Brooks: On Kickers, Adversity, Learning To Win, Etc.

BOULDER – Football’s loneliest position? Depends.

It might be a dead heat between cornerback and placekicker, but after Colorado’s double overtime loss at California last Saturday the sentiment in Buffsville shifts to placekicker.

Senior placement specialist Will Oliver entered the Cal game having made four of five field goal attempts this season. He left Berkeley a .500 kicker (4 of 8) after uncharacteristically missing three field goal attempts of 39, 39 and 45 yards.

Said special teams coach Toby Neinas: “He doesn’t miss three in practice.”

Oliver entered his senior season having made 11 of 15 attempts from 30-39 yards and 8 of 13 from 40-49 yards. He’s 1 of 3 from those distances this season.

Noticeably shaken after his three misses at Cal, Oliver nonetheless consented to appear in the postgame interview room, saying that he felt responsible for the 59-56 double-OT loss and wanted to show accountability. In truth, he showed much more than that.

When his teammates offered their postgame support, Oliver undoubtedly was appreciative but said it only intensified his pain: “It just hurts more . . . this is a real first where you feel completely responsible. It’s the beauty and the terrible part about being a kicker.”

Oliver also said he was given “the option not to come in here (interview room), but I think it’s important to be responsible.”

Credit this 21-year-old for being responsibility's poster boy. In about four decades of sports coverage, I’ve seen countless pro and college athletes linger in the shower, duck out of back doors, shamelessly bob and weave to avoid interviews, and generally make themselves unavailable in difficult times.

Someone long ago told me the cliché “adversity builds character” should be amended to “adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” No argument here or there, not after last weekend in Berkeley.

In his postgame interview, CU coach Mike MacIntyre said Oliver will “make ‘em next week. I was hoping we’d get the chance for him to hit a winner. We were talking about that – him getting a chance to hit a winner. He’ll bounce back. It was just a tough day for all of us. He had a tough day.”

And now the object is moving on -- which Oliver will do. He has made all 21 of his extra point attempts this season and has a streak of 81 straight successful PATs. He has kicked off on 27 of CU’s 28 kickoffs this season, with Diego Gonzalez having the other. In practice, MacIntyre likes to work multiple players in that role, and Neinas said if Oliver ever began showing signs of leg fatigue Gonzalez or another kicker could be used.

“But right now (Oliver) gives us the best opportunity to win,” Neinas said, adding that he didn’t think fatigue was any factor at Cal and Oliver “just didn’t hit the ball as well as we’re used to hitting it.”

Of Oliver’s 27 kickoffs, 15 have been returned and 12 have been touchbacks. CU’s five opponents’ average starting yard line has been their own 29, but Neinas, of course, wants his kickoff coverage to tighten and his team’s return yards to increase.

“It’s been ebb and flow,” he said. “Some days I leave the stadium and I feel really good about it, some days I don’t. Frankly, we left some things on the table (at Cal) in our kickoff return game. I didn’t adjust well for the team early and by the time I did adjust we had kind of gone away a little from what we were doing. If I had stayed with what we were doing and lived with the adjustment and worked on it through the game I think we would have a chance to pop one.”

Neinas said a Cal return to the CU 38 in the second half was the result of “a great adjustment” by the Bears. “We have to get people off of blocks where that thing doesn’t get to the 40 and they’re knocked out at the 25 or 22.”

CU’s primary kickoff return specialist has been redshirt freshman Phillip Lindsay, who has averaged 24.0 yards on 18 returns with a long return of 51 yards. He ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in KOR.

Neinas calls Lindsay “a fearless runner, just like he is as a football player.” He said his goal for Lindsay involves better timing: “The hole is closing a step or two before he gets there and that’s the whole thing with that play – timing. We’ll try to improve timing against Oregon State (Saturday, 2 p.m., Folsom Field, Pac-12 Networks).

“It’s very important that we’re able to set our offense up with a short field; we have to get a couple of nice returns for them. You know with a (Mike) Riley coached offense they’re going to get points. We can’t afford any momentum plays against any coverage – punt or kickoff.”

WHITE STEPPING UP

Until last weekend, freshman safety Evan White had seen more special teams duty than in CU’s secondary. That changed, although he continued to work on “teams” and made a highlight reel contribution on the punt coverage squad.

With a headlong dive into the end zone, White batted a Darragh O’Neill punt back onto the playing field, where it was downed at the Cal 1-yard line. Neinas called White’s play “highlight level . . . really cool. It shows awareness and obviously a very high level of athleticism.”

White, of Aurora (Cherokee Trail HS), plays on three special teams – punt and kickoff coverage and kickoff return – and according to Neinas has “been getting better every week. He had his best game on kickoff return (at Cal) and that’s the one he’s spent the least amount of time on. He’s just getting consistently better.”

At Cal, he also logged his most plays at safety, filling in for Tedric Thompson when the sophomore starter left the game in the first half with a sternum injury. MacIntyre said Thompson, who leads the Buffs in interceptions (three) and was the leading tackler (41, 30 solo) until missing Saturday’s second half, is expected to be back against Oregon State.

Subbing for Thompson, White made three tackles (one solo). In five games he’s been in on 43 snaps at safety, contributing five tackles (three solo) and one quarterback pressure.

MacIntyre called the 6-3, 196-pound White “a big, good, athletic player . . . he’s picked up things well. Playing back there (in the secondary) and playing quarterback are two of the hardest things” in football.

After five games, White said he is adjusting to the speed of the game and learning what’s expected of a safety in the Buffs defense. “I’m definitely picking things up,” he said. “Things have slowed down a little for me. I’m just getting used to the speed and memorizing all these plays . . . but every week I’m feeling better and better.”

White views his special teams work as crucial as his play at safety. “Everything I do on this team is big,” he said. “I’m trying to give 100 percent effort in everything I do.”

LEARNING TO WIN, HATING TO LOSE

The two fit like hand in glove, and MacIntyre says he’s seeing both in his second Buffs team.

Of last season’s 3-8 squad, he said, “Sometimes, we just never came back from anything. Now, this team may not get the result we want, but we’re going to be right there fighting for it I believe all the time. I really do.”

On developing a hatred for losing, he believes “it goes in steps. You can’t jump from one to 10 overnight. You wish you could, but you can’t. I think it’s a building process with our team and I definitely think that they’re taking steps in the right direction. We just want to be on the other end of the score more often than we are.”

Junior receiver Nelson Spruce said when he and the other Buffs captains spoke to the team Tuesday morning, he mentioned “learning to win.” He added that in his four seasons at CU, “I’ve never seen a team play like this . . . I said we’re right on the brink and just have to keep working.”  

ONE WAY FOR TWO-WAY FRAZIER?

Not any time soon.

George Frazier continues to play offense (fullback) and defense (end). His most eye-catching stats have been on offense, where he has two receiving TDs and one rushing TD.

But MacIntyre said the 6-3, 260-pound redshirt freshman is contributing at defensive end in ways that might not be so apparent and the long-term plan is still for Frazier to play on both sides of the ball – particularly this season because of injuries at defensive end.

“There might be a time but . . .,” MacIntyre said. “He’s done some really good things at defensive end that you, quote, might not notice as much. He’s had some (QB) hurries, he’s had some big plays inside, he’s had some tackles.

“But, I think with the way we’re utilizing him, he’s not getting tired out, he’s not screwing up on either side of the ball. We’re not over-using him both ways so to speak. I think that he can still keep doing the role that he’s been doing. We’ll keep using him the way the we’re using him.”

NOTABLE

Call him “Deuce Spruce.” He’s averaging two TD receptions a game and is the FBS leader in receiving yards (697) and receptions per game (11.2). His 10 TDs top the Pac-12 and he’s tied for the conference lead in scoring. Asked Tuesday if Spruce belongs in Heisman Trophy conversations, MacIntyre paused briefly and said Spruce certainly belongs in Biletnikoff Award conversations. “People underrate him athletically,” MacIntyre said. “I hope they continue to and he’ll keep making plays.” . . . . Redshirt freshman defensive end Markeis Reed, who had preseason surgery on a sports hernia, is dressing out and is scheduled to begin practicing this week. MacIntyre said Reed “is doing more things” but has not projected when Reed will see playing time . . . . Michael Adkins II, last season’s leading rusher, is averaging six carries a game and 2.57 yards a carry. He’s slowly coming back from an early ankle injury, said MacIntyre: “He played a little bit better Saturday. His ankle was bothering him the other games a little bit. He was feeling better last week and he did a couple good things Saturday. Hopefully, he’ll do well this Saturday.” Adkins had six carries for 5 yards last weekend, with a long run of 6 yards . . . . FWIW stat: CU is 5-0 in winning coin tosses this season.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU