Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Tony Harman
Brooks: Buffs’ O-Line, D-Line Play Will Be Pivotal Against Ducks
September 23, 2016 | Football, B.G. Brooks
Domination is a weekly key, but especially in Saturday's Pac-12 opener
BOULDER – Klayton Adams' and Jim Jeffcoat's shared responsibility as Colorado football coaches is pushing their players to set a high weekly standard for physicality and take control of games.
Easier said than done, particularly in the Pac-12 Conference. But when it's done – and both Adams and Jeffcoat believe it can be this week – the results are sweet.
Adams coaches the offensive line, Jeffcoat the defensive line, and the performance in their respective areas on Saturday in Eugene will be essential to CU's chances of defeating Oregon for the first time as members of the Pac-12.
The Ducks are a dominant 5-0 against the Buffs since CU signed on in the Pac-12 in 2011, with Oregon's average margin of victory in those five wins a shade over 38 points a game. Yet leaving Boulder victorious last season was uncharacteristically difficult for the Ducks; they won by 17 points (41-24) but trailed 17-14 in the second-quarter and were tied at 17 at halftime.
Whatever that means for the Buffs in Autzen Stadium is negligible. And truth be told, this week's goal for Adams' and Jeffcoat's units differs little from last week's and what will be expected of both next week.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is what line coaches have in mind when they speak of "setting the tempo" – and the Buffs feel good about doing that this year.
Not to slight the Ducks' fronts – the Buffs' recent history against them won't allow it – but this season's matchups at the line of scrimmage don't appear to be tilted heavily toward Oregon. In the O-line the Ducks are expected to start one senior and four redshirt freshman. Oregon's D-line is typically talented and speedy, but CU won't have to contend with 6-7, 300-pound DeForest Buckner – the seventh overall pick (49ers) in last spring's NFL Draft.
Advantage Buffs? If you dare to say it, do so with caution.
"They've got lots of length and speed, just like they always do," Adams says of an Oregon defensive front four that features two juniors and two sophomores. "They're playing lot of different guys, which tells me they feel like they have good depth and they play with good intensity . . . if you give them a lot of space they're athletic guys with good length so they'll try and take advantage of that."
JEFFCOAT'S OBSERVATION OF OREGON'S O-line begins with one word: "Speed – they will be the fastest front we've faced. Their scheme is tremendous, they're a top ten running team (No. 8 at 296.0 yards a game) but they've been that way for a while. They make you pay for mistakes; they play sound football."
CU's starting O-line Saturday likely will be the same fivesome that opened last weekend at Michigan – senior Alex Kelley at center, junior Gerrad Kough at left guard, redshirt freshman Tim Lynott Jr. at right guard, junior Jeromy Irwin at left tackle and redshirt freshman Aaron Haigler at right tackle.
Haigler made his first start last week but split time in the second half with junior Sam Kronshage, who had been slowed by an ankle injury. Although Haigler is listed as No. 1 on CU's depth chart, Adams expected the week's competition to determine Saturday's starter.
"It's all about competition," Adams said. "There's a fine line between being able to jell as a group and for every one of those guys to know they'd better be at their best every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practice. And they better be at their best on Saturday because I feel like we have enough depth to say, 'If you ain't doing your job this week there's somebody else who will.'"
Haigler said his first start "went well" but conceded game-to-game improvement is needed not only for him but the entire O-line: "The whole line can play better as a group, be more physical. It's not about one guy, it's about all of us. It's not about one guy having a great game; we all have to have great games. It doesn't matter if a couple of guys do well, if one is bad we all do bad."
In the 45-28 loss at Michigan, CU was held to a season-low 64 yards rushing (261 passing). Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre called the Wolverines D-line "excellent," but added, "I thought our offensive line did well for the most part. If we could have stayed more balanced throughout the game we would have been more productive on the offensive line. When we got behind they knew we were going to throw a little bit so they could just lay their ears back. I thought our offensive line did well for the most part against an excellent defensive line."
Michigan did what was expected when redshirt freshman Steven Montez replaced senior starter Sefo Liufau at quarterback in the third quarter – the Wolverines hounded and harassed Montez. If Montez starts Saturday (Liufau suffered a sprained ankle last week) Haigler expects the Ducks to ramp up their pass rush.
"Yeah, they might bring some heat at him but (pass protection) is what we do in practice every day," Haigler said. "It's not going to be a big deal that we're not ready for. We go over that stuff all the time. We're ready for it."
Oregon has registered nine QB sacks in three games (third in the Pac-12) and, like CU, has allowed five (tied for third in the conference). But four of the QB takedowns occurred last weekend. Better pass protection, said Adams, comes from his overall goal of being more consistent as a group, executing proper technique, and "not making uncharacteristic, easy mistakes.
"There's going to be something in every game that (the opponent) pulls out that we haven't seen or weren't expecting to see, based on what they've done. But we can't screw the easy things up. There's going to be mistakes, we know that. We have to become a more consistent group . . . the guys have to be dependable."
JEFFCOAT IS SEEKING THE SAME overall dependability. His all-senior front three – Josh Tupou at nosetackle, Jordan Carrell and Samson Kafovalu at ends – "held up well" at Michigan, he said.
"They understand what they're doing, the philosophy of the defense . . . we've got three big guys inside and faster guys as the backups. It makes it difficult for other teams to prepare. We can put bulk and speed on the field."
CU's starting front three in its 3-4 base defense average 300-plus pounds, with Tupou weighing 325 and often being able to occupy a pair of blockers at a time. Kafovalu called him "a big presence" and a big reason that "our defensive front is a lot better than last year."
Another important reason, said Jeffcoat, is that after three games his three big interior guys are playing themselves into game shape: "The first two games (a pair of blowout wins) they didn't play that much. But last game they played quite a bit. They're working their way into it, they run extra gassers (after practice). They take pride in it."
Given the Ducks' overall offensive speed and the Buffs having to chase another mobile quarterback (Dakota Prukop), look for Jeffcoat's substitutions to be frequent. Behind Carrell and Kafovalu at ends are Timothy Coleman and Leo Jackson III, with Michael Mathewes backing up Tupou.
"Our defensive front is doing well," MacIntyre said. "Our backups are doing well."
The three backups comprise Jeffcoat's "speed front," with none of the trio heavier than 275 pounds (Jackson). Plenty of snaps await them Saturday; a good portion of the Ducks' game plan likely will be avoiding Tupou & Co. with inside runs, preferring to test the Buffs on the perimeter. And the absence of CU's edge-setting outside linebacker Derek McCartney (ACL, out for the season) probably will underscore that strategy.
It won't be anything unexpected, noted MacIntyre: "Some of the runs Michigan was doing were outside, so I'm sure Oregon is going to attack us outside more. We've got to shore that up. (The D-line) is going to have to play well against Oregon.
"They always have to play well for us to be successful; they're good enough to control a game, which they've done at times. At Michigan they controlled parts of the game. That's what I expect out of them."
He's expecting the same from his O-line, as is Adams. And Haigler hears about that expectation daily.
"The whole reason he says that is because it's true; we do set the tempo," Haigler said. "That's our job as the offensive line . . . if we do well everyone around us is going to do well."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Easier said than done, particularly in the Pac-12 Conference. But when it's done – and both Adams and Jeffcoat believe it can be this week – the results are sweet.
Adams coaches the offensive line, Jeffcoat the defensive line, and the performance in their respective areas on Saturday in Eugene will be essential to CU's chances of defeating Oregon for the first time as members of the Pac-12.
The Ducks are a dominant 5-0 against the Buffs since CU signed on in the Pac-12 in 2011, with Oregon's average margin of victory in those five wins a shade over 38 points a game. Yet leaving Boulder victorious last season was uncharacteristically difficult for the Ducks; they won by 17 points (41-24) but trailed 17-14 in the second-quarter and were tied at 17 at halftime.
Whatever that means for the Buffs in Autzen Stadium is negligible. And truth be told, this week's goal for Adams' and Jeffcoat's units differs little from last week's and what will be expected of both next week.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is what line coaches have in mind when they speak of "setting the tempo" – and the Buffs feel good about doing that this year.
Not to slight the Ducks' fronts – the Buffs' recent history against them won't allow it – but this season's matchups at the line of scrimmage don't appear to be tilted heavily toward Oregon. In the O-line the Ducks are expected to start one senior and four redshirt freshman. Oregon's D-line is typically talented and speedy, but CU won't have to contend with 6-7, 300-pound DeForest Buckner – the seventh overall pick (49ers) in last spring's NFL Draft.
Advantage Buffs? If you dare to say it, do so with caution.
"They've got lots of length and speed, just like they always do," Adams says of an Oregon defensive front four that features two juniors and two sophomores. "They're playing lot of different guys, which tells me they feel like they have good depth and they play with good intensity . . . if you give them a lot of space they're athletic guys with good length so they'll try and take advantage of that."
JEFFCOAT'S OBSERVATION OF OREGON'S O-line begins with one word: "Speed – they will be the fastest front we've faced. Their scheme is tremendous, they're a top ten running team (No. 8 at 296.0 yards a game) but they've been that way for a while. They make you pay for mistakes; they play sound football."
CU's starting O-line Saturday likely will be the same fivesome that opened last weekend at Michigan – senior Alex Kelley at center, junior Gerrad Kough at left guard, redshirt freshman Tim Lynott Jr. at right guard, junior Jeromy Irwin at left tackle and redshirt freshman Aaron Haigler at right tackle.
Haigler made his first start last week but split time in the second half with junior Sam Kronshage, who had been slowed by an ankle injury. Although Haigler is listed as No. 1 on CU's depth chart, Adams expected the week's competition to determine Saturday's starter.
"It's all about competition," Adams said. "There's a fine line between being able to jell as a group and for every one of those guys to know they'd better be at their best every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practice. And they better be at their best on Saturday because I feel like we have enough depth to say, 'If you ain't doing your job this week there's somebody else who will.'"
Haigler said his first start "went well" but conceded game-to-game improvement is needed not only for him but the entire O-line: "The whole line can play better as a group, be more physical. It's not about one guy, it's about all of us. It's not about one guy having a great game; we all have to have great games. It doesn't matter if a couple of guys do well, if one is bad we all do bad."
In the 45-28 loss at Michigan, CU was held to a season-low 64 yards rushing (261 passing). Buffs coach Mike MacIntyre called the Wolverines D-line "excellent," but added, "I thought our offensive line did well for the most part. If we could have stayed more balanced throughout the game we would have been more productive on the offensive line. When we got behind they knew we were going to throw a little bit so they could just lay their ears back. I thought our offensive line did well for the most part against an excellent defensive line."
Michigan did what was expected when redshirt freshman Steven Montez replaced senior starter Sefo Liufau at quarterback in the third quarter – the Wolverines hounded and harassed Montez. If Montez starts Saturday (Liufau suffered a sprained ankle last week) Haigler expects the Ducks to ramp up their pass rush.
"Yeah, they might bring some heat at him but (pass protection) is what we do in practice every day," Haigler said. "It's not going to be a big deal that we're not ready for. We go over that stuff all the time. We're ready for it."
Oregon has registered nine QB sacks in three games (third in the Pac-12) and, like CU, has allowed five (tied for third in the conference). But four of the QB takedowns occurred last weekend. Better pass protection, said Adams, comes from his overall goal of being more consistent as a group, executing proper technique, and "not making uncharacteristic, easy mistakes.
"There's going to be something in every game that (the opponent) pulls out that we haven't seen or weren't expecting to see, based on what they've done. But we can't screw the easy things up. There's going to be mistakes, we know that. We have to become a more consistent group . . . the guys have to be dependable."
JEFFCOAT IS SEEKING THE SAME overall dependability. His all-senior front three – Josh Tupou at nosetackle, Jordan Carrell and Samson Kafovalu at ends – "held up well" at Michigan, he said.
"They understand what they're doing, the philosophy of the defense . . . we've got three big guys inside and faster guys as the backups. It makes it difficult for other teams to prepare. We can put bulk and speed on the field."
CU's starting front three in its 3-4 base defense average 300-plus pounds, with Tupou weighing 325 and often being able to occupy a pair of blockers at a time. Kafovalu called him "a big presence" and a big reason that "our defensive front is a lot better than last year."
Another important reason, said Jeffcoat, is that after three games his three big interior guys are playing themselves into game shape: "The first two games (a pair of blowout wins) they didn't play that much. But last game they played quite a bit. They're working their way into it, they run extra gassers (after practice). They take pride in it."
Given the Ducks' overall offensive speed and the Buffs having to chase another mobile quarterback (Dakota Prukop), look for Jeffcoat's substitutions to be frequent. Behind Carrell and Kafovalu at ends are Timothy Coleman and Leo Jackson III, with Michael Mathewes backing up Tupou.
"Our defensive front is doing well," MacIntyre said. "Our backups are doing well."
The three backups comprise Jeffcoat's "speed front," with none of the trio heavier than 275 pounds (Jackson). Plenty of snaps await them Saturday; a good portion of the Ducks' game plan likely will be avoiding Tupou & Co. with inside runs, preferring to test the Buffs on the perimeter. And the absence of CU's edge-setting outside linebacker Derek McCartney (ACL, out for the season) probably will underscore that strategy.
It won't be anything unexpected, noted MacIntyre: "Some of the runs Michigan was doing were outside, so I'm sure Oregon is going to attack us outside more. We've got to shore that up. (The D-line) is going to have to play well against Oregon.
"They always have to play well for us to be successful; they're good enough to control a game, which they've done at times. At Michigan they controlled parts of the game. That's what I expect out of them."
He's expecting the same from his O-line, as is Adams. And Haigler hears about that expectation daily.
"The whole reason he says that is because it's true; we do set the tempo," Haigler said. "That's our job as the offensive line . . . if we do well everyone around us is going to do well."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
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