Buffs Making Red Zone Early Priority
August 05, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
Buffs complete second day of fall camp
BOULDER — Cool weather greeted the Colorado Buffaloes for the second day in a row Friday as they completed their second day of fall camp.
Colorado players hit the field in shorts and helmets and put in a brisk two hours of work before heading to Media Day duties.
The Buffs will add shoulder pads to their gear Saturday, which will enable coaches to get a look at players in some contact situations. The schedule calls for next Tuesday's workout to be the first day in full pads while Wednesday will then feature the first two-a-day session of camp.
"You know, we are just running around in what I call pajamas, it's not really football yet," MacIntyre said. "So they're having a good time doing that. (Saturday) we'll put on shoulder pads and helmets."
Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt echoed MacIntyre's sentiments.
"We haven't put pads on, so we don't know if anybody can play football yet," Leavitt said. "We'll find out a lot more beginning next week."
The Buffs did work on red zone offense for the second straight day, somewhat of a rarity for so early in camp. But it is an area in which the Buffs struggled a year ago, and MacInytyre has made it a priority for this year's camp.
"You just practice it more," MacIntyre said. "You know what defenses are going to do down there, you get your system down, you get comfortable. I think if you emphasize it, you get the results."
The Buffs were last in the Pac-12 a year ago in red-zone percentage, converting just 38 of 54 opportunities, with just 26 touchdowns. A year earlier, the Buffs scored 29 touchdowns in 45 trips inside an opponent's 20-yard line.
"If we can get back to the same rate we were at in 2014, the way our offense is moving the ball will radically change the scoring difference," MacIntyre said.
The Buffs are also getting regular special teams work in daily, with assistant coaches sharing duties instead of one coach being specifically in charge of special teams.
"We have coaches that have been special team coaches before on staff," MacIntyre said. "We have coaches that have coached special teams in their careers a tremendous amount. It's put more emphasis on each member of the staff. Now the staff is totally involved in it. Everybody helped before, but when you have more of a stake in it, you're going to put more time into it and the players are going to be more committed."
PRACTICE TIDBITS: Quarterback Sefo Liufau continues to show no signs of the Lisfranc foot injury that sidelined him for the spring. Liufau is clearly not afraid to run and cut, and is having a solid camp throwing the ball thus far. … Liufau connected again Friday on a deep ball to Shay Fields, the second day in a row the two hooked up for a big play. … Running back Phillip Lindsay is running with a purpose, even without pads. … The Buffs are experimenting with wide receivers Bryce Bobo and Tony Julmisse at defensive back, rotating them back and forth from offense to defense on alternating days. … QB Steven Montez had a beautiful deep TD pass to Lee Walker in 7-on-7 drills.
Defensive end Jordan Carrell got up in the air and batted a pass down, much to the delight of his defensive teammates. … Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon made a great play by lunging in front of a receiver at the last second and batting a ball away. … Offensive line coach Klayton Adams continues to shuffle the "No. 1" line with a variety of players, and it may be another week or two before Adams settles on anything resembling a top five.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
