The Buffs’ first spring football drills, practices and scrimmages were surrounded by headlines when Mike MacIntyre was announced as Colorado’s new head coach. He and the rest of the football team entered spring training with the idea of having three or four quarterbacks compete for the starting spot. Since then, however, an injury and an unexpected departure have made the quarterback battle drastically less interesting.

Sophomore quarterback Connor Wood throws a pass during the homecoming game against Stanford on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)

Consider evaluating a battle between Jordan Webb, a fifth-year senior who was the starting QB last season; Nick Hirschman, a junior QB who was a solid and competitive backup last season; and Connor Wood, a junior QB who was a highly touted high school recruit and transferred to CU from the University of Texas. Sounds promising, right?

That matchup of solid QBs promised to allow MacIntyre to fully evaluate each quarterback while they faced the pressure of each other’s tough competition. Instead, because of recent events, MacIntyre has been robbed of that experience and is left with a default quarterback.

Here’s a brief timeline of how MacIntyre was left with his quarterback. On April 10, Webb suffered a season-ending ACL injury while partaking in non-contact spring drills. On April 13, Wood and Hirschman battled each other during the annual spring game and Wood put together a strong performance. On April 19th, Hirschman opted to graduate early and transfer elsewhere for his final two years of eligibility.

While these events did indeed rob both MacIntyre and Buff fans from a watching a QB battle, Connor Wood could be a quarterback that the Buffs can compete with.

Just three years ago, Wood was one of the most coveted quarterback recruits in the nation. His arrival incited a craze in some CU fans who thought Wood would be the future of CU. However, Wood struggled to command the huddle and didn’t have the strongest grasp of the offense last year. He found himself back on the bench.

This year appears to be different, though. In four scrimmages this spring, Wood has completed 36 of 56 passes for 601 yards and five touchdowns. He also demonstrated mobility when he ran for a 33-yard score.

Additionally, Wood has enjoyed his coaches and time at CU.

That being said, Wood must continue to work hard in scrimmages and practices and he cannot take his probable starting spot for granted. He’ll be facing a lot of pressure from Buff fans excited to finally see their star transfer play.

Wood already went through this experience last year when he lost the starting job to Webb early in the fall, which may prove to be an experience that Wood can build on in order to solidify himself as the top quarterback for the upcoming season.

It has been a true journey for Wood. He has seen the highs of being a top high school recruit and the lows of sitting on the bench. Now, he has the chance to prove his perseverance. All things considered, the Buffs are lucky to emerge from the spring with a competitive quarterback who appears to be getting in sync with star wide receiver Paul Richardson.

Wood still needs to officially lock up the starting job and prove to the coaches, fans and himself that he can live up to the hype he received coming out of high school. If Wood can manage that, then Colorado football could see a couple more wins next year. More importantly, CU could see more confidence and competitiveness on both sides of the ball.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

With quarterback Jordan Webb tearing a ligament in his right knee earlier this year, the battle for the starting spot became all the more open.  Saturday’s Spring game illuminated that the battle is essentially down to two, junior Nick Hirschman and junior Connor Wood.  Hirschman completed 16-of-27 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, while Wood was 11-of-16 for 205 yards and one TD.

Another key takeaway from the game was the importance of junior wide receiver Paul Richardson’s return.  Richardson played a key role in giving the Buffs a deep threat during the 2011-2012 football season and a torn ACL during last year’s spring drills sidelined him all of last season.  Richardson caught five balls for 129 yards and a touchdown during the Spring game and immediately reminded fans how much they had missed him all last season.

“I was just happy to be out here,” Richardson said after the game. “Connor’s (Wood) not afraid to make those passes now, but it wouldn’t happen if the line wasn’t blocking.”

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If the line continues to block successfully and Wood and Richardson can stay in sync they will be a dangerous duo.

The ability to spread the field with Richardson’s deep threat presence is something Head Coach McIntyre is looking forward to.

“If (the secondary) is playing deep coverage, we have to be able to run the ball and dink it,” McIntyre said. “If they some and try to stop our short game, which we hope they have to do at times, we have to go over the top.”

The overall offensive scheme was a fast-paced no huddle type of format that relied heavily on the passing game.  Both squads (Black and Gold) combined to throw the ball 57 times out of the 84 total offensive plays, meaning that nearly 70 percent of offensive plays were passes.  This is a change in mentality when compared to previous coach’s Jon Embree’s run first philosophy.

When the Buffs did run, sophomore Christian Powell, senior Josh Ford and junior Tony Jones looked like top backs as they combined to run 15 of the 21 designed run plays.

On the defensive side of the ball, things looked solid as defense only gave up a combined four touchdowns and had one interception, a safety and a fumble recovery.

However, coordinator Kent Baer says about only 25 percent of the defensive scheme was seen today and the remaining 75 percent likely won’t be installed by the time the Buffs open on Sept. 1 against Colorado State.

This is partially because schemes take time to learn and put in place and because this year’s Spring game was televised on the Pac-12 network and thus many things weren’t revealed.

Areas that need to be improved in come August include “tackling, learning to play harder still and learning how to leverage the football,” Baer said.

In sum McIntyre was pleased with the game and got a lot of information about his players.

“Overall, I thought the effort was very good,” McIntyre said. “We saw a lot of plays, saw the DBs making some plays, saw some good runs, saw the quarterbacks do some good things.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

Johnson is originally from Santa Ana, Calif., where he played for high school basketball powerhouse Mater Dei High School.

The Mater Dei Monarchs held a 129-9 record with two state championships during Johnson’s four years with the school, when he averaged a near double double — 18.1 points, 9.2 rebounds.

Xavier Johnson (2) prepares to make a shot before the end of the first half during a game against Arizona State on Feb. 16, 2013 in Boulder, Colo. (Haleigh Jacobson/CU Independent)

Johnson’s role as a play-making forward was something he wanted to continue as he proceeded into college, and he said Colorado seemed like the perfect fit.

“Colorado was my second official visit, and when I came here I felt really comfortable with everything, including the coaching style and the game plan they had for me,” Johnson said.

The decision came easier for Johnson as he witnessed Colorado put on their Pac-12 tournament run and NCAA tournament run last year. The idea of winning was once again on his radar.

“Sitting on my couch last year and watching our team win in the tournament definitely influenced my decision,” he said.

Now that Johnson has nuzzled into a comfortable role on the men’s team, he said he could not be happier. Sophomore guard Askia Booker and junior forward Andre Roberson, have dubbed Johnson the “X-Factor,” which he embraces.

“Johnson really is our X-Factor, the energy he brings is definitely something we need and love,” Roberson said in a post-game conference after Johnson’s strong performance against Stanford on Jan.  24.

Johnson seems to play his best against the stiffer competition. He netted a near double double against No. 9 Arizona with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

More than his impressive season, Johnson said he has enjoyed seeing this year’s young team begin to mesh and play well together.

“The progression has been fun to watch, we’re young so freshmen like myself and Josh [Scott] have had to step up,” he said.

His win-the-next-game mindset has been partially instilled by Head Coach Tad Boyle.

“Tad brings a lot of energy and lifts me up, our team up, and our fans up,” he said. “He’s been great.”

Johnson grew tremendously throughout the season. He entered as a solid bench player and developed into an almost full-time starter.

Teammates, coaches and even fans have noticed Johnson’s transformation and look forward to seeing him continue to develop.

“Watching Xavier step up into the role he has is awesome for a freshman,” Shreyash Pradhan, a member of Colorado’s C-Unit, said. “I think he’s got a lot of talent and definitely see him moving up as star player in the future.”

The physicality Johnson brings is another factor members of the C-Unit see and love.

“Johnson’s size and aggression is huge for Colorado, especially since we’re a smaller team in general,” Pradhan said.

This theme of progression from the bottom up, age or otherwise, is something that is becoming common ground for CU basketball.

“We’re young, we got some good red-shirts and a lot of good things happening here,” Johnson said.

The Buffs’ season might be over after a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Illinois, but expect to see Johnson on the court ready to go next fall.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

CUBuffs.com and ESPN.com contributed to this report.

After trailing 11 at the half, the Buffs fought back and found themselves down just four in the final 3 minutes of play, though the comeback was never fulfilled.

“I thought our guys responded to some adversity very well but just didn’t have enough to get over the hump at the end of the game,” Head Coach Tad Boyle said.

Colorado was led by sophomore guard Spencer Dinwiddie’s 18 points and junior forward Andre Roberson’s 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Buffs shot 43 percent from the floor Thursday, but allowed 13 turnovers as well.

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Freshman forward Xavier Johnson helped out with 11 points and sophomore guard Askia Booker added 12 points, including two three-pointers.

The Buffs only had six assists all game, which resulted in poor ball movement and turnovers.

“When we’re at our best, we’re in double-digit assists, and that didn’t happen tonight,” Boyle said.

The Wildcat’s bench managed to score 25 points, including Brandon Ashley and Jordin Mayes who each had eight points.

“Arizona’s got the most quality depth of any team in this league, and that showed tonight,” Boyle said.

Roberson gave a strong performance in his second game back from illness that kept him from playing last week.

“I feel real good, I have fresh legs and I feel like I am all the way back,” Roberson said after the game.

Arizona advances to the Pac-12 semi-finals to face top seed UCLA Friday at 7 p.m. Colorado returns home to watch Selection Sunday to see if their efforts throughout the season have earned them a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

Click above to see the GIF story of senior day. (Robert R. Denton/CU Independent)

Sophomore guard Spencer Dinwiddie kept Colorado alive with 10 points in the final two minutes of the game, but Colorado could not get a defensive stop and fell short.

The Buffs trailed the entire second half and only shot 35 percent from the floor.

Oregon State’s 2-3 zone caused problems for Colorado, who couldn’t develop an offensive flow, Head Coach Tad Boyle said.

“The zone gave us trouble all game, and it is frustrating because we practiced for it,” said Boyle.

That defense made it hard to play their game, Dinwiddie said.

“We could not get in the lane and could not hit threes, which made it a tough night against that zone,” Dinwiddie said.

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Sophomore guard Askia Booker and freshman forward Xavier Johnson shot only 6 of 20 and made a combined 14 points.  No player but Dinwiddie managed to score more than 9 points.

Oregon State out-boarded the Buffs 38-30 including 12 offensive rebounds, which was largely attributable to the fact that junior forward Andre Roberson, the nation’s leading rebounder, was unable to play for a second game in a row due to viral infection.

“We’re a better team with Andre than without him, and I do not know the answer to when he will be back, but I expect him to play Wednesday,” Boyle said after the game.

Oregon State got a big game out of sophomore forward Eric Moreland, who had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  The Beavers stand at 14-17 overall, and 4-14 in the Pac 12 after Saturday’s game.

Boyle said this loss was on him for not preparing his team well enough, but this isn’t the last game for the team.

“It is win or go home from here out,” Boyle said. “I do not care who we play first round I just know we have to win.”

The tournament will be held in Last Vegas from Wednesday through Sunday. Colorado will likely face either Washington State or a rematch against the Beavers.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson Oroak at Grayson.oroak@colorado.edu.

The loss snaps a three game road winning streak for Colorado and drops them to 19-9 overall and 9-7 in the Pac-12.

Colorado was down by four (24-20) at halftime and proceeded to trail for the rest of the game.  However, it was a 10-2 run for Cal late in the second half that sealed the victory for the Golden Bears.

The Buffs shot 23 percent from the floor and looked disorganized and stale on offence for much of the game.

Perimeter guard play was ineffective for Colorado as guards, sophomore Askia Booker and sophomore Spencer Dinwiddie, combined for 2-10 from long range.

Freshman forward Xavier Johnson led the Buffs with 14 points and 7 rebounds and guards Booker and Dinwiddie combined for 4-26 for 15 points.

California was led by Justin Cobbs and Tyrone Wallace who each had 16 and the Golden Bears shot 46 percent overall from the floor.

The win brings Cal’s win streak to seven games.

Freshman forward Josh Scott came back for his first game since the concussion he sustained against Arizona State roughly two weeks ago.  Scott quietly had 4 points and 11 rebounds.

Up next for Colorado is No. 24 Oregon on Thursday in Boulder and then they host Oregon State on Saturday to finish the season.

Currently Colorado sits in fifth place in the conference. Finishing strong will be key for Colorado as moving into fourth place would give Colorado a first round bye in the Pac-12 tournament.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson Oroak at Grayson.oroak@colorado.edu.

With Colorado shooting only 25 percent from the floor the Buffs may actually be thankful to only be down four. Junior forward Andre Roberson led the Buffs with six points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Askia Booker and sophomore Spencer Dinwiddie combined for 2-10 shooting and six points.

Cal shot 45 percent from the field and were led by Justin Cobbs who has six points at the half. Cal is also playing with a six game win streak on the line.

Freshman forward Josh Scott returned for his first game back after his concussion he sustained roughly two weeks ago and has zero points and five boards.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson Oroak at Grayson.oroak@colorado.edu.

Freshman Arielle Roberson runs through the CSU defender on her way to the basket during a game on Dec. 5, 2012. On Friday, Roberson led the Buffs with 16 points. (Amy Leder/CU Independent File)

The Buffs were led by Arielle Roberson’s 16 points, but, as a team, they only shot 34 percent from the field. Oregon struggled to shoot, which allowed CU to benefit as the Ducks went 18-48 (37 percent) from the floor. The Duck’s 21 turnovers also helped fuel Colorado’s victory.

After a back and forth first half with seven lead changes and two turnovers, the Buffs came together for a much stronger second half. CU never trailed after halftime and an 8-0 run late in the second half sealed the Buff’s victory in the game.

Chucky Jeffery’s double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) and bench production from Jen Reese (9 points) allowed the Buffs to pull away in the second half after a lead by three at halftime.

Jillian Alleyne led the Ducks with 10 points and 12 rebounds, but ill-advised shooting and too many turnovers ultimately doomed the Ducks.

The win puts Colorado in fourth place in the Pac-12. The Buffs face Oregon State in Corvallis on Sunday at 1 p.m. in their season finale. It is important for CU to maintain the fourth spot in the Pac-12, as the top four teams receive a first round bye in the conference tournament.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

All night long, sophomore guard Spencer Dinwiddie kept the Buffs and finished with 24 points, including a drive to the hoop that put Colorado up 62-61 with eight seconds remaining in overtime.

ASU snatched the ball after Dinwiddie’s shot and moved their offense quickly down the court before Colorado had a chance to get fully set on defense. ASU’s Evan Gordon drove down the lane for a game winning lay-up as time expired.

They were focused on Arizona player Jahii Carson instead of Gordon in the final play, sophomore guard Askia Booker said.

Low-post physical play was present through the entire game and left freshman forward Josh Scott blacked out on the hardwood early in the second half. Head coach Tad Boyle said it was a very physical game from the start.

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“Welcome to college football,” Coach Boyle said. “This might be the most physical basketball game I’ve ever been a part of, ever.”

The sheer physicality contributed to the game’s low score and had the Coors Events Center sellout crowd in an uproar over questionable officiating.

Colorado was led by strong offensive guard play from Booker and Dinwiddie, who combined for 41 of Colorado’s 62 points.  Junior forward Andre Roberson and freshman forward Josh Scott were held in check as they combined for 4-16 shooting and eight total points, though Scott was unable to play most of the second half due to his head injury.

The game held much of the same theme as the last meeting the two had in Jan. 6, when ASU’s big men were, to be simple, just plain bigger.  The Sundevils’ 7-2 foot, 250 pound center Jordan Bachynski was banging away at Scott and junior forward Shane Harris-Tunks all night long and had 12 points.

Freshman forward Xavier Johnson was coming off a season high 19-point performance against University of Arizona on Thursday and quietly had a double-double, including hitting the overtime-forcing basket with 2 seconds remaining in regulation.

At the end of the night Boyle says it was a tough loss and a sad loss for Buff basketball.

“Our guys are hurting, I’m hurting, our staff is hurting, and Buff nation is hurting,” Boyle said.

Colorado moves on to Utah next Thursday at 8:00 p.m. in Boulder. Buffs lost the previous meeting with Utah and the game is a must-win to stay competitive in the conference.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.

The four-day tournament, held from Feb. 6-9, concluded the regular season for the ski team and was a good warm-up heading into the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships.

The women’s Nordic freestyle team earned 136 points out of a possible 141 largely in thanks to Joanne Reid and Eliska Hajkova’s first and second-place performances.

Ried beat teammate Hajkova by just 3.3 seconds and the pair dominated the field, leaving University of Alaska’s star Marine Dusser as a distant third place. Ried’s win marks her sixth straight victory and continues a very strong regular season overall.

Men’s racer Gustav Nordstroem also had a solid day, placing second in the Men’s Nordic Classical.

CU finished first with 904 points overall, University of Utah came in second with 845 points and University of Denver got third with 777 points.

CU’s first-place finish can largely be attributed to the women winning both the Alpine Giant Slalom and Nordic freestyle races. However, the men also gave a big performance finishing in third in the Alpine events and second in the Nordic events.

Next, the ski team attends the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships that will kick off on Feb. 22 in Bozeman, Montana.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.