More Bye Week Notes

I can still write it: Colorado is still undefeated!  Here are a few more Buff tidbits:

Game Notes:

§  One of the things this 20 day gameless period will do is allow the Buffs to work on all the little things they want to correct from the first two games, but even more important is that they will have had the time to install much more of their playbook, both offensively, like finding ways to get the ball to P-Rich as well as utilize him as a decoy, but also defensively to implement some different blitz packages.  They should be able to surprise Oregon St. in a few ways.

§  Ryan K made a great point on the Buff Stampede podcast that the Buffs the biggest drawback of these almost three weeks without full out competition is that the players will not be used to “game speed”. No matter what you do in practice, it can never replicate full in-game speed and physicality.  It especially worries me on special teams and if we win the toss we better take the ball.

§  After a practice today (Fri) the players will get the weekend off, as coaches hit the recruiting trail.

§  Review of the tape: Start time of the Oregon St-San Diego St. game is 5:30 Mtn (7:30 Eastern) on CBSports-I’ll be watching and will report out next week.

§  Reschedule? The talk now has been of a $600,000 offer for Hawaii to come on their bye week (Hawaii always has the option of a 13^th game if they so choose) which would not be a bad option at all for the Buffs.  Many fans and media at least want their team to make the trip to Boulder, as it would be great PR and exposure, as well as some much needed cash. 

§  BoulderDevil suggested we adjust the current agreement to make next year the away Hawaii game in the series (it is scheduled for Boulder), enabling CU to still add another home game against possibly an FCS team, and make this year the home date; this might leave a gap in the 2015 schedule, but that could be covered by keeping at Hawaii still and adding another home tilt with them down the road, or they could even schedule a completely different team instead that year, including switching it to an extra home game (like so many “big” schools do). 

§  Some reports said this Hawaii deal had been killed while others were simultaneously saying it was almost done Wednesday afternoon. As of Friday morning it was still alive, but nothing has been decided.

§  Injuries: No new injuries have been reported and most everyone is healing up. We’ll see if anyone who has a more serious injury (Ford, Irwin, Webb) are ready to go, or wait until October to return.

§  However, true frosh DE Timothy Coleman, who has been limited due a knee injury (and therefore not expected to play this year), now has compounded that with an Achilles injury, and it looks like he’ll need surgery and would officially redshirt.

§  Honors, mentions and recognitions or headlines of any sort: True freshman LB Addison Gillam leads the Pac12 in total tackles.

§  2014 Recruiting: Buffs holding steady at 13 verbal commitments. It sounds like they have made some new offers in recent weeks.

§  After having had some extra time to review game film of the first few high school games of recruits, a bunch of coaches are heading out on the road to recruit this bye weekend, but the seniors have really stepped up their leadership and helped out. “It will be a skeleton crew at practice Thursday and Friday.” Five of the coaches left Wednesday, and there will only be two full-time coaches at Friday’s practice.  MacIntyre also will hit the road to see a few games this weekend, but he is not revealing which ones.