Buffs Notes: Young LBs Turn Heads With Sacks In Opener

BOULDER — Colorado true freshman linebacker Jacob Callier made his debut as a Buffalo one to remember.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder from Downey, Calif., recorded his first quarterback sack as a Buff in Friday's 17-3 win over Colorado State, bringing down CSU's Nick Stevens near the end of the first half.

Callier, who turned coaches' heads throughout fall camp, finished with just the one tackle, but also had two quarterback hurries against the Rams. A defensive end in high school, he put those skills to good use from his outside linebacker spot.

"I do pride myself on pass rush abilities, so me being able to go out there and get some looks out there this past Friday, get a sack, get my name said, it felt good," he said. "Each and every rep I did, I learned."

Callier and fellow true freshman OLB Dante Sparaco both earned their stripes in the game, as Sparaco was credited with a half-sack on the play immediately following Callier's sack. Original press box statistics gave the second sack to Rick Gamboa, but CU coaches' reviews of game film and revised statistics gave a half-sack to Gamboa and Sparaco.

While it's rare for true freshmen to get much playing time, Callier said he arrived in Boulder with that in mind. And, once he got his first few snaps out of the way, he was able to read and react.

"My plan coming in was that was my mindset, I was going to help this team no matter what," he said. "Having that come true was a big step for me. …When you start thinking, that's when you start moving slow. It's pretty much get the guy with the ball, get after it. If I can affect the dude throwing the ball, I'm doing my job."

The coaches' film reviews also made a few other key changes. A forced fumble originally credited to Trey Udoffia went to safety Afolabi Laguda, who also picked up the fumble and returned it 11 yards. Tackle totals for several players were also adjusted, with Gamboa and Laguda each officially finishing with 11, and inside linebacker Drew Lewis with a team-high 12. Other adjustments included Evan Worthington, Ryan Moeller and Leo Jackson III all now with eight tackles, and Derek McCartney with six.

MAC ON TEXAS STATE: The Buffs play their home opener Saturday vs. Texas State at noon at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Networks), and CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said he's impressed with what he saw from the Bobcats in their opening 20-11 win over Houston Baptist.

Two areas that stood out, MacIntyre said, are quarterback, where former Mississippi State quarterback Damian Williams is calling the signals; and linebacker.

"He's really big, a good athlete, can run the ball," MacIntyre said of the 6-1, 215-pound Williams. "He looks like an SEC quarterback. … I was impressed with how he was able to handle the game and make throws. We're going to have to be really understanding where he is."

Williams ran for 43 yards and a score in the opener and also threw for 135 yards.

Defensively, the Bobcats received a big performance in their opener from linebackers Bryan London (7 tackles) and Easy Anyama (5 tackles, including 2 sacks, and a forced fumble). The Bobcats had six sacks in the game and held Houston Baptist to just 59 yards total rushing.

"They've got some really good-looking linebackers that are really good players," MacIntyre said. " They'll be a force for us on the run."

Texas State is coached by Everett Withers, in his second year in San Marcos. Prior to taking the job at TXST, he built James Madison into a national FCS power, and he also had one year as the interim head coach at North Carolina, where he posted a 7-6 record in 2011.

ON UCLA COMEBACK: MacIntyre and his staff were watching film Sunday night as the UCLA-Texas A&M game unfolded, a game in which the Bruins posted a stunning comeback to erase a 44-10 deficit and claim a 45-44 win.

CU's coaches watched the last four minutes of the game — and used it as a teaching moment.

"What we did was we took out our timesheet, how to manage a game at the end of a game, and just went through it," MacIntyre said. "We talked through it. How do we handle this situation? How do we handle this situation? That was an amazing finish and I'm happy for (coach) Jim Mora and the UCLA Bruins and the Pac-12."

BUFFS BITS: CU players had the weekend off, their last two-day break until mid-November, when they get a bye week after the USC game, their 11th of the season. … MacIntyre said CU is still considering redshirting senior wide receiver Kabion Ento, but it will depend on the Buffs' injury situation. "We're trying to see how it works out with all the other receivers and see how healthy we stay because he's the only guy we have that we could redshirt," MacIntyre said. "If he could, he would come back next year. He's an excellent player for us now, but he would be a guy that would get more reps. But if we get somebody hurt for the season, he would have to step in and play. Hopefully everybody stays healthy and it works out good."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu