensive coordinator.
Now, Leavitt will be attempting to draw up a game plan to stop Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight, who threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns in the Wolverines' 51-14 win over Central Florida on Saturday.
Quarterback was supposed to be a question mark for Michigan heading into the season, but Speight has seemingly delivered an answer. In two games, he's thrown for 457 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 35 of his 50 attempts. He has a bevy of outstanding receivers and an All-American tight end (Jake Butt) who can pose big matchup problems for any defense.
The Wolverines did struggle on the ground against Central Florida, finishing with just 119 yards on 41 carries as the Knights loaded up the box, clearly aiming to stop the run.
But, as Harbaugh noted, "We took advantage of them with the play-action pass, in the first half and the second half. With numbing repetition. Just kept going back to that play-action pass. That worked today."
Guaranteed, Leavitt and head coach Mike MacIntyre will do their best to be more creative with their defensive game plan. Leavitt has been a master of dialing up blitzes and stunts from all over the field, and with Tupou in the middle, it gives the Buffs the luxury of knowing their base run defense should be solid.
It should be an interesting matchup, especially with the Leavitt-Harbaugh connection from the past.
RAPID PACE: For the second week in a row, CU's up-tempo offense literally left an opponent breathless.
A week ago, CSU head coach Mike Bobo admitted his Rams couldn't adjust to the pace in a 44-7 CU win. Saturday, Idaho State defenders said Colorado's rapid-fire rate proved to be too much to handle in a 56-7 CU win.
"We weren't conditioned enough," said ISU linebacker Hayden Stout. "We got tired and we weren't used to the fast-paced offense."
How fast were the Buffs on Saturday? Figure this: CU covered 448 yards in 39 plays on its first seven scoring drives — and needed just 13 minutes and 42 seconds for all seven combined. That's an average of less than six plays per drive, covering an average of 64 yards per drive, and less than two minutes on each possession.
It's been fun to watch (well, at least for Buffs fans) with CU co-coordinator Brian Lindgren in the booth calling plays and fellow co-coordinator Darrin Chiaverini on the field plotting strategy. Quarterback Sefo Liufau has been extremely efficient — 38-for-51 for 522 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions over his first two games — and he's had the luxury of a deep receiving corps. In CU's two games thus far, four different Buffs (Devin Ross, Bryce Bobo, Shay Fields and Jay MacIntyre) have at least five receptions, and all are averaging at least 10 yards per catch. Fields, by the way, has just five catches, but he also has a team-leading 157 yards, a rather robust 31.4 yard average.
Throw Kabion Ento into the mix — two catches for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns vs. ISU — and it's a dangerous group. (By the way, you'll almost certainly be seeing more of Ento in the future. After Saturday's game, both MacIntyre and Chiaverini said the juco transfer has earned more playing time.)
Of course, no one will be expecting anything similar at Michigan. The Wolverines boast one of the nation's best defenses, and you can beat UM defensive coordinator Don Brown will have a game plan designed to disrupt CU's tempo.
But, as Chiaverini said after Saturday's win, "We're going to do what we do. It doesn't matter who we're playing, it doesn't matter what jersey they're wearing, it doesn't matter what helmet they're wearing. We're going to run our offense and do what we do."
DEFENSE IN GENERAL: Asked to name the biggest factors in his defense's play this year, MacIntyre said communication has been a major difference.
"Their communication is at the top of the ladder right now," MacIntyre said. "You see them communicating with hand signals and they're seeing sets and backs. We really haven't busted a coverage in the first two games, which is impressive, and the linebackers and secondary are locked in. Our front seven has been really stout and they've done a good job of not allowing a lot of creases in the running game."
FIELD POSITION: One often little-noticed benefit of an excellent defense is the field position is provides for an offense. It happens when a defense limits an opponent on third-down conversions, and the Buffs were outstanding in that category against ISU. The Bengals converted just two of their 14 third-down tries, including a 1-for-9 effort in the first half.
Thus, the Buffs' offense benefitted from good field position all day long. CU's average field position against ISU was their own 34-yard line, meaning they were roughly 30 yards away from being in scoring range virtually every time they took possession.
OFFENSIVE LINE STEADY: The Buffs did not give up a sack on Saturday, and have now yielded just one in two games. CU's offensive line has also blocked well for the run, with CU averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 261 yards per ground on the game.
With 262 yards on the ground, Colorado also improved its record when rushing for at least 250 yards to 60-2-1 since 1989.
WORK TO BE DONE: One big difference in MacIntyre's job this year has been in the confidence department.
For the last three seasons, MacIntyre's task has been to keep his players' confidence levels up in the face of adversity.
Now, he's reminding them that despite their early success, they can't afford to let it go to their heads.
"We put the ball on the ground at running back and that's not a good thing," MacIntyre said after Saturday's win. "We also missed a throw for a touchdown, so we've got some things we need to clean up and keep working on."
Indeed, the Buffs did get away with some miscues against Idaho State that will cost them dearly if they do the same against Michigan. Liufau did miss a wide open Kyle Evans on a sure touchdown throw early in the game and the Buffs also dropped at least two sure interceptions (one each by linebackers Rick Gamboa and Kenneth Olugbode).
Liufau also managed to break some good runs that almost certainly won't be available against the Wolverines, and the defense did have a couple instances when they failed to wrap up tackles, turning what could have been losses into gains for the Bengals.
But, MacIntyre expects to address those issues this week and he expects his players to respond.
"These young men have been locked in," MacIntyre said. "They understand what's at stake and they can see and feel where they're going. … We've just got to keep working hard and up there and get after it."
SPECIAL TEAMS ALERT: The Buffs have been solid across the board on special teams play, but they will get their toughest test of the year thus far at Michigan.
Against Central Florida, the Wolverines partially blocked two punts (both by Tyree Kinnel) and also blocked a field goal try. UM had a 35-yard punt return to set up a touchdown and Michigan also recovered a Central Florida fumble on a kickoff in the red zone.
STATISTICAL TIDBITS: The Buffs are now averaging 8.35 yards on first down plays, and 10.2 yards per pass attempt. … CU opponents, meanwhile, are averaging just 1.78 yards per pass attempt. … The back-to-back 500-plus yard game by CU's offense is the first since 2002, when CU had 575 vs. Missouri and 518 vs. Iowa State. … The Buffs were 7-for-8 in red zone opportunities against ISU, and all the scores were touchdowns. CU's only miss in the red zone came with the Buffs already up 56-7 and MacIntyre opted to run on fourth down rather than kick a field goal with his backup offense on the field. … Twelve different Buffs have already caught at least one pass this year. … Both center Alex Kelley and linebacker Derek McCartney, who sat out Saturday's game, are expected to be ready to play at Michigan.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
