Yet Another Discouraging, Disheartening, Disappointing Performance from and Uninspiring Team

With just over a minute left in the first half, the Colorado Buffaloes were tied with the Washington Huskies 0-0, yes that is correct, zero points for each squad.  Even when UW scored right before halftime, there was still cause for optimism as the game was tight and CU was definitely in the game; we all said in the stands that “we would take it”. Then, they came out after halftime and stopped the Husky offense, forcing a punt…which was muffed in a quite spectacular play (read more below), leading to a TD and the flood gates opened.  The first half was the best half of the season by far for the defense, but of course, the offense could do absolutely nothing, either with Connor Wood or Jordan Webb, and barely avoided a shutout with a FG set up with the team’s best kickoff return of the year by Marques Mosley. Overall, the team was described as looking “dead” by at least one Washington player.  The Buffs’ penchant for following anything positive with a gaff continued as Washington gave the Buffs every chance to take control of this game early, but they could never capitalize on Husky miscues, penalties and turnovers. 

The Buffs definitely had some costly penalties of their own (although this is a much improved area over last year), and most importantly, must frustratingly, redundantly continuing to make many of the same miscues that they have been continually making all season over and over again, every game in all phases, which makes it all the more frustrating that they keep making these same stupid mistakes again and again.  Here are some of my favorites:

·         Whenever the Buffs run a bubble screen with two receivers out wide, the second receiver fails to block the opposing DB who then easily tackles the catching receiver, often for a loss.  The 10-year-old sitting above us could see it.  These receivers aren’t just slow, they’re wimps.  If the ball isn’t right to them (which we know won’t be often and even then…) they also can’t go up and fight for a ball, either to take it for themselves or at least knock it away.  McCulloch is the worst culprit here (which I have been saying for awhile) and was being called out by Larry Zimmer throughout the game.

·         The whole Jordan Webb thing falls into this category, as it doesn’t seem he really gives us any worse of a chance than even Wood, who handles pressure poorly as well.  At least they stopped asking Webb to throw crossing routes since he is always behind, but they still have him throw these long sideline balls that are ALWAYS overthrown, and even if they are in a catchable the range, the pussy receivers are rarely going to come down with it.

·         Of course, it doesn’t matter who is under center, since they all make horrible decisions, but I would rather lean to youth and mobility so I would have rather continued with Wood, even with his erraticism, which is different, but no worse than Webb’s version.  Hopefully Hirschman is back next week.

·         When it is third or fourth down with one yard to go, they are horrible, telegraphing their plays, so that even if they don’t run it straight up the gut for nothing, the defense seems to know exactly what they are doing.  Against Washington they gave Powell a deep handoff almost every time in this situation and each time the Husky defenders got a huge push and hit him behind the line. The one instance they were “successful” on 4^th and 1 was when the refs had actually signaled and moved the chains for a first down, but Jordan Webb made a desperate scramble to secure the yard and set up 2^nd and 9.

·         The defense played relatively well in the first half, slowing down the Husky offense, albeit with the help of some stupid bad dog penalties, but they constantly had to deal with bad field position, either from turnovers or special team penalties and errors.

·         Speaking of penalties, the Buffs are actually way better than last year in this area, but they always seem to be costly, negating a big play, a defensive stop or adding on to an opponent’s return.

·         Across the board tackling is so shoddy that backup running backs chalk up yardage when the starters get tired of running all over. How many times does someone hit a runner behind the line of scrimmage, only to see him make a huge gain? The team couldn’t even wrap up the punter, who was already almost on the ground from a fumbled snap. 

·         I would rather have this defense facing a third-and-4 than longer because they always give up the long ones.  In fact, the longer it is, the more likely a team can convert.

·         What is up with DBs giving these gigantic cushions, making it so easy to convert short gains and longer conversions?  They STILL are falling so badly to this brand new innovation they call “the screen pass”?!

·         Is your long snapper supposed to be the first one down the field on punt coverage and one of your leading tacklers in that unit?  Ryan Iverson is consistently one of the first guys down the field on punt coverage and one of the team leaders in special teams points.

·         Worst of all is Eric Richter on the offensive line.  I am sure he is great guy, we know he is super strong, I would totally be supportive of getting him a few snaps next week for senior day, but it makes absolutely no sense on any level to have him rotating in for meaningful snaps at this point in the season.  The only reason a senior, or even junior at this point, should be playing over an underclassman is if they are significantly better. If that were the case with Richter, he would have been playing earlier and all the time.  More often than not when there was a bad play by the line, whether weak run blocking or terrible protection, Richter was in the game, and a few times was the obvious culprit. Who the hell rotates on the offensive line anyway?  If they do, it is by series, not every few plays.  This forces Jack Harris to constantly change what he is doing with his body and feet and who is doing it in conjunction with as he switches between RT and RG.  R-Fr. Stephane Nembot (who only has a few years of football under his belt) could be getting even more experience?!  It isn’t like they are “resting” Nembot, as he is sprinting in and off the field throughout the game.  Is this really the best thing for the line, the offense, the team?  Come on, man!

·         Lastly, I will close with the turning point, the huge mistake that exemplifies everything that is wrong with this team.  With the game still very much in question, the Buffs only down 7-0 and having stopped the Huskies on their first possession of the second half, they sent back their new punt return formation with both Nelson Spruce and Kenneth Crawley back to receive.  Of course, having two guys back there is supposed to make it safer, give whoever catches it a block and some help.  Instead, as the ball heads toward Crawley Spruce turns his back to the ball, Crawley doesn’t seem to communicate well and lets the ball bounce in traffic, and it ricochets off Spruce’s shoulder toward the sideline.  Indicative of its attitude and style, Washington players were dancing and bouncing on the sideline all day, flying around the field and hustling and finishing every play, and sure enough a Husky player dives and Larry Bird saves the ball back in bounds where Washington player swarm and recover the ball.  Boom touchdown 14-0.  Boom next possession Jordan Webb stands in pocket and is crushed, fumbling the ball into the hands of TE (yes, tight end) Austin Sefarian-Jenkins who is filling in for them at DE also (he’ll probably play some basketball in the offseason to keep in shape, for the varsity squad, seriously).  Boom touchdown, game over.