Tuesday Buffs Bits: New Hampshire, Tackles, Takeaways, Memories

BOULDER — Two weeks before the Colorado Buffaloes renew their acquaintance with former Oregon coach Chip Kelly — now the head coach at UCLA — the Buffs will get a taste of the program where Kelly first made a name for himself.

Early in his coaching career, Kelly served as offensive coordinator for eight years (1999-2006) at his alma mater, New Hampshire. There, he earned a reputation as an offensive guru, leading to a job at Oregon as offensive coordinator before being named the Ducks' head coach in 2010.

Saturday, New Hampshire will pay a visit to Folsom Field for a 3 p.m. game for their first-ever matchup with the Buffs in CU's 2018 home opener (Pac-12 Networks). The Wildcats are still coached by the man who made Kelly his offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, Sean McDonnell.

"When I was talking to Chip Kelly at the Pac-12 meetings out in Arizona, he asked me who we play before them and I said, 'We play New Hampshire,'" CU head coach Mike MacIntyre recounted Monday. "We started talking and he was telling me all about what he had done there and what Sean had done. I knew he had a great, great program and I knew that when we put them on the schedule a few years back I said, 'Shoot, they're really good.' They are a really good program. The way I understand it, Chip was saying (McDonnell) is one of his main mentors and who he kind of cut his teeth under."

The 2-0 Buffs are vowing not to take New Hampshire lightly. While the Wildcats have struggled to an 0-2 start, they are also a team that has advanced to the FCS playoffs in each of the last 14 seasons.

"They're a great program in FCS and one that's not worried about coming in here to play," MacIntyre said. "I think I saw their slogan on their Twitter page: the next one. Talking about the next big team they're going to get. They have a lot of confidence and our guys need to be ready."

HUMBLE STAR: CU wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. — this week named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week — is quickly earning national attention, as he currently leads the nation in receptions (10.5 per game) and receiving yards per game (194.0).

Shenault is a big, strong, fast receiver who poses a matchup nightmare for defenses, and he put himself in the spotlight with his 40-yard game-winning touchdown reception against Nebraska.

Asked what makes Shenault so special, MacIntyre joked, "It's his hair. There's no doubt. He's kind of like Samson, he has the long, good-looking hair."

But, on a more serious note, MacIntyre said one of Shenault's strongest qualities is his ability to stay humble.

"He is so humble, as talented as he is," MacIntyre said. "Can you imagine him as a seventh or eighth grader? I mean, he looks like a Greek god now and he did as little guy, too. When you have that happen, they usually get a big head so quick. He's one of those big-time recruits that doesn't have a big head, that really cares about his team. I saw it after the (Nebraska) game. They asked him and he said, 'I'm just playing for the name on the front of my jersey.' I think that sums up Viska. He can play everywhere, he can do everything, he's a model teammate, he works hard at everything."

TAKEAWAY TRAINING: In two games this year, the Buffs have created four defensive takeaways — two fumbles and two interceptions — with three of those takeaways setting the table for touchdown drives.

CU linebacker Nate Landman has both interceptions, while defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson has one of the fumble recoveries and a tipped pass that led to one of Landman's interceptions.

"We have our own drill and we do it every single day," Johnson said of CU's fumble work. " We've been doing it all fall camp. We have a bunch of different drills for getting the ball out, picking up the ball, every single different drill you can think of. We work on it almost every day. That's a goal, to get turnovers."

Johnson, a sophomore junior college transfer, has had a solid start. He is fourth on the team with 16 tackles, including 2.5 quarterback sacks, two other tackles for loss, four third-down stops and a fumble recovery.

LANDMAN INSTINCTS: Landman is another player who is turning heads nationally. The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after CU's opening win over Colorado State, Landman this week was named the Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week.

"When he arrives, I always say that he arrives in a bad mood," MacIntyre said. "When he hits you, it seems like the guy's body always gets jarred one way or the other, and the football went flying a couple of times. He'll keep doing that. The thing he does really well is, when he sees (a play developing) he goes, he doesn't hesitate. He has an innate ability to do that. … Then he has an explosion and power because he's such an excellent athlete. He's explosive and he's 230-something pounds. He kind of has it all. The other thing is, he is extremely bright. He can think under pressure."

PRICE IS RIGHT: MacIntyre said field goal kicker James Stefanou "tweaked" a groin muscle on an extra point try against the Huskers, something that led to his two missed field goals in the fourth quarter.

If Stefanou can't go this week, the Buffs will use one of their Price brothers, Evan and Davis.

Davis Price is a junior who already handles kickoff duties, and is now handling punting duties after starter Alex Kinney suffered a collarbone injury against Nebraska. His younger brother, Evan, is a freshman walkon.

"Evan or Davis, whichever Price is right," MacIntyre said. "We're working with both of them. I'm not sure right now, they both kicked today. If Alex Kinney were healthy we might have let him kick field goals or taken kickoffs off of Davis and let him (handle placekicking). Davis is going to have to punt and kickoff, if Evan can handle it might be a better load. If he can't, we'll see. We've been working them and I'm sure Mrs. Price (their mother) is a little nervous right now thinking about it."

Evan has yet to kick in a game for the Buffs, but could make four appearances this year and still redshirt under the new rules.

Davis was 4-for-6 on field goal tries as a freshman, including a 54-yarder against Oregon State, the the longest in the nation in 2016 by a freshman as well as the CU record for the longest field goal made by a freshman.

DREAM GAME: One of the lasting moments from the postgame Colorado celebration in Lincoln came when CU head coach Mike MacIntyre and his son Jay, a senior receiver, shared a celebratory hug on the field.

Jay MacIntyre had perhaps the best game of his career against the Huskers, finishing with a career-high eight catches for 45 yards for a career-best two touchdowns.

"It was a dream come true," Jay MacIntyre said. "This whole season, I just want to take it all in. Everything me and my dad have gone through over the last four years, and really through his whole career. State to state, different teams … to go beat Nebraska at Nebraska, the rivalry, everything you hear about it, was an incredible feeling. It's the only time I will ever play them, and to get a 'W' there was great."

Mike MacIntyre said it was no doubt a special moment.

"Anyone that has a kid that's a senior in high school or a senior in college, when they get to those ages you parents that have been in that situation know what I'm talking about," he said. "You kind of go, 'Wow, it's kind of going to be over soon'. You cherish those moments a little bit more. I have to stay really composed during the game but as soon as it was over and I knew we had won, when I saw him it hit me. It was a special day all the way around. To say the least, I enjoyed it."

HIKE FOR HER SET SUNDAY: MacIntyre's wife, Trisha MacIntyre, will host the annual "Hike For Her" event Sunday, an event geared to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer. Trisha MacIntyre was inspired to create the event after losing her mother, Jenny Rowan, to ovarian cancer in 2015.

"My wife's goal is to educate others about signs and symptoms, and if we can, we believe we will be able to save a lot of lives," MacIntyre said. "It is kind of the silent cancer killer amongst women, and you don't really know until it's too late, but there are a lot of signs and symptoms. We are trying to raise awareness."

According to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, an estimated one in 75 women will develop cancer during her lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 22,280 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed this year and that more than 14,240 women will die from ovarian cancer this year.

But when a case is diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent.

In Saturday's game against New Hampshire, the Buffs will wear a teal ribbon on the back of their helmets in honor of the cause.

Hike for Her is free of charge and will begin at 9 a.m. at the NCAR Table Mesa Trail. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. and parking is available in the NCAR parking lot (1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder).

For more information and to register for the hike visit CUBuffs.com/hikeforher.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu