Woelk: Takeaways From Buffs At UCLA

BOULDER — Colorado coach Mel Tucker has been here before.

Late Saturday night, as his Buffaloes trudged out of their Rose Bowl locker room following a 31-14 loss to UCLA, Tucker noted it's not his first time with a first-year coaching staff.

Neither is it his second or third. Matter of fact, going back to his high school days, it is the eighth time Tucker has been part of a program in its first year of a new coaching staff.

The general rule of thumb?

It is seldom an easy transition.

"It's usually very, very difficult," Tucker said. "There's a lot of things that need to change. That's what I'm here to do. We're going to get it right. It's a tough time for us right now, but I know what needs to happen … There's ups and downs and you have to stay the course, make adjustments along the way and keep chopping."

No doubt, Tucker's first year in Boulder has been particularly vexing because of the season's trajectory. After three wins in the first four games, including two over then-ranked teams, expectations — inside and outside of the program — soared.

But then came some bumps in the road, which turned into potholes, which turned into major detours — and now, the Buffaloes have veered off track with another lengthy losing streak as the calendar turns to November.

There is no quick fix. As Tucker noted Saturday, "You can't sprinkle dust on them, you can't wave a magic wand. It's really, really difficult and I expect it to be."

But what Tucker can do is continue to build on the fundamentals he has been installing since he arrived and continue to identify players who are willing to put in the work required to turn Colorado's fortunes around.

That message is constantly being delivered.

"I'm looking for guys that are going to compete, continue to fight, work to get better, do what we ask them to do," Tucker said. "There's a lot of film study, a lot of corrections that need to be made. We have to have a really good week of practice. We're going to continue to look for guys that have the type of behavior on a consistent basis that we need to get this job done."

In the big picture, that job is turning around the fortunes of a program that has spent the last decade wondering whether the light in the tunnel is an oncoming train.

But the immediate task is figuring out how to reverse the current trend and end a five-game skid. Thus, our takeaways from Saturday's game:

1. Player leadership is needed. Tucker and his staff can do everything in their power to change the culture of the program, but if CU's fortunes are to change over the remaining three games this season, it means some of the team's current leaders have to step up.

"The next couple weeks are definitely going to fall on the leadership," linebacker Nate Landman said after Saturday's game. "The younger guys are going to be looking to the older guys to give that guidance and reassurance that we're not out of it. We have three games left, three opportunities to get better and play Colorado football."

2. Landman practices what he preaches. The CU junior not only hasn't let up in the five-game slide, he has stepped up his effort.

Landman was credited with 11 tackles Saturday against the Bruins, including his first two sacks of the season, and he received his highest Pro Football Focus grade this year (79.2).

But maybe most importantly, he's setting a standard for CU's younger players. If the Buffs are going to reverse their path over the last three games, it will require increased effort from every corner. Landman is showing how that is done.

3. Every unit contributed to Saturday's loss. Offense, defense, special teams — they all had a role in helping the Bruins to a win. The defense gave up some big plays early. The offense committed an early turnover, struggled to finish drives and couldn't take advantage of a defensive takeaway deep in UCLA territory. And, of course, there were two missed field goals on special teams.

Tucker is a big proponent of "complementary football." It means all three units feeding off of each other and taking advantage of opportunities when presented. Saturday, the Buffs came up short in each of those areas.

4. The Buffs refused to quit — a good sign — but that's not enough for Tucker. It would be easy for Tucker to pin at least part of the Buffs' slide on injuries, a factor that has resulted in Colorado starting five true freshmen this season (the most since 2014). Tucker could also point out that his team hasn't quit. Even after falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter, the Buffs stayed within reach of the Bruins until late in the third quarter.

But alibis and moral victories are not commodities Tucker either buys or sells.

"Football's a game of attrition," he said. "Guys are going to get hurt and the next guy has to step up and make plays. There's no excuse. Those guys practice, they know the game plan. They have to go out and make plays … It's about getting the job done."

5. Penalties improved … This was a bright spot for the Buffs on an otherwise mostly dreary night. CU drew just five flags, the fewest in five games.

6. But there were still too many self-inflicted wounds. It's a familiar refrain that the Buffs can't stop singing. Missed passes, turnovers that lead to touchdowns, dropped balls, key penalties, missed tackles, missed assignments — they all continue to contribute to missed opportunities.

Tucker isn't pinning the blame on anyone, but he's determined to find a solution. That, he stressed, is the job of the coaching staff.

"It's based upon individual guys," Tucker said. "Everyone reacts differently. That's what we have to do as coaches — find ways to keep our guys going, get them better. Continue to get young guys to understand what's required and keep moving forward."

7. Running back Jaren Mangham will be a force. The CU true freshman isn't flashy, but he's also showing he's hard to bring down, and he isn't prone to negative yards. Mangham ran 17 times for 77 yards against the Bruins, with his longest run 16. He's tough inside — 39 of his yards came after initial contact — and he has a burst outside.

He will be a dependable back for Colorado for the next several years.

8. There's still no panic or chaos in Tucker's approach. Tucker knows he was brought to Boulder to change the culture of a program that had slipped. It took more than a decade for the Buffs to get to that place, and he knows such a foundational makeover isn't accomplished overnight.

"There's nothing easy about it," he said. "You can't sprinkle dust on them, you can't wave a magic wand. It's really, really difficult and I expect it to be."

It's why he isn't afraid to throw young players into the fray. Experience is the best teacher, and those bumps they are taking now will pay off in the future.

But Tucker hasn't given up on this year. He truly believes the Buffs can still get some wins down the stretch, and he knows every victory is a building block that will pay dividends.

It goes back to all those places where he was part of a first-year staff. He's been part of turnarounds before and he is confident he will construct one in Boulder.

"I truly think we're going to respond," he said. "We're going to look at tape and find ways to get our guys better, whether it's penalties, execution on special teams, finishing drives, getting off the field on third down, tackling, whatever. We're going to keep grinding and cranking until we get it right."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

Players Mentioned

Nate Landman

Jaren Mangham

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