By B.G. Brooks
BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
BOULDER, CO. – Ask any upperclassman in Colorado’s offensive line what he recalls about Stanford’s visit to Boulder last November and every answer is hauntingly similar.
“Yeah, from what I remember about Stanford is that they came in here, into our house, and out-muscled us, out-physicaled us,” said senior center Alex Kelley, summarizing his O-line teammates’ starkest recollection of the Cardinal’s 42-10 rout.
For the past five seasons, CU hasn’t been alone in feeling (and reeling from) Stanford’s muscle up front. From 2011 through last weekend’s 17-10 win at Notre Dame, the Cardinal has won 54 games (14 losses) with most of those victories underscored by Stanford’s dominance at the line of scrimmage.
Physical, grind-’em-down line play has been the Cardinal’s calling card, which clarifies the goal for Kelley & Co. on Saturday afternoon when the Buffs visit Stanford Stadium (1 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Networks).
Said Kelley: “Going into this (game) our goal is to be the more physical team. We know what they did to us last year.”
The Buffs’ O-line is coming off what is arguably its most dominant performance of the season. In last Saturday’s 40-16 pounding of Arizona State, CU rushed for a season-high 315 yards (580 total offense), with junior tailback Phillip Lindsay running for a career-best 219 yards and three touchdowns.
Earning Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors, Lindsay didn’t lose a yard on any of his 26 carries (8.4 yards a carry) against a defense that entered the game ranked No. 5 nationally in run defense (89.3 yards a game). He acknowledged his O-line’s contribution to his night by having the entire group attend his postgame news conference.
“We could have played better – as always,” said junior left tackle Jeromy Irwin. “But you run for 315 yards and throw for 265 – that’s a pretty good night.”
ASKED IF THE ASU GAME marked his unit’s most physical performance this season, O-line coach Klayton Adams answered, “That’s hard to say. We had a couple of (missed) protections, penalties and gave up a sack . . . the biggest key for us is to be consistent and make sure we’re the best version of ourselves regardless of who we’re playing, where we’re playing or what the defense is.”
Irwin agreed with his coach: “No, honestly . . . but it’s up there. We were coming off a tough loss to USC, which is a good team, and we knew ASU would be physical and thought we would have to be aggressive early.”
Aggressive early and late, the Buffs took full advantage of the Sun Devils’ blitz-happy defensive scheme, often going in the opposite direction of the blitz and “gashing” ASU with big plays.
“Once we started running away from the blitzes, then cut up the backside and found that crease, it was there,” Irwin said. “You just have to seize the opportunity.”
With its blitzing from some position on nearly every play, ASU’s defense is an anomaly in the Pac-12. “What ASU does schematically is very different from any team in our conference,” Adams said. “But (Stanford) does some things that are similar and can certainly can be aggressive (blitzing) at times.”
Added Irwin: “Stanford doesn’t blitz like ASU does; I’m not going to say (Stanford) is more gap sound because ASU had a great defense. But definitely when you say control the line of scrimmage, if we do that like we did last week then we’ll be good.”
Kelley called the Cardinal’s line-up-and-overpower-you approach as “just their style of play. They think their guys are capable of playing straight up and competing with the best. I feel like we have the same attitude. I like the matchups.”
Stanford is third in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (125.7 yards allowed a game), fourth in scoring defense (22.0 points) and fifth in total defense (376 yards). The Cardinal is No. 8 in pass defense (241.3 yards).
In the 32-point rout of CU last season, the Cardinal held the Buffs to 231 yards in total offense – 83 rushing, 148 passing for an average of 4.3 yards a play. The Buffs didn’t have a run longer than 11 yards by a tailback, with quarterback Sefo Liufau’s 43 yards on seven carries CU’s best ground effort.
But this season, the Buffs and their coach believe they can go toe-to-toe, hand-to-hand with the Cardinal defensive front. Since the opening win against Colorado State on Sept. 2, Adams says his group has “taken small jumps every week, and that’s kind of what you need to do with a long season in a good conference. You need to take little bites at a time and try to make sure you’re getting better.”
Those “small jumps” and “little bites,” he said, are the result of modifying the in-season weight room regimen as well as having a core of veteran players “who understand how long the season is.”
Fundamental work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday isn’t done simply because it’s required, but because “guys realize they need to do it to get better week to week. These guys have that mentality,” Adams said.
CU’S O-LINE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY stable through seven games – at least compared to 2015. Guard Jonathan Huckins (hand) was sidelined early but played last weekend, while tackle Aaron Haigler (knee) remains in rehab mode. Haigler and Sam Kronshage were in fierce competition until Kronshage (ankle) was injured. He’s back now and has started the past two games at right tackle.
Otherwise, the lineup of Irwin (left tackle), Gerrad Kough (left guard), Kelley (center) and Tim Lynott Jr. (right guard) has remained intact.
Even though Adams says his group has made weekly progress he continues to call it a “work in progress.” To reach best-game status, he says his group will have to be penalty free and not allow a sack.
So far, the Buffs have been sack-free in two games (Idaho State, Oregon State) and are tied with Oregon for sixth place in the Pac-12 in sacks allowed (13 each). CU is fourth in the conference in both rushing offense (214.9 yards a game) and passing offense (300.4), and second in total offense (515.3).
But each week is a test and Saturday brings a significant one. Passing it will require physical play from both lines, a point being hammered home daily by coach Mike MacIntyre. Even though he’s in his first season coaching CU’s O-line after three seasons of directing the running backs/tight ends, Adams recalls Stanford’s up-front domination last season.
“It doesn’t matter where you play or what level you play at, the offensive line is about being physical,” he said. “And it’s not just being physical in the run game, you have to be physical in pass protection. You have to have the mentality that goes with that.
“We try not to focus on any other game than the one we’re playing, but last year they came in here and embarrassed us a little bit that way. So that’s not the circumstance every week but it’s definitely on our minds (this week).”
“We’re going to have to play physical to beat them, come in with the same mindset that we had last week,” Irwin added. “If we handle the line of scrimmage the rest will take care of itself. Colorado will be Colorado.”
Gillam’s perseverance strikes emotional chord with CU’s MacIntyre
BOULDER – Addison Gillam’s college football career finally appears to be back on track, moving from rehab to reward.
“Oft-injured” doesn’t begin to describe the Colorado middle linebacker’s four seasons as a Buff; his list of past ailments runs from his knees up, with intermediate stops at his back, elbow, shoulders and above (three concussions).
Fortunately for him and the CU defense, the list hasn’t expanded this season. “It’s taken a while but I’m finally healthy,” a beaming Gillam said the other morning after practice.
And when Gillam is healthy, hair flying in pursuit of a quarterback, there aren’t many better linebackers in the Pac-12 Conference. He’s slowly worked his back into a regular rotation among Jim Leavitt’s linebacking corps, delivering 26 tackles (14 solo), three third-down stops, two quarterback sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the Buffs’ first seven games.
For those stats, his snap count (146) is the lowest among any Buff who has reached double digits in tackles – and there are 13 players in that category.
A freshman All-America selection in 2013, Gillam became CU’s first first-year player in history to lead the team in tackles (119). But the next two seasons saw him in and out of the lineup due to injuries, with his 2015 season ending in mid-October to undergo “cleanup” knee surgery.
It’s been a long, painful haul for Gillam and when CU coach Mike MacIntyre recounts it, he’s obviously moved. Pausing to wipe away tears on Tuesday at his weekly news conference, MacIntyre said Gillam’s recent progress puts him “right there now” in comparison with the best play of Gillam’s career.
He also described Gillam’s last two years as “just turmoil for him. To see him walk through it like he has has been pretty inspirational to say the least, the way he’s played these last few games. Now he’s 230-something and he can run like he could before and he has that smile on his face.
“I always tease him about his hair flowing, but I love see that hair flow when he runs. It’s just been awesome. The kids have rallied around him, because they realize what he is. They’ve seen him fight through all those things. It’s been a great life lesson not only for him, but for me and it’s been a great life lesson for our team. I just hope and pray that he stays healthy and keeps playing, because it’s a lot of fun to watch him play and he gets pure joy out of it – and so do I.”
Gillam’s celebrated freshman season was accomplished in spite of a very unlinebacker-like appearance; he was listed as weighing 225, but that might have been 10 pounds on the high side. Former defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Kent Baer said on more than one occasion that the young Gillam’s build belonged on a diver rather than a middle linebacker.
Now, Gillam is listed at 230 and looks the LB part. “He’s so much bigger now,” MacIntyre said, noting that Gillam now has enough bulk and strength to take on offensive linemen and that “when he hits a running back, (the running back) isn’t going to fall forward. He’s going the other way . . . there’s a little bit of an intimidation factor there. He’s the same guy, but now he has more power.”
Gillam’s teammates have noticed his return to form. “From what I’ve seen, he’s been flying around, doing things phenomenally,” said defensive end Jimmie Gilbert. “He’s reading out, making great hits on the quarterback, great hits on the running backs. He’s making plays from sideline to sideline.
“That’s the Addison that I knew and the Addison that I know. As far as I’ve seen, he’s back. He’s been able to do what he can when he can and that’s what we love about him.”
Gillam’s game last weekend in CU’s 40-16 win against Arizona State was among his best this season. He finished with five tackles (one for a loss), a QB sack, one third-down stop and three QB hits. One was in the “oooh” category – a full-speed smackdown that had MacIntyre hoping ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins could right himself.
Next up for CU is Stanford, and MacIntyre believes Gillam’s penchant for physical play is precisely what the Buffs need: “It should be a great game for him, I hope so. I think he’ll play well. He should be very physical there.”
THERE’S TOUGH, THEN SEFO TOUGH: Stanford’s physical play and toughness are well-documented in the Pac-12. In seasons past, the Buffs couldn’t quite raise that bar high enough to stay with the Cardinal.
This season the Buffs believe they’ve reached that “tough guy” level. Of course, there’s no better place to prove it than Stanford Stadium, CU’s stop on Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. MDT, Pac-12 Networks).
MacIntyre has long been an admirer of his quaLrterback’s toughness, last week calling senior Sefo Liufau “the toughest guy in the building.” This week he called Liufau the toughest quarterback he’s coached and said Liufau’s demeanor has been contagious for the Buffs.
“I’ve said a lot about Sefo over the years,” MacIntyre noted. “I can say a million things about Sefo and I’m not going to compare him to other quarterbacks I’ve had, because I’ve loved them all and they all had different qualities.
“Sefo would be the toughest, I’ve said that a lot and I think you all have seen that. The other thing is he’s also extremely mentally tough. Our team has caught up with Sefo and he just kept pushing, kept going and kept working. Yeah, he had some mistakes here and there, but now that we have a really good football team all around him, now you can really see how good he is.
“He never gave up, he always had confidence. He didn’t have a cocky confidence, he had a humble confidence, which is the best to have. He’s done that and the team’s followed him.”
Liufau said Saturday’s game will feature two teams testing one another’s tenacity: “I don’t think it’s going to be a blow out in either direction. I think its two very good teams going against to each other. And that’s when it comes down to a couple of plays here or there that make a difference in the game. So we’ll be ready to test their toughness and I’m sure they’ll test our toughness as well.”
BOWL TALK ON BACKBURNER: The Buffs (5-2 overall, 3-1 Pac-12) are a win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. But postseason talk – if it’s talked about at all – is about winning the Pac-12. CU remains in a weekly 1-0 mode; leave the possible bowl celebration and speculation to others.
Tailback Phillip Lindsay said becoming bowl eligible is “going to be a great feeling and it’s going to have a big impact on the university. (But) our goal is Pac-12 Champs. There’s nothing less than that for us. The bowl game will come as we continue to win games. We just need to focus on ourselves and Colorado football.”
Added MacIntyre: “We’re talking about a Pac-12 Championship, so every game matters. If we do that, we’ll get to a bowl game too. We control our own destiny in a way, which is good.”
KICKING, BUT NOT SCREAMING: The Buffs’ pre-Stanford placement situation remains undecided – or up in the air if you prefer. Freshman Davis Price and junior Chris Graham competed against ASU; Price hit one of two field goals and two of three PATs, Graham attempted one field and one extra point and made both.
Where does that leave the PK duties this week?
“It’s fluid,” MacIntyre said. “That’s the best thing I can tell you. Those young men are working hard. They’re relatively young in kicking the field goals and the extra points and the pressure of that. So far, it really hasn’t hurt us. It’s not helped us all the time, it’s helped us a few times. We’d like it to help us every game.”
MacIntyre said both Price and Graham have strong legs, work hard and want to handle all of CU’s kicking chores. Thus far, or since Diego Gonzalez’s season-ending Achilles injury, they’ve split the kickoff duties and done that capably.
“Both of them want to be the kicker all the time, but if one of them is not doing good, then we’ll put the other one in,” MacIntyre said. “And the other one’s always performed. That’s a good thing.”
RESPECT AMONG COLORADOANS: Lindsay’s high school career at Denver South and that of Stanford’s Christian McCaffery at Valor Christian overlapped enough for both to be aware of the other.
“We heard about each other for a long time,” Lindsay said. “He had a great year last year and it’s hard to duplicate what that man did, especially with how healthy he stayed. So I really respect him for that.”
Lindsay doesn’t look at Saturday’s game as head-to-head competition with McCaffery, who didn’t play in last weekend’s 17-10 win at Notre Dame. Lindsay his focus is on “Colorado football and at the end of the day we’re going to have to play ball. I don’t look at it as I’m going to compete against somebody. I’m happy he’s representing Colorado (the state) football well. But I’m just focused on playing Colorado football.”
McCaffery’s status for this week hasn’t been announced, but Gilbert said the Buffs will“prepare like he’s going to play. We prepare for every contingency whether he’s playing or not. You practice full speed. You just go in with the mentality that you’re going to see him on the field and be prepared for what they do.”
When healthy, McCaffery is special. His 104.0-yard rushing average (five games) tops the Pac-12. He was the league’s 2015 offensive player of the year after setting the NCAA single-season record for all-purpose yards (3,864). He averaged 144.2 yards rushing a game.
GIMME A HEADFUL OF HAIR . . . : MacIntyre isn’t about to put a mandate on hair length, but you get the feeling that he would give a player or two a ride to the barbershop if asked.
Tuesday’s “media lite” news conference question: Who has the best/worst hair on the team?
Answered Lindsay, who now sports a budding Afro: “I think (tackle) Sam Kronshage has some pretty nice hair; it’s long. Addison Gillam has some nice hair too. I’m up there, I’m probably number one. When I pick my hair out it does help with not getting any concussions.”
MacIntyre’s answer: “I don’t know who has the best hair on the team. Some of them need haircuts, I know that and tell them that all the time. I tease (Ryan) Moeller all the time, because his hair just bushes out. I don’t know what it is about the hair hanging out at the back of the helmets, but I guess (Troy) Polamalu started all that. The best hair on the team – everybody on the team would say – is N.J. Falo’s. He could do the commercials, there’s no doubt.”
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(B.G. Brooks has been an esteemed sports journalist since 1970. He was a writer and columnist with The Commercial Appeal in Memphis from 1970-78, then was lured to Denver by the Rocky Mountain News, where he worked as an award-winning writer, covering the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Buffaloes, and sports editor of the newspaper. After The Rocky folded in 2009, B.G. joined the University of Colorado as a senior contributor for cubuffs.com.)