Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Buffs Sow Seeds Of Optimism In Spring Finale
March 18, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Rule No. 1 concerning spring football games: Do not put too much stock into what you see.
That certainly applies to Saturday's Colorado spring finale at a sun-splashed Folsom Field, a day that did its best to ignore a calendar that says we still have one more day of winter.
It's best to remember that Colorado's Sept. 1 season opener with Colorado State is still 5½ months away. That means dozens of strength and conditioning sessions, a summer of volunteer player-led practices and 7-on-7 drills, and 29 fall camp practice sessions left to determine what the 2017 Buffaloes will look like when they hit the field.
But Saturday still gave us a glimpse of what we might see next fall — and anyone who took the time to catch some rays at Folsom saw enough to fuel an entire summer's worth of optimism.
"I saw a lot of energy," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "We executed a lot of things. There was good and bad both sides and that's really what you want — to see people compete and learn from different situations. I thought we had a competitive day out there."
If nothing else, Saturday's spring finale started with a bang. Quarterback Steven Montez, looking to put the offense on the board in a hurry, threw deep for Devin Ross on the very first play, and for a moment, it looked as if the two were going to connect.
Safety Nick Fisher, however, had other ideas. Fisher, ready to step into a full-time starting role, read the play perfectly, broke across the middle and picked off Montez's pass and headed downfield before finally being pushed out of bounds inside the 20-yard line.
For those who are worried about a CU secondary that lost three starters from last season, it was a great sign. For those who are counting on the offense to score at will … well, it was a reminder that even the most well-oiled of machines occasionally hit a bump in the road.
"Everybody was worried about the secondary," said safety Afolabi Laguda, who was named one of the team captains earlier this week. "I feel like we made our little statement today. Nick's play was one of those game-changing moments. It definitely set the tempo for the first few drives. Go to the fall — first possession of the game, our DB flies across the middle and gets that turnover, that gives our offense an extra possession. That's what we want to do."
Indeed, CU's defense had its way on the first couple of possessions with the No. 1 offense before Montez and Co. finally got untracked. The No. 1 offense finally got on the scoreboard with a 13-play, 65-yard drive, sparked by some nice running from senior running back Michael Adkins II and some sharp Montez throws.
Montez finished the day 7-for-11 for 55 yards and a touchdown, a 22-yard toss to Shay Fields.
"I thought Steven did well," MacIntyre said. "The first play he got a little greedy but Nick Fisher made a great play. That's what you want to see. As a head coach you want to see plays made on both sides. (Steven) came back and made some really nice throws and did some good things."
Adkins' performance was also a reason for optimism, particularly to a team that saw its running back depth depleted by injuries in the spring. Adkins carried 10 times for 53 yards.
"Michael's done well this spring," MacIntyre said. "It's the first time he's gone that many practices in a row and not gotten injured. He kept pushing. That's the key — if Michael stays healthy, Michael's really good. We just have to hope he stays healthy."
Fields led in receiving yards with three catches for 47 yards, while Bryce Bobo, Lee Walker and Kabion Ento also caught three balls apiece.
Defensively, the Buffs kept the game plan "vanilla." New defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said the priority was to keep it basic and work on fundamentals. With three new coaches on the defensive side of the ball, one of the main priorities of the spring was to reach a level of comfort that will allow the defense to hit the ground running next fall.
That goal, Eliot said, was accomplished.
"I saw some good things and some bad things," Eliot said. "But I am confident that we're headed in the right direction. I understand the team better and I know we've got some guys that can do some good things."
Walkon defensive back Lucas Cooper led the Buffs with six tackles. Among the starters and regulars, cornerback Anthony Julmisse and safety Kyle Trego each had five tackles while defensive end Eddy Lopez, linebacker Akil Jones and Laguda were each credited with four.
Fisher's interception was the only turnover of the day. Redshirt freshman cornerback Trey Udoffia, battling for significant playing time, had two passes broken up, the only PBUs of the scrimmage, and he also had a fourth-down stop.
Offensively, it was more a matter of working on timing with the established starters, as well as giving other players a chance to make a case for more playing time.
"We're a lot farther along than we were last year," said offensive co-coordinator Darrin Chiaverini. "You can see it with the receivers, you can see it with the quarterbacks, you can see it with the offensive line, tight ends and running backs. We've got a lot of work to do, but I'm excited about the offseason and where we're taking this offense to. It's going to be a fun summer working with these guys and it's going to be a really exciting fall camp."
Saturday's scrimmage also afforded CU's coaches to get a good look at reserves. Both backup quarterbacks, Sam Noyer and Tyler Lytle, played well, as did running back Beau Bisharat. Noyer was a perfect 6-for-6 for 51 yards and a touchdown while Lytle was 6-for-9 for 70 yards and a touchdown. Bisharat carried six times for 21 yards, including some tough yards inside.
But the biggest lesson from Saturday's scrimmage: back to Rule No. 1.
Compared to a year ago, the optimism level surrounding the program is exponentially greater. Saturday's scrimmage showed enough to believe that there is reason to support that optimism.
But the next stage begins when the Buffs get back in the weight room, then hit their summer workouts — and then fall camp.
By then, we'll have a much better idea about where the 2017 Buffs will be headed.
CAPTAINS NAMED: Captains for the 2017 season were chosen earlier this week. This year's captains will include senior RB Phillip Lindsay, senior DE/TE George Frazier, senior OL Jeromy Irwin, senior OLB Derek McCartney, senior S Afolabi Laguda and junior ILB Rick Gamboa.
AWARDS: CU's coaches handed out their annual spring awards on Saturday. Eddie Crowder Award, outstanding leadership: ILB Rick Gamboa and RB Phillip Lindsay. Fred Casotti Award, most improved offensive back: WR Kabion Ento. Joe Romig Award, most improved offensive lineman: OG/T Josh Kaiser. Hale Irwin Award, most improved defensive back: CB Trey Udoffia. Greg Biekert Award, most improved linebacker: ILB Drew Lewis. Dan Stavely Award, most improved offensive lineman: DT Lyle Tuiloma and DT Frank Umu. Bill McCartney Award, most improved special teams player: PK Chris Graham and WR Lee Walker. John Wooten Award, outstanding work ethic: QB Steven Montez and CB Isaiah Oliver. Dick Anderson Award, outstanding toughness: OT Jeromy Irwin. Jim Hansen Award, outstanding academics: TE/DE George Frazier.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
