Home › Buffzone Columnists
Woelk: CU offense tries to find balance
It’s a delicate balance these days in the Colorado Buffaloes’ backfield.
Talent abounds. Experience doesn’t.
The result is a highwire act by the coaching staff as they attempt to find the midpoint of being too complicated and too simple.
Throw too much at the young Buffs in the ways of formations, and the risk of information overload is very real. The result can be broken plays (at best) and turnovers (at worst) when assignments are missed.
Keep it too simple — i.e. run one basic formation for an entire game — and opposing defenses will figure it out in a hurry.
It is, as head coach Dan Hawkins loves to note, a work in progress.
Earlier this week, progress meant Buff offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich spending his lunch hour in the film room, food on the table and Florida State’s defense on the big screen.
One had his complete attention. The food went ignored.
Not that watching FSU’s big, fast and athletic defense caused Helfrich to completely lose his appetite. But trying to find a way to attack a team that is among the nation’s best on the defensive side of the ball no doubt at least diverted his attention from such mundane duties as eating.
“You try to find that balance with your offense, and it’s a fluid approach,” Helfrich said. “You want to be as multiple as possible and still have confidence in what you are doing. It’s a fine line.
“What we know is that West Virginia and Florida State are two very different defensive teams.”
After last week’s win over then-No. 21 West Virginia, Buff fans were chattering about CU’s occasional jump into a traditional I-formation. It was the first time the Buffs had shown the look for any length of time this season, and it produced some solid results.
But folks who think the Buffs should abandon their spread formation in favor of a full-time I-back attack will be sorely disappointed.
“Our schedule doesn’t get any easier,” said Helfrich. “We know that if we sit in one formation the whole day, people will get through in a hurry. We want to continue pushing that envelope.”
In other words, the Buffs want to keep people guessing.
What’s become clear this year is that the Buffs have more offensive weapons than they’ve had for several seasons. Newcomers Rodney Stewart and Darrell Scott give the Buffs a powerful one-two punch in the backfield. Sophomores Josh Smith and Scotty McKnight keep secondaries honest, and junior tight end Patrick Devenny has been CU’s money guy on third and fourth downs.
But anyone who has watched the Buffs has also seen CU’s young running backs constantly adjusting their positions in the no-huddle attack. At least one of CU’s turnovers against West Virginia — when the Buffs were deep in WVU territory — can be directly attributed to a missed assignment.
“You have all the experts out there who want you to line up and do this or line up and do that, but as we continue to grow the package, you have to be multiple enough to get some things done, but simple enough that people know what they’re supposed to do,” Hawkins said. “You have to keep pushing the envelope, but also, they have to be able to handle it. You’re always just trying to be on the edge.”
Posted by BuffMan6236 on September 25, 2008 at 12:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You can't outspeed them.
But you can out muscle them and take advantage of over pursuit.
This will be a real battle and we can't give them any points in special teams or turnovers.
GO BUFFS!
Posted by nepabuff on September 25, 2008 at 6:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think they'll keep anyone guessing on offense.
When the QB plays under center, the defense will load the box.
Posted by archalon on September 25, 2008 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Simply the terminology to clean up mistakes. Play action and trap plays (especially now that MTM is out)
Just quit trying to rely on YAC - dont run a 4 yd route on 2nd and 7, Helfrich.
Im calling you out Mark - you should be calling a better game then you have been. Dont blame kids for needing to 'handle it'. Its your job to teach them and if they dont understand, its on you.
Posted by vkberlinn on September 25, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
arch, I agree with you. H needs to become unpredictable. And for him that may be just to difficult.
Hey he could be nepaweed as in totally predictable.
Posted by dabuffs50 on September 25, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think if we can put up 20, we win. Our D can hold FSU in check. A kick return td or a pick 6 would be a huge boost.
Posted by nepabuff on September 25, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mark Helfrich is another one of Hawkin's buddies from the BSU days in the WAC.
What I'm starting to see is Hawkin's trying to be the BSU of the big 12, meaning it worked in the WAC so it should work in the big 12.
Not necessarily.
Posted by dabuffs50 on September 25, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You are seriously demented
Posted by nepabuff on September 25, 2008 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just post what everyone is already thinking.
Kind of like not talking about the white elephant standing in the middle of the room.
Posted by CABuffalo on September 25, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pretty bold statement there nepa; to assume you know what "everyone" else is thinking. I for one NEVER thought that. But hey, who am I to doubt your out of this world insight?
Posted by nepabuff on September 25, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dan Hawkins, BSU head coach
Mark Helfich, BSU QB Coach
Jeff Grimes BSU O-line Coach
Kent Riddle, BSU Tight end Coach
Romeo Bandison, BSU D-line Coach
Ron Collins BSU D Coordinator
Robert Tucker, BSU Grad Asssistent, also a former player for Hawkins at Willamette.
Andy Avalos, former BSU player under Hawkins, now a CU assistant.
Joe Bever, Former BSU volunteer coach with Hawkins.
Jeff Pittman, former BSU strength coach.
10 out of 17 coaches have ties to BSU.
Buddy system? That's ok if it works, not sure all of them are ready to step up to Big 12 play base on their win loss record.
Posted by dabuffs50 on September 25, 2008 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Buddy system? That's ok if it works, not sure all of them are ready to step up to Big 12 play base on their win loss record." - Nepa
That is how coaching works dummy..... You think Barnett didn't bring his crew from Northwestern or Pelini didn't bring his people from past coaching jobs (Not to mention unexperienced family members?
Nepa is an effing moron.
Posted by nepabuff on September 25, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Moron, orrrrrrr, enlightened genius????
Posted by SnowBuff on September 25, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
former.
Posted by extrapoint on September 25, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nepa is praying it doesnt work
We are 3-0 and that galls him to no end. As soon as we do lose one it will be like a heroin fix for this frustrated hater.
I doubt if Stewart or DS are slower than the FSU D ends. And Geer will be shedding the rust in his second game back to help with the blocking.
A CU win is a double bonus these days. First for CU, of course and secondly it is great to picture nepa with his stomach cramps and blood pressure..
Posted by AZBuff on September 26, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by AZBuff on September 26, 2008 at 12:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These thoughts were originally posted on the wrong thread but I feel they clarify what I feel when we are seriously discussing CU Football.
Maybe this site is what all that participate want in its present form. But I for one would like to see a couple of weeks where nepa, dr tom, or tallisall or what ever its name is would be just ignored. It might continue to blog but after a while having been shunned by the buff fans and totally treated as a nonentity it will probably go away as it really is no fun to play gotcha when no one responds. Anyway that always worked when I was growing up and we had to deal with dippy kids in the neighborhood that no one liked. Just a thought. But maybe people would rather play smack with an idiot.
AZBuff
Posted by oz_in_cali on September 27, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I pretty much agree with what you are saying AZBuff, but unfortuately I have been posting to this site long enough to know the nutjob in question is here to stay. Unless Nebraska gets really good and he decides that his own team is more worth following than hating on ours, or CU becomes so dominant that he gives it up and jumps on the bandwagon, the weak zingers will continue.
I personally, make an effort to ignore the fool, but every now and then, the individual (to borrow the Woodenism of not addressing an idiot or opponent by name) drops something so totally lame and ridiculous that it's just too irresistible.
My observation is that in the past people did take extended breaks from responding to the nutjob's weak smack, but once it became apparent that he wasn't going anywhere for a the forseeable future, we just kind of take turns piling on and keeping him in his place.
GO BUFFS!!!
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.