Sunday morning stream of consciousness reaction

I predicted a shoutout but I had no idea. While I wrote that CU would be able to match Cal punch for punch and come out on top, a few hours after posting I told a neighbor I didn't think the Buffs could keep up. And I continued to waffle throughout the game as the team made so many excellent plays and a seemingly equal amount of horrible costly mistakes and I am running out of ways to discuss this concept.

The Sefo-led offense starring Nelson spruce was especially dominant for much of the game but was still plagued by imopportune errors-penalties, dropped passes, plus Sefo's one interception was at the worst time-and amazingly left a lot of points on the field. Even will Oliver (0fer3 on FGs) and darragh oneill (2 untimely shanks) joined in the fun.

The sandwich around halftime was once again awful, and when they could have put the game away, they graciously opened the door for cal to come roaring right back into it.

The turning point was actually early in the second quarter. Tedric Thompson picked up what appeared to be a fumble and ran it in for a TD, which would have made it 28-7, only to have it ruled merely an incomplete pass. Shortly there after Thompson bruised his sternum, never returning and the defense was never the same. Although the offense scored another George Frazier TD before the half, they missed two field goals while the defense gave up a 92-yard TD on a short pass on which I lost count of the missed tackles. Even up 28-14 at the half, everyone in buff nation was nervous, and with good reason.

The third quarter openly terribly with crawley giving up a long TD, a couple of dropped passes on offense the. coach MacIntyre getting flagged for going ballistic on ref for non-call PI before darragh shanked one of his worst punts ever, suddenly tie game.

The buffs did not give up though and traded blows to the end, but it was hard believing that they would win.  The teams inability to pick up short yardage has killed them, especially near the goal line, and that was basically how they ended the game. The defense can make a play here and there, but cannot put together the string they need to keep their offense in control of the game.

There will a lot of positives to take from this game but still too many head shaking mistakes to feel much confidence moving forward. It is going to be hard to find a win the rest of the way making the magnitude of mistakes they find a way to make.

California Golden Bears Preview

Everyone-coaches, players, fans-on both sides of the wall expect their team to win this game.  Rick Neuheisel and Mike Yam both said it is a must win for each side.  Both squads are playing for six wins and that elusive bowl game, which comes with fifteen added practices, but it is all but impossible to envision either team reaching that goal without winning this game.  Each offense has shown the ability to rack up yards and points, while each defense has been inconsistent, looking strong at times but giving up their share of big plays and scores. The Buffs won big last year at home but that doesn’t mean a whole lot today.  Although the Bears are riding a 15-game conference losing streak, they are much improved over last season and are playing at home. However, the wild card is how this young teams responds coming off a heartbreaking hail mary loss to Arizona on the road last week.

§  Line: Cal opened as 10 point favorites and it has gone up to 11.5

§  Depth Chart moves/Burn the Redshirt: There were no new redshirts burned or any substantial player moves.  Brady Daigh played well in relief of Gillam, Jonathon Huckins played one series for Kawai Crabb, and George Frazier saw his role increased with his first carry and his first TD reception, while still racking up a couple of tackles on defense.

§  WR Lee Walker has been banged up and is no longer listed as a “substitute” on the depth chart, likely redshirting and leaving Jay MacIntyre as the only other true frosh listed who might still play this year.

§  I find it interesting that Elijah Dunston has not gotten on the field for even one offensive snap, or even special teams for that matter (as far as I can tell).

§  Injuries: DEs Markeis Reed and Garrett Gregory are still out, but could back for Oregon St.

§  Addison Gillam is day-to-day and likely a gametime decision after a concussion early in the Hawaii game.

When the Buffs have the ball:

§  The offense has put up over 400 yards in three straight games and is beginning to click.  Sefo still shows his youth with some ill-advised decisions, telegraphing his intent (usually Nelson Spruce) and still-too-frequent overthrows, but he has a stable of weapons and spreads the ball around when he isn’t getting it to Spruce (who has way too many awesome stats to list). 

§  Do everything George Frazier had his biggest role in the offense (while playing 15-20 snaps on each side of the ball) and that should continue as he seems to be a better receiving option than either TE.

§  Former WR Griffin Piatt has had an interception in each game, but the Cal secondary definitely showed some weakness against Arizona and will need to be exploited for the Buffs to succeed.  They gave up a lot of big plays to Arizona and I would expect even the conservative play-calling duo of Lindgren and MacIntyre to dial up some long passes early.

§  Cal’s defense was stout early but has little depth and cracked late, giving up 36 4^th quarter points in the choke loss to Arizona.  In general the Bears start fast and the Buffs will need to keep plugging away and be patient.

§  The running back committee is still not settled and it is difficult to gauge how the coaches decide playing time.  Four backs seems like too many for anyone to find a rhythm.  I personally like what Powell and Lindsay have to offer and Tony Jones has been very reliable, which would leave the underperforming but supposed “starter” Micheal Adkins the odd man out.  The offensive line has not been good at opening holes for any of them.  It would be extremely helpful to the effort if the team could grind some yards and clock on the ground and keep the Bear Raid off the field.

§  LB Jalen Jefferson leads the team in tackles and is the heart of the defense.

When the Bears have the ball:

§  Cal has started fast in every game, jumping out to leads with big plays (14-0 vs. Arizona after only four offensive plays), so the Buffs need to be ready from the outset.  They spread it out and often line up fast Oregon-style.

§  QB Jared Goff is much improved and more efficient than his impressive campaign, even if the numbers are not quite as big.  He still loves to throw the ball and has a speedy crew of five receivers- Darius Powe, Chris Harper, Bryce Treggs, Kenny Lawler and Trevor Davis-with at least 8 receptions and over 100 yards, and all can take it to the house.  This group will throw the ball all over the field and will present a serious challenge to a Buff secondary, who although they are coming off their best game, it was against a much less talented team and QB.

§  S Tedric Thompson has been the surprise standout on the defense, leading the team in tackles with the team’s only two interceptions.  CB Kenneth Crawley is much improved opposite Greg Henderson, who has been a rock since giving up the losing TD in the opener.  However, Crawley is also one of the team leaders in tackles, and it is never a great sign to have your DBs involved in so many tackles.

§  John Walker has been pretty good in the nickel slot and will be on the field most of the day.  We will likely need to see some other DBs since Cal spreads it around so much and plays a speedy game with a lot of deep shots.  T-Fr. S Evan White has impressed whenever he gets on the field and Marques Mosley has played some as well, but we have not seen any of senior captain Terrell Smith on defense, not any Yuri Wright.

§  The CU defensive line will need to get some pressure but Goff is pretty good at getting rid of the ball.  The Buffs probably need to blitz as well but Baer has been reluctant to do so at times, fearful of giving up the big play.  They have tried a series of corner blitzes, but even Hawaii was picking up on that and exploited it a few times.

§  Both Cal RBs, Daniel Lasco and Khalfani Muhammed, have had some success this year and have the ability to bust a big play.

§  If Addison Gillam is not able to play, it will be key for Brady Daigh to step up again in the middle of the field.  He is more suited to a run-stopper but is not as fast to keep up with all the Cal weaponry.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see something different here as well, like Olugbode moving to the middle and someone else as the second LB (Rippy?) besides Daigh or Greer, especially if things don’t go well early.

Special Teams:

§  Darragh O’Neill is still stellar; Wil Oliver is solid and was booting kickoffs out of the endzone at home, but we will see what he does on the road at sea level, especially as the game rolls on.  Phillip Lindsay is a weapon on kickoff returns and Spruce catches punts well.  It would be nice to get a big play in this phase.

§  The team appears to have solved coverage problems, but this will be the fastest team they have faced and Oliver will have a harder time on kickoffs.

§  Overall, each side needs to and expects to win against their easiest foe of the conference schedule.  It should be a high-scoring affair but the Buffs will match Cal punch for punch and win a thriller something like 43-39.

§  If  you need some more:

Stuart’s TIPS: http://www.cuatthegame.com/2014/cu-at-california-a-preview/

Rumblin’ Preview: http://rumblinbuff.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-cal-football-preview.html

PacificTakes take: http://www.pacifictakes.com/2014/9/26/6849305/colorado-vs-california-preview

Plati’s CU Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/cal14/cunotes.pdf

Cal Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/cal14/calnotes.pdf

Quick Hawaii Review

A win is a win and the Buffs are .500 again.  The team played a dominating first half and the defense held serve the second half as well, never allowing a TD.  However, this Hawaii team was really not that good and ended up playing three different QBs.  The offense was serviceable in the half, moving the ball well and putting up three TDs, but they did leave some points on the field by not picking up third downs and once again running Phillip Lindsay straight into the line on 4th and 1.  Sefo's bad throws were bad, but he was generally solid.  His first INT was due to the fact that he thought Shay Fields was interfered with, as did I, but no flag was thrown. Nelson Spruce was his usual all-everything, setting the CU single game record for receptions with 13 for 172 yards, however, he only scored one TD this week bringing his average under 2.  Shay Fields continued to be a major factor, catching a lot of balls and reversing one for a TD.  The highlight of the half was probably two-way player George Frazier catching a short pass and barreling into the endzone for the third touchdown.  The defense had by far its best game against probably it weakest offensive opponent, but they did not give up many yards and always limited the Rainbow Warriors to field goals, even when the offense gave them good field position. And they did it without Addison Gillam, who was concussed; Brady Daigh came on and played very well (although he will struggle a lot more if he has to play against the faster and spread out Cal offense). Tedric Thompson had an interception and Greg Henderson a strip sack and fumble recovery as the secondary continued to improve; Crawley had his usual couple of nice tackles and plays, along with a few bonehead plays, including his second offsides on a kickoff this season. Chidobe Awuzie is settling in at free safety and made a few nice hits.  Darragh O'Neill was stellar punting as usual and ran for 18 yards and a first down.  Wil Oliver kicked most kickoffs into or out of the endzone and Phillip Lindsay returned one kickoff past the 50, although the offense did nothing with it and punted three and out.  All in all, the Buffs showed a lot of positives and won a game they were supposed to, covering any spread. However, and there is always a few buts and howevers with this group, they still made many glaring mistakes that they probably won't get away with in conference.  That being said, Cal lost a heartbreaker last week, and although they have possibly the most potent offense they Buffs have faced, they showed they are vulnerable defensively both on the ground and through the air.

Fan note:  The most disappointing aspect of the game was the fans, or lack thereof. The Buff "faithful" are the epitome of fair weather as even on a beautiful day, there were less than 40,000 in the stands. The first week, it was "too late and too cold", this time is was "too early and too warm". Most can't even make it inside to see Ralphie run, the greatest opening spectacle in sports.  To top it off, many leave at halftime to never return (missing Ralphie again?!) and many more leave early regardless of the game.   It would be really nice if a few people stuck around to the end to enjoy the game cheer the team on-like they really needed late in the ASU game when they were making it interesting-or to celebrate with the team in victory-there was only a handful to sing the fight song with the players after the Hawaii game ended.  Maybe the 2:00 PM kickoff and fall temps will fall into the "just right" category and attract a few more of the fickle Goldilocks fans to the Oct. 4 Oregon St. tilt.

Hawaii Preview

The Buffs made dramatic improvements in all phases of the game against ASU and that must continue against their last non-conference opponent.  Colorado is expected to win, but Hawaii did give both Washington and Oregon St. all they could handle (although both games were at home).  One distinct advantage the Buffs should enjoy with the early noon kickoff is that it will be 8:00 AM Hawaiian time for the Rainbows’ first road game of the year, having rarely fared that well on the mainland.

§  Line: The Buffs opened as 7 point favorites, and it has risen as high as 8 ½.

§  Depth Chart moves/Burn the Redshirt: WR Donovan Lee was the fifth freshman to burn his redshirt and was used on two reverses, one going for 29 yards.  Coach MacIntyre has insinuated that a couple more true frosh could still get on the field and WRs Lee Walker and Jay MacIntyre are still listed on the depth chart.

§  R-Fr. George Frazier not only lined up as FB, but it also the third TE in certain packages and now has added DE to his job description.  MacIntyre realized he was a little short on d-ends and made the move, which is permanent.  Frazier is the first two-way player at CU since John Guyton played a few snaps on each side of the line in 2006.  This move probably saves the redshirts of DEs Michael Mathewes and Jase Franke.

§  R-Fr. Jonathon Huckins came in at LG while Kaiwi Crabb moved out to LT when Jeromy Irwin was concussed.

§  Injuries: DE Markeis Reed and Garrett Gregory are still out. Jeromy Irwin supposedly was back to normal with his concussion protocol on Sunday and should be cleared to play.  RB Tony Jones (who had his best day as a Buff) is a gametime decision with a chest bruise.

§  Buff notes and Connections: WR Nelson Spruce, who leads the nation with six receiving TDs, was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

§  Four buffs hail from Hawaii: three seniors DT Juda Parker, LG Kaiwi Crabb and backup LB KT Tu’umalo, plus redshirting freshman CB Jaisen Sanchez.

§  There are three Hawaiians making a sort of homecoming this weekend: Former All-American Buff and NFLer Chris Naeole is the offensive line coach for Hawaii, Chatfield’s Ben Clarke plays tackle for the Warriors and DE Kory Rasmussen came to Boulder for one year before returning home to play.

When the Buffs have the ball:

§  The Hawaii defense is much improved and limited both Washington and Oregon St. and are not to be taken for granted.  That being said, the Buffs should own a talent edge across the board and should find some success.

§  The offensive line started to gel a little and had its best day yet against ASU, finally opening some holes for the RBs who were finally able to break a couple of big gains. Powell, Jones and Lindsay all had success last week but Michael Adkins has not looked good at all.   This rotation should continue this week and the hot hands will keep getting the rock and I think they will find some running room.  They do have to deal with 320-pound Moses Samia in the middle. DE Kennedy Tulimasealii leads the team with six tackles for loss.  However, the line is still letting Sefo get hit a little too often.  Nembot was certainly better, and there doesn’t seem to be a viable option.

§  Sefo should have a lot of success as he seems to be clicking with all his receivers now.  He should be able to rack up some yards this week with so many weapons.  Even with attention from teams Nelson Spruce continues to find space.  T-Fr. Shay Fields is Sefo’s second favorite target, but Bryce Bobo, DD Goodson and Tyler McCulloch are all starting to get involved, not to mention Donovan Lee.

§  I hope they can find a way to get the TEs involved at least a little (only 3 catches for 23 yards between them).  This position could be dynamic for this offense and would really open up the field for those speedy receivers.  It is a shame that Dylan Keeney injured his knee-although he recently returned to practice, MacIntyre said they won’t burn his redshirt at this point, without an injury anyway.  Maybe we will finally get to see Connor Center.

When the Rainbows have the ball:

§  Hawaii is a run oriented team, but will be without its best RB Joey Iosefa, so bigger but slower Steven Lakalaka will be getting the majority of the carries now. He rushed for 124 yards last week, but that was against Northern Iowa and on like 30 carries.

§  QB Ikaika Woolsey is mobile, rolls out a lot and will take off running if need be, although he is not the most explosive runner and even this defensive line should be able to contain him.  His career passing high is only 236 yards (and by all of us printing this we are guaranteeing he breaks it this week).  He has two main receivers, Quinten Pedroza and Marcus Kemp, each with double digit catches, plus versatile former Aussie Rules player Scott Harding (see more below).

§  All in all, the CU defense should be able to handle this group, but I have said that before and they are still very young, especially those defensive ends.  I am hoping that Baer mixes in some blitzes again to take some pressure off them, but they will be wary of the QB getting outside the tackles, so they might not do it that often.

§  Addison Gillam has not been his spectacular self, but he has still been good, is second on the team  in tackles, and should only get better as the season rolls on.  He still has not put back on all the weight he lost during a summer illness.  The other LBs have been relatively quiet, but Woodson Greer likely will play more this game, and maybe a little Brady Daigh, since they are playing a more run=oriented team.

§  I have only noticed minor substitutions in the Buff secondary, after the coaches said they would be rotating quite a bit to rest players, but not so far.  Tedric Thompson leads the team in tackles and has the one interception. Kenneth Crawley, even with a handful of bonehead plays, is light years ahead of last season, while Greg Henderson has been solid, but has been beaten a few times and teams are not afraid to go at the senior.  Chidobe Awuzie is now the free safety and seems to be a natural fit.  John Walker appears to have nailed down the nickel slot.  True frsoh safety Evan White has gotten in for a decent amount of snaps, but I don’t think I have seen much of Terrell Smith or Marques Mosley, nor Yuri Wright. Akhello Witherspoon has been hampered by injury and struggled in his brief appearances.

Special Teams:

§  The best aspect of this group was that Wil Oliver bombed all his kickoffs deep into or out of the endzone and the unit didn’t have to cover any kicks.  That should continue on Saturday (although will become a problem when they go on the road and play at sea level).

§  Darragh O’Neill was his usual self booming punts and pinning half inside the 20.

§  His counterpart, Hawaii punter Scott Harding will also be catching O’Neill’s punts as Harding is also a backup receiver and main punt returner.

§  Phillip Lindsay showed what he can do as a kick returner busting an early kickoff for 46 yards (after that however, Zane Gonzalez booted perfect high kicks that landed almost exactly at goal line, within a few feet of the sideline, making them very difficult to return). 

§  Overall, this will mark the third time the Buffs are favored to win, so they should not have too much problem with this one.  However, I think it will be close and that Hawaii will find a way to stick around.  In the end, the altitude and relentless Buffaloes will be too much for the Warriors to handle, Buffs 34-27.

§  If  you have some more time before the early kickoff:

Stuart’s TIPS: http://www.cuatthegame.com/2014/cu-vs-hawaii-a-preview/

Plati’s CU Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/uh14/cunotes.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600

Hawaii Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/uh14/uhnotes.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600

Buffs give ASU a run for their money

It was a gorgeous day for college football and the Colorado buffaloes came to play. It was by far their best performance in three tries with a lot of positives to build on. The offense actually out gained the sun devils, the offensive line opened some holes and all the receivers got into the action, including Donovan lee who burned his redshirt and broke a nice reverse. The defense even held its own with some key stops and even some three-and-outs. If it wasn't for three turnovers the buffs could have even won this game.  But the Michael Adkins fumble was killer and flipped the momentum back to ASU at the half and they came out and marched down the field to take a big lead. No matter what happened though the young buffs never packed it in and kept fighting to the finish giving us something to look forward to the rest of the season. Go Buffs! 

ASU Pre Mortem

This game is just a scary proposition.  So many stats and matchups that favor ASU.  Although the South Park folks have a new CU intro to unveil, there are less than 40,000 tickets sold, for a Conference and home opener, under the lights and on national TV (part of the problem?) and a designated “blackout” game.  We will get to see the new renovations on the north end and there are now two “beer gardens” set up (in Balch Fieldhouse and outside the main gates around the Buffalo statue) for fans to drown their sorrows and the university to make some cash for the projects.

§  Line: It opened at 13.5 and within a few hours it was up as high as 17, seeming to have settled between 15-16, which still seems tempting and low to me.

§  Depth Chart moves/Burn the Redshirt: They have only burn four so far but MacIntyre admitted they are still working with a few who could play.  With the injuries (below) I think it is possible we see another d-lineman, whether it is Jase Franke or Michael Mathewes, as well as one of the speedy frosh wide outs.

§  Injuries: DE Christian Shaver is a question mark for the game (ankle), as is DE Derek McCartney (concussion).  Markeis Reed (hernia) is still out, as is backup DE Garret Gregory, leaving the d-line super thin, increasing  the chance of seeing another freshman.

When the Buffs have the ball:

§  Sefo has looked good, but this offense needs to be a lot better and more explosive to keep up with what the defense will allow.  They will probably put up some, but it won’t be nearly enough.

§  Bryce Bobo looks to be a solid complement to Spruce and Fields, but they also need others to contribute.  Can DD Goodson or Tyler McCulloch, or TEs Irwin or Slavin for that matter, get on the same page as Sefo and hold onto a couple of balls, or is it time to unveil Lee Walker and/or Donovan Lee?

§  I think Michael Adkins is still slowed by his ankle, and therefore Powell, Jones and Lindsay all had their moments.  However, this week is a different story and someone is going to have to find yard against a much stiffer defense.  This could be the game that Lindsay breaks out a little since he is able to squeeze into small spaces and make moves that leave defenders flat-footed.

When the Sun Devils have the ball:

§  Taylor Kelly and DJ Foster are just way too much for this team to handle, especially with the injuries to the defensive line.  If they can’t slow down the run game, ASU will be able to do whatever they want.  Addison Gillam, Greg Henderson and everyone else must play out of their mind for the Buffs to have any chance in this game.

§  S Evan White got a lot more reps and I like the idea of using him and putting Chidobe Awuzie at the corner, since Crawley has reverted to his freshman ways and no one else has done any better.  Let Witherspoo, John Walker and the rest fight for the nickel spot. 

§  De’Jon Wilson looks to have earned the coaches favor with a lot more playing time the second game.

§  I don’t know what else to say without being really negative.

Special Teams:

§   Darragh O’Neill continues to be a stud and is working on his NFL resume as a strong punter with deep pinning expertise.

§  Wil Oliver is an adequate kicker at best, shaky from over 40 yards and usually only good for one decent kickoff. Diego Gonzalez needs to grab the kickoff job and let Oliver focus on place kicks.

§  The return game is boring and not that effective and the coverage units are ridiculous. The kids must not have that much respect for Neinas or he isn’t doing much of anything out there.  This might be the most dangerous phase of the game this week. I think I would actually be more surprised if ASU does NOT score a return TD.

§  Overall,it's just going to get ugly and I can't even make a prediction.

§  If  you need some more to keep you occupied until the late kickoff:

Stuart’s TIPS: http://www.cuatthegame.com/2014/cu-vs-arizona-state-a-preview/

Rumblin’ Preview: http://rumblinbuff.blogspot.com/

Plati’s CU Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/asu14/cunotes.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600

ASU Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/asu14/asunotes.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600

Massachusetts Minutemen Preview

NOTE: This piece never posted before the game but I put it out here anyway.  As usual I was pretty far off, except the part about the defensive line sucking, especially since this team is turning out to be closer to the worst case end of the pre-season possibility spectrum.

The Colorado Buffaloes are coming off a disheartening loss that they definitely could have won, if they had stuck to the game plan and not gotten overly conservative.  Massachusetts is barely a FBS (D-1) team and has gone 1-11 the past two seasons.  Under new and old coach Mark Whipple, they hope to regain some of the magic that got them promoted in the first place.  They do not have a ton of talent, but will be the home team as the Buffs make their longest non-Hawaii road trip ever.  There is no TV but it will be on the radio, Watch ESPN on the computer (likely putting the new 21’ Apple to work) and through the UMass site (but not sure how that works).

§  Line: CU actually opened as 17 point favorite, which makes me believe that UMass is really bad and even BC, who beat them 30-7 can’t be that great.

§  Depth Chart moves/Burn the Redshirt: No major news on the depth chart, except that WR Shay Fields and DE Christian Shaver were officially listed as starters.  Only one other true frosh played in the first game (S Evan White), but I have to think we will see more in the coming weeks, especially along the defensive line.  I would expect at least Michael Mathewes to play this week, if not Eddy Lopez and Jase Franke as well.

§  Injuries: DE Markeis Reed is still out (hernia); DBs Akhello Witherspoon (back) and Marques Mosley (lower leg-maybe a hockey injury?) are still nursing nagging camp tweaks.  Michael Adkins (ankle) is expected to play.

When the Buffs have the ball:

§  There is not a lot written about this defense, but they held tough in the first half, before giving away in the second, against Boston College last week.  From everything I can dig up, the Buffs really shouldn’t have much trouble moving the ball and scoring points, which is why they are 17 point favorites on the road.

§  Again, against what should be an inferior opponent, the Buffs will likely work to establish the run and build some confidence, especially with the o-line.  Adkins is banged up but they will rotate all the guys I am sure.  I would like to see more of Phillip Lindsay in better situations (his only real touches were one goal line carry straight into the wall and a failed reverse that was easily sniffed out).

§  Sefo showed some solid poise and nice chemistry with at least Nelson Spruce and Shay Fields, and even TE Sean Irwin.  However, it was difficult to get anyone else involved, overthrowing DD Goodson a few times and not really getting anyone else involved.  I’d like to see what Shay can do with something besides a bubble screen and if he or Bobo (who hardly played-is his shoulder still bothering him?) can get over the top.  I am not surprised, but it is disappointing that Kyle Slavin has never been able to do anything (he is also the last of four touted TEs recruited that year, none of whom ever really contributed).

§  The offensive line did not give up any sacks, but a lot of that credit goes to Sefo, who scrambled, dodged, ran and took a few big hits still.  Nembot looked worse than ever on pass protection once the rams figured him out and I wonder if he can withstand Pac12 pressure. I wonder if we will see any of Marc Mustoe or Shane Callahan getting some RT reps.  As a whole, the line did not do a whole lot to help out the running backs last week, but they should have a much easier time of it this week.

When the Minutemen have the ball:

§  QB Blake Frohnapfel transferred from Marshall and immediately upgraded their talent on offense.  His favorite target will be Tajae Sharpe, who had a 70 yard TD for their only score against BC last week. Jamal Wilson is the starter at RB, but true frosh JT Blyden showed some flash last week and I would expect them to use him more this week.  However, they do not appear to boast a great offensive line and even the young Buffs up front might have a chance to do something.  Hopefully, they can plug the holes a little better against a smaller, less talented line, and get a couple of sacks.  LB Addison Gillam should have a field day here and pad his tackle stats.

§  The secondary played relatively well, limiting the receivers and Grayson without a ton of help from the pass rush. Crawley had some moments reminiscent of his past, but was solid outside of those handful of plays.  Chido Awuzie was steady if not spectacular in his first work at safety and will only get better at reading the offense from there and anticipating what is going to happen.  John Walker was the nickel and was on the field a lot (Witherspoon and Mosley nursing injuries) but didn't make any big mistakes. Henderson actually got beat on one of the TDs.  There should be less of a challenge here, but they have to make sure they don’t get beat by Sharpe, and then don’t get beat by someone else while concentrating on him.  They should get their first pick of the season here as well.  If things go well, we should see, er hear about, Evan White getting to play some substantial time at safety in the second half. Or not.

Special Teams:

§   Darragh O’Neill may very well be the MVP again, but the kicker position is much less solid as Wil Oliver missed a 41-yard FG (money inside 40, but sporadic outside of it) and could not get kickoffs out of the endzone.  Even Diego Gonzalez got a chance and couldn’t do any better.  Nelson Spruce was solid catching and returning punts.  Phillip Lindsay didn’t really get a chance to return and kickoffs since csu does have a kicker that can kick the ball out of the endzone, but he should get a shot or two this week.  It would best if he only got one, but I believe the D will give up a few scores.  The Buffs should have a huge talent edge here, plus they have a dedicated coach, but the possibility of a big return gives me some concern.

§  Overall, it doesn’t seem possible that they could lose this game, a lot of shoulds, but regardless I am worried.  They will come out with win, but I think it will be difficult to cover 17 points on the road, Buffs 34 UMass 20.

§  If  you need some more:

Stuart’s TIPS:  http://www.cuatthegame.com/2014/cu-at-umass-a-preview/

Rumblin’ Preview: http://rumblinbuff.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-umass-football-preview.html

Plati’s CU Game Notes: http://www.cubuffs.com/fls/600/gameday/umass14/cunotes.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=600

Late Reaction to "win"

It didn't really feel a whole lot different from the previous week, even though the Buffs did overcome an 11-point deficit and get a win on the East Coast.  I want to be positive and happy for a win, but it is just not possible with this level of play.  MacIntyre said that they dominated the second half and could have scored sixty.  In fact, if they had actually scored 60, and not given up five touchdowns to a much less talented team, he would have been correct, but it is disheartening that they had to overcome anything against this team.

For every positive, there was at least one or more negatives. The defensive line was again awful, and there is not really even a positive to go along here.  The secondary got its first interception (Tedric Thompson off a Chido tip) but made uncountable mistakes: Crawley had himself a day to forget, at one point over the course of four snaps, was called for offsides on a kickoff, missed a tackle that would have been for a five-yard loss, gave up a first down catch and then called for a face mask when he couldn't make a clean tackle; and when Akhello Witherspoon or John Walker came in, it wasn't any better. The offense was able to put up some points, but the line was still terrible, letting Sefo get harassed quite a bit and never opening up any big holes for the running backs.  Nembot is scary bad and regressing, may have lost confidence.  The RBs did show some flashes, but Michael Adkins was ineffective (ankle?) and no one broke anything, Tony Jones getting the longest carry.  Shay Fields continued to make plays, including his first TD, and will almost certainly shatter most freshman receiving records, but showed his froshness when he allowed the UMass DB to rip a ball out of his hands for Sefo's only turnover of the year, setting up a Minutemen TD.  While Nelson Spruce also continued to shine, seniors DD Goodson and Tyler McCulloch (hate to say I told ya so) both dropped multiple balls. There was a Bryce Bobo sighting, but absolutely nothing from the TEs.  Darragh O'Neil was once again stellar punting the ball, but no one can kickoff and no one seems to be able to cover the kickoffs.  That's just a few of the main problems this team is still facing.

Oh yeah, and remember, this has all been against lower level opponents.  It shouldn't even be a question but UMass matched up well in terms of talent and coaching. They haven't even begun conference play yet and that is a scary thought.  It could get very ugly against 16th ranked ASU next Saturday night and most of the rest of the season.  Even Hawaii has put of a fight against Washington and Oregon St and will come in here thinking they can win (again-this season is starting to look way too much like 2012).

Looking forward, there still need to be some changes made.  Another redshirt was burned off DT Eddy Lopez' (didn't really notice his play) back and teammates Michael Mathewes and Jase Franke should follow shortly.  S Evan White got some defensive playing time and looked good-I wonder if they don't just move Chido to corner and bring in White full time at safety.  We have yet to see senior captain Terrell Smith even get a chance on defense (coaches decision), nor Yuri Wright, nor Marques Mosley (injury).  A change could also come on the offensive (feel free to pronounce either way) line, most likely at right tackle.  I would still like to see more of Phillip Lindsay.  It might be time to unveil Lee and Walker as well.  Something has to give on kickoff coverage-I don't understand how they can be soooooo baaaaaaad with a dedicated coach.  It looks exactly like the first few games last season and ASU will almost certainly score on special teams.

Here is a short preview of my ASU preview from later in the week: The Buffs are going to get killed in all phases of the game and it will be a black and blue blowout at Folsom.

The first of many depressing Post Mortem reports

I have tried to forget Friday night but obviously I didn’t drink enough because it is all pretty vivid in my mind still.  I can only hope the old adage is correct, that “the good is never as good as it looks and the bad is never as bad as it looks in the first game.”  Or how about “teams make the most improvement between weeks one and two.”  Well, outside of the first quarter and one short stretch at the beginning of the third, it was really bad, and there is a lot of room for improvement.  At least I picked the actual score numbers correctly.

Positives: So, we will try to start with the positives (and don’t worry, I won’t go over all the negatives because I don’t have time).  Nelson Spruce looked great with a couple of touchdown catches and has almost reached last year’s punt return marks already.  His counterpart, true frosh Shay Fields is indeed ready for primetime, starting over Bryce Bobo, and grabbing 8 catches for 6 yards, mostly on bubble screens.  Punter Darragh O’Neill was back to his old self and better with a 45+ yard average, still downing 4 inside the 20, and two of them inside the 10. SDerek McCartney's strip sack was highlight of game for defense. LB Addison Gillam was again a beast, chasing down 1o tackles, however when your next two leading tacklers are defensive backs…oh crap, that’s not a positive.  TE Sean Irwin caught a couple of balls.  Sefo, overall, looked pretty good, but his offensive line was terrible in front of him...oops not a positive either. John Walker started and played most of the game as the nickel back (Chido was free safety) and didn’t appear to get torched.  Okay, that;s a stretch so I guess that's it.

#Burn That Redshirt: The Buffs only played three true frosh, with DE Christian Shaver getting the start and S Evan White getting some time, along with Fields.  Me thinks that this list grows in the coming weeks, especially on the defensive line.

Turning Point: Most people have written that one of the csu drives in the 3^rd quarter was the turning point, since CU held a 17-7 lead after Derek McCartney’s fumble and the ensuing TD drive, but really, it was MacIntyre’s decision to kick a FG on 4^th and goal at the one at the beginning of the second quarter.  Up to that point, the Buffs had really dominated the rams for the first quarter and were on the verge of blowing open the game 14-0.  As if it wasn’t bad enough that they called three straight obvious running plays up the gut from the 2, MacIntyre opted for the field goal instead of going for the TD on 4^th, admitting at halftime he didn’t want to risk giving csu the momentum if they made the stop.  What message does this give his team? >>>> “I don’t think you guys can score and I am afraid that the defense will give up a 99-yard drive to tie the game.” His team believed him and outside of the brief flash in the 3^rd, were manhandled the rest of the game, giving up long drives and unable to pick up key yards when they needed them.

Some of the many burning questions: First of all, everyone said the game would be won in the trenches and it certainly was, so what the *&%! is going to happen with the lines next week, and ULP, when conference play arrives?  I really don’t know and I do not envy coaches Bernardi and Jeffcoat.  Has Nembot actually gotten worse on pass protection?  He looked awful and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some shake-up on the line soon, starting with him.  Why was the play calling on both sides of the ball so bland?  After the 1^st quarter the ram defense had little trouble stopping the Buffs basic runs, slow to develop plays and vanilla pass routes.  On defense they stayed in their base nickel the entire game, rarely blitzing anyone in passing situations, and never mixing it up, even when the rams were running right over them.  Will this team ever turn it around on 3rd down and pick up a key one on offense or make a big stop on defense?  Their numbers and performance on that key down Friday were the latest version of failure that we have been cringing at for years now.  What happened to the promised major rotation of DBs-I don’t think I ever saw anyone but the base 5-and where were guys like Terrell Smith, Akhello Witherspoon, Marques Mosley and Yuri Wright?  Especially since Kenneth Crawley was back to his old tricks, getting two key penalties to keep a ram scoring drive alive, and getting really lucky not to give up a long TD when the receiver let it go through his arms.  Could Brady Daigh have helped against that pounding rushing attack?  Where were the other receivers like Bryce Bobo? Why didn’t we see more of Phillip Lindsay, who had only one ill-fated run up the middle in the goal line stand and a horribly executed reverse that the entire stadium saw coming?  What happened to the disciplined team that limited penalties last season?  Why can’t CU recruit a freaking kicker that can kick the ball out of the end zone and through the uprights?!

Next up: The Buffs opened as a 17-point favorite over UMass, but it is a long road trip to the East time zone, where the team has never fared well.  They should win, but that is all I can say.

Pacific Takes fantasy league: My new team sucks this year and I feel like every decision I made in the draft, the guy I didn’t take had a monster first week.  Let’s hope the stupid adages work here too.