Mid Season Grades – Offense
filed in Awards on Oct.10, 2007
Well, the Buffs have played six out of 12 games. In that time span, they have doubled their win total from last year, shocked the nation, and most importantly, have shown continued improvement throughout the weeks. In this series of features, we will be giving a grade to a specific area of the team. This feature will be broken down into three posts. This post will focus on the Offense, the next Defense, and the final Special Teams/Coaching.
Offense
Receivers:
Statistics are often the easiest brushes used in painting a football tapestry, but can also be the most misleading. That said, let’s take a look.
After a first look at this, one could be tempted to immediately name Scotty McKnight the top receiver. The thing is, he has been extremely limited in the last few games. In the last two games against Baylor and Oklahoma, he has a total of 2 catches for 20 yards.
The Bad: Our receiving corp has no clear leader or game breaker. No “go-to” receiver, no matter how effective Scotty McKnight was early in the year. They still have a tendency to drop the catchable ball. From dropped balls against ASU to tipped passes against OU, these guys get the butterfingers.
The Good: The veterans are stepping up. After the worst couple performances of his career against ASU and FSU, Patrick Williams was huge on 3rd and 4th downs against OU. Despite having dissapeared early in this season, Dusty Sprague has come on strong in the last few games with the tying TD catch against OU and 5 catches for 95 yards and a TD against Baylor. The young guys cannot be forgotten either. Josh Smith has shown flashes of big play ability, and despite being hurt early, has the 2nd most reception yards on the team and a gaudy 24.4 yards/catch average. The rest of the crowd has shown up at times, but the only other thing that really jumps out is Tyson Devree. This Tight End leads the team with four TD catches, and with a huge 4th down catch against OU that I can still remember clearly, has become the kind of red zone clutch presence that can be so valuable.
The grade: C+. These guys have cost us games, nearly cost us games, but they definitely have shown great improvement and if they can just limit mistakes can become a group of receivers to be respected, if not feared.
The rest below the fold.
Offensive Line
Offensive Line Statistics
The Bad: Inconsistency.
This group of guys played well in game one, then followed it up with some really forgetful performances. The offensive line is the foundation of any offense, and as they go, the team often follows. They failed to dominate, had issues with protection, and eventually led to one of the worst stat lines I have ever seen: 5 yards on 51 attempts through two games (ASU and FSU).
The Good: Improvement and Youth. Despite those two games, the buffs enter week 7 averaging 3.5 yards per rush. I think the turning point can really be seen as the introduction of a freshman into the mix. That Freshman is NOT our 5 star RT. Ryan Miller has gotten into the mix, but the introduction of Kai Maiava has been huge for this group. He replaces Palazzi at LG, and Palazzi has struggled at times. He has given up the most sacks, quarterback Pressures, and has never graded above 80% in any game this year. Kai on the other hand already has the 3rd most Knockdown Blocks (or ‘pancakes’) on the team for the season while only playing about half the snaps of the original starters. He has yet to give up a sack or a penalty, and has only allowed one pressure. The future looks very bright for this young guard.
The Grade: B. This group of players faltered early, but really fought back and righted the ship. Their performance against Oklahoma really was incredible considering the athletic front they faced.
Quarterback
Cody’s Statistics
Cody may not want to give himself a grade, but he sure can’t stop Buffs.tv from doing so.
The stats for this guy are pretty average. Barely more TD’s than picks, a pretty decent yardage amount, and a solid completion percentage. t is early in his career, but at this point, we pretty much know what we are going to get with Cody week in and week out.
The Bad: He forces a couple throws per game and has a tendency to telegraph where he wants to go with the ball. He does not do much of anything with his legs. Oh, and he is not 6’5″.
The Good: He is tough, not afraid to make the big play, and has a gunslinger mentality. He is clutch. 4 TD passes on 3rd or 4th down shows you that pressure does not get to him. This is a guy who makes some very pretty deep throws. I still see upside in him, despite what some say about a limited amount of potential and an already complete grasp of the offense. Against Oklahoma, this kid stood tall and did not let the situation overwhelm him even when he threw two slightly off target throws that were tipped and picked, resulting in two huge OU TD’s. This kid has confidence to spare and is able to forget his mistakes to concentrate on what needs to be done to win.
The Grade: B+
Cody has a long way to go in terms of game savvy. Looking off receivers, knowing when to just throw it away or check down, etc., are all areas that need improvement. He should have several more TD’s, but his WR’s kept dropping them early on! Buffs fans are lucky to have this kid, even if he was too short for Div 1A *snort*.
Running Backs
Running Back Statistics
Hugh went down early in the season with a pulled hamstring. In his presence stepped Demetrius Sumler, who was competent, but not a freshman setting the world on fire by any means.
The Bad: Toughness. These guys lacked it after a solid effort against CSU. Against ASU and FSU, Sumler and then Hugh had issues hitting the holes and earning extra yards. Ellis failed to produce anything when he got the ball, and Lockridge wasn’t ready to contribute until after the FSU game. This group of guys does not have a complete back among them. Just by seeing who is in the backfield on some downs, the opposing defense can guess if its a pass or a run.
The Good: Improvement and ball safety.Not a single one of these guys have lost a fumble all year. That must make Big Hawk feel nice and warm inside. Despite horrific games against ASU and FSU, these players have come on strong, with Hugh especially looking tough and deadly with the ball. Ellis has been exceptional in his pass blocking, as that 4th down TD catch by Devree against OU would not have been possible without his stoning of the blitzing linebacker.
The Grade: B
Until our WR’s step up, these guys are the backbone of our offense. They have shouldered that load with more and more confidence, but their inability to dominate opposing defenses prevents tthem from a higher grade. The success of the running game is more closely tied to the offensive line then to this running back stable. When they start creating something out of nothing, then they will get the A.
Overall Offensive Grade: B+
Despite starting 5 underclassmen on Offense, with many more in rotation, this group is averaging 27.1 points per game, or 11 points more than last year. Talk about a difference! They control clock, overcome mistakes, and took a solid team to the woodshed in the 2nd half against OU. Last year, there was no doubt, our offense was simply incompetent. This year, they are simply young. This team has left many, many points on the field instead of up on the scoreboard. A few more catches, a few less penalties, and the scoring average could be significantly higher. This team moves the ball, and has been getting better. Enjoy the ride folks!
Anybody else have any grades to hand out?
Related posts:
- Frustrating, isn’t it? A look at what was wrong with the CU Offense
- Buffs put solid wrap on home season
- Let’s start the season
October 12th, 2007 on 9:52 am
What ever happened to BJax? I would love to see him in the “Wildcat” formation that everybody else is running from time to time.
October 12th, 2007 on 10:42 am
Latest news is that he is academically ineligible. It is not official yet, but Coach Hawk has basically written him off for the year. Bjax’s career at CU is over unless a miracle occurs. I definitely wish we had him still, but I think the team is doin allright:)
October 12th, 2007 on 1:14 pm
Well your analysis is pretty accurate. At least you are realistic and fair. B+ is a little better than they deserve on Offense. I would bump it down to a C+, only based on the first 3 games. Too many BAD throws for picks. Hey, Redshirt Freshman or not, some are just bad decsions (yes, tip balls as well) under pressure, but most times, he had decent protection. Not being critical, just pointing out. The real hero of the day is Jeff Grimes. Yes the rush offense stunk vs. ASU/FSU, but the protection is coming along. I have yet to see a complete breakdown, ie: a DB dancing on Codys head from a corner blitz. Correct me if I am wrong. Yes the WR’s are pedestrian, RB’s only a little better but the O line is what’s moving us forward. Thank you Mr.Grimes GO BUFFS!
October 12th, 2007 on 2:52 pm
I have to agree with Kid that a B+ is a little too high for this offense. While they’ve looked good at times, there’s been just as many (or more) times that they’ve looked ineffective.
- I’m encouraged by the improvement of our receivers as Sprague and Williams have looked much better of late and I think we’re just starting to scratch the surface of what Josh Smith can do. I’d give the receivers a C, but that’s a grade that’s been improving.
- Like you and Kid, I’m impressed by what I’m starting to see from the offensive line. Cody has had good pass protection and the running game has improved. It appears that the reason for the improvement is the fact that we’re now rotating in the young guys. I’ve been particularly impressed with Maiava. He’s been a force on the line since the first snap he played. I’m excited to see how he continues to grow. Kid is right that Grimes deserves a lot of credit for getting an undermanned group moving in the right direction. I’d say a B, but also improving.
- I think Cody has played generally well, but he still seems to make a few poor decisions each game. I think we can still chalk those up to inexperience, but I’ll be looking for him to reduce those mistakes as the season continues. Despite the mistakes, you have to love this kid’s heart and guts. In the first game, I was impressed with his poise and willingness to stand in the pocket and take a hit. I know his height is often discussed, but I am a little concerned about the lack of balls thrown in the seams to our strong TEs. I’m not sure if it’s the way the offense is set up (not likely) or if Cody is having trouble making those throws (more likely), but I’m hoping we find a way to overcome that. Our TEs are too big of a weapon not to use more. I give Cody a B-.
- I’m not sure how to grade the RBs, as it appears that they’re finally starting to come around. Charles has looked good in teh last three games and Sumler has done a good job when spelling Hugh. I think I’m most excited to see what Lockridge can really do as I thought he looked explosive against Miami (I know the opponent figures into that a little). I’m hoping we can continue to use all three to tire out the Defensive Lines like we did against OU. I guess I’d give them an improving B.
Where does that leave me overall? I’d say that I’m between Skye and Kid at a B-. I’m impressed with what this team has done this year so far and the offense has held it’s own in most of the games. You have to dock them for the efforts against ASU and FSU, but I think they’ve mostly made up for it in the other games. While there’s room for improvement (isn’t there always?), you have to be excited about the fact that most of the players we’re talking about are underclassmen.
Go Buffs!
October 12th, 2007 on 3:59 pm
I graded them so high because of their youth and compared to what they were last year. They have overachieved lately.
They are out of the remedial class now though. Expectations have been raised
October 22nd, 2007 on 8:26 pm
What do you guys think about all of the packages? We never see the same guys on the field for two plays. It is not unusual to shuffle in and out 5 receivers in a college game. But we are shuffling 8 receivers and 4 tight ends. Add in the fact that we are paying 4 running backs and 3 full backs, and I never who to expect to see out there. I’m not sure if Cody knows who is out there sometimes. That is 19 skill positions rotating in and out when you only have to have 5 or 10 for good measure. Is there a point when spreading the wealth goes too far?