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Pac 12 Football Media Day: Colorado Buffaloes
Jul 24th
by David LaRose, Rant Sports
Jayne Kamin-Oncea- US PRESSWIRE
The Pac 12 conference held it’s annual media day today in Los Angeles, California with all 12 teams being represented by their head coach and an offensive and defensive player. The Colorado Buffaloes were represented by 2nd year head coach Jon Embree, OT David Bakhtiari and FS Ray Polk.
Here’s the takeaway from what the coach and players had to say:
1) Colorado’s goal is to return to a bowl game. The Buffs finished last season with some momentum, winning two of their last three games and winning their first road game in over four seasons. They had the toughest schedule in the country a year ago but this season there is the possibility of getting off to a strong start and potentially scratching out some victories later in the season to secure a bowl game berth. They will be very young, which is concerning because they don’t know how quickly incoming freshmen will adapt to the next level. However, if the younger guys quickly get the hang of things they have the potential to make it to their first bowl game in five years.
2) There is cautious optimism concerning Paul Richardson’s return this season. The star wide receiver tore his ACL in spring practice and was initially ruled out for the entire upcoming season. However, since his surgery Richardson has been moving well and ha slowly started to participate in more rigorous drills. It’s still unclear if he will be back this season but it’s looking like that could be a possibility due to his rapid healing. In my opinion I don’t think he should play this season even if he is cleared by the doctors and training staff. I think it would be in his best interest to sit out a year, take a medical redshirt and come back fully healthy next season when the Buffs will be more improved. With that said, Colorado is lacking offensive weapons so having Richardson in the starting lineup would be a plus.
3) The quarterback competition is going to be a three-man race this fall. No surprise there as this is what we have known since spring practices. Connor Wood, Nick Hirschman and Jordan Webb will be the three guys competing to become the signal caller for the Buffs this fall and it is expected to be an intense battle. Hirschman broke his foot before spring practices started so that allowed Wood to have all the first team reps in practice. It ended up helping both players because, as Embree said, Hirschman needed to work on the mental part of his game while Wood needed more practice reps. Incoming Kansas transfer Jordan Webb will be able to play this season because he enrolled at CU as a grad student, already having graduated from Kansas with eligibility left. Word around the Buffs program is that Webb may be the front runner to win the competition due to his previous starting experience. Although he didn’t put up gaudy numbers in Lawrence he still has a full season of experience under his belt and that can come in handy when trying to lead the youngest team in the country.
4) The CU-Utah rivalry is mostly media driven. Sure it’s easy to assume that CU and Utah will become rivals due to their geographical similarities and the way CU beat Utah in Salt Lake last year, preventing the Utes from representing the South division in the inaugural Pac 12 Championship Game. But that’s not necessarily the case according to the players. Both Polk and Bakhtiari said that they want their rival to be the best team in the conference and Utah isn’t really that team yet. The Buffs and Utes had an intense rivalry back in the 1960′s but a lengthy hiatus put a halt to that. It’s not to say that the two teams won’t eventually become rivals but as of right now CU is still trying to find its place in their new conference so their new rival is still to be determined.
5) The Buffs will be very young and inexperienced at almost every position this fall. Anytime a program loses 28 players to graduation they are expected to be very young the next season and that’s certainly the case for CU. At almost every skill position the Buffs will be inexperienced, especially in the offensive backfield. The QB situation is still undecided, Tony Jones is an effective runner but hasn’t played a significant amount up to this point and there is plenty of room for incoming freshman to play significant minutes at wide receiver. The same thing can be said for the defensive backfield. Five incoming players will be battling for positions at cornerback and strong safety alongside Polk. Yuri Wright is probably the highest touted incoming defensive back but positions are still up for grabs and any one of those players has a chance to win them.
The college football season is quickly approaching and now that the Pac 12 media day is over, Colorado is only 13 days away from opening fall camp!
Source Rant Sports
CU Buffs at Olympics Boulder
Jul 18th
CU Heritage Center
CELEBRATE CU AT THE OLYMPICS
Congratulations to the five CU students and alums who will be competing in the London Olympics. Discover the history of CU Olympians at the Heritage Center online.
Alumni events
COME BACK TO BOULDER!
Relive your favorite CU memories and reunite with old friends at Back to Boulder, this year’s Homecoming weekend, Nov. 1-3 when the Buffs play Stanford. We have reserved hotel rooms at discounted rates at local hotels, so hurry before they sell out! Get exclusive access to football tickets before they go on sale and early notifications to attend events by registering today.
CU Voices
BUFFALO BICYCLE CLASSIC HEADS UP
By Todd T. Gleeson
Maybe it was the thin air, the pine trees or the alpine vistas. Whatever the source, inspiration came in the mountains on our bicycles, and the result was the Elevations Credit Union Buffalo Bicycle Classic. Read more.
Get more information and register for the Buffalo Bicycle Classic.
Athletics
GET DISCOUNTED FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS
For a limited time, you can stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Buffs for just $140. At $20 per home game, these season tickets are a great value. This ticket special is only available until Friday, July 20. Purchase your season tickets or call 303-49-BUFFS for more information.
Alumni Products
KEEP YOUR CU MEMORIES CLOSE
AT HAND
You’re invited to design your own CU ring, tailor it to your CU memories and wear it with pride. CU rings are on display at the CU Book Store, our partner, or you can learn more and customize your ring here.
Alumni Events
PAC UP FOR CU FOOTBALL
Hit the road with us this fall to cheer on the Buffs as they travel to the West Coast! Our away-game festivities are the place to be before every away Pac-12 game and are a great way to connect with other Forever Buffs. Purchasepregame and other football-related event tickets.
Jobs and Careers
GET HELP FROM OUR CAREER COUNSELOR
Need career advice and live out of state? Our career counselor, Lea Alvarado, is available by e-mail or phone(303-492-6541) to help you on your job search and career plans. Check out the CU-Boulder career office’s alumni services page.
Roaming Buffs
EXPERIENCE A CLASSIC SAFARI
On an extraordinary safari with the Roaming Buffs, you will enjoy wildlife viewing in Kenya and Tanzania. Travel from grassland plains to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, from the world’s largest volcanic crater to the edge of the Rift Valley. For more information about the Roaming Buffs travel program e-mail clark.oldroyd@colorado.edu or call303-492-5640 or 800-492-7743.
Contest Corner
WIN A GREAT BASEBALL CAP
Which alum photographer was featured in a Coloradanwith his photo of boys playing in Katmandu?
A. Jeff Diener (EPOBio’92) B. Chris Ryan (Geog, Soc’97)
C. Alan DeGrand (EnvDes’10) D. Xiaomei Chen (MAnth’06)
C. Alan DeGrand (EnvDes’10) D. Xiaomei Chen (MAnth’06)
Check out the Coloradan online for the answer.
CU Foundation
RIDE A BIKE TO CHANGE A LIFE
Over the past nine years the Elevations Credit Union Buffalo Bicycle Classic has raised $1.6 million and awarded more than 730 scholarships to CU-Boulder students. The 10th annual Buffalo Bicycle Classic is Sunday, Sept. 9. Register. A few scholarship recipients took a minute to make a video to thank their donors. Can’t make the BBC? Contribute here.
CU Book Store
PAIR GOLFING STYLE WITH CU PRIDE
Sport the perfect alumni attire on the green! This polocomes with black piping on the shoulders and the iconic CU buffalo logo on the left chest.
Boulder CU women’s to battle Cal Bears tonight
Jan 12th
Buffs host Cal, the country’s top rebounding team By Brian Howell Buffzone.com
Womens Buff basketball team don’t have much experience with new Pac-12 Conference foes.
The Buffaloes do, however, have a fresh memory of the Cal Bears and they know they’re in for a battle tonight. Colorado (13-1, 2-1 Pac-12) hosts Cal (11-5, 2-2) in its Pac-12 home opener at 7 p.m.
“The main emphasis is being more physical than they are and just being aggressive and ready for a fight,” CU junior Meagan Malcolm-Peck said. “I think our team actually raises the level of play with the higher competition we play. That’s really exciting for us.”
Cal got off to a fast start this year, in large part because of its tremendous rebounding. The Bears rank No. 1 in the country with a plus-18.3
Meagan Malcolm-Peck of Colorado battles with Shawnte Taylor of Weber State. For more photos of the game, go to www.dailycamera.com. December 17, 2011 / Cliff Grassmick ( CLIFF GRASSMICK )
average and have out-rebounded every opponent this year.
Cal hasn’t lost a rebounding battle since March 21, 2011 — in Boulder. The Buffs out-rebounded Cal in an 81-65 win in the WNIT.
“We just fought back and they backed down,” Malcolm-Peck said. “I think we have to throw the first punch and be ready for it, but know we can do it.”
CU has been exceptional on the boards all season, as well, out-rebounding 12 of 14 opponents and ranking 11th in the country with a plus-10.6 rebounding margin.
“It’s always fun to be physical down there,” said Malcolm-Peck, who has averaged five rebounds per game this season. “I think (Cal is) for sure the best rebounding team we’ve played. We’ve worked a lot this week on just boxing out and you’ve got to hit them first and not let them make the first move.”
That’s easier said than done. Cal sophomore Gennifer Brandon is posting 11.1 rebounds per game, including 24 in one game and 19 in another. She sat out last year with an injury and didn’t play against the Buffs.
CU coach Linda Lappe
Led by Brandon and Talia Caldwell, the Bears are particularly good at hitting the offensive glass. Cal scores an average of 18.1 second-chance points per game, nearly double the second-chance points the Bears allow (9.1). In Saturday’s 90-67 win over Oregon, the Bears out-rebounded the Ducks 63-26 and had 29 second-chance points, compared to one for Oregon.
“That’s part of their offense,” CU coach Linda Lappe. “They look to drive it hard and just crash the glass. We’ll have to do a great job of boxing out and keeping them out of the paint. You can’t let them get too many offensive rebounds and you can’t let them score them.”
In addition to competing on the boards, the Buffs are looking to stay strong on defense, score in transition and cut down on their turnovers. The Buffs have averaged 17.2 turnovers per game and rank last in the conference in turnover margin. They have 58 turnovers in three conference games.
“Anytime they’re over 15, it’s too many turnovers,” Lappe said. “We’ve become a little sloppy with our outlets. We’ve become a little sloppy with our posts — we have too many post turnovers.”
While CU has spent this week working on getting better in preparation for Cal, the Buffs have also been eager to hit the Coors Events Center court. They haven’t played in front of the home fans since Dec. 17.
“It’s an exciting time,” Lappe said. “First Pac-12 game here and hopefully we get a good fan base and get this place rockin’ a little bit. If that’s the case, we’ll definitely bring a lot of energy.”
