The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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134 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY RYAN TICE Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre has gone 10‑27 with just two Pac‑12 wins in his three years at Boulder. That's a better overall winning percentage than predecessor Jon Embree, who went 4‑21 in his two years at the helm, but Embree did boast a trio of Pac‑12 victories. With MacIntyre's seat warming consider‑ ably and CU in search of its first winning season in 11 years, the coaching staff was shaken up with the hiring of two new assis‑ tants, including a new co‑offensive coordina‑ tor who brings a more up‑tempo attack with him. There were also a few changes in what positions the holdovers were coaching. In addition to the freshman recruiting class, three junior college players arrive in the sum‑ mer, led by wide receiver Juwann Winfree. The 6‑2, 200‑pound former Maryland wideout is expected to step into the No. 1 role vacated by senior Nelson Spruce, who hauled in 89 passes for 1,053 yards last year. His big frame also provides a nice contrast to diminutive returning starters Shay Fields (42 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns) and Devin Ross (25 grabs for 324 yards and two scores). The team expected to add Texas Tech graduate transfer quarterback Davis Webb, who signed a non‑binding financial aid agreement with Colorado in January but had a change of heart and ended up at California instead. That magnifies the importance of senior signal‑caller Sefo Liufau's recovery from a Lisfranc foot injury, but Colorado has stayed tight‑lipped about the situation. Liufau set 51 school records in 2014, when he started 11 games and completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards with 28 touchdowns. But he was also picked off 15 times and regressed in 2015 while battling various injuries, throwing for 2,418 yards with nine scores and six picks while rushing for 266 yards and five touchdowns. The only loss up front comes in left tackle Stephane Nembot, but redshirt junior Jeromy Irwin is ready to retake that spot after starting 11 games there in 2014 and then missing al‑ most all of last year with injuries. That should open plenty of holes for redshirt junior tailback Phillip Lindsay, last year's leading rusher, and classmate Michael Adkins II, who has battled injuries the last two seasons but boasts 1,145 career rushing yards and 13 scores. The defense improved in 2015 under first‑ year coordinator Jim Leavitt, going from 39.0 points allowed per game to 27.5, and with nine starters back the ascension should continue. Redshirt sophomore Rick Gamboa leads the unit after pacing the squad with a 96‑tackle debut. Fellow starting linebackers junior Derek McCartney (10 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2015) and senior Kenneth Olugbode (80 tackles), plus senior reserve Jimmie Gil‑ bert (team‑best six sacks), will flank him in the middle. Redshirt junior middle linebacker Addison Gillam is also expected back after missing most of last year — he had 198 tack‑ les, including 20 for loss, in 2013‑14. The two most productive defensive backs are among the returners in the secondary with senior cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and se‑ nior safety Tedric Thompson, who combined for 170 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 19 passes broken up and five interceptions last year. Senior defensive end Jordan Carrell, who notched eight tackles for loss among his 52 stops last year, leads the way up front. Both specialists are also back in sopho‑ more punter Alex Kinney (40.1‑yard av‑ erage) and fifth‑year senior kicker Diego Gonzalez, who was 3 of 7 from 30‑39 yards, 5 of 9 from 40‑49 and 2 of 3 from 50‑plus. There are encouraging pieces with experi‑ ence throughout the roster, but the Buffaloes' hopes — not to mention MacIntyre's job — likely rest on whether Liufau is able to take the field this fall or not. If that happens, major improvements should be expected; if not even more new faces will likely be on the way to Boulder in 2017. Notes Michigan has outscored Colorado 104-43 in the schools' four previous meetings … CU went 2-5 in games decided by eight points or less last year, including narrow losses to Arizona, UCLA, USC and Utah, which all went bowling and finished a combined 33-20 … In the season finale, the Buffs lost at Utah by six points; Michigan lost to the Utes on the road by seven to open 2015 … "They couldn't close out games," Sporting News wrote in its football preview maga - zine. "If that ever changes, Colorado will be bowling." ❏ Buffaloes Count On Fresh Faces To Bring Change In W-L Column GAME 3 • COLORADO • SEPT. 17 2016 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2015 Result Sept. 2 vs. Colorado State* W, 27-24 (OT) Sept. 10 Idaho State — Sept. 17 at Michigan — Sept. 24 at Oregon L, 41-24 Oct. 1 Oregon State W, 17-13 Oct. 8 at USC L, 27-24 Oct. 15 Arizona State L, 48-23 Oct. 22 at Stanford L, 42-10 Nov. 3 UCLA L, 35-31 Nov. 12 at Arizona L, 38-31 Nov. 19 Washington State L, 27-3 Nov. 26 Utah L, 20-14 * at Denver QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: U-M leads 3-1 First Meeting: U-M 31, CU 0 (Sept. 21, 1974, at Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: U-M 27, CU 3 (Sept. 13, 1997, at Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre, 10-27 at CU (4th year) and 30-48 overall (7th year) Off./Def. Systems: Multiple/3-4 base 2015 In Review: 4-9 overall, 0-8 Pac-12 (6th South) Final 2015 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 20 (9 offense, 9 defense, 2 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2007 (Independence, vs. Alabama, L 30-24) Pac-12 Conference Championships (last): 0 (26 in various conferences, the last came in the Big 12 in 2001) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Sefo Liufau (2,418 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT) Rushing: Phillip Lindsay (653 yards, 6 TD) Receiving: Shay Fields (598 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: Rick Gamboa (96) Sacks: Jimmie Gilbert (6) Interceptions: Tedric Thompson (3) PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Phillip Lindsay, R-Jr., RB — Started last year second on the depth chart, but finished with a team-best 653 yards and six touchdowns on the ground … Tied for third with 26 receptions, which gained 211 yards and resulted in one score … Also had 154 kickoff return yards among 1,018 all-purpose yards. Defense: Chidobe Awuzie, Sr., CB — The second- team All-Pac-12 selection leads an experienced secondary … He will line up on the outside and in the slot … Finished 2015 with 78 solo stops among 90 total tackles, plus had 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and 10 passes broken up. Senior quarterback Sefo Liufau suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury after play- ing in 11 contests and still has a redshirt year available. The Buffaloes hope he is recovered in time for the start of the season. PHOTO COURTESY COLORADO