Consistency Will Be Big Goal In Buffs' Second Scrimmage Of Camp
August 11, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With the Sept. 1 season opener now just three weeks — and counting — away, the Colorado Buffaloes will conduct their second full-scale scrimmage of fall camp Saturday.
While every practice counts, the scrimmages no doubt hold extra importance. They provide the closest thing possible to "real time" situations, an opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate personnel groups and individual progress in a game-simulation atmosphere.
Head coach Mike MacIntyre even makes sure his coaches are on the sidelines during the scrimmage to make it as game-similar as possible. That, MacIntyre said, removes a "comfort zone" for players.
"You can see what they know, see how they can handle it if they make a mistake, how they can recover, how they can adapt to things out there," MacIntyre said. "(Players) are out there by themselves. It's more of a game situation. That's where you see a lot of ability to handle situations and how they handle it if they do something bad. Can they bounce back or are they hanging their head?"
The Buffs finished the basic installation of their playbook several days ago, and MacIntyre said he's been able to see a difference in the last couple of days.
"You see guys playing faster," he said.
Saturday, MacIntyre and his assistants hope to see even more of that as they continue the process of putting together a depth chart and getting ready to install a game plan for the Colorado State game.
Some areas they will be closely watching today:
Inside linebacker — The Buffs know what they have in junior Rick Gamboa — a smart, instinctive leader who is entering his third year as a starter and has proven his ability to make plays.
What CU coaches want to see in the final two major scrimmages of camp is for junior Drew Lewis to take the next step when it comes to consistently reading and reacting. Lewis is a terrific athlete, but he saw limited playing time last season. He's had his share of nice plays in camp thus far, but he is still learning the nuances of the position. This might be one of the major keys to the Buffs' defense — and if Lewis can take that next step over the next couple of weeks, it will be a huge boost.
Offensive line — An area that is expected to be the heart of a very good CU offense, the Buffs' big men up front haven't disappointed thus far. Still, O-line coach Klayton Adams wants to see more consistency, particularly over an extended period of time (i.e. long drives). That consistency, plus an ability to exert their will and physically dominate the line of scrimmage, is something Adams will be looking for Saturday.
"We need to be physical and play with the right mentality," Adams said. "Regardless of who's in there, we need five guys doing the right thing on every play."
Consistent tempo offensively — The Buffs kept things extremely vanilla in last week's first scrimmage of camp, particularly on offense.
Saturday, they'll throw more of the playbook on the field. CU coaches want to know how much the players have absorbed, how well they know their assignments and how quickly they can establish a tempo that will allow them to put together sustained drives.
It will be a good test for quarterbacks Steven Montez and Sam Noyer, as well as the running backs and the wide receivers. A number of wide receivers have been getting snaps with the No. 1 offense in practice over the last few days; Saturday will give them an opportunity to show they can make plays in a game-tempo situation.
The No. 1 goal on offense? Consistency. "Folsom Fast" is more than just a catchy slogan. The Buffs know they have the ability to make big plays, the question now is whether they can string together first down after first down after first down and establish a consistent rapid-fire tempo.
Cornerback — Much like inside linebacker, the Buffs are fully confident in half the equation here. Junior Isaiah Oliver has been terrific in camp against CU's outstanding corps of wide receivers. Whether it's battling with CU's big wideouts — Bryce Bobo and Juwann Winfree — in the end zone or keeping pace with the speedy Shay Fields, Oliver has been a blanket.
What the Buffs want to see Saturday is another step from Trey Udoffia, who has been getting plenty of work with the No. 1 defense at the corner opposite Oliver. The redshirt freshman has earned praise from coaches and offensive players — Montez has said Udoffia has been "clamping down" on receivers — but he will no doubt be under the microscope Saturday when he faces a CU offense that will be putting more of its playbook into action.
Outside linebacker — Yet another place where the Buffs know they have one dependable playmaker who will be a factor. After missing most of last season and all of the spring, senior Derek McCartney is rounding into playing shape and shows every sign of being a dominant player on the outside.
The question is who will emerge on the other side. The candidates include juniors Terran Hasselbach and Michael Mathewes as well as true freshmen Dante Sparaco, Jacob Callier and Carson Wells (who has moved to the outside). All have had their moments in camp, but none of them have stepped up and seized the position. Saturday will be their next best opportunity to make a statement.
Of course, this doesn't mean that coaches won't be watching every other position closely.
Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot wants to see continued development from his defensive line, where Leo Jackson III, Javier Edwards and Chris Mulumba have been making steady progress, along with Timothy Coleman, Frank Umu, Lyle Tuiloma and Jase Franke.
Saturday will also give safety Evan Worthington another opportunity to get some game-simulation under his belt — an important step for someone who hasn't played in a game since the 2015 season; and offensively, Buffs coaches will be looking to see who is ready to move in as the No. 2 behind Phillip Lindsay at running back. Thus far in camp, Michael Adkins II and Beau Bisharat have been impressive; Saturday's scrimmage could begin to provide at least a degree or two of separation.
PRACTICE NOTES: The Buffs were in light pads again Friday. … Cornerback Kevin George, who joined the team at midweek, managed to get in a few snaps in team drills. "He looks like we thought — long and athletic," MacIntyre said. … The Buffs continue to get situational work in, spending some time Friday working on end-of-game scenarios and other game/clock situations. … Friday was the last day of classes of the summer session, meaning the Buffs will have more time for meetings and film work over the next 2½ weeks. The fall semester begins Aug. 28. … MacIntyre said running back Kyle Evans, who suffered a dislocated hip in the spring, underwent some tests Friday and could begin practicing on at least a limited basis next week.
SCHEDULE: After Saturday's scrimmage, the Buffs will take Sunday off, then resume practice Monday. Their third and final scrimmage of camp is tentatively scheduled for next Friday.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu