First Practice Notes

Spring Practice has me amped up and with the added potential bonus of prizes I gave in and purchased my season tickets, not that I ever considered not actually doing so, and I even anted up the $20 to mildly "upgrade" my seats for the csu game, albeit only an assurance that I will be in one general area in one corner near student section, instead of somewhere across half of the stadium.  However, as long as the Bohnhead is in charge, I won’t give another added cent.

First Practice Notes: The first practice, with 101 players coming out to the field for the opening of yet another era of CU football, went well according to head coach Mike MacIntyre: “A good first day, we got a lot of good work in.”  Having learned from Bill Parcells, MacIntyre runs a tight ship and up-tempo practice. He hopes to pack in as many reps as possible to see as much as he can of each player in these first eight practices (one or two scrimmages) before the coaching staff sets a depth chart and narrows down who gets the remaining reps in the final seven practices, including a scrimmage and the Spring Game.

MacIntyre’s comments on the second practice: “They’re listening and getting better. I was pleased with how they did today, I really was. They’re doing very well. They are taking notes in meetings, they are listening out here. They are taking coaching very well. To me that’s a part of discipline – that they listen.”

Many people in attendance on Thursday commented on the fact (no leakage here) that it was strange not to see or hear Brian Cabral on the field.  The last time he wasn’t there was before the 1988 Freedom Bowl.

WR Paul Richardson was back at full speed doing everything (hope it’s okay someone “leaked” this), even fielding punts. QB Shane Dillon said he caught three TDs, including two 60-yarders. Richardson said he was always a hard worker, but that now he is more motivated than ever, trying to figure out the little things to get better, constantly asking questions to learn and understand more. WR Coach Troy Walters said of him: "He's been awesome. The first thing that really stuck out was his willingness to learn and to grasp what I had to share. He's by my office every day. He wants to learn. He wants to get better." 

One poster leaked that if players made a mistake they did push-ups on the spot; with Embree’s crew it was often some running where the player would then miss out on a couple of reps away from the group..

Christian Powell was working with the running backs without restrictions.  We will see if that is the case Tuesday, the first day in pads, or first day with some real hitting.

QB Battle: Not a lot to report yet here after only two days in “pajamas” and very little of the offense installed, but MacIntyre said, “I thought they picked up the offense well today what we were doing. They were getting the signals, getting them lined up, getting the snap count. 

We didn’t have a lot of miscues on the snap count or the snap of the ball.” 

Athlon’s Pac-12 Spring Preview wrote this somewhat scary but not so unlikely prediction: “Considering the uncertainty surrounding this position, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Colorado start more than one quarterback in 2013.”

Supposedly Shane Dillon is the frontrunner, as he would have been with the last coaching staff; one NetBuffs poster wrote: “from what the buzz is out of Boulder is that Dillon is the man on and off the field.” Another commented that although Dillon has gained over 20 pounds, but (hope this isn’t a crucial leak) said he still looks “thin”.  Dillon himself is still very confident and says he has met with both Lindgren and MacIntyre to talk about the things he likes and doesn’t like in offensive plays.  John Henderson of the Denver Post did a nice piece on Dillon: http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_22756771/cu-buffs-quarterback-shane-dillon-powered-by-perspective

Nothing mind-blowing or even new information, but nice piece on the QBs by Pacific Takes’ 

Jack Follman: http://www.pacifictakes.com/2013/3/7/4037462/colorado-spring-football-preview-macintyre-tries-to-unravel

Position changes: No leaks yet on any other position movement or experiments, but we should start to hear some more (leaks) about position changes and experiments this week. MacIntyre commented, “Nothing these first two days. Mainly, we’re just playing where they are, and evaluating as we go along.”

Clay Norgard has enjoyed his switch from FB back to his more natural spot of LB on defense. 

DD Goodson actually told MacIntyre he thought he would be better suited as a slot receiver in college football and they went with it. “He’s done real well after the first two days. He can run after the catch. He’s a quick guy. Hopefully he’ll be able to help us. I think he will.”

Injuries: No new injuries were reported in the first two practices, but offensive lineman R-Fr. Marc Mustoe was hit on his bicycle in January without a helmet and is out indefinitely with lingering concussion symptoms.  Mustoe was thought to be the guy to get the most reps at LT with Alex Lewis already out.  He hopes to be back for at least some of spring ball.  In the meantime, Jack Harris will play a lot of LT, Stephane Nembot a lot of RT, with most everyone else better suited for the inside.

Here’s the remaining Spring practice schedule, most sessions 3:45-6:15PM on the lower Boulder Creek fields:

Tuesday, March 12              Practice (first day in pads, no tackling)
  Wednesday, March 13              CU Pro timing day for 2013 draft eligible players

Thursday, March 14            Practice (first day tackling)
Friday, March 15                  Practice (scrimmage)
Tuesday, March 19              Practice
Thursday, March 21            Practice (no tackling)
Friday, March 22                 Practice (scrimmage)
          Spring Break

Tuesday, April 2                   Practice (no tackling)
Thursday, April 4                 Practice
Friday, April 5                       Practice (scrimmage)
Tuesday, April 9                   Practice (no tackling)
Thursday, April 11                Practice

Saturday, April13                                 Spring Game, 10:30AM, televised on Pac-12 Network

Tuesday, April 16                 Final practice (shorts/helmets only)

Another off the field issue? RB Davien Payne has been suspended from any team activities for violating team and university policy (not law enforcement) and is out indefinitely, and according to his coach, has a lot of work to do to get back in the good graces of the team and univerisity.  This doesn’t bode well for a guy at a position with lots of bodies and on a roster that is currently six over the limit for the fall.

No word on any consequence for DE Samson Kafovalu and his frat house bouncer and brick wall incident, although his new nickname appears to be “Kool-Aid” http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/samson_kafovalu_can_play_for_me_any_day/13055812

Other Buff Notes: Saturday was Colorado High School Junior Day and a bunch of local junior football players toured campus and the facilities-athletic and academic and I am sure viewed the “plans” for the new-fangled future renovations and upgrades-and then went to the CU-Oregon St. basketball game. I don’t think there are any out-of-staters so the weather will have no bearing on kids’ view of Boulder.

There seemed to be a quite a few large, letter jacket-wearing young men wandering around the Coors Events Center.  WR coach Troy Walters tweeted out that there were “a lot of great Colorado players on campus.”  A few of the names that were definitely there  include coveted Thunderidge OL prospect Sam Jones, two of his teammates QB Brody Westmoreland and WR Mark Hopper, Highlands Ranch’s DL Tanner Smith, Kyle Moorcones; Silver Creek was also well represented with coaches’ son LB Andre Apodaca, K Ryan Charles and 6’8” two-way lineman Isaac Miller (who was supposedly offered Saturday).

CSU-Pueblo coaches with CU ties-John Wristen, Donnell Leomiti, Paul Creighton, Bernard Jackson-were at practice observing Thursday. Former d-lineman Josh Hartigan was also in Boulder.

Two former Buff standout defensive backs and graduate assistants have landed jobs: Cha’pelle Brown as a Grad Asst. at Oregon and Ryan Walters as Cornerbacks Coach at North Texas.

Frequent commenter BoulderDevil has started his own blog on Colorado Athletics and here is his first football post: http://buffwatch.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html