Buffs Practice Report: Tucker Determined Not To Let 'Dog Days' Set In

BOULDER — They are known as the "dog days of August," those end-of-summer days when lethargy looks for a place to roost.

For college football coaches, they are the days when their radar must be especially keen, the days when maintaining a team's focus and intensity is a task that requires extra attention.

"This is a critical time in camp because the newness has worn off and the first game is still a little ways away," Colorado head coach Mel Tucker said Monday morning, after the Buffs had completed their 10th practice of training camp. "It's what you call the dog days of camp. We really had to push them hard today but they responded. That's what I really like about this group. They respond to coaching, they respond to harsh criticism."

Monday's workout represented the halfway point of camp. With 10 practices under their belts, the Buffs now have 10 practices remaining until "game week," when they begin specific preparation for their Aug. 30 opener against Colorado State in Denver (8 p.m., ESPN).

"Guys are coaching hard and we're pushing these guys through so we can get better," Tucker said. "We don't have a day to waste. It was a hard-hat, no French pastry, meat-and-potatoes type day. Nothing really eventful. No flash. It was just a really hard work day."

Monday's workout, coming on the heels of Saturday's first scrimmage of camp and a day off Sunday, was indeed a "meat-and-potatoes" type of day. The Buffs were in shells, but got plenty of contact work in during team drills as they continued to focus on camp priorities: run game, run game defense, ball security, red zone work and third-down situations.

After the workout, Tucker told his team he needed leaders to continue to step to the forefront. It is a theme he has steadily emphasized since the beginning of camp, but he made it clear that it is now imperative that Buffs players take ownership of their workouts — and not depend solely on the coaching staff for motivation.

"I'm just asking for more leadership out of this group of guys," Tucker told the media after practice. "Guys that have played a lot of ball, guys who know what it's all about. Leadership is always going to come from the coaches, but ownership with the players is really when you know you've got something. We're getting it here and there, but we need more. We're going to ask for more, we're going to demand more and keep pressing these guys. We just have to stay on them, stay on them, stay on them. Every day. We cannot let up one moment."

Tucker said he does his best every day to gauge his team's attitude before practice. Then, he and his staff react accordingly when the team hits the field.

"As a coach, you have to anticipate and have the heartbeat of your team, have the pulse of your team and know what to expect," he said. "When I walk into that meeting room at 7:30 in the morning every day, I have a feel and our coaches have a feel for our guys. When we come out and we stretch and the guys are warming up, you can feel the vibe, you can feel the energy, what the atmosphere is of the team. You have to be ready to max that, you have to be ready to counter that, you have to be ready to enhance that — whatever you have to do as a coach to get your guys ready to go and get 'em better. That's what we did today."

SCRIMMAGE REVIEW: Tucker said there were no real surprises after he reviewed video of Saturday's scrimmage.

"I wouldn't say anything jumped out, other than the fact that we have a lot of guys offensively that can make plays," he said. "It's just a bunch of guys, receivers, running backs, tight ends. I don't know how many guys caught passes — 22 guys — that's a good thing. That means we have good competition, we're going to be able to play a lot of players and we'll have balance that we need. Everyone knows that Laviska (Shenault) is a great player. But we have other guys that can produce as well. That really stuck out to me."

TIGHT END PROGRESSION: Tucker's vow of incorporating the tight end as a key component of CU's offense is clearly not an empty promise. The Buffs use their tight ends regularly, and they were targeted on a consistent basis in Saturday's scrimmage, with five different TEs catching at least one pass.

"I would definitely say that the group has taken a step," Tucker said. "We're going to use our tight ends … First and foremost they have to do a great job blocking for us. In the passing game we target all of our tight ends. Brady Russell has stepped up, Darrion Jones has stepped up. We're going to have three or four guys we can use in the run game and in the pass game. I'm happy with that position."

When Tucker hired his staff last winter, he brought NFL veteran Al Pupunu in to tutor the position.

"Coach Pupunu has done a great job," he said. "He's a guy who's been there, has done that. He played nine years in the NFL. He knows what it takes and he knows how to coach the details of the position in the run game and the passing game . Our guys should thrive in our system."

PRACTICE REPORT: The Buffs were in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets) for their 10th practice of camp and spent a good amount of time in team work sessions. … Sophomore wide receiver Daniel Arias went up high between two defenders to grab a pass in the end zone on a nice pass from Sam Noyer … Freshman defensive back Mark Perry continues to put himself in position to make plays … Senior corner Delrick Abrams Jr. had a nice pass breakup in 1-on-1 drills against Laviska Shenault Jr. …

The Buffs continue to make sure they are developing offensive line depth across the front. Tim Lynott took some snaps at center Monday and Colby Pursell got some reps at guard, something that will make sure CU has a veteran ready in both spots in the event of an injury … JC transfer defensive lineman Janaz Jordan was a disruptor against the run on a couple occasions … Inside linebacker Nate Landman, who had a sack in Saturday's scrimmage, is getting stops behind the line of scrimmage on a steady basis … Overall, the defense had one of its better days of camp against both the run and pass.

SCHEDULE: The Buffs will be back in full pads Tuesday, with another full-pads workout scheduled Thursday ahead of Saturday's second scrimmage of camp.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu