By November, a lot of college football players are feeling the bumps and bruises they’ve accumulated over the previous three months of practices and games.
There is a fine line, however, between trying to manage and minimize the wear and tear and getting prepared for the physicality of November football. That’s even more important for the Colorado Buffaloes (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12) as they prepare to face one of the most physical teams in the conference in No. 16 Oregon State (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday at Folsom Field (8 p.m., ESPN).
“That is a tricky balance,” CU linebackers coach Andre Hart said this week. “In the pro game, they do it very well where you have thudding and you don’t take anybody to the ground. … But, it’s very tricky, because you get to a point, you play so many games, you play so many snaps, guys are banged up. You want to make sure they get to the game so we can have a successful game.
“So, you have to monitor that but then playing a team like (Oregon State), when you have your full pad days, you gotta get some thudding in.”
Following a bye during the week of Oct. 21, the Buffs played a physical UCLA team last Saturday, falling 28-16. The Bruins have the top defense in the Pac-12, in addition the No. 1 rushing offense in the conference.
Oregon State isn’t much different. Under sixth-year head coach Jonathan Smith, the Beavers have transformed their program by focusing on the physicality of playing defense and running the ball. The Beavers are sixth in the Pac-12 in total defense and fourth in rushing offense, but they’re even more physical than those numbers suggest.
CU head coach Deion Sanders said playing physical teams in back-to-back weeks changes the way his team conducts practice.
“You incorporate more tackling drills to compensate for the physicality,” he said. “You pad ’em up maybe a little more, maybe allow a lot more contact because of the physicality. You may elongate some periods that involve physicality in it so that you want to make sure your team is ready and on point.”
There has to be balance in that, though, after the players have already played eight games and have four more to go.
“You still want to tail off on those things to kind of keep them fresh, as well,” Sanders said. “So these guys are watching film. They’ve increased the film viewership tremendously since we challenged them to, so they know what they’re in for.”
Hart added that the Buffs will change the “range of contact,” so hits are coming from a shorter distance to try to minimize injuries.
Defensively, CU had shown some improvement in the physical aspect of the game, stopping the run better in games 5-7, and racking up some tackles for loss. UCLA had 218 yards on the ground, however, but the Buffs also had five TFLs and delivered some big-time hits that created turnovers.
“A lot of missed tackles, a lot of fundamental things that we gotta get right,” Hart said. “I think it’s just we’re waiting on somebody else to make the play. We’re getting to the ball and then guys are breaking through the tackle and getting extra yards and we can’t have that. The play is there for whoever to make it. If we all get there together, we should gang tackle together.”
In preparation for another physical team, spearheaded by talented OSU running back Damien Martinez, the Buffs have put an emphasis on tackling this week.
Offensively, the Buffs were manhandled on the line last week and finished with a season-low 25 rushing yards, while giving up seven sacks. Coach Prime had a heart-to-heart conversation with the offensive line earlier in the week and is hopeful that group can match or top OSU’s physicality.
“I can’t wait, especially since looking all the linemen in the eyes and just seeing how they responded in the candid conversation that we had,” he said. “It’s tremendous. I can’t wait to see how they respond.”