Mike MacIntyre: Does He Make It Through 2016?

[SINKRATZ]

I just don't understand how CU will have a better year than last year? We had 4 wins last year with an easier schedule. Plus, nobody is talking about the big loss- We lost NELSON SPRUCE! How are we BETTER without him? How do we win 2 more games with him gone? He made a ton of plays and was the go to guy. We do not have a proven talent like him. I think it is a lot like Paul Richardson when he left. We were not better after he left. Spruce opened up a lot of space for guys last year and now he is gone and he was the safety receiver. We have no threats on offense and please do not sell me on the BS of "potential" of some guys.

If potential turns into production and we get decent qb play then this team is good enough to make a bowl. If we are no better than last year at the QB position, get a few injuries at positions where we're particularly thin, or don't get some real production out of newcomers at the skill positions, then yes we're probably no better than last year.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

Huntley could have a Fields-like freshman season and if you add that to Shay, Ross and hopefully a very productive Winfree that could be a good combo.

Our WR's in base package could be

Z- Winfree/Ento
X- Huntley/Ross
Slot- Fields/Julmisse/MacIntyre

Throw in Bobo, Jan, Udoffia, Rakestraw, etc. and you now have a very dangerous WR Corp. If we were to go 5 wide, which I am sure we will do at times, it should be very very difficult to defend.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Spruce is an all time great Buff, but we won 6 games over the past two years with him having stellar seasons in each. The WR position isn't going to be the difference in winning or losing for this team. The OL and QB play are what will make or break the offense and the idea of an improved overall team relies a lot on the hope of a much improved defense.

 

[BlackNGold]

I just don't understand how CU will have a better year than last year? We had 4 wins last year with an easier schedule. Plus, nobody is talking about the big loss- We lost NELSON SPRUCE! How are we BETTER without him? How do we win 2 more games with him gone? He made a ton of plays and was the go to guy. We do not have a proven talent like him. I think it is a lot like Paul Richardson when he left. We were not better after he left. Spruce opened up a lot of space for guys last year and now he is gone and he was the safety receiver. We have no threats on offense and please do not sell me on the BS of "potential" of some guys.

I don't know if we will be better and Nelson Spruce will be missed - he was a good, solid player. (And here comes the But) Spruce was not a game changer. Most PAC 12 defenses kept him in check - he got his catches but did not have big impacts on the game. Richardson was a game changer and even when he was on the team we only won one Conference game.

 

[Colorado Track Fan]

Can't get out of the basement in the p12 with WAC players.
Must find some way to win key Colorado high school recruits. You have to sell the dream because you don't have the reality yet. Either you do it or you don't. Either you have that sales ability or you don't. Slogans and effort only go so far when you are competing against the best, against schools with NFL talent.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

Can't get out of the basement in the p12 with WAC players.
Must find some way to win key Colorado high school recruits. You have to sell the dream because you don't have the reality yet. Either you do it or you don't. Either you have that sales ability or you don't. Slogans and effort only go so far when you are competing against the best, against schools with NFL talent.

CU is winning some recuiting battles within CO. Some will get away, they always do. CU needs to rebuild its standing in Texas and SoCal which it is doing. There are too few D1 players in the state. Can only put so much effort in here.

 

[Buffnik]

Yes, we lost Spruce. That is a big deal.

But I think people underestimate Shay Fields a lot.

Look at the Spruce vs Fields stat comparisons for their 1st 2 years:

Spruce: 99 receptions / 1,096 yards / 11.07 avg / 7 TDs
Fields: 92 receptions / 1,084 yards / 11.78 avg / 8 TDs

With Spruce, we say him produce in his final two single seasons at pretty much exactly on a per year basis what he'd done statistically in his frosh/soph years combined. Fields, like Spruce, is in position to become the primary target as a junior. Something similar with his statistical production is reasonable to consider.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

Yes, we lost Spruce. That is a big deal.

But I think people underestimate Shay Fields a lot.

Look at the Spruce vs Fields stat comparisons for their 1st 2 years:

Spruce: 99 receptions / 1,096 yards / 11.07 avg / 7 TDs
Fields: 92 receptions / 1,084 yards / 11.78 avg / 8 TDs

With Spruce, we say him produce in his final two single seasons at pretty much exactly on a per year basis what he'd done statistically in his frosh/soph years combined. Fields, like Spruce, is in position to become the primary target as a junior. Something similar with his statistical production is reasonable to consider.

I expect to see his per season receptions to decline and probably his yardage, but I expect his TD numbers and YPC to increase. Chev has challenged him to live up to his "Big Play Shay" Nickname.

 

[Buffnik]

I expect to see his per season receptions to decline and probably his yardage, but I expect his TD numbers and YPC to increase. Chev has challenged him to live up to his "Big Play Shay" Nickname.

I don't know if he'll hit the 14.8 average he had as a soph, because Shay's usage should be higher than before. Not sure how many receptions it will take to get there, but I predict he goes over 1,000 yards this year with around 10 TDs.

I also don't expect Shay to be able to be the 6-12 yard route technician that Spruce was to be a crazy good chain mover. But he'll do a lot more to open the field with big plays and the threat of them. Not just the threat of going over the top, but the threat of taking a short pass to the house.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

I don't know if he'll hit the 14.8 average he had as a soph, because Shay's usage should be higher than before. Not sure how many receptions it will take to get there, but I predict he goes over 1,000 yards this year with around 10 TDs.

I also don't expect Shay to be able to be the 6-12 yard route technician that Spruce was to be a crazy good chain mover. But he'll do a lot more to open the field with big plays and the threat of them. Not just the threat of going over the top, but the threat of taking a short pass to the house.

Agree on usage. He should be a guy that is a threat to score every time he touches the ball if they get the ball to him in space.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Huntley could have a Fields-like freshman season and if you add that to Shay, Ross and hopefully a very productive Winfree that could be a good combo.

Or he could fail to grasp the complexity of the play book and struggle with the speed of the game getting off his route and allowing for easy picks or pass break ups. Or he could could just drop the ball like our other underclassman do.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

We add a very highly raterd JUCO WR in Juwann Winfree. Another highly rated and highly recruited WR out of high school in Johnny Huntley. Highly rated and highly recruited all purpose back in Bisharat.

That doesn't even account for Udoffia Rakestraw Julmisse or Ento.

We will be fine at WR. Probably more over all talent than we have had in a long long time. There may not be a "superstar", but every wr spot on the field should be upgraded at least somewhat.

All of the above are still based on a wing a prayer (aka a **** load of hope). None of it is proven, until, it's proven.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

I just don't understand how CU will have a better year than last year? We had 4 wins last year with an easier schedule. Plus, nobody is talking about the big loss- We lost NELSON SPRUCE! How are we BETTER without him? How do we win 2 more games with him gone? He made a ton of plays and was the go to guy. We do not have a proven talent like him. I think it is a lot like Paul Richardson when he left. We were not better after he left. Spruce opened up a lot of space for guys last year and now he is gone and he was the safety receiver. We have no threats on offense and please do not sell me on the BS of "potential" of some guys.

This is where I am at. There is no clear difference maker on offense anymore. The ball is up for grabs. Its also highly questionable that our OL will reverse its trend of leading the conference in sacks allowed. Until they do.

But thats what great about college football; sometimes unpredictable comes along the next season (unlike the NFL) because your roster changes and so does everyone elses.

I believe it when I see it.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

All of the above are still based on a wing a prayer (aka a **** load of hope). None of it is proven, until, it's proven.

I would say winfree is about as close to a sure bet as you are going to get in these types of situations. The highschool players probably right, but the overall talent level is higher than it has been in a long time.

 

[8Jah]

S&C Director mostly in charge & organizing over summer due to NCAA limits on coach contact. One of the reasons Forman is gone & Wilson is now in charge.

Do we have confidence Wilson is going to run a good summer program?

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

This is where I am at. There is no clear difference maker on offense anymore. The ball is up for grabs. Its also highly questionable that our OL will reverse its trend of leading the conference in sacks allowed. Until they do.

But thats what great about college football; sometimes unpredictable comes along the next season (unlike the NFL) because your roster changes and so does everyone elses.

I believe it when I see it.

This is where you're at? Agreeing with the fact that losing a productive WR means there's no possibility the team can actually be better? Strong.

I think one could make an argument the offense next year could actually be better without Sefo's security blanket. He might actually have to learn to make progressions and reads this offseason, instead of every pass play looking to Spruce and then ****ting the bed when Spruce wasn't open.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

I would say winfree is about as close to a sure bet as you are going to get in these types of situations. The highschool players probably right, but the overall talent level is higher than it has been in a long time.

True, but you need one more guy to keep the defense for keying on him all the time.

And a running game to help keep the defense honest. We do seem to have some RBs. They have to get clear of the LOS though.

If we go 5WR pass happy like TT does then some of the above could come together for us for a change. But Bobo or Ross needs to step up to big time.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

This is where you're at? Agreeing with the fact that losing a productive WR means there's no possibility the team can actually be better? Strong.

I think one could make an argument the offense next year could actually be better without Sefo's security blanket. He might actually have to learn to make progressions and reads this offseason, instead of every pass play looking to Spruce and then ****ting the bed when Spruce wasn't open.

Someone has to step up. Its not clear who that will be. If we run a TT style offense guys better stop dropping the ball or were going to see a lot of 3 and outs with a double team on Winfree.

 

[Buffnik]

Do we have confidence Wilson is going to run a good summer program?

Players like him and put in the work for him. And he does bring experience with this from doing it at the P5 level under Edsall. That's all we have to go on so far. I feel pretty confident, but we won't know until we know.

 

[Darian3Hagan]

Almost 40% of this board thinks we are going to a bowl? Bless your heart.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Almost 40% of this board thinks we are going to a bowl? Bless your heart.

Here's a trophy for them...

 

[Swish]

Almost 40% of this board thinks we are going to a bowl? Bless your heart.

Part of the forty. I just hate to think of how many more years of desolation there could be - so I choose blind faith instead.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

This fell to 9 threads from the top. Wake up slackers!

 

[Darian3Hagan]

This fell to 9 threads from the top. Wake up slackers!

People were busy tracking down a stranger from another fan base.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

A broader question: IF the Buffs do make a bowl game this year, does MM get an extension, or is he still on the hot seat with pressure to improve upon 2016?

 

[Darian3Hagan]

A broader question: IF the Buffs do make a bowl game this year, does MM get an extension, or is he still on the hot seat with pressure to improve upon 2016?

Why extend a guy who can't recruit?

 

[Tatanka™]

A broader question: IF the Buffs do make a bowl game this year, does MM get an extension, or is he still on the hot seat with pressure to improve upon 2016?

He already got the extension through 2018. No reason to extend again unless we really exceed expectations with 8+ wins.

 

[onealcd]

I would wait to see how his recruiting class turned out in February and if it looks like all he needed to do is win some games to close on some of those battles then I would extend him after signing day. This class has a ton of potential if we can get to 6-7 wins. We would be replacing one of Mac's worst recruiting classes with by far his best.

 

[Duff Man]

A broader question: IF the Buffs do make a bowl game this year, does MM get an extension, or is he still on the hot seat with pressure to improve upon 2016?

He would likely get extended at least one year, probably two. He would have earned it.

 

[Buffnik]

He would likely get extended at least one year, probably two. He would have earned it.

Yep. It's been a decade. If he gets to a bowl, it's evidence that his rebuild plan is working. Got to give him the opportunity to maintain and advance over another couple years.