Liufau leads rebuilding Buffaloes
The Orlando Sentinel’s college insider Matt Murschel has ranked all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2014 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward fromNo. 128 to our projectedNo. 1 team.
TodayatNo92: Colorado Buffaloes
Coach: MikeMacIntyre (4-8, entering second season; 20-29 overall)
2013 record: 4-8 (1-8 in Pac-12 Conference, sixth in South Division)
Look back: Colorado opened Mike MacIntyre’s inaugural season by winning its first two games, including the season-opener against in-state rival Colorado State. The Buffaloes, however, struggled when their defense couldn’t contain explosive teams like Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona StateUCLA andUSC. The team lost eight of its remaining 10 games, with only wins over FCS foe Charleston Southern and Cal breaking up the streaks.
Offensive starters returning: 6
Offensive starters lost:
5
Defensive starters returning: 7
Defensive starters lost: 5
Key losses: WR Paul Richardson, LT Jack Harris, C Gus Handler, TE Scott Fernandez, DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, DT Nate Bonsu, LB Derrick Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau, one of the team’s top returning players, hands the ball off to tailback Tony Jones during the Buffaloes’ game against Utah in November 2013. Webb, SS Parker Orms
Top returnees: QB Sefo Liufau, RB Christian Powell, WR Nelson Spruce, WRD.D. Goodson, LG Kaiwi Crabb, LB Addison Gillam, DB Greg Henderson, KWill Oliver
Strengths: Freshman Sefo Liufau stepped into the starting quarterback role midway through last season, replacing struggling Connor Wood. During seven starts, Liufau completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,779 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. It will be up to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren to continue to polish Liufau into a premier Pac-12 quarterback. Colorado’s offensive line finished fourth in the league in sacks allowed, only giving up 20 sacks in 2013. The unit returns three of its five starters from last season, including fifthyear senior guards Kaiwi Crabb and DanielMunyer.
Colorado will have to make up for the loss of wide receiver Paul Richardson, who finished the season on the All-Pac-12 first team. Nelson
2014 Schedule
Aug. 29 at Colorado State Sept. 6 at UMass Sept. 13 Arizona State Sept. 20 Hawaii Sept. 27 at California Oct. 4 Oregon State Oct. 18 at USC Oct. 25 UCLA Nov. 1Washington Nov. 8 at Arizona Nov. 22 at Oregon Nov. 29 Utah Spruce and D.D. Goodson should provide dependable targets for Liufau, while Christian Powell returns to lead the running backs.
Weaknesses: Colorado finished the season ranked next-to-last in total defense, allowing more than 468 yards and 38 points per game. Seven of theBuffaloes’ eight losses were by double digits, with three of those being by 40 points or more. The group struggled to stop the run — allowing a league-worst 208 rushing yards per game— while only sacking the opposing quarterback 17 times.
The departure of defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who led the team with four sacks and chipped in 46 total tackles will be tough. The team also must replace the production of linebacker Derrick Webb (second on the team in total tackles with 99). The secondary, which returns three of its four leading players, ranked ninth in the Pac-12 in pass defense.
Outlook: Colorado hasn’t had a winning football season since 2005, but despite only winning four games in 2013, there is some promise the 2014 season could be different.
The offense and defense, which both finished near the bottom of the league statistically, need work.
The good news is the front end of the schedule features winnable games before Colorado faces a string of difficult Pac-12 games.