Colorado Buffaloes College Football Pregame Quote, 11/15/2021

We had some good meetings today. Talking about the game as we recap the game we played I would say almost two four quarters of really good football. You know offense had a fast start on the road which they hadn’t been able to do for the most part this season. Defensively we played well. You know, in the first I would say quarter and a half everything was pretty good all the way up through really the second quarter. Felt good at the halftime break with the things we were doing on both sides of the ball. And so we felt like we had some decent adjustments being made in terms of what we needed to do going into the second half, but unfortunately it was a different type of second half. You know, we didn’t quite catch the rhythm that we were hoping to get in the first half with our offense. We did move the ball pretty effectively, you know in the third quarter. Didn’t get any points out of it, we missed a field goal. And then defensively we had some issues late in the first half with the two minute drive and a couple of big chunk plays, particularly 85. So things that I told you guys about at the end of the game the night of the game you know those are the things that really were glaring when you came back and watched the tape.

You know, on a positive note when we’re playing football pretty well everybody’s executing at a high level we feel we can play with anybody in this conference. And it’s just unfortunate that we haven’t had the consistency to do that for a 60-minute ball game. So, we’re going to working at it. I think on offense, positive things were done early in the game. Missing fourth down conversion opportunities, one of them probably could have been a big big play for us, that incompletion. We didn’t execute the fourth and short. You know Brendon Lewis was being under pressure most of the game. He handled it for the most part okay you know in the first half but I thought in the second half you know, he struggled some. So, you know, there’s definitely things that we need to continue to work on.

But we had good meetings. You know, we had a chance to revisit all of these issues with the team this morning. We had our walkthrough corrections meetings, you know, on the field. So I feel like we want to get back to playing pretty solid this last home game and you know, this two game stretch that’s left in the season. So, you know, their attitudes are still pretty good about competing and getting better. They know that they want to finish the season on a positive note and we’re going to work like hell to do that. So, any questions I’d like to open up now.

On his message to the team:

Well the bowl scenario’s out the window now with not having any opportunity to win six games. That’s usually the baseline for that. They were disappointed about that. That was part of what they were feeling at the end of the game on Saturday. But, you know, we still are a team that wants to compete, wants to have a you know better taste in their mouth or a better feeling going into the offseason about making progress for this year. And so the attitude is still pretty good, still pretty strong. I think the biggest motivation right now is for our seniors to feel like they made a great impact and it would be great to have a great showing in this last home game.

On other players besides seniors moving on after the season:

We’re going to move on with whoever wants to move on you know through this week. We got a number of juniors that are graduating that have years of eligibility left. But for the most part it’s mostly our seniors that are going to be down there with the ceremony before the game. But it’s always a difficult week, particularly when you know it’s their last time you know playing on Folsom Field so, you know, it’ll be pretty emotional. But hopefully it’s a great thing that they will be able to feel throughout the whole experience of the day. And that’s really our goal is to play a really good football game against a very good team and play well and send these guys off the right way.

On Nate Landman playing against UW:

There’s a possibility, yes.

On status of injured players (OLB Joshka Gustav, WR Montana Lemonious-Craig, CB Mekhi Blackmon, OLB Guy Thomas):

He’s (Gustav) done for the year. He’s (Lemonious-Craig) likely done for the year as well, it turns out there’s only two games left so it’s more significant. They (Blackmon and Thomas) both have a shot.

He has a shot to play this week. He had a sore shoulder. We didn’t want to put him in the game so he should be ready to go.

On what he saw from Washington in its last game:

Yeah this last game it was a heckuva ballgame. I didn’t see it but watched it on tape last night and I mean the game came down to the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. You know, they had the lead you know with less than three or four minutes left in the game. And you know ASU had to have some great execution to pull that game out. But it was a heckuva ballgame because they led most of the game. They’re a competitive team. They’re different then the team that started the season and they’re playing pretty well. Defensively they’re still one of the better defensive teams in terms of production in our conference. And offensively they seem like they’re catching some rhythm and making plays and scoring points too. So it’s going to be another you know, really strong challenge for us this week because you know, they are going through some issues and some change in their program but I’m sure the players are still fighting and want to finish the season the right way. So, it’s going to be a great game.

On players learning to play through when things turn bad:

You know, that’s really an ownership piece that they all need to understand. You know sometimes when you have an experienced team you tend to want ‚Äòokay, I gotta do my job better,’ you know everybody feels that way. But instead of just saying I just got to do my job better that you know we need some of the guys that say, ‚Äòyou know what, I want to make this play to stop this’ or to start something special for the drive offensively or to create a big turnover on defense or to get great coverage on a kickoff or punt return. So those types of things. So you know the training that we’re trying to, you know, establish within our team is not waiting on someone else to do it. Why don’t you, why not you? You know, why not you in your role be the catalyst to stop something and change it for the direction to swing the momentum change. So those are the things that we’re going to continue to teach you and create those moments when we see it.

But we need more guys that are more opportunistic with stopping some adversity. You know everybody deals with adversity. You know, we all do in everyday life. But, you know, it’s really your approach and your efforts to overcome it, you know those are the things that we’re all different about overcoming. These guys, you know, I’m trying to create the bravado of, you know, put it on me. Put it on me to make this stop. Put it on me instead of waiting for someone else to be the catalyst. And I think if we have enough guys out of 11 that want to do that, then I think those things will swing that pendulum in a different direction in our favor.

On making tough decisions based on junior eligibility and new guys coming in:

No, because those are clean. I would say, those are quote unquote ‚Äúclean scholarships‚Äù that are available now. Some of those guys are coming mid year, they’re going to be here in January. So I think, Adam, what’s the unforeseen that we all don’t know and this is kind of alluding to Brian’s question too is that you’re going to have that surprise or two that guys are just going to leave into the portal. And that’s the old argument I was telling you guys back in the spring, that’s where we have no control with those scenarios happening. It’s hard to, you know, to say that when this piece moves and you go in and replace it with this piece, sometimes you don’t know when the pieces are going to move.

That’s the part we can’t forecast anymore. You know, there’s guys that go to the draft, you know, you can kind of see that, right? You can tell if guys are going to leave early to you know, if they have great years and they’re in that eligibility status of going you know, to making that step. The other part you don’t see about the portal thing. So that’s what makes it kind of a fluid situation. But in terms of our guys that already have committed right now, they’re free and clear. You know, we’re already counted for those scholarships of the guys that have already either graduated and moved on. And then you know I have to have my antennas up thinking that there’s probably going to be a few more that I probably haven’t anticipated.

On freshman OLB Devin Grant’s play against UCLA:

I thought it felt pretty good about his performance. Did he make a few mistakes early like you mentioned? Yes. You know where he attacked and got sucked down you know on some of the exchanges with the quarterback in the back, but then he did make some really good plays, he settled in again. I thought I thought it’s going to do a world of greatness for him to get those reps in the game and get a chance to make a few plays. So, he should come out of that game and I talked to him today actually earlier feeling like he made tremendous growth. You know even though it was his first time having that type of playing time. So he’ll build on that this week. and you know, obviously we lost Joshka so his role is going to be more and you know, he’s excited about it. So he’s looking forward to these last couple games and playing pretty well.

On seeing less of Jayle Stacks:

Oh, it’s not really any slight on Jayle. He was sick for about two weeks, where he missed a week and a half for practice just with flu symptoms and things and strep throat all that stuff that’s kind of been going through you know this time of year. And for some reason when he got sick, you know, most of the other guys took two or three days to come back, he was down about 10 days. So he lost a lot of weight. And so now he’s back practicing, he started back practicing this week. And so he’s gradually kind of getting his strength back and his weight back. So that was probably the reason why. You know, he’s just been sick. So now that he’s healthy again, you know, a good chance we can go get a chance to see him in some of those situations with these last couple of games.

On the impact of the seniors (Landman, Kutsch, Lynch & Johnson):

Yeah, sure. You know, Mustafa, just was really happy that he was able to join us. You know I knew he couldn’t play for four games but I was happy for him that you know he had a chance to kind of clear up the scenario that he put himself into last year with declaring for the draft and it didn’t work out and coming back and having a chance to play. I think that was the right thing for the NCAA to allow him to do and I think he’s very grateful that you know he gets a chance to play this last year. So he’s playing hard, he’s playing pretty well, he was one of our players of the game versus Oregon State a couple of weeks ago so we’re hoping he gets a chance to finish the season the way that he’s capable of and that he feels that he’s done some fulfilling things.

You know, Nate’s been Nate. You know, Nate’s chomping to play. You know, it would be hard-pressed for me to say he won’t play. I’m sure he’s going to try to get himself on the field. And he’s been you know a very impactful leader. You know, he’s very passionate about the game. He’s old school Dick Butkus you know type kid. He just loves the game, he studies it that way he tries to share a lot of the stuff that he does naturally to his young counterparts but you know he just has a natural feel that you can’t teach you know, at times. But he’s been trying to, you know, to create that foundation of thinking with the younger players here so he feels like he’s leaving his mark, you know on the program.

You know, Kary, I’ve been here almost two years, I guess a year and a half and we’ve had short conversations that maybe the most it’s ever been is 10 words you know, in one conversation. He just doesn’t talk very much. But the thing that I love about Kary is that he puts it all on the field. He’s so consistent and productive. And he has a future. He has a future. And he’s a really good player and he hasn’t been injured, and he’s been consistently playing well throughout the year, even in the darker moments when the offensive line hasn’t played well he’s been a steady, steady, consistent performer.

So Matt Lynch has been filling his role pretty well for us, too. He transferred here from UCLA, he’s one of our tight ends and you know he’s also our quarterback sneaker. You know, he does a lot of different things that we ask him to do because of you know his experience in the game. And we feel like you know he’s playing his role very well too, making a big impact with some of the younger tight ends.

So, you know, all of those guys have been, I think, instrumental for the young players in this program, they have been. You know, they’ve all had great attitudes even when the tough moments of this season. It’s been a very challenging season. But they’ve been very, very positive about you know, pushing the envelope for the future of this program to get forward, you know, and to learn from this experience this year.

On Nate Landman’s legacy at CU:

I believe he’s such a popular player because he just has humble qualities. And he has all of his ducks in a row in the right places. He just has a great perspective about life, about the game. You know, he doesn’t take anything for granted. He knows that, you know, there’s going to be a point in time where he won’t be able to play this great game again, so his approach in practice as if it’s his last practice. I mean, I wish I had like, you guys heard me say this before, I wish I had 120 guys that had that attitude. But his whole purpose and how he plays the game and why he plays it is because he doesn’t want it to be taken away. He values it that much.

I’d pick him on any team that I was on in the NFL. No question this guy, I know what he is. He’s the fabric of his team. And this is only a year and a halves time of me being able to have the chance to know him you know, he’s made that kind of impact that I’ve seen he’s made on this football team. So I think in his mind, see he’s a fisher. You know he lives a quiet life. He loves seclusion, he loves fishing. He’s got a ton of fishing trophies that he can show you. He loves intimacy with you know the people that are really close to him. So that’s why I say he has life in the right perspective.

On his sideline conversations with QB J.T. Shrout

It’s getting closer. You know, and that’s part of the goal with me traveling him and keeping him involved with our team and keeping him in our game planning. Just because he can’t play I just want him to be mentally locked in at everything we’re doing. And so I think it’s been very beneficial for him. You know, it’s one of those things he’s getting a lot of mental reps. And so he sees mistakes being made. He sees things that he sees, there’s a lot of stuff that we talk about. So he’s going through the game process as if he’s playing and just kind of asking questions about, you know, what about this or what about that? So I like keeping him involved because when he starts to physically start training and developing, he’ll be not so far off from where everybody else is. So it’s been a real positive, you know having him around. And I think it’s always important for quarterbacks and a head coach to have some time together so that they understand my philosophy about offense and you know, what the things that I’m looking for in certain game management situations and you know managing the team and things like that. So I think your quarterback is that next extension, you know, from the head coach, so it’s part of that too.

On who sets the standards for him and Shrout talking:

It’s both. You know, it’s open dialogue. You know, a lot of it’s more about the game or the game planning with what’s going on but it’s also about leadership things that I’m trying to instill within the team, you know, the expectations I have of that position, you know in terms from a leader. So, it’s a good I would say pre-round of information that before he steps back on the field that he’s getting some valuable information from me.