With one of the Pac-12’s stingiest defenses and a balanced offense, Colorado is the surprise leader of the Pac-12 South. The Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1) are in the midst of their best season since 2005. We caught up with Brain Howell of The Daily Camera and BuffZone.com to figure out what’s behind Colorado’s big season.
1. From the outside, it seems like this Colorado team came out of nowhere. Not many people expected the Buffs to be anywhere than last in the Pac-12 South and now they have a very real chance of winning the division. From someone who has followed regularly, what indications (if any) were there that this year would unfold this way?
The Buffs have been better than I expected, but I did predict they’d win seven games and get to a bowl game because I did see them as a team ready to win. First and foremost was the experience factor. They are loaded with seniors and juniors this year, many of them playing significant roles, and many of those guys have seen the field throughout their careers. With that, the leadership on this team is phenomenal, and since the end of last season, there’s just been a different vibe around this team because of that leadership. They’ve managed to put that all together and now they’ve confidence to go with it. Going up tempo on offense has helped, too. That’s brought a new attitude to the offense.
2. The Colorado defense jumped from sixth in points and yards allowed last year to second and first, respectively, this year. How did the Buffaloes make so much improvement so quickly?
It’s really been a two-year process. Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt was hired before the 2015 season and he took over one of the worst defenses in the country. He and his staff have done wonders on defense. CU had good, young talent when Leavitt got here. But, he took that talent to a new level with a 3-4 scheme the players love. They enjoy playing for Leavitt – who is a players’ coach and brings great energy to the practice field. With good talent and comfort in the scheme, they’ve been able to enjoy success and build confidence off of that.
3. How has the running game been able to improve to turn the offense into one of the most balanced in the conference?
The biggest factor has been the play of the offensive line. They really struggled up front last year and had a bunch of injuries. This year, they’ve been relatively healthy and they’ve got a veteran, experienced group up front. They still have some trouble with pass protection at times, but their run blocking has been very good. With room to run, Phillip Lindsay and Kyle Evans have had breakout seasons. Lindsay is an underrated back who has had a great year to this point.
4. The Buffaloes have missed four field goals in the past two games. How big of a concern are special teams for CU?
It’s a major concern. Special teams cost them at Michigan and it nearly cost them a game at Stanford. Starting kicker Diego Gonzalez tore his Achilles at Michigan in Week 3, and the Buffs have used three different kickers since then. Before Gonzalez’s injury, they hadn’t missed an extra point in five years; they’ve missed three since he went down. There’s not a lot of confidence if they need to kick field goals, either. They’ve also had issues at times with the punt team, and they’ve had some muffed punt returns, as well. Special teams is the clear weakness of the Buffs.
5.With bowl-eligibility already and some notable conference wins, how has the energy around the program changed among fans?
It’s night and day from previous years. In fact, it’s night and day from August. During fall camp, there were still plenty of fans skeptical about whether the bowl drought could end, and many fans wondered if Mike MacIntyre would make it through the season if they started losing games early. Now, there’s talk of the Rose Bowl, a contract extension for MacIntyre and a recruiting class that is shaping up as one of CU’s best in years. It’s a dramatically different feeling around this team.