Colorado is still searching for its second conference win under head coach Mike MacIntyre, while UCLA is still searching for its first complete performance since a blowout win at Arizona State last month. The Buffs and the Bruins don’t have the most storied history, although quarterback Sefo Liufau did try to fight linebacker Anthony Barr after taking a late hit last year. Kyle Ringo from the Boulder Daily Camera answered five questions about the Buffaloes.
1. What were the biggest challenges facing Mike MacIntyre when he first took the Colorado job? Has this season been a bit of a step back after his four-win debut?
The biggest challenge is one shared by all programs that have struggled through multiple losing seasons — it’s tough to recruit to that. He’s approaching the two-year anniversary of his hiring and still struggling to get serious interest from many top-flight recruits. The four-and five-star players want to play for a winner. Most generally don’t want to be a part of building a program into a winner. That made addressing another problem more difficult. He needed to increase the speed and athleticism of his team, which he has done, but there remains work to do there. MacIntyre also took over a program that badly needed some major facilities upgrades. Those are underway now with $181 million project in and around Folsom Field. Finally, I’d say another significant problem he faced, maybe the most significant when it comes to actually making headway, was getting players in the program to develop a culture of caring about each other and playing for each other on Saturdays. He inherited a fractured team with factions and friction.
This season hasn’t been a step back by any means. This team has been much more competitive in every game except the USC game last week. The Buffs should have beaten Cal in overtime and had Oregon State and Arizona State on the ropes late. Two years ago, almost every conference game they played was over early in the third quarter if not earlier.
2. Sefo Liufau has improved in most statistical measures, but has also thrown more interceptions (nine) than any other Pac-12 quarterback and ranks last in yards per attempt (6.3). How would you assess his development from freshman to sophomore?
He has improved quite a bit. His biggest problem has been trying to force throws at times into coverage. When he learns to avoid those and either throw the ball away or pull it down and try to make a few yards with his legs, he could really blossom. He is doing a good job of taking what the defense gives him, which is what he is coached to do here. That often means CU needs to string together 8-, 10-, 12-play drives with short passes mixed in with the running game. He manages it well and is on pace to set just about every significant single-season passing record in CU history this year. If he throws a touchdown pass against UCLA this week, he will tie the single-season record for touchdown passes (22) set by Koy Detmer in 1996.
3. Colorado has only allowed 12 sacks despite Liufau throwing more passes than all but four other quarterbacks in the country. How much is that a credit to the offensive line, and how has that unit looked compared to preseason expectations?
The line has really done well in that area of the game this year. I think it’s a result of these guys being in their second year in the system and really developing and understanding of offensive line coach Gary Bernardi’s philosophies. I also think this offensive line is better than the 2013 version. I think Liufau deserves some credit for this as well. He has been better about being decisive this season and getting rid of the football to avoid sacks.
4. How much of a surprise is the emergence of receiver Nelson Spruce? Have defenses adjusted to him more in the last couple of games?
I don’t necessarily see this season as the emergence of Spruce. He was very good last season as well, but he was overshadowed by Paul Richardson then. Having said that, I have been a bit surprised that Spruce has provided so many explosive plays. (Spruce has 10 receiving plays of at least 20 yards, tied for first in the Pac-12.) He is deceptively fast and has great hands. He’s a really savvy, determined guy. Those qualities combined with his physical tools make him one of the three or four best receivers in the Pac-12 in my mind. I would say defenses are paying more attention to him now and he is occasionally seeing different coverages than he saw earlier in the year.
5. The Buffaloes are giving up 6.40 yards per play, which puts them at 113th nationally and last in the Pac-12 by a good margin. What’s troubled this defense the most, and is there hope of fixing it through the second half of the season?
I don’t think all the issues with the defense can be attributed to being young, but I do think that is a big problem. CU generally has two freshman defensive ends, two sophomore linebackers and two sophomore defensive backs on the field because it plays a lot of nickel defense. Several of its key subs are also freshmen or redshirt freshmen or sophomores. I think it’s fair to say this team just doesn’t have the horses it needs yet, and those it does have generally aren’t as experienced and physically mature as the opponents they face. You see issues with tackling and with guys being out of position or a step slow in reacting. All of that comes with more experience and with more maturity and time in a strength program.