Every day, Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston has to get his group ready to go against the Buffaloes’ offense, and he admits itap “not very fun.”
Dynamic quarterback Shedeur Sanders makes his share of plays against the CU defense — as he does against opponents nearly every week during the season.
“I think he’s a great player,” Livingston said. “I think the offensive line is blocking well, the receivers have done phenomenally, moving some tight ends around. They’re doing good things and we’ve got good backs. So yeah, itap a challenge.”
It is exactly the type of challenge Livingston wants for his defense, though, as the Buffs go through preseason practices. CU opens the season on Aug. 29 against North Dakota State at Folsom Field (6 p.m., ESPN), and Livingston is doing his best to get the defense ready.
“I think we’re champing at the bit,” Livingston said. “Itap the third day of camp, right? Itap rainbows and butterflies. It is what it is. But I know when I look in the eyeballs of the guys that we have that they kind of still feel last year, right? Last year is done; it is what it is, but they want to prove who they can be.”
A year ago, the Buffs struggled too often on defense. They ranked 124th out of 133 FBS teams in points allowed (34.8 per game) and 130th in yards allowed (453.3 per game).
A lot has changed since then, however. Although six starters are back, of the 53 players on the roster on defense, 31 are new to the team. Livingston is also new, hired last winter after a dozen years with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, and he’s seen a dedication to success all offseason, he said.
“I’ve seen it from the time I got here,” he said. “I thought the strength staff structured a phenomenal winter conditioning program. I thought spring ball was great. Summers, players are by themselves and I’m getting calls about how hard they’re working, I’m getting pictures of them meeting by themselves. I mean, that doesn’t happen everywhere.
“Thatap a testament to the culture from the top down, starting with the head coach and working all the way down to me, to the players, to everybody else. Thatap really who this (program) is, so we’re very excited.”
While Livingston has been pleased with the work this offseason, he’s tasked with figuring out which players will give the Buffs the best chance to win. Thatap a process now fully underway with the Buffs now three practices into the preseason.
“We’ll go 10 days in camp and then we’ll kind of look at what they can do well,” he said. “Itap our job as coaches, as we talked about, to put these guys in positions to be successful.
“I think in any industry, the cardinal sin, my biggest pet peeve is when people say what somebody can’t do. Letap look at what they can do, right? … If somebody’s dynamic at one thing, here’s a novel idea, letap get them doing that. And letap kind of build around that.”
While Livingston and his staff figures out which players can make up the best 11 for each defensive package, they get challenged every day by the offense. But, Livingston knows that should make the Buffs better by Aug. 29.
“Training camp is designed to be a challenge so you get to that first game itap not the first time you’ve been punched in the mouth, right?” he said. “Itap good on good, letap go play fast and letap see who we got.”
