58 - 0. How do you write a post game reaction to that? Really, how do you? So much for that "its not going to be a 55 - 10 score like last year." Can we officially say this Buffs team is worse than last year? At least last year we could hang with teams like Texas Tech. This year, we have zero offense and a bad defensive game plan. Remember, this Missouri team was the 100th ranked defense in the nation and the Buffs got 199 yards of total offense, the worst output of the year. Saturday marked the fourth game under 300 yards this year for the Buffs. 300 yards in the Big 12 is usually done in the first half...not for the CU Buffs. Now we are left to wonder if the Bernard Jackson offense of 2006 better than this offense in 2008, three years into the Dan Hawkins regime? Buffs fans' are looking at coaches like Tim Brewster at Minnesota, David Cutcliffe at Duke, Butch Davis at North Carolina or Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech who right now are in there first, second year or third years at their programs and asking, "why are they having more success than CU." It's the question on everyone's mind and rightfully so. No I am not starting a "fire Dan Hawkins thread" but where is the improvement? Spare me the injury talk or the inexperience talk, the score was 58 - 0 and the Buffs had 199 yards of total offense. At the end of the first quarter the Buffs had -6 yards, at halftime the Buffs had 33 yards and 3 first downs. The Buffs come out on the initial kickoff and squib quick the ball on the opening kickoff, giving Mizzou a 57 yard field goal, quickly following up that gaff with a dropped punt at the Buffs own 4 yard line by our backup punter. It looked as if the only thing the Buffs schemed the entire week of practice for the game was the initial squib kickoff as what was going to seal the deal. A squib kick with a kicker in Jameson Davis who is in the top 5 in touchbacks? Luckily for the coaches, a squib kick decision wasn't need the rest of the way as the Buffs failed to score any points. Where is the coaching right now? The Buffs seem like the make zero adjustments, continually playing zone and not bring pressure (except the Kansas State game where the Buffs won and CU had a great defensive game plan). Your head coach cannot say this on KOA Radio after the game. Inexcusable:
"I did a terrible job of preparing them to play."
read the many negatives and a couple positives from yesterday's after the jump...
Taking a breath now, I know the Buffs are young and I know CU is no where near as talented as Mizzou. This Buffs team is at a serious disadvantage against players like Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel, Derrick Washington and Chase Coffman. I was expecting a loss but not of this proportion. I expected the Buffs to push back a little but nothing. My question is in two years from now, do you see this set of players making considerably better plays than they are now? Do you see these coaches, on offense and defense, making considerably better game plans. Maybe you do, I certainly hope so but I question the pride and the preparation of this team to lose to any team 58 - 0. Energy, fire, excitement...no sign of it anywhere. I am searching for bright spots but I am not seeing it. It's depressing when a team shows no emotion or fight in a game. It's depressing that this team has seemingly regressed from last year.
Positives From the Mizzou Game:
- Uh? The Ralphie Report had a great crowd at the Live Game Thread, 574 comments and some whitty ones at that. It was a free-for-all in the second half. From convincing Missouri fan that CU basketball was going to dominate the Big 12 North to talking about Quin Synder, we had fun in the second half. It's a sad day when that is THE positive.
- Hey at least Buffs K Aric Goodman didn't miss a field goal. He didn't attempt one either.
- Win the next two weeks and we will feel good again but it is still a sad feeling that the Buffs seem light years away from competing with Kansas, Missouri, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State? Not close. I never thought I would say this but the Buffs probably will be underdogs next week to Texas A&M. Who would have thought that. Yes, the Buffs are flirting with being the cellar dweller in the Big 12 this year, especially when averaging 13 points per game the last six games. That isn't going to beat many Big 12 teams.
Negatives From the Mizzou Game:
- Where do you start? How about 199 yards and 58 - 0? Or -6 yards in the first quarter? Or Mizzou scored on 10 of 13 drives? Pick your poison.
- The Buffs 242 consecutive games scoring at least a point is over. Over and done to the 100th ranked defense in the nation. To put this in perspective, coming into this game Missouri allowed 410 yards a game. South East Missouri State got 334 yards against Mizzou and scored. The Buffs got 199 yards and zero points. 242 games. That's close to 20 years of college football games down the drain. EMBARRASSING.
- CU gave up 491 yards on defense and continually settled for three-man rushes and no blitzes to try and get pressure on Daniel. Maybe the most frustrating part of the game was the soft coverage. Three-man rushes and an eight man ZONE. Not acceptable. When has this ever worked for a team? How soft was the coverage early in the game on Jeremy Maclin? It is like we didn't even prepare for the Maclin-Coffman threat. You think we would have someone shadowing Maclin or at least keeping an eye on him. Nothing. One of the worst coached defensive games I have seen other than the Denver Broncos.There is no adjustments being made right now and it is frightening. The Buffs come in with plan A and no plan B. Unfortunately plan A is easily beatable.
- Special teams was awful again. Squib kickoff, muffed kickoff return, short punts, dropped punt snap on the five yard line. You name it, the Buffs have messed it up on special teams this year. I am sorry but special teams coach Kent Riddle should have a very short leash right now.
- The Buffs got owned on both lines. No power in this team right now. CU runs an offense that doesn't help the youth of this team. The Buffs don't line up in a "I" formation and run straight ahead. This offense is not working in the Big 12.
- The use of play makers. It is becoming a broken record on this board. No effort to get the ball to WR Josh Smith. RB Rodney Stewart must have gotten hurt with only six carries. No screen passes to losen up a defense, no quick passes on a quick drop to get the offense in a rhythm. Plays take forever to develop. This Buffs offense operates in a 10 yard by 10 yard box that has no stretch. Why would a defense even worry about the deep ball.
- RT Nate Solder got eaten alive this week. He had a tough matchup with Stryker Sulak. No 99% grade this week. He has a long way to go.The whole team has a long way to go.
- CU averaged 1.2 yards a carry. No blocking up front.
- A former Buff player said this loss was worse than the Texas 70 - 3 loss a few years ago because of how flat this team came out. I agree. CU was lifeless.
- Your coach says this:
"I did a terrible job of preparing them to play."
Initial reactions. But the Buffs have two winnable games against Texas A&M and Iowa State the next couple of weeks. This is the only two winnable games the Buffs have left on the schedule and the only games to make this year savagable. Need to win next week.