Buffs Continue To Work On Offensive Consistency

BOULDER — First things first: nobody in the Colorado offensive meeting rooms has hit the panic button.

Yes, Buffs coaches and players are aware they haven't exactly rung the bell when it comes to consistency — but they also know they've been oh-so-close to adding significantly to their yardage and point totals thus far this year.

Monday morning's film session only served to emphasize both points.

"Watching film, I think our guys saw today there were a lot of opportunities out there for them to make plays and keep the sticks moving and score more points," Buffs co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren said. "We just left a lot of things out there."

It's not as if the Buffs haven't put up some decent numbers. They've averaged 27 points and nearly 400 yards of offense in their first two games, and thanks to a defense that has yielded just two field goals thus far, they have outscored opponents 54-6 in their first two contests.

But the bulk of their scoring — 34 of those 54 points — have come in the span of basically two quarters. It is why they would like to start fast and continue to roll in their final nonconference game, Saturday's noon contest at Folsom Field against Northern Colorado (Pac-12 Networks).

"I think everybody, coaches and players, are pretty frustrated right now because at times, we see glimpses of what we can be," Lindgren said. "I think we're close, I really do. We have some good players and we have to just keep working, keep focusing on the details. I honestly believe if you keep showing up to work every day and working hard and coming with a positive attitude that things will turn for you."

Monday morning, CU head coach Mike MacIntyre was asked if he thought the Buffs' offense was suffering from a lack of "focus." MacIntyre dismissed the idea.

"I don't think that's the concern," MacIntyre said "We just had couple things here or there. We overthrow a guy, which would have been a touchdown. We have a missed block or something on one. ... You're going to bog down at different times. But I think also we'll keep pushing, keep going and we'll end up being a very very good offense."

One area Lindgren will continue to work on this week is helping quarterback Steven Montez concentrate on remaining in the pocket a little longer. After the Texas State game, Montez said his tendency to pop out of the pocket too soon — a habit he developed in high school — was the source of some of CU's inconsistencies early in the game.

"I just need to keep working at it," Montez said after the game. "Hopefully we can make it a habit of staying in the pocket, then getting out of the pocket to make plays only when I have to."

When he made the adjustment in the third quarter, the difference was noticeable. After completing 7 of 13 attempts for 121 yards in the first half, he was 10-for-14 for 148 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.

Lindgren doesn't believe making the adjustment regularly will be difficult for Montez. He noted that the Buffs quarterback is just a sophomore — "he's still young and learning" — and that he will continue to grow as the season progresses.

"He just has to focus on his progressions, stay in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield — and there will still be opportunities for him to scramble and make plays because he's good at that," Lindgren said. "I think right now he's sometimes looking at his first read and if it's not there, he's trying to go make a big play. … He's a talented player. He just has to stay in the pocket a little more and execute his responsibility on that particular play. I think sometimes he's trying to make the big play all the time instead of letting the game come to him."

Monday morning, the Buffs spent a good portion of their practice working on timing and their tempo offense, addressing the inconsistencies that Lindgren stressed have been a "team effort.

The results, he believes, will come.

"It's every position," he said. "We just have to be more consistent as a whole. I think it's been frustrating because all of us have seen at times where we really felt like the offense was clicking and things were rolling. But there's no panic at all. We just have to go back to work, clean some things up and we'll see the results as we move forward."

UPDATED DEFENSIVE STATISTICS: CU's defensive coaches finished their film review over the weekend and updated the team's defensive statistics, with a few adjustments to the original press box statistics.

Linebacker Drew Lewis was credited with being in on 13 tackles (two unassisted) while fellow linebacker Rick Gamboa had nine, defensive lineman Leo Jackson III eight and defensive back Evan Worthington seven. Also, cornerback Isaiah Oliver had his passes defended total bumped up to two.

TV, GAME TIME FOR WASHINGTON SET: The Pac-12 announced Monday that CU's Sept. 23 home game with Washington at Folsom Field will begin at 8 p.m. and will be televised by FS1. The game is a rematch of last year's Pac-12 championship game.

HIKE FOR HER: Trisha MacIntyre, the wife of CU's head coach, will help host the second "Hike For Her" event in Boulder on Sunday at the NCAR Table Mesa Trail. The event, to raise awareness for ovarian cancer, is free and begins at 9 a.m., with check-in at 8:30 a.m. Parking is available at the NCAR parking lot, 1850 Table Mesa Drive. For more information, or to donate to the cause, visit www.colo-ovariancancer.org. People are also invited to join the Facebook Event Page and share their story at http://buffs.me/hikeforhercu.

EARLY LOOK AT BEARS: The last time Colorado and Northern Colorado squared off in football came in 1934. They will resume the series Saturday at Folsom Field.

The Bears, 1-0 after a 41-14 win over College of Idaho in the season opener, were scheduled to play at Florida last week, but saw the game canceled because of Hurricane Irma.

"I know our guys are excited about playing," MacIntyre said. "They know a lot of guys on the team; we even have brothers playing against each other. It's a big game for us — any game is. Playing at home at Folsom and playing against Northern Colorado, I know they'll be excited and I know our guys will to. We're looking forward to it."

Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay's brother, Zachary Lindsay, is a running back for the Bears and had four carries for 22 yards in the opening win.

The Bears are led by quarterback Jacob Knipp, who threw for 238 yards in the opener, and running back Trae Riek, who carried 18 times for 71 yards and three scores. Wide receivers Alex Lesley and Hakeem Diggs are also weapons, MacIntyre said, and he also said the Bears have some quality cornerbacks.

FISHER, EVANS TO RETURN: MacIntyre said he expected running back Kyle Evans and safety Nick Fisher to see their first action of the season Saturday. Evans has been out since last spring after suffering a dislocated hip in spring drills. Fisher suffered a hamstring injury in fall camp and has been working his way back into playing shape.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu