What happened?
BOULDER» The fallout of a Colorado football season that began with Pac-12 title hopes and finished one win shy of bowl eligibility isn’t lost on Buffaloes athletic director Rick George. CU fans are befuddled by the slide from first to worst in the Pac-12’s South Division.
“I certainly understand their frustration,” George said.
But then again …
“We need their continued support to be successful, long term.”
CU (5-7, 2-7 Pac-12) enters the offseason facing a wide range of pressing issues as it aims for a return to prominence. George talked about several of those topics during a year-in-review discussion with The Denver Post.
“My message is that we’re really focused on being consistent winners,” George said. “I think we’ve got the people in place, we’ve got the structure in place and we’ve got the facilities in place that we should have high expectations as fans. … We’re committed to the same thing they want, and that’s to compete for and win championships in everything that we do.”
When George assessed the Buffaloes’ roster and coaching staff to begin the season, at least two things were immediately clear.
“The reality is we lost some really key players (on defense), we had a new staff in place and it takes time to develop that relationship. So it wasn’t unexpected, defensively, that we didn’t have the kind of year we hoped,” George said. “We also felt like we needed to score a lot of points.”
But the latter rarely took place. CU’S scoring offense (26.4 points per game) ranked No. 11 in the Pac12 and No. 80 nationally. The Buffs suffered only the fourth shutout defeat since 1988 (a 28-0 October road loss at Washington State).
George envisions future star potential from the Buffaloes’ starting quarterback — “I think Steven Montez is going to be one of the really bright spots of our offense next year” — but also anticipated some growing pains. Montez finished the season 228-of-377 (60 percent) passing for 2,975 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
“Let’s all remember he was a redshirt sophomore,” George said. “He didn’t have a lot of playing experience.”
Montez has the benefit of at least two more seasons in Boulder. It’s the players who don’t have a chance at redemption that stick in George’s mind. Tailback Phillip Lindsay and linebacker Derek Mccartney were local products who led CU out of the Pac-12 cellar in 2016, only to finish their careers on sour notes.
“I am disappointed for them that we’re not in a bowl game,” George said.
Coaching carousel
The Pac-12 has featured historic head coaching turnover in recent weeks, with new faces leading Arizona State (Herm Edwards), UCLA (Chip Kelly), Oregon (Mario Cristobal) and Oregon State (Johnathan Smith).
The upheaval led CU co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to accept a similar role at Oregon State, while back in Boulder, offensive line coach Klayton Adams was promoted in his place and fellow co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini was given primary play-calling duties.
“Everybody looks at change differently. I think change is always good,” George said. “I think this gives us an opportunity to really look at where we’re going with our offense. It gives Chiaverini and Adams an opportunity, and I personally think those guys will take that opportunity and run with it. We’ll be better for it.”
George, CU football’s director of operations from 1987-91, added that he plays a hands-on role when it comes to coaching personnel moves and is included in the interview process for potential candidates. CU has plans to add a quarterbacks coach with the NCAA’S decision to allow programs to employ a 10th full-time assistant starting Jan. 9, but George wouldn’t rule out even more staff changes.
“There are still really good (coaching) opportunities that are out there and there are a lot of new head coaches that are trying to hire staff,” George said. “I think for us, we just need to be on top of what those look like and where our best opportunities are.”
For a short while, it appeared that even CU head coach Mike Macintyre might be on the move. Several national media outlets re-
What’s next?
CU loses 21 seniors — plus junior cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who is headed for the NFL draft. As of Friday afternoon, CU had secured verbal commitments from 17 prospects for its 2018 class with less than two weeks until the Dec. 20 early signing period begins. According to 24/7 Sports, the group ranks No. 8 in the Pac-12 and No. 49 nationally, highlighted by a trio of highly touted wide receivers — Dimitri Stanley (Cherry Creek), Dylan Thomas (Cathedral; Los Angeles) and Daniel Arias (Jackson; Bothell, Wash.).
The demographics of the group: California (six), Texas (five), Colorado (three), Washington (one), Kansas (one) and Mississippi (one).
“We’ve made real effort in the last two years to get more involved in Texas,” George said. “I think that’s an important area for us to be successful. We can recruit California and Arizona, but east of here is also very fertile for us and a real opportunity. One of our priorities is getting the best student-athletes in the state here in Colorado and supplement it with the great players around us.”
Satisfying the CU fan base with winning seasons requires better overall talent.
“I think we have a tremendous amount to sell,” George said.