Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Buffs 'D' Looks To The Air This Week Against Falk, Cougs
November 17, 2015 | Football, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER – Defensive coordinators football-wide usually formulate weekly game plans with an identical top priority: Stop the run. But at the University of Colorado this week there's a seismic shift in strategy.
The Buffs know they'd best be ready for the rare run this weekend in Pullman, Wash., but against Mike Leach and his Washington State offense the pass rules. Defenses that haven't steeled themselves to see almost 60 passes a game by the Cougars are in for hard times.
In seven Pac-12 games, WSU is averaging 59.1 pass attempts – by far the most in the league. No. 2, trailing by 108 attempts, is California (296). The Cougars' in-conference completion percentage is 68.4 (283-of-414), second only to Stanford's 69.4.
But there's a reason: the Cardinal has attempted 228 fewer passes (129-of-186).
"We're working on (stopping the run), but our emphasis this week is getting to the quarterback and disrupting him," CU senior defensive tackle Justin Solis said Tuesday.
In the overall disruption department, the Buffs have been average in Pac-12 play. Their 18 quarterback sacks ranks them seventh – 11 behind conference leader Arizona State. In all games, CU has 24 sacks, a number that coach Mike MacIntyre calls "good, not great, not super, not terrible."
In dealing with "Air Wazzu," he said CU's ideal scenario would be to create pressure with "four (rushers) rather than to bring people (linebackers, corners)."
If a defense relies too much on blitzing linebackers and defensive backs, the Cougars' screen passes to backs and receivers "will make you pay," MacIntyre continued. "I think Leach wants you to do that."
The Cougars have allowed a league-worst 30 sacks in conference, but MacIntyre can easily explain that stat: "They lead the league in sacks (allowed) because they throw it so much. There's more opportunities . . . teams are able to put their ears back a little bit more."
In overall pass defense, CU tops the Pac-12 (231.9 yards allowed a game) but that number also must be balanced against a Buffs run defense that is No. 11 in the conference (232.4 yards allowed a game).
Still, CU isn't expecting Wazzu, which has only 170 rushing attempts in seven league games (24.2 a game), to suddenly turn ground-pounder this weekend. The Cougars have averaged 77.9 rushing yards a game this season (all games) and scored a league-low seven rushing TDs.
Instead of a ground level view, the Buffs 'D' likely will see more than it wants of sophomore Cougars quarterback Luke Falk, the latest in Leach's parade of peerless passers.
"No. 1, he does a good job training them," MacIntyre said, adding that Leach and his outside receivers coach – former record-setting Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, who played for Leach in Lubbock – also do a good job of identifying high school quarterbacks who fit WSU's/Leach's system.
"He's (Leach) looking for a certain type of guy to fit their system," MacIntyre said. "They know they're going to come in and throw it close to 50 times a game . . . and they can do it."
That fits Falk's personality. He's been fearless in helping push the Cougars toward a nine-win season (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) and their current No. 24 ranking. In 10 games, he's thrown for 4,067 yards and 35 touchdowns (eight interceptions).
Moreover, his play down the stretch has been a significant reason that MacIntyre views the Cougars as having turned the corner this season. "Definitely they've turned the corner," he said. "They've made some plays. If they would have over thrown one of those balls, or a couple of them get tipped away, you might not say they've turned the corner."
Leach made reference in his Monday press conference to the Buffs being close to doing the same. "I think that is kind of what (Leach) is saying," MacIntyre said. "They've made plays and that's good, that's a credit to them. We need to try to make some more plays like that in close games."
Falk's fourth-quarter performance last weekend against No. 18 UCLA was typical of what he's done in the season's first two months. His 21-yard TD pass to Gabe Marks with three seconds remaining secured a 31-27 road win, capping a 75-yard drive that required only a minute.
It was the late-game stuff – specifically, the ability to finish – that MacIntyre is still dreaming about for his third CU team (4-7, 1-6).
The Buffs, said MacIntyre, need to "muddy up the pocket or muddy up coverages" to disrupt the 6-4 Falk. "He's very cool in the pocket, he sits in there until the last second. If it's always a clean pocket, he never misses anybody."
But creating that disruption that Solis spoke of and "muddying" the pocket can take its toll. "It's harder to pass rush 50 times a game . . . it's definitely more tiring," said Solis, a 325-pounder who might have surprised his coaches this season by being able to play upwards of 60 or 70 snaps a game.
The teams that have had success against Falk, Solis said, "get him off his spot, get their hands in his face (and) get him to make some errant throws."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
