QBs Steven Montez (12) and Tyler Lytle (7) huddle before Saturday's scrimmage.
First Spring Scrimmage Is Break-In Period For Defensive Staffers
March 04, 2017 | Football, B.G. Brooks
MacIntyre pleased with adjustments on ‘D’, overall spring progress
BOULDER – First spring football scrimmages usually focus on adjustments, and in Colorado's case Saturday at Folsom Field most of the adjusting was done on defense – by coaches as well as players.
CU is breaking in three new coaches on that side of the ball, including coordinator D.J. Eliot, linebackers coach Ross Els and secondary coach Shadon Brown.
The changes represent a virtual overhaul from the 2016 season, when the Buffs' 'D' ranked among the top units nationally and in the Pac-12 Conference under Jim Leavitt.
But head coach Mike MacIntyre said Saturday's 83-play scrimmage, which lasted just over an hour, showed that progress is being made by the three new coaches and their players.
"This was the first scrimmage with all the coaches on the sidelines; we wanted to see what they know," MacIntyre said. "We lined up well, did some good things and I thought overall they did a really good job. We kept the same terminology, the same defense. It's just them getting used to how we do things every day."
Eliot and Brown were on the CU staff when spring drills began; Els' tenure was but a week old when the Buffs began Saturday's work. The defense, MacIntyre noted, is "taking to" the new staffers. "It's going well."
"It's gone real well actually," linebacker Drew Lewis added. "We're putting time in the study rooms, watching film, we're all adjusting to each other."
And MacIntyre noted that Lewis, who is playing the "jack" position, is adjusting as well: "He's having a good spring; he made some plays (Saturday). We'll watch the film and see (more). He's playing on special teams also."
Lewis, a transfer from Coffeyville JC who initially signed with Washington, played in all 13 games last season (four on defense, all on special teams). He recorded eight tackles (seven solo, one QB sack). Seven of his tackles (a career high) came against Idaho State.
He entered spring practice with the goals of understanding more of what the Buffs were doing schematically and putting on more weight. And he says he's made progress in both areas.
"It's all coming along real well," Lewis said. "We've got similar play calling but different coaches . . . we're fixing some things here and there, but as a whole we're understanding it all really well . . . personally, I'm adjusting to the little things and trying to make some plays."
The 6-2 Lewis now weighs 223 pounds – up 10 to 12 from his 2016 playing weight. "I'd like to gain three or four more pounds," he said, "but I want that to be good weight and not affect my speed on the perimeter."
INJURY REPORT: Tailback Kyle Evans suffered a hip injury late in Saturday's scrimmage and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
"It was a negative way to end," MacIntyre said. "I don't know how bad it is . . . that put a downer on it (the scrimmage)."
MacIntyre said there is adequate depth at the position but having anyone injured always is a negative. "We've got good running backs but hopefully (Evans) will be all right."
Phillip Lindsay, last season's leading rusher, returns and has had a productive spring thus far.
SCRIMMAGE ASSESSMENT: Aside from Evans' injury, MacIntyre termed the scrimmage successful. "It went good; I thought we got better overall," he said. "We looked at different situations in areas of the field – that type of thing. So we got a lot accomplished on that side of it."
He and his staff scrutinized new players and some who were in reserve roles last season. "We wanted to get them a lot of reps," he said. "It looked like they did well, others had hard times."
Three quarterbacks – Steven Montez, Sam Noyer, Tyler Lytle – were used in Saturday's work. MacIntyre said all three "did well. They were throwing to different receivers, and we mixed and matched a lot in the offensive line. But overall I thought they did some good things. Steven is throwing the ball real well."
Montez, because of his success last season and experienced gained, is the odds-on favorite to start the 2017 season. MacIntyre said a backup likely won't be named until at least well into preseason camp.
"We'll still keep giving them reps at least halfway through fall (camp) until we make that decision," MacIntyre said. "Right now (Montez) is further ahead than those other guys but all the guys we've got can really throw it and have shown some capabilities. So I feel good about the quarterback position."
Not so much – at least right now – about the kicking game. MacIntyre described the placement performances as "just OK there today . . . . but the punting was good."
Competing for the placement role are Chris Graham, Davis Price and Nick Porter. Incumbent punter Alex Kinney has been solid in that role.
SATURDAY'S SCORING PLAYS: Lindsay 3 run (no PAT kick) . . . . Dylan Keeney 3 pass from Montez (no PAT kick) . . . . Ento 3 pass from Lytle (no PAT kick) . . . . Graham 37 FG . . . . Xavier Cochrane 40 pass from Lytle (no PAT kick) . . . . Ento 35 pass from Noyer (no PAT kick) . . . . Price 26 FG . . . . Graham 32 FG. Totals: 5 touchdowns (1 rush, 4 pass, 0 return).
NOTES: Receiver Kabion Ento continues to work himself into open spaces and make acrobatic catches . . . . Linebackers Lewis and Akil Jones both show sideline-to-sideline speed and the ability to tackle in the open field . . . . N.J. Falo is being given a spring look at ILB. MacIntyre said Falo, who has experience on the outside, "can always go back; he understands that (position) real well." . . . . All three QBs – Montez, redshirt freshman Noyer and true freshman Lytle – have lively arms, but Montez's game experience stands out . . . . Tailback Beau Bisharat is developing into a powerful runner who could fill a need in that area this fall . . . . The O-line continues to be a work in progress, as does the D-line.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Buffs' schedule next week includes practices on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with Friday's work featuring the spring's second scrimmage. At week's end CU will have had 11 practices, leaving 4 of the NCAA-mandated 15 for spring work. The annual spring game is set for Saturday, March 18 (1 p.m., Folsom Field). All practices except for the spring game are closed to the media and public.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
CU is breaking in three new coaches on that side of the ball, including coordinator D.J. Eliot, linebackers coach Ross Els and secondary coach Shadon Brown.
The changes represent a virtual overhaul from the 2016 season, when the Buffs' 'D' ranked among the top units nationally and in the Pac-12 Conference under Jim Leavitt.
But head coach Mike MacIntyre said Saturday's 83-play scrimmage, which lasted just over an hour, showed that progress is being made by the three new coaches and their players.
"This was the first scrimmage with all the coaches on the sidelines; we wanted to see what they know," MacIntyre said. "We lined up well, did some good things and I thought overall they did a really good job. We kept the same terminology, the same defense. It's just them getting used to how we do things every day."
Eliot and Brown were on the CU staff when spring drills began; Els' tenure was but a week old when the Buffs began Saturday's work. The defense, MacIntyre noted, is "taking to" the new staffers. "It's going well."
"It's gone real well actually," linebacker Drew Lewis added. "We're putting time in the study rooms, watching film, we're all adjusting to each other."
And MacIntyre noted that Lewis, who is playing the "jack" position, is adjusting as well: "He's having a good spring; he made some plays (Saturday). We'll watch the film and see (more). He's playing on special teams also."
Lewis, a transfer from Coffeyville JC who initially signed with Washington, played in all 13 games last season (four on defense, all on special teams). He recorded eight tackles (seven solo, one QB sack). Seven of his tackles (a career high) came against Idaho State.
He entered spring practice with the goals of understanding more of what the Buffs were doing schematically and putting on more weight. And he says he's made progress in both areas.
"It's all coming along real well," Lewis said. "We've got similar play calling but different coaches . . . we're fixing some things here and there, but as a whole we're understanding it all really well . . . personally, I'm adjusting to the little things and trying to make some plays."
The 6-2 Lewis now weighs 223 pounds – up 10 to 12 from his 2016 playing weight. "I'd like to gain three or four more pounds," he said, "but I want that to be good weight and not affect my speed on the perimeter."
INJURY REPORT: Tailback Kyle Evans suffered a hip injury late in Saturday's scrimmage and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
"It was a negative way to end," MacIntyre said. "I don't know how bad it is . . . that put a downer on it (the scrimmage)."
MacIntyre said there is adequate depth at the position but having anyone injured always is a negative. "We've got good running backs but hopefully (Evans) will be all right."
Phillip Lindsay, last season's leading rusher, returns and has had a productive spring thus far.
SCRIMMAGE ASSESSMENT: Aside from Evans' injury, MacIntyre termed the scrimmage successful. "It went good; I thought we got better overall," he said. "We looked at different situations in areas of the field – that type of thing. So we got a lot accomplished on that side of it."
He and his staff scrutinized new players and some who were in reserve roles last season. "We wanted to get them a lot of reps," he said. "It looked like they did well, others had hard times."
Three quarterbacks – Steven Montez, Sam Noyer, Tyler Lytle – were used in Saturday's work. MacIntyre said all three "did well. They were throwing to different receivers, and we mixed and matched a lot in the offensive line. But overall I thought they did some good things. Steven is throwing the ball real well."
Montez, because of his success last season and experienced gained, is the odds-on favorite to start the 2017 season. MacIntyre said a backup likely won't be named until at least well into preseason camp.
"We'll still keep giving them reps at least halfway through fall (camp) until we make that decision," MacIntyre said. "Right now (Montez) is further ahead than those other guys but all the guys we've got can really throw it and have shown some capabilities. So I feel good about the quarterback position."
Not so much – at least right now – about the kicking game. MacIntyre described the placement performances as "just OK there today . . . . but the punting was good."
Competing for the placement role are Chris Graham, Davis Price and Nick Porter. Incumbent punter Alex Kinney has been solid in that role.
SATURDAY'S SCORING PLAYS: Lindsay 3 run (no PAT kick) . . . . Dylan Keeney 3 pass from Montez (no PAT kick) . . . . Ento 3 pass from Lytle (no PAT kick) . . . . Graham 37 FG . . . . Xavier Cochrane 40 pass from Lytle (no PAT kick) . . . . Ento 35 pass from Noyer (no PAT kick) . . . . Price 26 FG . . . . Graham 32 FG. Totals: 5 touchdowns (1 rush, 4 pass, 0 return).
NOTES: Receiver Kabion Ento continues to work himself into open spaces and make acrobatic catches . . . . Linebackers Lewis and Akil Jones both show sideline-to-sideline speed and the ability to tackle in the open field . . . . N.J. Falo is being given a spring look at ILB. MacIntyre said Falo, who has experience on the outside, "can always go back; he understands that (position) real well." . . . . All three QBs – Montez, redshirt freshman Noyer and true freshman Lytle – have lively arms, but Montez's game experience stands out . . . . Tailback Beau Bisharat is developing into a powerful runner who could fill a need in that area this fall . . . . The O-line continues to be a work in progress, as does the D-line.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Buffs' schedule next week includes practices on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with Friday's work featuring the spring's second scrimmage. At week's end CU will have had 11 practices, leaving 4 of the NCAA-mandated 15 for spring work. The annual spring game is set for Saturday, March 18 (1 p.m., Folsom Field). All practices except for the spring game are closed to the media and public.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
Players Mentioned
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ILB
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ILB
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