Injury Riddled Buffs Continue Preparation For Ducks
BOULDER – Two days ahead of a departure for Eugene, Ore., the University of Colorado football team continued its preparation on Wednesday for Saturday’s tilt with the talented Ducks (2:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks).
The Buffs are out to get off the Pac-12 snide and into the conference win column for the first time this year but will have to do so against one of the nation’s best teams. The Ducks (9-1) are ranked third in both wire service polls but are second behind Alabama in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Despite facing their most daunting challenge of the season, the Buffs (2-8, 0-7) have taken the same practice approach that they have for any other opponent.
”I don’t think anything changes on our preparation,” coach Mike MacIntyre said. “There is more media attention and it does add a heightened excitement to it. Preparation and what they do, there’s no difference to that.”
MacIntyre knows his team will have to contend step-for-step with an Oregon offense that leads the Pac-12 in almost every offensive category. But he also knows that a focus needs to be on an Oregon defense which is nearly just as talented as its pace-setting counterparts.
“Defensively, they don’t blitz a lot,” MacIntyre said. “They’re able to harass the quarterback. They’re long so you have to find that window in there which is hard to do at times. Mainly, their pressure is with four guys.”
Pulling off one of the season’s biggest upsets will be even more of a challenge for a CU secondary that has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks. Safety Chidobe Awuzie was lost two weeks ago to a lacerated kidney, and the setbacks have been piling up since.
Both starting safety Tedric Thompson and second-stringer Evan White have been unable to practice of late due to concussions. Thompson sustained his concussion during CU’s Nov. 1 game against Washington, while White’s injury came during the Buffs’ game a week later against Arizona.
“Our safety situation hasn’t improved,” MacIntyre said. “The guys are out there doing a good job but we don’t have anybody else back out there yet.”
MacIntyre said the likelihood of Thompson and White playing on Saturday is bleak at best, meaning the team will likely be forced to use of inexperienced defensive backs to take the majority of the snaps this weekend.
“Right now, we’re not planning on not having anybody else back yet,” MacIntyre said of the safety situation. “I wouldn’t see those guys being able to start because they haven’t practiced for 10-12 days. It’ll be an emergency thing or help us on special teams.”
The most likely candidates to replace Thompson and White are seniors Richard Yates, who saw his first-ever scrimmage action on defense at Arizona two weeks ago, and Terrel Smith, who has played well in limited duty this season after missing all of 2013 with a chronic shoulder injury.