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By Stuart
May 18th
Colorado picks up a junior college quarterback
Colorado started spring practices with six quarterbacks on the roster, with a seventh on the way.
Two months later … Hirschman gone; Webb injured and status uncertain (both medically and legally); Schrock, Dillon,*and Dorman not up to snuff.
Which leaves Connor Wood, who failed to take over the position during the spring, and Sefo Liufau, who has yet to take a snap in a CU practice.
And now … junior college transfer Jordan Gehrke. (Rivals bio) (MaxPreps video highlights) (Hudl video highlights)
From Scout.com … Despite having a successful career as a three-year starter at at quarterback for Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Prep, Gehrke didn’t receive an offer. He played one season at Scottsdale Community College and the success continued.
In 2012, Gehrke threw for 2,388 yards and 22 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, earning 2nd team All-ACCAC honors.
As a full qualifier, Gehrke (6′-2″, 190 pounds) landed an offer from Weber State and he made an official visit. Things did not work out with the Wildcats and Gehrke decided to transfer to Ventura Junior College in California after the Fall semester and had every intention of returning to play his sophomore year except his hopes of landing a FBS scholarship came true.
Gehrke’s prep coach, Gary Gregory, from Notre Dame Prep tells FoxSportsNext that Jordan landed a big time scholarship offer and committed on the spot.
“Colorado came in looking for a quarterback,” Gregory says. “I knew Jordan was a qualifier and gave them his name and film. They ended up liking him, offering him a scholarship and he took it right away.”
Gregory adds, “I couldn’t be happier for Jordan. He is such a hard worker and a good kid. Colorado is getting a great player. We have had our last five quarterbacks all go to four-year schools, including Sean Renfree (three year starter at Duke and 7th round draft choice of the Falcons), and Jordan has worked as hard as any of them. He just happened to be in the right place in the right time with CU looking for a quarterback.”
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MacIntyre: “There is always a sense of urgency”
An article published by Athlon Sports, picked up by the Chicago Tribune, gives a pretty fair account of the state of Colorado football.
Some highlights:
It’s been more than two decades since the football team at the University of Colorado hoisted its one and only national championship trophy, and the program has struggled to remain relevant ever since.
Under the watchful eye of Bill McCartney, the winningest coach in school history and a recent inductee (class of 2013) into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Buffaloes were kings of the college football world, or at least co-kings, back in 1990 when they shared the crown with Georgia Tech.
Despite a few years of fleeting success since, they’ve had a difficult time keeping pace with the competition in what most can agree are some of the toughest conferences in NCAA history (Big Eight, Big 12, Pac-12).
… Having inspired his players to perform at a high level in the past, MacIntyre knows the path to greatness isn’t going to be easy.
“We will work tirelessly, we will work correctly, and we will work with passion,” he said as his introductory press conference.
Despite the tough road ahead, he also realizes the honeymoon will be short- lived as Buffalo backers everywhere are frothing at the mouth for a winner.
“There is always a sense of urgency. You develop; the word I use instead of patience is perseverance. I think there is a big difference. Perseverance, you’re working continuously every day.”
… With his system firmly in place, and his first spring game in Boulder now in the books, MacIntyre knows it’s important to keep the energy level up as he tries to make his team forget the dismal time it endured last fall.
“We’re on the way, but not where we want to be,” he said. “Every scrimmage and every practice from the first on, they’ve had more fun playing, congratulated each other, applauded each other, enjoyed coming out and doing the work. If you enjoy your work, you get better. If you don’t enjoy it, you don’t … as you enjoy the process you get better.”
Competing in the Pac-12 isn’t only about winning the war between the lines, but also out on the recruiting trail, something the Buffs have failed miserably at in recent years. MacIntyre hopes to change all that as he focuses on quality over quantity when eyeing prospective student-athletes.
“It will be first do they want to be at Colorado, and second of all we will start talking football and show them what we can do, what I can do for them and go from there. And we want the right fit now, I can’t say that enough, evaluating a person and talent is the key to being successful.”
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May 17th
Colorado ranked No. 115 by USA Today
Hard to take, but*Buff fans had better be prepared for more of the same. It’s going to be a long summer of dire predictions for the CU football program.
The full (and largely accurate, except for the part where they say that the Ralphie Report is the “clear and undisputed leader of Colorado blogs”) assessment of the Buffs can be found at the USA Today website.
Some highlights:
It can’t get worse than this. Really, it can’t: Colorado can’t possibly be any worse than it was a season ago, when the Buffaloes turned in one of the worst seasons by a major college football program in the history of the sport. Don’t call that an overstatement; I saw it, you saw it, we all saw it, and CU’s performance in 2012 – the USC game, the Oregon game, the Fresno State game – will forever linger in the memories of those unfortunate enough to have witnessed it.
Phrases like “multiple-year rebuilding project” come to mind. Most of the Pac-12 is moving forward at warp speed, with the exceptions of Colorado, of course, and perhaps Utah and California. CU has fallen so far back of the pack that it will take more than one year and 12 games to clean up this mess.
The bright spot comes in the Buffaloes’ new hire, former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre, a man with a clear plan and the experience to see it through to fruition. He’s been in similar spots before, as an assistant at Duke and the coach at SJSU, and his three-year turn with the Spartans highlighted his deft touch at slowly but surely remaking a weak and broken foundation.
But SJSU was a different animal. The Spartans were one year removed from a six-win finish when MacIntyre stepped up in 2009, not to mention had the good fortune of playing in the Western Athletic Conference; Colorado hasn’t won six games since 2007, hasn’t finished above .500 since 2005, has lost 22 games in the past two seasons and must deal with one of the nation’s deepest and most explosive conferences.
… It won’t get worse before it gets better, if only because it cannot – there’s no way, really – get any worse than it was a season ago. But it can be just as bad, if only slightly better, while MacIntyre and this staff tear everything down, reapply the spackle, make the proper measurements and start pouring the truckload of concrete needed to remake the supremely broken and ill-made foundation of Colorado football. Again, this is a multiple-year rebuilding project.
I’m not even going to discuss wins and losses. If nothing else, CU is not talented enough to beat the Pac-12 opponents on this schedule, with a team like California at home perhaps the Buffaloes’ best chance at a victory. A rivalry game with Colorado State (even if the Rams are no juggernaut) is a toss-up, especially because it’s the opener; even if the Bulldogs come to Boulder, and even if CU has a chip on its shoulder from last season, it’s going to be tough to knock off Fresno State. Ugliness will ensue, but it’ll be ugliness with a silver lining.
I remember very well the first end-of-spring scrimmage MacIntyre held at SJSU. He ran once, and twice, and again and again, regardless of its effectiveness, in an effort to instill the proper mindset with his new team – we’re going to be physical, darn it, and you better get on board. It didn’t lead to a miracle in 2010, no. It did lay the framework for 2011 and 2012, however, and there’s something to be said of a coach who knows what it takes to create a winning environment out of lowered expectations.
Better days are ahead. They’re not coming in the win column in 2013, but victories will eventually come with time and patience. Colorado will take more lumps this fall, suffer more ugly losses and end up last in the Pac-12 South, but the program has started the process of reversing course and moving in the correct direction.
— Dream season: Colorado beats Colorado State and Fresno State in September, California and Utah in November and doesn’t lose any game by more than 21 points.
— Nightmare season: The Buffaloes lose to everyone, failing even to match last season’s one-win output.
May 16th
Ohio State athletic director message to Iowa State hitting home in Boulder?
Gene Smith is the athletic director at Ohio State. Previously, he was the athletic director at Eastern Michigan and Iowa State. In talking about his current and previous schools, Smith either paid ISU a compliment, or made a derisive slight.
Take a look at the article, and while you do, think about CU and its seemingly uncanny inability to raise money (the latest indictment coming in a Kyle Ringo commentary in the Daily Camera.
From the Des Moines Register … Much of the talk at this week’s Big Ten meetings was about the growing economic divide among NCAA programs, and the advantages of being a powerhouse.
Gene Smith was the athletic director at Iowa State from 1993-2000, and is now in charge of Ohio State’s sports teams.
He shared his thoughts on how to cope when the playing fields are not always level.
“When I think about that type of question, it makes me think about our landscape,” Smith said. “Because, yes, it was a difficult job at Iowa State.
“All of college athletics at different levels have to decide their niche. You have to create your expectations consistent with reality.
“When I was at Eastern Michigan University (in the 1980s), it was a difficult job. And my coaches used to always talk about what Michigan had, because we were 20 minutes away, and what Michigan State had, because we were 40 minutes south.
“I didn’t care about them. I wanted to beat Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Toledo. If I’m Iowa State, I wanted to beat Kansas. I wanted to beat Kansas State. I wanted to have a chance to have eight wins (in football).”
“I remember when (former coach) Dan McCarney was there. He had two opportunities to win the (Big 12’s) Northern Division. He was that close.
“That’s expectations consistent with reality. Ohio State is different. You need to compare the resources and geography, based upon those realistic expectations. And some places don’t do that.”
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CU linemen continuing weight loss program
One of the first projects identified by Mike MacIntyre upon coming to Colorado was to have the Buff linemen, particularly the defensive linemen, become more … well … Buff.
MacIntyre stated before spring practices began that he wanted several linemen to lose 20-30 pounds before the fall, and it appears that headway is being made toward that goal.
MacIntyre said three of his defensive linemen have lost 20 pounds each but have 14 more to lose before they begin August camp. He wants a couple of linebackers to lose 15 pounds each, several offensive linemen to drop 10 to 12 and has a couple of receivers earmarked to gain 8 to 10 pounds. He said his team’s first-year weight loss task at San Jose State was more difficult, but “we came around OK . . . the next year we radically changed.” He expects the same results eventually at CU.
May 15th
Alex Lewis not in Nebraska gear after all
From the Daily Camera … The lawyer for former University of Colorado football player Alex Lewis, who along with CU quarterback Jordan Webb was arrested on assault charges over the weekend, today backtracked on comments he made that his client may have been “accosted” for wearing Nebraska Cornhusker gear.
Boulder police arrested Lewis and Webb early Saturday morning after witnesses said the two men were involved in an altercation on University Hill.
Witnesses said another man involved in the incident was knocked unconscious when Lewis, an offensive linemen, pushed his head into a brick wall, before Lewis and Webb then pushed him to the ground and began punching him, according to a police report.
Lewis and Webb, both 21, appeared at the Boulder County Jail’s courtroom today to be charged in the case. Webb was charged with one count of second-degree assault, while Lewis was charged with one count of second-degree assault and two misdemeanors counts of harassment.
Both men are free on $10,000 bond in the case.
Following this afternoon’s hearing, Lewis’ attorney, Donald Brenner, sought to correct comments he made on Monday that his client was wearing Cornhuskers apparel and that his new team’s gear may have played a part in the incident. Lewis transferred to Nebraska last week.
“I made a misstatement,” Brenner said. “(My client) wasn’t dressed in Nebraska gear. I don’t know where I got that from. I’ve been bombarded by the press with so much inunedo, I get confused.”
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May 14th
Lynn Katoa sentenced to four years in prison
Katoa never saw the field of play as a Buff, but the CU program will still get nationally (negative) publicity for this …
From the Daily Camera … One-time star football recruit Lynn Katoa came to Boulder in 2008 hoping to spend four years on the field making tackles for the Buffs.
Instead, after numerous run-ins with the law and a stint on the Boulder Police Department’s most-wanted list, Katoa instead will spend the next four years in a Colorado prison.
Katoa was sentenced to prison for felony menacing plus 145 days in jail for third-degree assault Friday in connection with a 2011 case, his third arrest during his time in Boulder.
He pleaded guilty to felony menacing and third-degree assault in March in exchange for prosecutors dropping two counts of second-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault, criminal mischief and false reporting to authorities.
But because Katoa was on probation during the assault, he had to be sentenced to a mandatory three to six years in prison.
Katoa was a former five-star linebacker recruit for the University of Colorado, but never saw the field because of his legal troubles
May 13th
Attorney for Jordan Webb: “I believe Mr. Webb will be exonerated”
From the Daily Camera … University of Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb and former CU offensive lineman Alexander Lewis were arrested Saturday morning on University Hill after witnesses say they knocked another man unconscious when Lewis shoved his head into a brick wall and both players pushed him to the ground and punched him, according to a Boulder police report.
Webb, and Lewis, both 21, were booked Saturday on suspicion of second-degree assault and remain in custody at the Boulder County Jail on $10,000 bond. Lewis also faces two counts of harassment.
Lewis’ attorney, Donald Brenner, said his client has a clean record and that he was wearing Nebraska Cornhuskers gear that night, which may have led to him being “accosted,” and that he only shoved the victim — identified by police as Lee Bussey, 22 — after Bussey threw a punch.
“My client didn’t do anything but shove a fellow,” Brenner said. “I don’t feel there is enough evidence to go forward and convict my client.
“He might not have handled the situation properly, but he’s a kid,” Brenner added. “It’s a really sad event for a really nice kid.”
Brenner said Lewis was planning on enrolling in summer school at Nebraska, but that his enrollment was put on hold because he has pending felony charges.
Webb’s attorney, Lou Rubino, said during the hearing that Webb’s role in the incident was “non-criminal.”
“I believe Mr. Webb will be exonerated,” Rubino said. “It’s not who he really is. He’s been a good kid in high school, at Kansas and at CU.”
According to a police report, the victim, Bussey was walking back to an apartment with a female friend around 3 a.m. Saturday near 13th Street and College Avenue as Lewis and Webb were walking in the other direction.
According to the report, Bussey and Lewis bumped into each other, which led to a verbal argument and a shoving match. The friend then told police Lewis repeatedly shoved Bussey into a brick wall, causing his head to hit the wall several times. The friend told police Webb then came and the two men shoved Bussey to the ground and began punching him.
The friend said Bussey told her to run, and she ran back to the apartment to get help and returned to the alley. At this point, witnesses said they saw Lewis grab Bussey around the throat and throw him into a parking kiosk, knocking him unconscious.
The witnesses said a black SUV then arrived on scene and a passenger told Lewis and Webb to get into the vehicle, but it left without them when police arrived, according to the report.
More on the story, including the players’ mug shots, can be found at the Daily Camera website.
May 12th
Two Buffs arrested for second degree assault
According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s arrest report, two Buffs have been charged with second degree assault and harassment.
Quarterback Jordan Webb and offensive lineman Alexander Lewis were both cited for one count of second degree assault, and two counts harassment. No further details were released.
Mike MacIntyre has issued a statement: “Jordan’s exact involvement in this incident is still being investigated. We continually stress the importance of appropriate behavior to our players and do not tolerate any detrimental conduct in our football program. Once all of the facts come to light, if Jordan is found responsible for any misconduct, he will be disciplined according to team rules.”
As for the new Cornhusker? “As for Alex Lewis, as of Friday he was off of the team when he did a media interview and announced that he is transferring to Nebraska,” MacIntyre said. “Since he is no longer a Colorado Buffalo, it will be up to Nebraska to decide what discipline he might face.”
Jordan Webb is trying to work his way back into playing shape after tearing an ACL in a non-contact incident during spring practices. Webb has made progress, and earlier this week head coach Mike MacIntyre said Webb might be back as early as the start of the Pac-12 season in late September.
Lewis, meanwhile, has left the CU football team. It was announced this week that Lewis is transferring to Nebraska. Lewis, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, sat out the spring, and was likely slated to sit out the fall, with two years of eligibility left for 2014 and 2015.
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May 11th
Bohn addresses the state of CU athletics in media roundtable
From cubuffs.com …
“Although it was a challenging year for many reasons, we believe we are getting better and better every day,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn said at his quarterly media roundtable. “It doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard in some sports, but our commitment is there.”
Bohn began his address by identifying each of the hurdles placed before the athletic department over the 2012-13 year. He acknowledged the need for an improvement in facilities in order to enhance the school’s recruitment efforts and boost visibility in the sometimes ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
“We recognize the need for improvement but what we do have is better than most people think and a number of Pac-12 officials have told me the same thing,” Bohn said. “We are behind, but we’re striving. We’re continuing to pace nicely, not just in terms of facilities but at everything put together.”
The talk of a new indoor football practice facility continues to be at the forefront of the university’s future plans and Bohn continued to expound upon the details of those plans on Tuesday.
“We know that we need an indoor practice facility in order to compete with the other Pac-12 schools,” said Bohn. “It will be an anchor for our program and we’re hustling to raise money this summer (to make it happen). It will also help our other programs because many of them will have the opportunity to be able to practice there.”
Bohn spoke in length about the future of the track and field program and its need for an upgrade in facilities as the long term future of the ancient Balch Fieldhouse becomes less and less viable with each passing year.
“We know we need to find a workout place for our track program because Balch isn’t a long term solution,” said Bohn. “It’s important to find an avenue to help (cross country/rack coach Mark) Wetmore with whatever he needs in order to improve his team and to recruit.”
The department’s fiscal losses over the past year can be attributed almost directly to the lack of success by its football program which is traditionally the biggest money maker in college athletics.
In 2012, the Buffaloes struggled through a tumultuous 1-11 campaign under second-year head coach, Jon Embree. As a result, individual ticket sales dwindled significantly and season ticket renewals took a major hit as well. The firing of Embree in November and subsequent hiring of ex-San Jose State head coach, Mike MacIntyre has helped to somewhat stem those losses and Bohn is still hopeful that the number of tickets sold will see a dramatic spike as the start of the season draws nearer. That, coupled with a recent surge in attendance at both men’s and women’s basketball games makes Bohn and the department very optimistic.
“We had tremendous attendance numbers in basketball (last year),” Bohn said. “We even set some attendance records for the men and attendance for the women was second best in the conference. Those numbers help us win games, they help us recruit, and they help us to keep our head coaches.
“I also think our football numbers will improve. We have left our pricing structure the same so we are hopeful we will see a bump in attendance this fall.”
Another reason for the lower financial numbers is the lack of a television deal between the conference’s Pac-12 Network and the nation’s biggest satellite cable company, DirecTV. The inability of the more than 35 million DirecTV subscribers to access the Pac-12 Network decreases the visibility of each university and makes the conference as a whole less viable than those they are competing against in terms of both recruiting and marketing.
“We are frustrated as a conference that there is still no deal done with DirecTV.” Bohn said. “It is a huge piece we’re missing. We have four of the five major carriers already so we are hopeful that something will get worked out soon.”
… Bohn’s roundtable closed with the assurance that he and the department are working vehemently towards making sure the university starts to distinguish itself from the rest of the Pac-12. He spoke of increased equity for the coaches and then talked passionately about the Coaches Caravan event that is becoming a harbor for creating a bond between programs and for promoting the spirit of camaraderie with a fan base that covers the entire state. And as he left the room an entire university awaits the promise of what lies ahead.
May 10th
Buffs lose Alex Lewis to Nebraska
Well, I guess we won’t have to spend any more time wondering whether to call him Alex or Alexander …
Offensive lineman Alexander Lewis will not be the starting at left guard for the Buffs this fall. Instead, the junior, who missed the spring with a shoulder injury, will be transferring to Nebraska.
In 2012, Lewis garnered honorable mention sophomore All-American accolades (collegefootballnews.com) and honorable mention All-Pac-12 from the league coaches. Lewis started all 12 games last fall at left guard, playing the second most snaps of any offensive lineman (736).
Lewis, whose father Bill played for Nebraska, will have to sit out a transfer year, and will then have two years of eligibility remaining. He can take this all to rehab his shoulder, and then be ready for the 2014 season.
Junior Kaiwi Crabb now becomes the odd’s on favorite to start at left guard for the Buffs this fall. Behind Crabb on the depth chart are two sophomores, Jeromy Irwin and James Carr.
Lewis makes an even dozen
For those of you scoring at home, Lewis makes 12 players from last year’s team who will not be returning for 2013. Four were walk-ons, but eight were scholarship players.
The list:
David Bagby, wide receiver (walk-on) – transferring
David Bakhtiari, offensive lineman – declared for the NFL draft
Jarrod Darden, wide receiver – graduating, transferring
Zach Grossnickle, punter – graduating, possible transfer
Sherrard Harrington, defensive back – medical retirement (hip)
Nick Hirschman, quarterback – graduating, transferring (Akron)
Harrison Hunt, wide receiver (walk-on) – transferring
Scotty Jarvis, linebacker (walk-on) transferring
Alexander Lewis, offensive lineman – transferring
Josh Smith, wide receiver (walk-on) – quit
DaVaughn Thornton, tight end – graduating, possible transfer
Kyle Washington, linebacker – medical retirement (concussions)
Nick Hirschman to Akron
The Zips … the Harvard Crimson of the Mid-American Conference
From ESPN … Former Colorado quarterback Nick Hirschman*said Thursday he will transfer to Akron, where he will be eligible to play this fall after receiving his degree.
Hirshman, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, completed 59.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Hirschman, who earned a degree in sports communications in three years and was set to have his a graduation ceremony Thursday night, said he believes Terry Bowden is an excellent coach and he was impressed by Akron’s facilities.
He surprised some by transferring despite finishing the spring as Colorado’s co-starter alongside Connor Wood.
In four Colorado spring scrimmages, Hirschman was 32-of-52 passing for 433 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception with a passer rating of 178.9.
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May 9th
Post-Spring Q&A with Mike MacIntyre
The full interview can be found at*cubuffs.com.
Some highlights …
General Thoughts On His First Spring In Boulder
“I thought it went well, it was exciting in that everyone bought in to what we are trying to accomplish and how we need to go about getting there. There was improvement from every practice to the next, sometimes it was big, other times small. It took a little bit of time for the players to feel comfortable, to start showing a little more emotion, and to have a lot more fun. That’s expected when there’s a whole new staff in place, and for some of these kids, they’re on their third head coach. So that was understandable. But by the end of 15 practices, because they knew it was okay, they were having a lot more fun than they did at the start. “To outside eyes it’s a small thing, but from the inside it’s very big. The way we practiced and the way we scrimmaged as the spring went on, it seemed like the young men enjoyed playing more. They were excited for each other, with each other, they were happy when other people made plays. They competed like crazy. The team was enjoying the work process (and) if they’re enjoying their work process, they can get better. If they’re not enjoying it, I don’t think they can get better. I think it’s a mental state and I think that’s true in any business.”
On Where He Saw The Team Improve
“I’ve seen more accuracy by our quarterbacks, better attention to detail with our offensive lineman in finishing and communicating at the line, and defensively, I have seen a better gap responsibility in understanding that. Receiver-wise, they have kept improving each and every day and I think the secondary has gotten better as the spring has gone on. I’ve been very pleased with our kickers, our long-snappers and our punters. I think they have done a really good job this spring; they have been very accurate, they’ve done a good job of snapping the ball and handling the ball, most of them have all been very, very good. So, those are the areas that I think have gone well.”
On His Concerns Regarding The Offense And Defense
“I think my biggest concern offensively right now is making sure we can sustain drives and that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot – jump off sides, have a bad snap, miss an assignment and/or give up a sack – so sustaining a drive and that comes with repetition. Defensively, I still think we have to leverage the ball better. We’ve got to know where our help is. We have to miss a tackle correctly, and that might sound funny, but if you miss a tackle wrong and you don’t turn it into somebody he is gone. So, we have to be able to tackle better in the open field and I think we have improved in that area from the first couple of scrimmages, I really do, but we still have a way to go.”
On Team’s Emotional Psyche
“I think we are on the way, we’re not where we want to be, but I think we are definitely on the way. Every scrimmage and every practice from the first one on they’ve had more fun playing, they’ve congratulated each other, they’ve jawed at each other, they’ve enjoyed coming out and doing the work. If you enjoy your work, you get better. If you don’t enjoy your work, you don’t get better, and they are starting to enjoy that, and to me it’s getting harder, we’re pushing them but they are all kind of buying in to each other and enjoying the process. If you enjoy the process, you get better.”
On Restructuring The Culture
“There’s no doubt, the culture we want to set, and that is no knock on the things done in the past, but every staff that comes in has a certain culture they want to set, a certain identity. What I want them to do is really bond, and then also really get a lot of self-worth and self-esteem at their position and understanding it. And I think if they do that then you keep maturing as a football team and I think it flows into the summer workouts which are critical; their focus there, their work ethic, and their mentality, and come in with a fresh approach when we hit August.”
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May 8th
CU running a deficit for the second straight season
From the Daily Camera … CU will show a significant financial loss when the fiscal year ends on June 30.
“We recognize that we’ll have a deficit,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn said on Tuesday at a media roundtable. “That is a deficit that we will be required to cover long-term within our plan and budgeting process.”
It is too early to predict the total deficit because several factors could impact the bottom line, but Bohn said, “We recognize that this is a challenging year for us, for a lot of different reasons.”
CU also had a deficit a year ago, but much of that was due to the penalty CU had to pay to leave the Big 12 for the Pac-12.
This year’s deficit was not planned, as the football team struggled more than anyone anticipated. With a 1-11 record in football, the Buffs didn’t bring in the revenue they normally do.
“We missed our ticket revenue piece on football dramatically,” Bohn said. “When we miss our ticket revenue number in football by over $2 million, that creates a significant challenge for us.”
Because of the poor performance on the field and, therefore, financially, CU decided to fire head coach Jon Embree. That led to CU needing to come up with more than $2 million to buy out the contracts of Embree and former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
CU then made a heavy financial commitment to new head football coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff. MacIntyre will make about $2 million annual; Embree made roughly $750,000.
More at the Daily Camera website …
May 7th
Coach Mac – “I’m not bitter. I’m a Buff”
Bill McCartney was certainly vocal about his objections to Jon Embree being fired after only two seasons.
Now, however, McCartney seems willing to move on.
From the Daily Camera … McCartney accepted congratulations from dozens of people (at a luncheon after the announcement that he had been selected to join the College Football Hall of Fame), including CU athletic director Mike Bohn, with whom he shook hands. McCartney was publicly critical of Bohn and his bosses last year after they fired former CU coach Jon Embree after just two seasons on the job.
But McCartney, while making it clear he still stands behind Embree, said he has put the issue behind him and is moving forward.
“I’m not bitter,” he said. “I’m a Buff. “I’m past that now. The new coach Mac, I’m 100 percent behind him. I mean, his name is coach Mac.”
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Hall of Fame announcement – Bill McCartney selected!
Former CU head coach Bill McCartney was elected today to the College Football Hall of Fame.
From cubuffs.com … Bill McCartney first set foot on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder in June 1982; little did he know at the time that just over a dozen years later he would retire as the winningest coach in CU football history.
And now the turnaround “Mac” orchestrated in Boulder with a program that won just 14 games over a six-year span to one that claimed three Big 8 Conference titles and the 1990 consensus national championship is being rewarded on college football’s biggest stage.
McCartney has been selected by the National Football Foundation for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this December 10 in New York City. He will join 12 players and two coaches in the Class of 2013.
He will become the seventh Buffalo enshrined in the Hall, joining Byron White (inducted in 1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010) and John Wooten (2012). He is the school’s first coach to be so-honored.
“It’s a surprise and it is very humbling when you look at the men that have been recognized with this honor over the years,” McCartney said. “It’s very gratifying and rewarding. Keep in mind I’ve been out of coaching almost 20 years, so to be remembered after such a long absence was a complete surprise to me.”
McCartney was 93-55-5 in 13 seasons at the reins of the Buffaloes, guiding the program to its first and only national championship in football in 1990, doing so by playing the nation’s toughest schedule, just the second time that feat was ever accomplished. He coached CU in more bowl games, nine, than anyone before or after him, as well as to three consecutive Big 8 titles in 1989-90-91 during a run of 10 consecutive winning seasons in league competition. After a 4-16-1 start in conference games, the Buffs finished 58-29-4 against Big 8 competition, going an impressive 54-13-3 over his last 10 seasons.
In the six-year span from 1989-94, Mac’s last six seasons, Colorado was 58-11-4, the fifth-best record in the nation behind Miami, Fla. (63-9), Florida State (64-9-1), Nebraska (61-11-1) and Alabama (62-12-1). CU’s 36-3-3 record in the conference games in the same period was the nation’s best. CU finished in the nation’s top 20 each of those six years, including a No. 3 ranking his final season.
All 93 wins came against Division I-A/FBS competition, with just nine against so-called non-BCS schools (though five of those versus in-state rival Colorado State). He coached the most games ever (153) at Colorado, with his 13 seasons are second to only the legendary Fred Folsom (15) in the number of seasons working on the “hilltop.”
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Mac was quick to credit two specific groups for his election to the Hall.
“It all started with my first recruiting class, that winter of ’83,” he recalled. “I asked all the in-state players not to make a decision until they visited CU, and we wanted them to come in the last weekend before signing day. They gave their word and most of them held to it. They stuck together, and they helped recruit our great class in ’87 that made up the core of the national championship team.
“That’s how I am in the Hall of Fame,” he said boldly. “This means something to the state of Colorado, it’s part of our history. What led us to the national championship is that seven years earlier, the in-state kids stayed home.”
He also had great assistant coaches through the years, coaches he only hired because they could recruit; he would pass on coaches that were great with X’s and O’s if they couldn’t recruit.* And those who worked under him formed a pool that eventually would produce 11 future collegiate head coaches: Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.
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Mac’s two favorite games during his CU tenure resonate with most of the fan base. “Without a doubt, when we beat Nebraska in Lincoln when we were behind 12-0 going into the fourth quarter. We scored 27 in the fourth quarter. And then the second Orange Bowl against Notre Dame, because it was our only national championship. That Notre Dame team was as good a Notre Dame team as (coach) Lou Holtz had. We lost our QB at halftime and still found a way to win that game.”
In 1999, he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, just the sixth coach at the University of Colorado to be honored so. He was enshrined in CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.
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More on McCartney at the CU website.
May 6th
Coach MacIntyre on Jordan Webb: “We are hoping to get him back in September”
CU head coach Mike MacIntyre was interviewed Monday by John Harris on the War Room for Yahoo Sports. The link to the interview can be found here.
Some highlights …
On spring practices … “I thought the young men got better and better each practice. I thought our attitude and enthusiasm for the game of football improved every day.”
On Jordan Webb … “They are working on him hard to get him back as quick as he can get back. We are*hoping to get him back some time in September … He’s not going to be able to get a sixth year, so he’s got to push and try and get back and help out some this year.”
On starting the season without Webb … “Connor Wood had a very good spring. Shane Dillon and a bunch of other guys did a good job. We’ve got a freshman coming in, Sefo, who has got a chance to be good, so we’ll keep all of the guys competing.”
On installing a new system at CU … “I thought it went well. Our coaching staff does a very good job. We tried to keep it very simple. We tried to teach in*concepts. I felt that about halfway through spring practices they started picking up the concepts on both sides of the ball. We’ll have some more to add in the fall, but we made sure we got those concepts in there now, so they can work on them this summer, and be prepared when we start in the fall.”
On summer conditioning … “We only have 29 practices before the first game. You have no preseason games. So you line up, and your first game is for real. And you only have so many (practices) you can do in pads; you can only do so much. So conditioning in the summer, you have to show up (for fall camp) in condition. You don’t have time to get them in condition. We have a phenomenal strength staff, and the kids understand that it’s a year-round situation. There’s no way to take three-and-a-half months off and expect to be able to line up and compete at the level we have to compete at. So it’s critical. It’s not important, it’s critical, especially this year.”
On the freshman class coming in and competing … “I think you will always have a few guys who will come in, but to play a ton of them would be pretty tough. Hopefully, we’ll have*a few guys who can compete and help us play, and then we’ll mesh them with the young men who are here, and we’ll put the best team out there. I tell everybody who comes in that if they are good enough to start, we’re going to start them, and that’s every year that I recruit. But hopefully you have older, wiser, more mature players ahead of them, so that the majority of your team is upperclassmen.”
On competing in the Pac-12 … “I really like the Pac-12. It’s a great footprint for Colorado. There*are a lot of very good football teams. Every Saturday is a very tough battle for us, there’s no doubt.”
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CU Surveys season ticket holders
If you are a season ticket holder, this morning you likely received a survey by email. Though it is designed for season ticket holders, the ticket office is inviting others to participate.
It takes about ten minutes, but it does include questions about the ticket office, the Buff Club, parking, concessions, and stadium experience. If you have an opinion about any of the above, now is the time to be heard …
Here is the link to take the survey
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May 5th
Eligibility Chart not quite in balance
After the last spring practice on April 16th, new CU head coach Mike MacIntyre indicated that the “pencil depth chart”, issued midway through spring practices, would be updated by week’s end.
That was almost three weeks ago …
So, assuming that there will not be a new depth chart before August, we are left to our own devices in structuring the team will line up come August. In the meantime, though, we can certainly look at the eligibility chart, and see if some balance is returning to the CU lineup.
Below is a list of players by position and year in school. Currently, the Buffs have 89 players on scholarship, with 85 the limit. Two of those players, quarterback*Nick Hirschman*and wide receiver Jarrod Darden, have already announced that they will be graduating and moving on to other schools.
CU is actively pursuing several junior college players (see the story about safety T.J. Reynard in the “Recruiting Prospects – 2014“). Translation: the list below will be absent a few other names in a few weeks (my speculation can be found at the end of the list).
Post-Spring Practices Roster
Notes: Bold indicates returning starter; italics indicates walk-on; freshmen from the Class of 2014 are listed as true freshmen
Offense
Quarterbacks – Jordan Webb (Sr.); Connor Wood (Jr.); Stevie Joe Dorman (So.); John Schrock (So.); Shane Dillon (R-Fr.); Sefo Liufau (Fr.)
Running backs – Josh Ford (Sr.); Tony Jones (Jr.); Malcolm Creer (Jr.); Christian Powell (So.); Donta Abron (So.); Davien Payne (R-Fr.); Terrence Crowder (R-Fr.); Michael Adkins (Fr.); Phillip Lindsay (Fr.)
Fullbacks – Alex Wood (Sr.); Jordan Murphy (So.); Clay Jones (So.)
Wide receivers – Alex Turbow (Sr.); Tyler McCulloch (Jr.); Paul Richardson (Jr.); Keenan Canty (Jr.); D.D. Goodson (Jr.); Justin Gorman (Jr.); Wesley Christiansen (Jr.); Nelson Spruce (So.); Jeffrey Hall (So.); Gerald Thomas (So.); Austin Vincent (So.); Jeffrey Thomas (Fr. – grayshirt); Colin Johnson (R-Fr.); Bryce Bobo (Fr.); Elijah Dunston (Fr.); Devin Ross (Fr.)
Tight ends – Scott Fernandez (Sr.); Kyle Slavin (Jr.); Vincent Hobbs (So.); Austin Ray (R-Fr.); Sean Irwin (R-Fr.); Robert Orban (Fr.)
Offensive linemen - Jack Harris (Sr.); Gus Handler (Sr.); Daniel Munyer (Jr.); Alex Lewis (Jr.); Kaiwi Crabb (Jr.); Stephane Nembot (So.); Brad Cotner (So.); Marc Mustoe (So.); Jeromy Irwin (So.); Alex Kelley (R-Fr.); Gerrad Kough (Fr. – grayshirt); Vincent Arvia (R-Fr.); Ed Caldwell (R-Fr.); Gunnar Graham (Fr.); Jonathan Huckins (Fr.); Sam Kronshage (Fr.); Colin Sutton (Fr.); John Lisella (grayshirt this fall – will not count against scholarship limit in 2013)
Defense
Defensive tackles – Nate Bonsu (Sr.); Josh Tupou (So.); Tyler Henington (So.); Justin Solis (So.); John Tuso (So.); Kory Rasmussen (R-Fr.); De’Jon Wilson (R-Fr.)
Defensive ends - Chidera Uzo-Diribe (Sr.); Kirk Poston (Jr.); Juda Parker (Jr.); Andre Nichols (Jr.); Samson Kafovalu (So.); John Stuart (R-Fr.); Derek McCartney (Fr. – grayshirt); Jimmie Gilbert (Fr.); Timothy Coleman (Fr.)
Inside linebackers - Derrick Webb (Sr.); Brady Daigh (Jr.); Lowell Williams (Jr.): K.T. Tu’umalo (Jr.); Thor Eaton (So.); Clay Norgard (R-Fr.); Addison Gillam (Fr. – grayshirt); Jesse Hiss (R-Fr.); Tim McLaughlin (R-Fr.); George Frazier (Fr.); Ryan Severson (Fr.)
Outside linebackers - Paul Vigo (Sr.); Woodson Greer (Jr.); Hunter Shaw (So.); Markeis Reed (R-Fr.); Kenneth Olugbode (Fr.)
Cornerbacks – Greg Henderson (Jr.); Harrison Hunter (Jr.); Kenneth Crawley (So.); Yuri Wright (So.); Brandan Brisco (So.); John Walker (R-Fr.); Chidobe Awuzie (Fr.)
Safeties – Parker Orms (Sr.); Terrel Smith (Sr.); Jered Bell (Jr.); Josh Moten (Jr.); Marques Mosley (So.); Richard Yates (So.); Isaac Archuleta (So.); Alexander Stewart (R-Fr.); Tedric Thompson (Fr.); Ryan Moeller (Fr.)
Special Teams
Kickers – Justin Castor (Sr.); Will Oliver (Jr.)
Punters – Darragh O’Neill (Jr.); D.J. Wilhelm (Jr.)
Long-snappers - Ryan Iverson (Sr.); Keegan LaMar (So.); Trevor Carver (R-Fr.); Blake Allen (R-Fr.); John Finch (R-Fr.)
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For those of you scoring at home, that would be 87 scholarship players listed, with 14 seniors, 22 juniors, 18 sophomores, 16 red-shirt freshmen, and 17 true freshmen.
With CU actively looking for help at tight end, linebacker and secondary, it would not be a surprise if several names are added to the above list before fall camp. If that is the case, then who are the players who are most likely to be playing elsewhere come September?
Running back Davien Payne is on everyone’s short list to leave after finals. The red-shirt freshman was not a participant in spring drills, and did not appear on the depth chart issued by the school.
Another name mentioned consistently is defensive tackle De’Jon Wilson. Another red-shirt freshman, Wilson was on the pencil depth chart, but listed fourth at defensive tackle behind three sophomores.
Several members of the defensive backfield were rumored last December to be on the verge of transferring, but sophomores Jeffrey Hall and Gerald Thomas have moved to wide receiver, and seem to be happy with the move. Fellow sophomore defensive back*Yuri Wright received more playing time as the spring went on, and talk of him transferring has cooled.
Sophomore tight end Vincent Hobbs missed spring practices after his father suffered a serious illness. Hobbs has been dealing with family issues (and some resulting class issues), but the latest report is that he still intends on being a Buff in the fall.
All of the above is speculation. There may be other transfers after finals are concluded, and … you hope not to jinx anything … there may be a player or two lost to academic ineligibility. And there is always the chance that one or two of*the members of the Recruiting Class of 2013 might not get through the NCAA Clearinghouse (though there has been little or no discussion of that happening so far).
So … the Buffs are at 87 strong right now, with several changes destined to take place between now and the start of Fall Camp.
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May 3rd
NCAA reinstates unlimited texting to recruits
NCAA press release … The Division I Board of Directors on Thursday suspended the rule that would have allowed coaches to communicate with recruits in new ways – including through text messaging – and lifted restrictions on numbers of contacts.
The Board reconsidered its January adoption of the measure after receiving more than 75 override requests.
In suspending the rule, the presidents on the Board endorsed a Rules Working Group recommendation that all the recruiting concepts under review be examined as a group to develop a model that considers how the changes would work together.
The decision does not affect recruiting rules adopted for men’s and women’s basketball.
“We are supportive of moving as aggressively as possible while still studying the issues with due diligence,” said Board chair Nathan Hatch, president at Wake Forest University. “It’s important to make sure all the pieces of the recruiting model work together to make the most effective change in the culture.”
The Board took the advice of the Rules Working Group, which urged a quick legislative review that is mindful of the other initiatives under consideration by the membership, in recommending an aggressive, thoughtful and thorough review of the recruiting rules. The recruiting communication and other recruiting rule changes originated with the working group as part of an effort to make Division I rules more meaningful, enforceable and supportive of student-athlete success.
The Board suspended or tabled three other recruiting-related rules earlier this year:
The Board declined to change its position on a proposal prohibiting live scouting of opponents, which also had received more than 75 override requests.* With that action, the measure will go to a full vote of the membership through an online process.
The Board agreed with the Rules Working Group assessment that the measure creates a simpler and more consistent rule that is easy to follow. The presidents noted that those who oppose the change expressed concern about access to and quality of video in some of the Olympic sports. As with all rules adopted through the presidential reform agenda, it will undergo a review and evaluation process after two years if it remains in place after the override vote.
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Pac-12 close to deal with AT&T
From the San Jose Mercury News … The Pac-12 Conference and AT&T have the framework of a deal in place for U-verse to broadcast the league’s television network beginning this summer, according to conference and industry sources.
The contract is weeks (and perhaps months) away from being finalized as the sides hammer out final details.
If all goes as expected, the networks will be available on U-verse prior to the start of the football season.
U-verse has approximately 4.5 million customers nationwide and is the nation’s seventh-largest multi-channel video distributor.
Sources declined to comment on details of the agreement, including subscription fees and which of the networks’ seven feeds would be available in various regions of the country.
The Pac-12 Networks, which launched last August, are available on Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Bright House and DISH.
But the league was unable to reach an agreement with four major distributors: AT&T, Verizon, Charter and DirecTV.
Conferences sources believe the agreement with AT&T could ratchet up the pressure on Verizon.
Negotiations with DirecTV reached an impasse last summer and have not progressed in recent months.
May 2nd
NCAA backs off on increasing academic requirements
Because the NCAA is all about academics, right? Right? …..
From CBSSportsline.com … After an outcry within the industry, the NCAA has decided to maintain the current sliding academic scale instead of raising the standards beginning in 2016. The Division I Board of Directors made the decision on Thursday.
Coaches throughout the college basketball ranks were concerned that the move, an effort to increase academic success, would have had a major impact — especially on inner-city kids.
Currently, student-athletes with a 2.5 GPA need an 820 on the SAT to be eligible. Under the proposed 2016 changes, the same student with a 2.5 GPA would have needed to score a 1,000 on the SAT.
“The Board has determined that requiring prospects to meet a more stringent sliding scale starting in 2016 would have yielded a number of unintended consequences,” the NCAA announced Thursday. “Those consequences led the Board to its decision to retain the current sliding scale standard.”
One of the rationales was the impact on socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.
Committee of Academic Performance chair Walter Harrison, also the president at the University of Hartford, said the “enormity of the impact on minorities, the numerous other academic changes set to take place soon and the positive trends in Academic Progress Rates were factors in his support of the sliding-scale re-examination.”
“APRs are improving, and I believe they will continue to improve,” Harrison said. “I’m concerned about minority students who would be affected by the dramatic change to the sliding scale.”
May 1st
2012-13 CUSPY’s All Sport Video
A little pick-me-up video of the CU sports season, with highlights from football, basketball, the national champion ski team and the Pac-12 champion cross country teams …
ESPN interview with Coach MacIntyre
Here is a link to a short interview with Coach Mike MacIntyre.
CU Coaches Caravan – May 13th to 17th
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado athletic department will embark upon the Colorado Coaches Caravan, State Stampede 2013; a state tour that will take place May 13-17, 2013 and is presented by Horizon Coach Lines.
CU head football coach Mike MacIntyre, head men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle and head women’s basketball coach Linda Lappe will all be available at all stops while other CU coaches and administrators will join the tour at select stops along the way.
“We look forward to having the chance to once again visit many of the outstanding communities of our great state,” Athletic Director Mike Bohn said. “This will be an opportunity for us to meet, greet and say thank you to all the passionate Buff fans across Colorado.”
The tour will get underway Monday, May 13, with a trip up I-25 to the Ptarmgan Country Club for a lunch at Noon. That day the tour will return to Boulder for a stop by the Bolder Boulder Headquarters at 4:15 p.m. before a happy hour event at Ted’s Montana Grill on Pearl Street starting at 5 p.m.
Tuesday will begin with a visit to McDonald’s in Denver (1350 West Colfax) at 11 a.m. before the featured event, a happy hour stop by the Blake Street Tavern from 5-7 p.m.
The Caravan will then head south for a lunch on Wednesday at the Waterfront Banquet Hall on Main Street in Pueblo at Noon that will include a tour of the Medal of Honor Museum. Wednesday will then conclude with a happy hour at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort near the Broadmoore in Colorado Springs at 5:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the Buffs will head back north for a lunch at Pasta Jay’s in Lone Tree at 12:30 p.m., after which the Buffs will stop by a south Denver Safeway location.
The Caravan will conclude Friday with a trip west to Vail and Grand Junction. After a visit to McDonald’s in Vail (2171 North Frontage Road West), at 11 a.m. the Buffs will continue west where the final public event of the tour will commence at the Doubletree Grand Junction at 4:30 p.m., with appetizers and a cash bar.
All events are free to the public. Aside from the Tuesday stop at McDonald’s and the Thursday’s stop at Safeway, space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fans can register for the other public events on-line now!
Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie
May 18th
Colorado picks up a junior college quarterback
Colorado started spring practices with six quarterbacks on the roster, with a seventh on the way.
Two months later … Hirschman gone; Webb injured and status uncertain (both medically and legally); Schrock, Dillon,*and Dorman not up to snuff.
Which leaves Connor Wood, who failed to take over the position during the spring, and Sefo Liufau, who has yet to take a snap in a CU practice.
And now … junior college transfer Jordan Gehrke. (Rivals bio) (MaxPreps video highlights) (Hudl video highlights)
From Scout.com … Despite having a successful career as a three-year starter at at quarterback for Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Prep, Gehrke didn’t receive an offer. He played one season at Scottsdale Community College and the success continued.
In 2012, Gehrke threw for 2,388 yards and 22 touchdowns to 14 interceptions, earning 2nd team All-ACCAC honors.
As a full qualifier, Gehrke (6′-2″, 190 pounds) landed an offer from Weber State and he made an official visit. Things did not work out with the Wildcats and Gehrke decided to transfer to Ventura Junior College in California after the Fall semester and had every intention of returning to play his sophomore year except his hopes of landing a FBS scholarship came true.
Gehrke’s prep coach, Gary Gregory, from Notre Dame Prep tells FoxSportsNext that Jordan landed a big time scholarship offer and committed on the spot.
“Colorado came in looking for a quarterback,” Gregory says. “I knew Jordan was a qualifier and gave them his name and film. They ended up liking him, offering him a scholarship and he took it right away.”
Gregory adds, “I couldn’t be happier for Jordan. He is such a hard worker and a good kid. Colorado is getting a great player. We have had our last five quarterbacks all go to four-year schools, including Sean Renfree (three year starter at Duke and 7th round draft choice of the Falcons), and Jordan has worked as hard as any of them. He just happened to be in the right place in the right time with CU looking for a quarterback.”
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MacIntyre: “There is always a sense of urgency”
An article published by Athlon Sports, picked up by the Chicago Tribune, gives a pretty fair account of the state of Colorado football.
Some highlights:
It’s been more than two decades since the football team at the University of Colorado hoisted its one and only national championship trophy, and the program has struggled to remain relevant ever since.
Under the watchful eye of Bill McCartney, the winningest coach in school history and a recent inductee (class of 2013) into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Buffaloes were kings of the college football world, or at least co-kings, back in 1990 when they shared the crown with Georgia Tech.
Despite a few years of fleeting success since, they’ve had a difficult time keeping pace with the competition in what most can agree are some of the toughest conferences in NCAA history (Big Eight, Big 12, Pac-12).
… Having inspired his players to perform at a high level in the past, MacIntyre knows the path to greatness isn’t going to be easy.
“We will work tirelessly, we will work correctly, and we will work with passion,” he said as his introductory press conference.
Despite the tough road ahead, he also realizes the honeymoon will be short- lived as Buffalo backers everywhere are frothing at the mouth for a winner.
“There is always a sense of urgency. You develop; the word I use instead of patience is perseverance. I think there is a big difference. Perseverance, you’re working continuously every day.”
… With his system firmly in place, and his first spring game in Boulder now in the books, MacIntyre knows it’s important to keep the energy level up as he tries to make his team forget the dismal time it endured last fall.
“We’re on the way, but not where we want to be,” he said. “Every scrimmage and every practice from the first on, they’ve had more fun playing, congratulated each other, applauded each other, enjoyed coming out and doing the work. If you enjoy your work, you get better. If you don’t enjoy it, you don’t … as you enjoy the process you get better.”
Competing in the Pac-12 isn’t only about winning the war between the lines, but also out on the recruiting trail, something the Buffs have failed miserably at in recent years. MacIntyre hopes to change all that as he focuses on quality over quantity when eyeing prospective student-athletes.
“It will be first do they want to be at Colorado, and second of all we will start talking football and show them what we can do, what I can do for them and go from there. And we want the right fit now, I can’t say that enough, evaluating a person and talent is the key to being successful.”
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May 17th
Colorado ranked No. 115 by USA Today
Hard to take, but*Buff fans had better be prepared for more of the same. It’s going to be a long summer of dire predictions for the CU football program.
The full (and largely accurate, except for the part where they say that the Ralphie Report is the “clear and undisputed leader of Colorado blogs”) assessment of the Buffs can be found at the USA Today website.
Some highlights:
It can’t get worse than this. Really, it can’t: Colorado can’t possibly be any worse than it was a season ago, when the Buffaloes turned in one of the worst seasons by a major college football program in the history of the sport. Don’t call that an overstatement; I saw it, you saw it, we all saw it, and CU’s performance in 2012 – the USC game, the Oregon game, the Fresno State game – will forever linger in the memories of those unfortunate enough to have witnessed it.
Phrases like “multiple-year rebuilding project” come to mind. Most of the Pac-12 is moving forward at warp speed, with the exceptions of Colorado, of course, and perhaps Utah and California. CU has fallen so far back of the pack that it will take more than one year and 12 games to clean up this mess.
The bright spot comes in the Buffaloes’ new hire, former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre, a man with a clear plan and the experience to see it through to fruition. He’s been in similar spots before, as an assistant at Duke and the coach at SJSU, and his three-year turn with the Spartans highlighted his deft touch at slowly but surely remaking a weak and broken foundation.
But SJSU was a different animal. The Spartans were one year removed from a six-win finish when MacIntyre stepped up in 2009, not to mention had the good fortune of playing in the Western Athletic Conference; Colorado hasn’t won six games since 2007, hasn’t finished above .500 since 2005, has lost 22 games in the past two seasons and must deal with one of the nation’s deepest and most explosive conferences.
… It won’t get worse before it gets better, if only because it cannot – there’s no way, really – get any worse than it was a season ago. But it can be just as bad, if only slightly better, while MacIntyre and this staff tear everything down, reapply the spackle, make the proper measurements and start pouring the truckload of concrete needed to remake the supremely broken and ill-made foundation of Colorado football. Again, this is a multiple-year rebuilding project.
I’m not even going to discuss wins and losses. If nothing else, CU is not talented enough to beat the Pac-12 opponents on this schedule, with a team like California at home perhaps the Buffaloes’ best chance at a victory. A rivalry game with Colorado State (even if the Rams are no juggernaut) is a toss-up, especially because it’s the opener; even if the Bulldogs come to Boulder, and even if CU has a chip on its shoulder from last season, it’s going to be tough to knock off Fresno State. Ugliness will ensue, but it’ll be ugliness with a silver lining.
I remember very well the first end-of-spring scrimmage MacIntyre held at SJSU. He ran once, and twice, and again and again, regardless of its effectiveness, in an effort to instill the proper mindset with his new team – we’re going to be physical, darn it, and you better get on board. It didn’t lead to a miracle in 2010, no. It did lay the framework for 2011 and 2012, however, and there’s something to be said of a coach who knows what it takes to create a winning environment out of lowered expectations.
Better days are ahead. They’re not coming in the win column in 2013, but victories will eventually come with time and patience. Colorado will take more lumps this fall, suffer more ugly losses and end up last in the Pac-12 South, but the program has started the process of reversing course and moving in the correct direction.
— Dream season: Colorado beats Colorado State and Fresno State in September, California and Utah in November and doesn’t lose any game by more than 21 points.
— Nightmare season: The Buffaloes lose to everyone, failing even to match last season’s one-win output.
May 16th
Ohio State athletic director message to Iowa State hitting home in Boulder?
Gene Smith is the athletic director at Ohio State. Previously, he was the athletic director at Eastern Michigan and Iowa State. In talking about his current and previous schools, Smith either paid ISU a compliment, or made a derisive slight.
Take a look at the article, and while you do, think about CU and its seemingly uncanny inability to raise money (the latest indictment coming in a Kyle Ringo commentary in the Daily Camera.
From the Des Moines Register … Much of the talk at this week’s Big Ten meetings was about the growing economic divide among NCAA programs, and the advantages of being a powerhouse.
Gene Smith was the athletic director at Iowa State from 1993-2000, and is now in charge of Ohio State’s sports teams.
He shared his thoughts on how to cope when the playing fields are not always level.
“When I think about that type of question, it makes me think about our landscape,” Smith said. “Because, yes, it was a difficult job at Iowa State.
“All of college athletics at different levels have to decide their niche. You have to create your expectations consistent with reality.
“When I was at Eastern Michigan University (in the 1980s), it was a difficult job. And my coaches used to always talk about what Michigan had, because we were 20 minutes away, and what Michigan State had, because we were 40 minutes south.
“I didn’t care about them. I wanted to beat Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Toledo. If I’m Iowa State, I wanted to beat Kansas. I wanted to beat Kansas State. I wanted to have a chance to have eight wins (in football).”
“I remember when (former coach) Dan McCarney was there. He had two opportunities to win the (Big 12’s) Northern Division. He was that close.
“That’s expectations consistent with reality. Ohio State is different. You need to compare the resources and geography, based upon those realistic expectations. And some places don’t do that.”
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CU linemen continuing weight loss program
One of the first projects identified by Mike MacIntyre upon coming to Colorado was to have the Buff linemen, particularly the defensive linemen, become more … well … Buff.
MacIntyre stated before spring practices began that he wanted several linemen to lose 20-30 pounds before the fall, and it appears that headway is being made toward that goal.
MacIntyre said three of his defensive linemen have lost 20 pounds each but have 14 more to lose before they begin August camp. He wants a couple of linebackers to lose 15 pounds each, several offensive linemen to drop 10 to 12 and has a couple of receivers earmarked to gain 8 to 10 pounds. He said his team’s first-year weight loss task at San Jose State was more difficult, but “we came around OK . . . the next year we radically changed.” He expects the same results eventually at CU.
May 15th
Alex Lewis not in Nebraska gear after all
From the Daily Camera … The lawyer for former University of Colorado football player Alex Lewis, who along with CU quarterback Jordan Webb was arrested on assault charges over the weekend, today backtracked on comments he made that his client may have been “accosted” for wearing Nebraska Cornhusker gear.
Boulder police arrested Lewis and Webb early Saturday morning after witnesses said the two men were involved in an altercation on University Hill.
Witnesses said another man involved in the incident was knocked unconscious when Lewis, an offensive linemen, pushed his head into a brick wall, before Lewis and Webb then pushed him to the ground and began punching him, according to a police report.
Lewis and Webb, both 21, appeared at the Boulder County Jail’s courtroom today to be charged in the case. Webb was charged with one count of second-degree assault, while Lewis was charged with one count of second-degree assault and two misdemeanors counts of harassment.
Both men are free on $10,000 bond in the case.
Following this afternoon’s hearing, Lewis’ attorney, Donald Brenner, sought to correct comments he made on Monday that his client was wearing Cornhuskers apparel and that his new team’s gear may have played a part in the incident. Lewis transferred to Nebraska last week.
“I made a misstatement,” Brenner said. “(My client) wasn’t dressed in Nebraska gear. I don’t know where I got that from. I’ve been bombarded by the press with so much inunedo, I get confused.”
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May 14th
Lynn Katoa sentenced to four years in prison
Katoa never saw the field of play as a Buff, but the CU program will still get nationally (negative) publicity for this …
From the Daily Camera … One-time star football recruit Lynn Katoa came to Boulder in 2008 hoping to spend four years on the field making tackles for the Buffs.
Instead, after numerous run-ins with the law and a stint on the Boulder Police Department’s most-wanted list, Katoa instead will spend the next four years in a Colorado prison.
Katoa was sentenced to prison for felony menacing plus 145 days in jail for third-degree assault Friday in connection with a 2011 case, his third arrest during his time in Boulder.
He pleaded guilty to felony menacing and third-degree assault in March in exchange for prosecutors dropping two counts of second-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault, criminal mischief and false reporting to authorities.
But because Katoa was on probation during the assault, he had to be sentenced to a mandatory three to six years in prison.
Katoa was a former five-star linebacker recruit for the University of Colorado, but never saw the field because of his legal troubles
May 13th
Attorney for Jordan Webb: “I believe Mr. Webb will be exonerated”
From the Daily Camera … University of Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb and former CU offensive lineman Alexander Lewis were arrested Saturday morning on University Hill after witnesses say they knocked another man unconscious when Lewis shoved his head into a brick wall and both players pushed him to the ground and punched him, according to a Boulder police report.
Webb, and Lewis, both 21, were booked Saturday on suspicion of second-degree assault and remain in custody at the Boulder County Jail on $10,000 bond. Lewis also faces two counts of harassment.
Lewis’ attorney, Donald Brenner, said his client has a clean record and that he was wearing Nebraska Cornhuskers gear that night, which may have led to him being “accosted,” and that he only shoved the victim — identified by police as Lee Bussey, 22 — after Bussey threw a punch.
“My client didn’t do anything but shove a fellow,” Brenner said. “I don’t feel there is enough evidence to go forward and convict my client.
“He might not have handled the situation properly, but he’s a kid,” Brenner added. “It’s a really sad event for a really nice kid.”
Brenner said Lewis was planning on enrolling in summer school at Nebraska, but that his enrollment was put on hold because he has pending felony charges.
Webb’s attorney, Lou Rubino, said during the hearing that Webb’s role in the incident was “non-criminal.”
“I believe Mr. Webb will be exonerated,” Rubino said. “It’s not who he really is. He’s been a good kid in high school, at Kansas and at CU.”
According to a police report, the victim, Bussey was walking back to an apartment with a female friend around 3 a.m. Saturday near 13th Street and College Avenue as Lewis and Webb were walking in the other direction.
According to the report, Bussey and Lewis bumped into each other, which led to a verbal argument and a shoving match. The friend then told police Lewis repeatedly shoved Bussey into a brick wall, causing his head to hit the wall several times. The friend told police Webb then came and the two men shoved Bussey to the ground and began punching him.
The friend said Bussey told her to run, and she ran back to the apartment to get help and returned to the alley. At this point, witnesses said they saw Lewis grab Bussey around the throat and throw him into a parking kiosk, knocking him unconscious.
The witnesses said a black SUV then arrived on scene and a passenger told Lewis and Webb to get into the vehicle, but it left without them when police arrived, according to the report.
More on the story, including the players’ mug shots, can be found at the Daily Camera website.
May 12th
Two Buffs arrested for second degree assault
According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s arrest report, two Buffs have been charged with second degree assault and harassment.
Quarterback Jordan Webb and offensive lineman Alexander Lewis were both cited for one count of second degree assault, and two counts harassment. No further details were released.
Mike MacIntyre has issued a statement: “Jordan’s exact involvement in this incident is still being investigated. We continually stress the importance of appropriate behavior to our players and do not tolerate any detrimental conduct in our football program. Once all of the facts come to light, if Jordan is found responsible for any misconduct, he will be disciplined according to team rules.”
As for the new Cornhusker? “As for Alex Lewis, as of Friday he was off of the team when he did a media interview and announced that he is transferring to Nebraska,” MacIntyre said. “Since he is no longer a Colorado Buffalo, it will be up to Nebraska to decide what discipline he might face.”
Jordan Webb is trying to work his way back into playing shape after tearing an ACL in a non-contact incident during spring practices. Webb has made progress, and earlier this week head coach Mike MacIntyre said Webb might be back as early as the start of the Pac-12 season in late September.
Lewis, meanwhile, has left the CU football team. It was announced this week that Lewis is transferring to Nebraska. Lewis, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, sat out the spring, and was likely slated to sit out the fall, with two years of eligibility left for 2014 and 2015.
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May 11th
Bohn addresses the state of CU athletics in media roundtable
From cubuffs.com …
“Although it was a challenging year for many reasons, we believe we are getting better and better every day,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn said at his quarterly media roundtable. “It doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard in some sports, but our commitment is there.”
Bohn began his address by identifying each of the hurdles placed before the athletic department over the 2012-13 year. He acknowledged the need for an improvement in facilities in order to enhance the school’s recruitment efforts and boost visibility in the sometimes ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
“We recognize the need for improvement but what we do have is better than most people think and a number of Pac-12 officials have told me the same thing,” Bohn said. “We are behind, but we’re striving. We’re continuing to pace nicely, not just in terms of facilities but at everything put together.”
The talk of a new indoor football practice facility continues to be at the forefront of the university’s future plans and Bohn continued to expound upon the details of those plans on Tuesday.
“We know that we need an indoor practice facility in order to compete with the other Pac-12 schools,” said Bohn. “It will be an anchor for our program and we’re hustling to raise money this summer (to make it happen). It will also help our other programs because many of them will have the opportunity to be able to practice there.”
Bohn spoke in length about the future of the track and field program and its need for an upgrade in facilities as the long term future of the ancient Balch Fieldhouse becomes less and less viable with each passing year.
“We know we need to find a workout place for our track program because Balch isn’t a long term solution,” said Bohn. “It’s important to find an avenue to help (cross country/rack coach Mark) Wetmore with whatever he needs in order to improve his team and to recruit.”
The department’s fiscal losses over the past year can be attributed almost directly to the lack of success by its football program which is traditionally the biggest money maker in college athletics.
In 2012, the Buffaloes struggled through a tumultuous 1-11 campaign under second-year head coach, Jon Embree. As a result, individual ticket sales dwindled significantly and season ticket renewals took a major hit as well. The firing of Embree in November and subsequent hiring of ex-San Jose State head coach, Mike MacIntyre has helped to somewhat stem those losses and Bohn is still hopeful that the number of tickets sold will see a dramatic spike as the start of the season draws nearer. That, coupled with a recent surge in attendance at both men’s and women’s basketball games makes Bohn and the department very optimistic.
“We had tremendous attendance numbers in basketball (last year),” Bohn said. “We even set some attendance records for the men and attendance for the women was second best in the conference. Those numbers help us win games, they help us recruit, and they help us to keep our head coaches.
“I also think our football numbers will improve. We have left our pricing structure the same so we are hopeful we will see a bump in attendance this fall.”
Another reason for the lower financial numbers is the lack of a television deal between the conference’s Pac-12 Network and the nation’s biggest satellite cable company, DirecTV. The inability of the more than 35 million DirecTV subscribers to access the Pac-12 Network decreases the visibility of each university and makes the conference as a whole less viable than those they are competing against in terms of both recruiting and marketing.
“We are frustrated as a conference that there is still no deal done with DirecTV.” Bohn said. “It is a huge piece we’re missing. We have four of the five major carriers already so we are hopeful that something will get worked out soon.”
… Bohn’s roundtable closed with the assurance that he and the department are working vehemently towards making sure the university starts to distinguish itself from the rest of the Pac-12. He spoke of increased equity for the coaches and then talked passionately about the Coaches Caravan event that is becoming a harbor for creating a bond between programs and for promoting the spirit of camaraderie with a fan base that covers the entire state. And as he left the room an entire university awaits the promise of what lies ahead.
May 10th
Buffs lose Alex Lewis to Nebraska
Well, I guess we won’t have to spend any more time wondering whether to call him Alex or Alexander …
Offensive lineman Alexander Lewis will not be the starting at left guard for the Buffs this fall. Instead, the junior, who missed the spring with a shoulder injury, will be transferring to Nebraska.
In 2012, Lewis garnered honorable mention sophomore All-American accolades (collegefootballnews.com) and honorable mention All-Pac-12 from the league coaches. Lewis started all 12 games last fall at left guard, playing the second most snaps of any offensive lineman (736).
Lewis, whose father Bill played for Nebraska, will have to sit out a transfer year, and will then have two years of eligibility remaining. He can take this all to rehab his shoulder, and then be ready for the 2014 season.
Junior Kaiwi Crabb now becomes the odd’s on favorite to start at left guard for the Buffs this fall. Behind Crabb on the depth chart are two sophomores, Jeromy Irwin and James Carr.
Lewis makes an even dozen
For those of you scoring at home, Lewis makes 12 players from last year’s team who will not be returning for 2013. Four were walk-ons, but eight were scholarship players.
The list:
David Bagby, wide receiver (walk-on) – transferring
David Bakhtiari, offensive lineman – declared for the NFL draft
Jarrod Darden, wide receiver – graduating, transferring
Zach Grossnickle, punter – graduating, possible transfer
Sherrard Harrington, defensive back – medical retirement (hip)
Nick Hirschman, quarterback – graduating, transferring (Akron)
Harrison Hunt, wide receiver (walk-on) – transferring
Scotty Jarvis, linebacker (walk-on) transferring
Alexander Lewis, offensive lineman – transferring
Josh Smith, wide receiver (walk-on) – quit
DaVaughn Thornton, tight end – graduating, possible transfer
Kyle Washington, linebacker – medical retirement (concussions)
Nick Hirschman to Akron
The Zips … the Harvard Crimson of the Mid-American Conference
From ESPN … Former Colorado quarterback Nick Hirschman*said Thursday he will transfer to Akron, where he will be eligible to play this fall after receiving his degree.
Hirshman, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, completed 59.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Hirschman, who earned a degree in sports communications in three years and was set to have his a graduation ceremony Thursday night, said he believes Terry Bowden is an excellent coach and he was impressed by Akron’s facilities.
He surprised some by transferring despite finishing the spring as Colorado’s co-starter alongside Connor Wood.
In four Colorado spring scrimmages, Hirschman was 32-of-52 passing for 433 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception with a passer rating of 178.9.
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May 9th
Post-Spring Q&A with Mike MacIntyre
The full interview can be found at*cubuffs.com.
Some highlights …
General Thoughts On His First Spring In Boulder
“I thought it went well, it was exciting in that everyone bought in to what we are trying to accomplish and how we need to go about getting there. There was improvement from every practice to the next, sometimes it was big, other times small. It took a little bit of time for the players to feel comfortable, to start showing a little more emotion, and to have a lot more fun. That’s expected when there’s a whole new staff in place, and for some of these kids, they’re on their third head coach. So that was understandable. But by the end of 15 practices, because they knew it was okay, they were having a lot more fun than they did at the start. “To outside eyes it’s a small thing, but from the inside it’s very big. The way we practiced and the way we scrimmaged as the spring went on, it seemed like the young men enjoyed playing more. They were excited for each other, with each other, they were happy when other people made plays. They competed like crazy. The team was enjoying the work process (and) if they’re enjoying their work process, they can get better. If they’re not enjoying it, I don’t think they can get better. I think it’s a mental state and I think that’s true in any business.”
On Where He Saw The Team Improve
“I’ve seen more accuracy by our quarterbacks, better attention to detail with our offensive lineman in finishing and communicating at the line, and defensively, I have seen a better gap responsibility in understanding that. Receiver-wise, they have kept improving each and every day and I think the secondary has gotten better as the spring has gone on. I’ve been very pleased with our kickers, our long-snappers and our punters. I think they have done a really good job this spring; they have been very accurate, they’ve done a good job of snapping the ball and handling the ball, most of them have all been very, very good. So, those are the areas that I think have gone well.”
On His Concerns Regarding The Offense And Defense
“I think my biggest concern offensively right now is making sure we can sustain drives and that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot – jump off sides, have a bad snap, miss an assignment and/or give up a sack – so sustaining a drive and that comes with repetition. Defensively, I still think we have to leverage the ball better. We’ve got to know where our help is. We have to miss a tackle correctly, and that might sound funny, but if you miss a tackle wrong and you don’t turn it into somebody he is gone. So, we have to be able to tackle better in the open field and I think we have improved in that area from the first couple of scrimmages, I really do, but we still have a way to go.”
On Team’s Emotional Psyche
“I think we are on the way, we’re not where we want to be, but I think we are definitely on the way. Every scrimmage and every practice from the first one on they’ve had more fun playing, they’ve congratulated each other, they’ve jawed at each other, they’ve enjoyed coming out and doing the work. If you enjoy your work, you get better. If you don’t enjoy your work, you don’t get better, and they are starting to enjoy that, and to me it’s getting harder, we’re pushing them but they are all kind of buying in to each other and enjoying the process. If you enjoy the process, you get better.”
On Restructuring The Culture
“There’s no doubt, the culture we want to set, and that is no knock on the things done in the past, but every staff that comes in has a certain culture they want to set, a certain identity. What I want them to do is really bond, and then also really get a lot of self-worth and self-esteem at their position and understanding it. And I think if they do that then you keep maturing as a football team and I think it flows into the summer workouts which are critical; their focus there, their work ethic, and their mentality, and come in with a fresh approach when we hit August.”
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May 8th
CU running a deficit for the second straight season
From the Daily Camera … CU will show a significant financial loss when the fiscal year ends on June 30.
“We recognize that we’ll have a deficit,” CU athletic director Mike Bohn said on Tuesday at a media roundtable. “That is a deficit that we will be required to cover long-term within our plan and budgeting process.”
It is too early to predict the total deficit because several factors could impact the bottom line, but Bohn said, “We recognize that this is a challenging year for us, for a lot of different reasons.”
CU also had a deficit a year ago, but much of that was due to the penalty CU had to pay to leave the Big 12 for the Pac-12.
This year’s deficit was not planned, as the football team struggled more than anyone anticipated. With a 1-11 record in football, the Buffs didn’t bring in the revenue they normally do.
“We missed our ticket revenue piece on football dramatically,” Bohn said. “When we miss our ticket revenue number in football by over $2 million, that creates a significant challenge for us.”
Because of the poor performance on the field and, therefore, financially, CU decided to fire head coach Jon Embree. That led to CU needing to come up with more than $2 million to buy out the contracts of Embree and former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
CU then made a heavy financial commitment to new head football coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff. MacIntyre will make about $2 million annual; Embree made roughly $750,000.
More at the Daily Camera website …
May 7th
Coach Mac – “I’m not bitter. I’m a Buff”
Bill McCartney was certainly vocal about his objections to Jon Embree being fired after only two seasons.
Now, however, McCartney seems willing to move on.
From the Daily Camera … McCartney accepted congratulations from dozens of people (at a luncheon after the announcement that he had been selected to join the College Football Hall of Fame), including CU athletic director Mike Bohn, with whom he shook hands. McCartney was publicly critical of Bohn and his bosses last year after they fired former CU coach Jon Embree after just two seasons on the job.
But McCartney, while making it clear he still stands behind Embree, said he has put the issue behind him and is moving forward.
“I’m not bitter,” he said. “I’m a Buff. “I’m past that now. The new coach Mac, I’m 100 percent behind him. I mean, his name is coach Mac.”
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Hall of Fame announcement – Bill McCartney selected!
Former CU head coach Bill McCartney was elected today to the College Football Hall of Fame.
From cubuffs.com … Bill McCartney first set foot on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder in June 1982; little did he know at the time that just over a dozen years later he would retire as the winningest coach in CU football history.
And now the turnaround “Mac” orchestrated in Boulder with a program that won just 14 games over a six-year span to one that claimed three Big 8 Conference titles and the 1990 consensus national championship is being rewarded on college football’s biggest stage.
McCartney has been selected by the National Football Foundation for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this December 10 in New York City. He will join 12 players and two coaches in the Class of 2013.
He will become the seventh Buffalo enshrined in the Hall, joining Byron White (inducted in 1952), Joe Romig (1984), Dick Anderson (1993), Bobby Anderson (2006), Alfred Williams (2010) and John Wooten (2012). He is the school’s first coach to be so-honored.
“It’s a surprise and it is very humbling when you look at the men that have been recognized with this honor over the years,” McCartney said. “It’s very gratifying and rewarding. Keep in mind I’ve been out of coaching almost 20 years, so to be remembered after such a long absence was a complete surprise to me.”
McCartney was 93-55-5 in 13 seasons at the reins of the Buffaloes, guiding the program to its first and only national championship in football in 1990, doing so by playing the nation’s toughest schedule, just the second time that feat was ever accomplished. He coached CU in more bowl games, nine, than anyone before or after him, as well as to three consecutive Big 8 titles in 1989-90-91 during a run of 10 consecutive winning seasons in league competition. After a 4-16-1 start in conference games, the Buffs finished 58-29-4 against Big 8 competition, going an impressive 54-13-3 over his last 10 seasons.
In the six-year span from 1989-94, Mac’s last six seasons, Colorado was 58-11-4, the fifth-best record in the nation behind Miami, Fla. (63-9), Florida State (64-9-1), Nebraska (61-11-1) and Alabama (62-12-1). CU’s 36-3-3 record in the conference games in the same period was the nation’s best. CU finished in the nation’s top 20 each of those six years, including a No. 3 ranking his final season.
All 93 wins came against Division I-A/FBS competition, with just nine against so-called non-BCS schools (though five of those versus in-state rival Colorado State). He coached the most games ever (153) at Colorado, with his 13 seasons are second to only the legendary Fred Folsom (15) in the number of seasons working on the “hilltop.”
…
Mac was quick to credit two specific groups for his election to the Hall.
“It all started with my first recruiting class, that winter of ’83,” he recalled. “I asked all the in-state players not to make a decision until they visited CU, and we wanted them to come in the last weekend before signing day. They gave their word and most of them held to it. They stuck together, and they helped recruit our great class in ’87 that made up the core of the national championship team.
“That’s how I am in the Hall of Fame,” he said boldly. “This means something to the state of Colorado, it’s part of our history. What led us to the national championship is that seven years earlier, the in-state kids stayed home.”
He also had great assistant coaches through the years, coaches he only hired because they could recruit; he would pass on coaches that were great with X’s and O’s if they couldn’t recruit.* And those who worked under him formed a pool that eventually would produce 11 future collegiate head coaches: Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.
…
Mac’s two favorite games during his CU tenure resonate with most of the fan base. “Without a doubt, when we beat Nebraska in Lincoln when we were behind 12-0 going into the fourth quarter. We scored 27 in the fourth quarter. And then the second Orange Bowl against Notre Dame, because it was our only national championship. That Notre Dame team was as good a Notre Dame team as (coach) Lou Holtz had. We lost our QB at halftime and still found a way to win that game.”
In 1999, he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, just the sixth coach at the University of Colorado to be honored so. He was enshrined in CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.
…
More on McCartney at the CU website.
May 6th
Coach MacIntyre on Jordan Webb: “We are hoping to get him back in September”
CU head coach Mike MacIntyre was interviewed Monday by John Harris on the War Room for Yahoo Sports. The link to the interview can be found here.
Some highlights …
On spring practices … “I thought the young men got better and better each practice. I thought our attitude and enthusiasm for the game of football improved every day.”
On Jordan Webb … “They are working on him hard to get him back as quick as he can get back. We are*hoping to get him back some time in September … He’s not going to be able to get a sixth year, so he’s got to push and try and get back and help out some this year.”
On starting the season without Webb … “Connor Wood had a very good spring. Shane Dillon and a bunch of other guys did a good job. We’ve got a freshman coming in, Sefo, who has got a chance to be good, so we’ll keep all of the guys competing.”
On installing a new system at CU … “I thought it went well. Our coaching staff does a very good job. We tried to keep it very simple. We tried to teach in*concepts. I felt that about halfway through spring practices they started picking up the concepts on both sides of the ball. We’ll have some more to add in the fall, but we made sure we got those concepts in there now, so they can work on them this summer, and be prepared when we start in the fall.”
On summer conditioning … “We only have 29 practices before the first game. You have no preseason games. So you line up, and your first game is for real. And you only have so many (practices) you can do in pads; you can only do so much. So conditioning in the summer, you have to show up (for fall camp) in condition. You don’t have time to get them in condition. We have a phenomenal strength staff, and the kids understand that it’s a year-round situation. There’s no way to take three-and-a-half months off and expect to be able to line up and compete at the level we have to compete at. So it’s critical. It’s not important, it’s critical, especially this year.”
On the freshman class coming in and competing … “I think you will always have a few guys who will come in, but to play a ton of them would be pretty tough. Hopefully, we’ll have*a few guys who can compete and help us play, and then we’ll mesh them with the young men who are here, and we’ll put the best team out there. I tell everybody who comes in that if they are good enough to start, we’re going to start them, and that’s every year that I recruit. But hopefully you have older, wiser, more mature players ahead of them, so that the majority of your team is upperclassmen.”
On competing in the Pac-12 … “I really like the Pac-12. It’s a great footprint for Colorado. There*are a lot of very good football teams. Every Saturday is a very tough battle for us, there’s no doubt.”
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CU Surveys season ticket holders
If you are a season ticket holder, this morning you likely received a survey by email. Though it is designed for season ticket holders, the ticket office is inviting others to participate.
It takes about ten minutes, but it does include questions about the ticket office, the Buff Club, parking, concessions, and stadium experience. If you have an opinion about any of the above, now is the time to be heard …
Here is the link to take the survey
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May 5th
Eligibility Chart not quite in balance
After the last spring practice on April 16th, new CU head coach Mike MacIntyre indicated that the “pencil depth chart”, issued midway through spring practices, would be updated by week’s end.
That was almost three weeks ago …
So, assuming that there will not be a new depth chart before August, we are left to our own devices in structuring the team will line up come August. In the meantime, though, we can certainly look at the eligibility chart, and see if some balance is returning to the CU lineup.
Below is a list of players by position and year in school. Currently, the Buffs have 89 players on scholarship, with 85 the limit. Two of those players, quarterback*Nick Hirschman*and wide receiver Jarrod Darden, have already announced that they will be graduating and moving on to other schools.
CU is actively pursuing several junior college players (see the story about safety T.J. Reynard in the “Recruiting Prospects – 2014“). Translation: the list below will be absent a few other names in a few weeks (my speculation can be found at the end of the list).
Post-Spring Practices Roster
Notes: Bold indicates returning starter; italics indicates walk-on; freshmen from the Class of 2014 are listed as true freshmen
Offense
Quarterbacks – Jordan Webb (Sr.); Connor Wood (Jr.); Stevie Joe Dorman (So.); John Schrock (So.); Shane Dillon (R-Fr.); Sefo Liufau (Fr.)
Running backs – Josh Ford (Sr.); Tony Jones (Jr.); Malcolm Creer (Jr.); Christian Powell (So.); Donta Abron (So.); Davien Payne (R-Fr.); Terrence Crowder (R-Fr.); Michael Adkins (Fr.); Phillip Lindsay (Fr.)
Fullbacks – Alex Wood (Sr.); Jordan Murphy (So.); Clay Jones (So.)
Wide receivers – Alex Turbow (Sr.); Tyler McCulloch (Jr.); Paul Richardson (Jr.); Keenan Canty (Jr.); D.D. Goodson (Jr.); Justin Gorman (Jr.); Wesley Christiansen (Jr.); Nelson Spruce (So.); Jeffrey Hall (So.); Gerald Thomas (So.); Austin Vincent (So.); Jeffrey Thomas (Fr. – grayshirt); Colin Johnson (R-Fr.); Bryce Bobo (Fr.); Elijah Dunston (Fr.); Devin Ross (Fr.)
Tight ends – Scott Fernandez (Sr.); Kyle Slavin (Jr.); Vincent Hobbs (So.); Austin Ray (R-Fr.); Sean Irwin (R-Fr.); Robert Orban (Fr.)
Offensive linemen - Jack Harris (Sr.); Gus Handler (Sr.); Daniel Munyer (Jr.); Alex Lewis (Jr.); Kaiwi Crabb (Jr.); Stephane Nembot (So.); Brad Cotner (So.); Marc Mustoe (So.); Jeromy Irwin (So.); Alex Kelley (R-Fr.); Gerrad Kough (Fr. – grayshirt); Vincent Arvia (R-Fr.); Ed Caldwell (R-Fr.); Gunnar Graham (Fr.); Jonathan Huckins (Fr.); Sam Kronshage (Fr.); Colin Sutton (Fr.); John Lisella (grayshirt this fall – will not count against scholarship limit in 2013)
Defense
Defensive tackles – Nate Bonsu (Sr.); Josh Tupou (So.); Tyler Henington (So.); Justin Solis (So.); John Tuso (So.); Kory Rasmussen (R-Fr.); De’Jon Wilson (R-Fr.)
Defensive ends - Chidera Uzo-Diribe (Sr.); Kirk Poston (Jr.); Juda Parker (Jr.); Andre Nichols (Jr.); Samson Kafovalu (So.); John Stuart (R-Fr.); Derek McCartney (Fr. – grayshirt); Jimmie Gilbert (Fr.); Timothy Coleman (Fr.)
Inside linebackers - Derrick Webb (Sr.); Brady Daigh (Jr.); Lowell Williams (Jr.): K.T. Tu’umalo (Jr.); Thor Eaton (So.); Clay Norgard (R-Fr.); Addison Gillam (Fr. – grayshirt); Jesse Hiss (R-Fr.); Tim McLaughlin (R-Fr.); George Frazier (Fr.); Ryan Severson (Fr.)
Outside linebackers - Paul Vigo (Sr.); Woodson Greer (Jr.); Hunter Shaw (So.); Markeis Reed (R-Fr.); Kenneth Olugbode (Fr.)
Cornerbacks – Greg Henderson (Jr.); Harrison Hunter (Jr.); Kenneth Crawley (So.); Yuri Wright (So.); Brandan Brisco (So.); John Walker (R-Fr.); Chidobe Awuzie (Fr.)
Safeties – Parker Orms (Sr.); Terrel Smith (Sr.); Jered Bell (Jr.); Josh Moten (Jr.); Marques Mosley (So.); Richard Yates (So.); Isaac Archuleta (So.); Alexander Stewart (R-Fr.); Tedric Thompson (Fr.); Ryan Moeller (Fr.)
Special Teams
Kickers – Justin Castor (Sr.); Will Oliver (Jr.)
Punters – Darragh O’Neill (Jr.); D.J. Wilhelm (Jr.)
Long-snappers - Ryan Iverson (Sr.); Keegan LaMar (So.); Trevor Carver (R-Fr.); Blake Allen (R-Fr.); John Finch (R-Fr.)
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For those of you scoring at home, that would be 87 scholarship players listed, with 14 seniors, 22 juniors, 18 sophomores, 16 red-shirt freshmen, and 17 true freshmen.
With CU actively looking for help at tight end, linebacker and secondary, it would not be a surprise if several names are added to the above list before fall camp. If that is the case, then who are the players who are most likely to be playing elsewhere come September?
Running back Davien Payne is on everyone’s short list to leave after finals. The red-shirt freshman was not a participant in spring drills, and did not appear on the depth chart issued by the school.
Another name mentioned consistently is defensive tackle De’Jon Wilson. Another red-shirt freshman, Wilson was on the pencil depth chart, but listed fourth at defensive tackle behind three sophomores.
Several members of the defensive backfield were rumored last December to be on the verge of transferring, but sophomores Jeffrey Hall and Gerald Thomas have moved to wide receiver, and seem to be happy with the move. Fellow sophomore defensive back*Yuri Wright received more playing time as the spring went on, and talk of him transferring has cooled.
Sophomore tight end Vincent Hobbs missed spring practices after his father suffered a serious illness. Hobbs has been dealing with family issues (and some resulting class issues), but the latest report is that he still intends on being a Buff in the fall.
All of the above is speculation. There may be other transfers after finals are concluded, and … you hope not to jinx anything … there may be a player or two lost to academic ineligibility. And there is always the chance that one or two of*the members of the Recruiting Class of 2013 might not get through the NCAA Clearinghouse (though there has been little or no discussion of that happening so far).
So … the Buffs are at 87 strong right now, with several changes destined to take place between now and the start of Fall Camp.
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May 3rd
NCAA reinstates unlimited texting to recruits
NCAA press release … The Division I Board of Directors on Thursday suspended the rule that would have allowed coaches to communicate with recruits in new ways – including through text messaging – and lifted restrictions on numbers of contacts.
The Board reconsidered its January adoption of the measure after receiving more than 75 override requests.
In suspending the rule, the presidents on the Board endorsed a Rules Working Group recommendation that all the recruiting concepts under review be examined as a group to develop a model that considers how the changes would work together.
The decision does not affect recruiting rules adopted for men’s and women’s basketball.
“We are supportive of moving as aggressively as possible while still studying the issues with due diligence,” said Board chair Nathan Hatch, president at Wake Forest University. “It’s important to make sure all the pieces of the recruiting model work together to make the most effective change in the culture.”
The Board took the advice of the Rules Working Group, which urged a quick legislative review that is mindful of the other initiatives under consideration by the membership, in recommending an aggressive, thoughtful and thorough review of the recruiting rules. The recruiting communication and other recruiting rule changes originated with the working group as part of an effort to make Division I rules more meaningful, enforceable and supportive of student-athlete success.
The Board suspended or tabled three other recruiting-related rules earlier this year:
- Eliminating rules defining recruiting roles
- Permitting earlier contact with recruits
- Eliminating restrictions on printed recruiting materials
The Board declined to change its position on a proposal prohibiting live scouting of opponents, which also had received more than 75 override requests.* With that action, the measure will go to a full vote of the membership through an online process.
The Board agreed with the Rules Working Group assessment that the measure creates a simpler and more consistent rule that is easy to follow. The presidents noted that those who oppose the change expressed concern about access to and quality of video in some of the Olympic sports. As with all rules adopted through the presidential reform agenda, it will undergo a review and evaluation process after two years if it remains in place after the override vote.
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Pac-12 close to deal with AT&T
From the San Jose Mercury News … The Pac-12 Conference and AT&T have the framework of a deal in place for U-verse to broadcast the league’s television network beginning this summer, according to conference and industry sources.
The contract is weeks (and perhaps months) away from being finalized as the sides hammer out final details.
If all goes as expected, the networks will be available on U-verse prior to the start of the football season.
U-verse has approximately 4.5 million customers nationwide and is the nation’s seventh-largest multi-channel video distributor.
Sources declined to comment on details of the agreement, including subscription fees and which of the networks’ seven feeds would be available in various regions of the country.
The Pac-12 Networks, which launched last August, are available on Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Bright House and DISH.
But the league was unable to reach an agreement with four major distributors: AT&T, Verizon, Charter and DirecTV.
Conferences sources believe the agreement with AT&T could ratchet up the pressure on Verizon.
Negotiations with DirecTV reached an impasse last summer and have not progressed in recent months.
May 2nd
NCAA backs off on increasing academic requirements
Because the NCAA is all about academics, right? Right? …..
From CBSSportsline.com … After an outcry within the industry, the NCAA has decided to maintain the current sliding academic scale instead of raising the standards beginning in 2016. The Division I Board of Directors made the decision on Thursday.
Coaches throughout the college basketball ranks were concerned that the move, an effort to increase academic success, would have had a major impact — especially on inner-city kids.
Currently, student-athletes with a 2.5 GPA need an 820 on the SAT to be eligible. Under the proposed 2016 changes, the same student with a 2.5 GPA would have needed to score a 1,000 on the SAT.
“The Board has determined that requiring prospects to meet a more stringent sliding scale starting in 2016 would have yielded a number of unintended consequences,” the NCAA announced Thursday. “Those consequences led the Board to its decision to retain the current sliding scale standard.”
One of the rationales was the impact on socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.
Committee of Academic Performance chair Walter Harrison, also the president at the University of Hartford, said the “enormity of the impact on minorities, the numerous other academic changes set to take place soon and the positive trends in Academic Progress Rates were factors in his support of the sliding-scale re-examination.”
“APRs are improving, and I believe they will continue to improve,” Harrison said. “I’m concerned about minority students who would be affected by the dramatic change to the sliding scale.”
May 1st
2012-13 CUSPY’s All Sport Video
A little pick-me-up video of the CU sports season, with highlights from football, basketball, the national champion ski team and the Pac-12 champion cross country teams …
ESPN interview with Coach MacIntyre
Here is a link to a short interview with Coach Mike MacIntyre.
CU Coaches Caravan – May 13th to 17th
From cubuffs.com … The University of Colorado athletic department will embark upon the Colorado Coaches Caravan, State Stampede 2013; a state tour that will take place May 13-17, 2013 and is presented by Horizon Coach Lines.
CU head football coach Mike MacIntyre, head men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle and head women’s basketball coach Linda Lappe will all be available at all stops while other CU coaches and administrators will join the tour at select stops along the way.
“We look forward to having the chance to once again visit many of the outstanding communities of our great state,” Athletic Director Mike Bohn said. “This will be an opportunity for us to meet, greet and say thank you to all the passionate Buff fans across Colorado.”
The tour will get underway Monday, May 13, with a trip up I-25 to the Ptarmgan Country Club for a lunch at Noon. That day the tour will return to Boulder for a stop by the Bolder Boulder Headquarters at 4:15 p.m. before a happy hour event at Ted’s Montana Grill on Pearl Street starting at 5 p.m.
Tuesday will begin with a visit to McDonald’s in Denver (1350 West Colfax) at 11 a.m. before the featured event, a happy hour stop by the Blake Street Tavern from 5-7 p.m.
The Caravan will then head south for a lunch on Wednesday at the Waterfront Banquet Hall on Main Street in Pueblo at Noon that will include a tour of the Medal of Honor Museum. Wednesday will then conclude with a happy hour at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort near the Broadmoore in Colorado Springs at 5:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the Buffs will head back north for a lunch at Pasta Jay’s in Lone Tree at 12:30 p.m., after which the Buffs will stop by a south Denver Safeway location.
The Caravan will conclude Friday with a trip west to Vail and Grand Junction. After a visit to McDonald’s in Vail (2171 North Frontage Road West), at 11 a.m. the Buffs will continue west where the final public event of the tour will commence at the Doubletree Grand Junction at 4:30 p.m., with appetizers and a cash bar.
All events are free to the public. Aside from the Tuesday stop at McDonald’s and the Thursday’s stop at Safeway, space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fans can register for the other public events on-line now!
Originally posted by CU At the Game
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