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Brie Thomas
Guest
Wednesday Practice Report:
BOULDER-- For the first time since week three the Buffs head into practice knowing exactly who their starting quarterback is going to be and it gives the Buffs some more confidence heading into Stanford.
"We've played well with both of them, you know what you want to try to do is get the starter a few more reps than the second-teamer, but they both get a ton of reps and they're are both prepared because we do some new repetitions in practice, I guess it does a little bit but both guys can play really well."
Ever since the new strength and conditioning coach, Drew Wilson came to town, the Buffs have become much stronger, physically and mentally and they will need that this weekend against Stanford.
"They're definitely a physical football team, they are big and strong, they are still pushing people around, they ran the ball well against Norte Dame, so we've got to be able to match their physicalness and up it, just like they want to match ours, so we're a more physical team than we were last year, we're just bigger and stronger and kind of understand what we're doing but we got to come with a physical mentality or their run us out of there."
The front seven has been very impressive this season and it shouldn't go unnoted that all those guys that come in on the line have all been performing at a high level.
"They've done well and our backups have come in and down well, Leo and Jase Franke and Tim Coleman, so that's helped us and in the game the other night we were rotating them in and out, they have played stout, Jim Jeffcoat has done a good job with those guys, they are big and strong, they are powerful guys."
The kicking competition is still in the making and Aaron Haigler is still injured and won't be able to play this weekend.
Tuesday Press Conference:
Coach MacIntyre:
"We're talking about PAC 12 championship, so every game matters and if we do that then we will get to a bowl game too so all we're talking about is trying to win a PAC 12 championship, you know in a little bit of way we kind of control our own destiny in a way."
"I've said a lot about Sefo over the years, the best thing I can say, I mean I can say a million things about Sefo and I'm not going to compare him to any other quarterbacks I've had because I've loved them all and they all had different qualities but Sefo would be the toughest, I've said that a lot and I think you all see that and the other thing is he is also extremely mentally tough and our team has caught up with Sefo and he just kept pushing and kept working, now that we have a really good football team all together around him now you can really see how good he is and I think that's a mark of a person, he never gave up, he always had confidence, he had humble confidence which is the best to have."
Sefo Liufau:
"I think so, we will go out there and test their toughness as well, I don't think it's like in past years where we can t rely on our toughness or our guys up front, we got a great front on offense we got a great front on defense, we feel like we match up very well against these guys, it comes down to each play, I don't think it's going to be a blowout in any direction I think it's going to be a very close game because it's two very good teams going against each other."
"I don't think with this team, there really isn't a balance, I think that for the most part, we enjoy the win the day that it's happening and a little bit on Sunday because that's kind of our off day and a lot of guys just kind of relax and take their mind off football and then when it hits Monday, you review the film, you see what you did wrong and you just move on to the next game, especially in college football there are so any quick games and quick successions, there's not much time for you to dwell on previous success and I think that the really good teams don't dwell on past success, they focus on the upcoming game at hand in especially in the PAC 12 when we play so many great teams in a row, you always have to be ready for your next opponent. We've done a really good job that this year."
Jimmie Gilbert:
"For us it's just being doing what we do every day, coming out, bust our butts in practice, bust our butts in the weight room, running, conditioning, now we're just showing everyone else what we've already seen, what we've already been doing."
"Freshmen year, everyone comes in your learning, learning about the whole system, learning about the rules, what to eat, how to build your body properly and by your sophomore year you're starting to take advantage of your opportunities, the extra weight room, the extra meals, anything you can , by the time you're a senior, you've gained this experience of you know what to do, you've had older guys who played here before you guide you and progress you through this whole experience, by the time you're at the top it's just your job to tell the younger guys what to do, how to do it."
Phillip Lindsay:
"That is going to be a great feeling, it's going to be a big impact on our University, our goal is PAC 12 champs, so none less than that, the bowl game will come as we continue to win games, so we just have to focus on ourselves, Colorado football."
"When you're winning, you have to learn how to practice while you're winning and having fun at the beginning we had a little success and we went into USC week and we weren't as focused, were winning, you're hearing all this, we were ranked at the time you hear all this outdoor stuff coming in but we kind of had to just get refocused."
Monday Practice Report:
BOULDER-- The 5-2 Colorado Buffaloes are now 4-0 in Colorado this season and are now just one game away from bowl eligibility, something we haven't seen in a while.
This weekend they will head to Stanford to play the 4-2 Cardinal.
Not only will the Buffs need to see the whole front seven perform well against this physical Stanford team but the play from their linebackers will need to be top notch. Addison Gillam is finally back in his prime and after his performance, on Saturday the Buffs are optimistic about where Gillam is going.
"We talk about it all the time, no conflict, no story, you know if you don't go through hard times adversity and different things you don't have a good story, he's a great example of a young man who was playing phenomenally and then had injuries, now it's really years since he was really able to play at his top speed," Coach MacIntyre said about Gilliam's resilience. "He's starting to come into phenomenal form and he'll finish out the year good and he'll have whole other year after that, so it's really good to see."
Christain McCaffrey did not play in Stanford's game against Notre Dame but the Buffs are preparing for him to be out there come Saturday.
"Oh yeah, no doubt, #20, I watched the film on him, he's an excellent runner too now but Christain they move everywhere and get him the ball a lot of different places so we're definitely preparing for Christian to be there for sure."
Against Arizona State, the Colorado cornerbacks allowed just 5 receptions for 35 yards on 19 targets. Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Isaiah Oliver are playing very good for the Buffs this season in the passing game and Coach MacIntyre recognizes that.
"They did decent last year, they were making plays and of course our receiving core has gotten better so when your competition in practice every day has gotten better, you get better so that's a combination of how that happened, so I think their competition in practice has made them get a little bit better and they are older and a little stronger and not has nervous at times and they've seen things over so I think that helps a lot and were getting good pass rush too and so that's been a big help."
Being mentally tough as been a problem for this team in the past but this season they are not only physically stronger but also mentally and that is helping them on the field.
"I think it gives them confidence that they can play physical and we talked about it all week because they were a physical football team, that we need to outmatch, cause they were going to bring it we had to one up them and I feel like we did do that in that game and we're going to have to do that Saturday."
Coach MacIntyre talked after practice about how his offense and defense have been performing these past few weeks.
"Our offense is clicking so well in the state of Colorado, when we play in the state of Colorado were clicking so well that our momentum is rolling, the offense is clicking and the defense gets to sit there for a good three minutes then go back in, there's not a lot of three-and-outs and that type of thing so that's helping our defense stay fresh too, but they've played really well."
Jay MacIntyre is in concussion protocol and if not cleared to play Saturday, Isaiah Oliver will be in to return punts.
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