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After a Tough Loss to Washington, Buff fans need to tear off the Band-Aid and Move on
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Anyone who follows CU at the Game knows that I am a big believer in schadenfreude.
The “satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune” is not for everyone. There are those who say they cheer for Colorado State when the Rams are not playing the Buffs, but I have never understood that sentiment. If the Rams and Cornhuskers (as long as they remain on the Buffs’ schedule) go 0-12 every season, that’s just fine with me.
Schadenfreude led me earlier this week to Go Big Redcast, a podcast put out by Nebraska Cornhusker fans. With the Buffs coming off of a tough loss against USC, I wanted to ease my pain by hearing about the suffering of the Husker Nation. Nebraska was off to the worst start in school history (0-6), and in the midst of a school-record ten-game losing streak overall. I tuned in expecting to hear Cornhusker fans mourning the state of their program.
Instead, I heard fans trying to stay upbeat, trying to see the progress being made in Scott Frost’s first year. Sure, they were upset about Nebraska blowing a ten-point lead in the final five minutes in what was to become an overtime loss to Northwestern last weekend, but they still tried to find the positives from the game.
The relevance of that podcast to Colorado’s 27-13 loss to No. 15 Washington?
The lesson it taught me about keeping things in perspective.
Am I upset about the Buffs falling to the Huskies in a game they could have won?
You bet. The play-calling was again suspect, and the Buff squandered an opportunity for season-altering win.
The final score turned out about how I had predicted (31-14), but didn’t come about the way I thought it might. I had envisioned the Huskies rolling to an early lead (14-0 in the first quarter), easing into halftime with a comfortable lead (say, 24-7), with the second half playing out as a mere formality.
All the elements for an easy win for the home team were there:
— Colorado was coming off of a difficult road loss to USC, a game in which the Buffs were dominated on both sides of the ball;
— The Buffs had a history of faring poorly in back-to-back conference road games since joining the Pac-12 (even when the competition wasn’t as good as it was this year). Colorado entered the 2018 season 0-5-2 on such road trips (zero sweeps; two splits; swept five times), which translated to a record of 2-12 in such games over the past seven years;
— Colorado came into the game with a 28-game losing streak in road games against ranked teams, with the last win coming three coaches ago, back in 2002;
— The Buffs were 0-6 against Washington in Pac-12 play, with an average score of 44-13 (with the Buffs finishing within 27 points of the Huskies exactly once in that span);
— The Colorado roster was depleted, with the Buffs without about 45% of their offense in mid-season All-American wide receiver Laviska Shenault (toe). Also out was the Buffs’ best cornerback, Delrick Abrams (calf), reliable receiver Jay MacIntyre (concussion); and reliable defensive lineman Jase Franke (knee, out for the season). Hell, the Buffs were even without their placekicker, James Stefanou (hip);
— As a result of injuries, the Buffs started five freshmen against the Huskies – WR Dimitri Stanley; DE Israel Antwine; CB Chris Miller; C Colby Pursell; and LT Will Sherman). It was the highest total for freshman starters since six freshman started against Arizona State in 2015.
Instead of folding, the Buffs did just the opposite. They came to play, and played with grit and guile the entire game.
True freshmen scored all of CU’s points, with wide receiver Daniel Arias scoring on a 37-yard pass on his first touch of the ball as a Buff. Kicker Nick Price took care of the extra point, and posted two field goals.
The game, as close games usually do, came down to a handful of plays. In this case, it was two fourth down plays:
— Third quarter, 7:30 remaining. Washington 14, Colorado 13. The Buff defense had forced a three-and-out on the Huskies’ first possession of the second half, and had the ball near midfield. Facing a fourth-and-one at the Washington 45-yard line, the Buffs went Wildcat, with a direct snap to running back Travon McMillian. It was a formation used with great success with Laviska Shenault, but this was Travon McMillian, and the Buffs ran up the middle against the best defensive line in the Pac-12. No gain. Washington takes over and drives for a momentum shifting field goal to make it a 17-13 game;
— Fourth quarter, 4:00 remaining. Washington 17, Colorado 13. Despite being pushed around for much of the afternoon, the Buffs – as they had been all afternoon – were only one play away from taking the lead. The Huskies had taken the ball from their 16-yard line to the CU 26, taking off five minutes of game clock in the process. Facing a fourth-and-five, Chris Petersen elected not to try a 43-yard field goal, opting instead to go for the game-clinching score. The Buffs blitzed, leaving the defensive backs with one-on-one coverage. Husky quarterback Jake Browning found wide receiver Aaron Fuller across the middle. Touchdown. Game over.
“We had our chances and Washington had their chances,” said Mike MacIntyre. “But it all boils down to they converted their fourth downs and we didn’t. That was the meat and potatoes of the game.”
Here’s the thing …
I understand the frustration.
This was a winnable game. The Buffs put themselves into position to snatch a road victory against a ranked team, and came away empty. The offensive line was dominated by the best defensive line CU will face all season, exposing what we have known for months to be the weakest unit on the team.
Still, I’m more interested in the big picture.
Two months ago, no sober CU fan would have said “no, thanks” to a 5-2 record.
For the long nine months of this past off-season, I was hoping that the Buffs would be able to cobble together a winning record and a bowl bid. Colorado entered its final three games of the 2017 campaign with a 5-4 record, then proceeded to lose its last three games, including a humbling 34-13 loss to Utah to send the Buffs home for the winter.
Colorado had a good Recruiting Class of 2018, and had the makings of a strong Recruiting Class of 2019. Another losing record? Perhaps the head coach would be gone, the recruiting Class would disassemble, and the Buffs would be starting over … again.
Instead, the Buffs opened strong, taking care of business against Colorado State, picking up a huge road win over a Nebraska team (which had a sellout crowd ready to anoint its prodigal son in Scott Frost), and did what they had to do to pick up wins over UCLA and Arizona State.
And – they played well against Washington, much better than they did against USC. Against the Trojans, the Buffs looked like the CU teams of 2015 and 2017. The team that we watched against Washington – one of the best the Pac-12 has to offer – is a good team, and will continue to be a good team for the foreseeable future.
Members of the Recruiting Class of 2019 watched a team which had its chances. And don’t think for a minute that those high school seniors watching the Buffs didn’t notice all of those freshmen out on the field contributing to the Buffs’ success.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Buffs were hoping for their “first win over xxx since xxx”. Now, the narrative is changing.
Next year, you will hear storylines such as:
— “Colorado has won two of its past three over UCLA”;
— “Colorado has won two of its past three over Arizona State”;
— “Nebraska hasn’t beaten Colorado since 2010, the last season for both teams in the Big 12”; and, not for nothing …
— “Colorado has won four straight against Colorado State”.
That’s CU’s “new normal”.
For a program which has finished last in its division for six of its first seven years in the conference, that’s a welcome change.
The Buffs are no longer just trying to be competitive in the Pac-12 … they are competitive in the Pac-12.
True enough, there are two major hills are left to climb … the Buffs haven’t beaten Washington in Pac-12 play, and have never beaten USC.
The Buffs will get both at home next season.
But let’s worry about 2019 when it gets here. In the meantime, let’s get excited about the fact that the Buffs are 5-2, have a great chance to get to 6-2 next weekend (against an Oregon State team which hasn’t beaten an FBS team since 2016), and pick up several more wins before season’s end.
If you are upset that the Buffs aren’t beating nationally ranked teams on the road, and are calling for the heads of the coaches, I can’t help you. Were you really expecting this team to be undefeated and ranked in the top ten nationally? Sure, it would be great if the offensive line could have a replacement for Klayton Adams, but that’s a discussion for December, not October. The CU offensive line is a liability … that’s not exactly breaking news.
This just in – CU isn’t that great, at least not yet.
Going from worst-to-first is an anomaly, not a pattern for success.
The Buffs played well against the Huskies. Not quite good enough to win, but closer than every other Buff team which has played a Washington team in Pac-12 play (and that includes the 2016 Pac-12 South division winning team, which was blown out in the title game).
Turn the page … move on … rip off the band-aid instead of peeling it off slowly and painfully.
And get ready to celebrate some more Buff wins.
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Stuart
Continue reading...
After a Tough Loss to Washington, Buff fans need to tear off the Band-Aid and Move on
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Anyone who follows CU at the Game knows that I am a big believer in schadenfreude.
The “satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune” is not for everyone. There are those who say they cheer for Colorado State when the Rams are not playing the Buffs, but I have never understood that sentiment. If the Rams and Cornhuskers (as long as they remain on the Buffs’ schedule) go 0-12 every season, that’s just fine with me.
Schadenfreude led me earlier this week to Go Big Redcast, a podcast put out by Nebraska Cornhusker fans. With the Buffs coming off of a tough loss against USC, I wanted to ease my pain by hearing about the suffering of the Husker Nation. Nebraska was off to the worst start in school history (0-6), and in the midst of a school-record ten-game losing streak overall. I tuned in expecting to hear Cornhusker fans mourning the state of their program.
Instead, I heard fans trying to stay upbeat, trying to see the progress being made in Scott Frost’s first year. Sure, they were upset about Nebraska blowing a ten-point lead in the final five minutes in what was to become an overtime loss to Northwestern last weekend, but they still tried to find the positives from the game.
The relevance of that podcast to Colorado’s 27-13 loss to No. 15 Washington?
The lesson it taught me about keeping things in perspective.
Am I upset about the Buffs falling to the Huskies in a game they could have won?
You bet. The play-calling was again suspect, and the Buff squandered an opportunity for season-altering win.
The final score turned out about how I had predicted (31-14), but didn’t come about the way I thought it might. I had envisioned the Huskies rolling to an early lead (14-0 in the first quarter), easing into halftime with a comfortable lead (say, 24-7), with the second half playing out as a mere formality.
All the elements for an easy win for the home team were there:
— Colorado was coming off of a difficult road loss to USC, a game in which the Buffs were dominated on both sides of the ball;
— The Buffs had a history of faring poorly in back-to-back conference road games since joining the Pac-12 (even when the competition wasn’t as good as it was this year). Colorado entered the 2018 season 0-5-2 on such road trips (zero sweeps; two splits; swept five times), which translated to a record of 2-12 in such games over the past seven years;
— Colorado came into the game with a 28-game losing streak in road games against ranked teams, with the last win coming three coaches ago, back in 2002;
— The Buffs were 0-6 against Washington in Pac-12 play, with an average score of 44-13 (with the Buffs finishing within 27 points of the Huskies exactly once in that span);
— The Colorado roster was depleted, with the Buffs without about 45% of their offense in mid-season All-American wide receiver Laviska Shenault (toe). Also out was the Buffs’ best cornerback, Delrick Abrams (calf), reliable receiver Jay MacIntyre (concussion); and reliable defensive lineman Jase Franke (knee, out for the season). Hell, the Buffs were even without their placekicker, James Stefanou (hip);
— As a result of injuries, the Buffs started five freshmen against the Huskies – WR Dimitri Stanley; DE Israel Antwine; CB Chris Miller; C Colby Pursell; and LT Will Sherman). It was the highest total for freshman starters since six freshman started against Arizona State in 2015.
Instead of folding, the Buffs did just the opposite. They came to play, and played with grit and guile the entire game.
True freshmen scored all of CU’s points, with wide receiver Daniel Arias scoring on a 37-yard pass on his first touch of the ball as a Buff. Kicker Nick Price took care of the extra point, and posted two field goals.
The game, as close games usually do, came down to a handful of plays. In this case, it was two fourth down plays:
— Third quarter, 7:30 remaining. Washington 14, Colorado 13. The Buff defense had forced a three-and-out on the Huskies’ first possession of the second half, and had the ball near midfield. Facing a fourth-and-one at the Washington 45-yard line, the Buffs went Wildcat, with a direct snap to running back Travon McMillian. It was a formation used with great success with Laviska Shenault, but this was Travon McMillian, and the Buffs ran up the middle against the best defensive line in the Pac-12. No gain. Washington takes over and drives for a momentum shifting field goal to make it a 17-13 game;
— Fourth quarter, 4:00 remaining. Washington 17, Colorado 13. Despite being pushed around for much of the afternoon, the Buffs – as they had been all afternoon – were only one play away from taking the lead. The Huskies had taken the ball from their 16-yard line to the CU 26, taking off five minutes of game clock in the process. Facing a fourth-and-five, Chris Petersen elected not to try a 43-yard field goal, opting instead to go for the game-clinching score. The Buffs blitzed, leaving the defensive backs with one-on-one coverage. Husky quarterback Jake Browning found wide receiver Aaron Fuller across the middle. Touchdown. Game over.
“We had our chances and Washington had their chances,” said Mike MacIntyre. “But it all boils down to they converted their fourth downs and we didn’t. That was the meat and potatoes of the game.”
Here’s the thing …
I understand the frustration.
This was a winnable game. The Buffs put themselves into position to snatch a road victory against a ranked team, and came away empty. The offensive line was dominated by the best defensive line CU will face all season, exposing what we have known for months to be the weakest unit on the team.
Still, I’m more interested in the big picture.
Two months ago, no sober CU fan would have said “no, thanks” to a 5-2 record.
For the long nine months of this past off-season, I was hoping that the Buffs would be able to cobble together a winning record and a bowl bid. Colorado entered its final three games of the 2017 campaign with a 5-4 record, then proceeded to lose its last three games, including a humbling 34-13 loss to Utah to send the Buffs home for the winter.
Colorado had a good Recruiting Class of 2018, and had the makings of a strong Recruiting Class of 2019. Another losing record? Perhaps the head coach would be gone, the recruiting Class would disassemble, and the Buffs would be starting over … again.
Instead, the Buffs opened strong, taking care of business against Colorado State, picking up a huge road win over a Nebraska team (which had a sellout crowd ready to anoint its prodigal son in Scott Frost), and did what they had to do to pick up wins over UCLA and Arizona State.
And – they played well against Washington, much better than they did against USC. Against the Trojans, the Buffs looked like the CU teams of 2015 and 2017. The team that we watched against Washington – one of the best the Pac-12 has to offer – is a good team, and will continue to be a good team for the foreseeable future.
Members of the Recruiting Class of 2019 watched a team which had its chances. And don’t think for a minute that those high school seniors watching the Buffs didn’t notice all of those freshmen out on the field contributing to the Buffs’ success.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Buffs were hoping for their “first win over xxx since xxx”. Now, the narrative is changing.
Next year, you will hear storylines such as:
— “Colorado has won two of its past three over UCLA”;
— “Colorado has won two of its past three over Arizona State”;
— “Nebraska hasn’t beaten Colorado since 2010, the last season for both teams in the Big 12”; and, not for nothing …
— “Colorado has won four straight against Colorado State”.
That’s CU’s “new normal”.
For a program which has finished last in its division for six of its first seven years in the conference, that’s a welcome change.
The Buffs are no longer just trying to be competitive in the Pac-12 … they are competitive in the Pac-12.
True enough, there are two major hills are left to climb … the Buffs haven’t beaten Washington in Pac-12 play, and have never beaten USC.
The Buffs will get both at home next season.
But let’s worry about 2019 when it gets here. In the meantime, let’s get excited about the fact that the Buffs are 5-2, have a great chance to get to 6-2 next weekend (against an Oregon State team which hasn’t beaten an FBS team since 2016), and pick up several more wins before season’s end.
If you are upset that the Buffs aren’t beating nationally ranked teams on the road, and are calling for the heads of the coaches, I can’t help you. Were you really expecting this team to be undefeated and ranked in the top ten nationally? Sure, it would be great if the offensive line could have a replacement for Klayton Adams, but that’s a discussion for December, not October. The CU offensive line is a liability … that’s not exactly breaking news.
This just in – CU isn’t that great, at least not yet.
Going from worst-to-first is an anomaly, not a pattern for success.
The Buffs played well against the Huskies. Not quite good enough to win, but closer than every other Buff team which has played a Washington team in Pac-12 play (and that includes the 2016 Pac-12 South division winning team, which was blown out in the title game).
Turn the page … move on … rip off the band-aid instead of peeling it off slowly and painfully.
And get ready to celebrate some more Buff wins.
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...