Q&A with CU Buffs safeties coach Joe Tumpkin: Slowing down the Cougars

On Saturday, Colorado will take on the Washington State Cougars, one of the most prolific passing offenses in the country and a team who throws the ball 12 more times per game that any other team in the nation (58.3 attempts per game). We caught up with the Buffs safeties coach Joe Tumpkin to talk about the task of slowing down the Cougars.

On the challenges of facing a team you know is going to throw the ball so much:

“You look at this league, this is a passing league so week in and week out we see different styles of passing attacks [WSU head coach Mike Leach] has been doing it for years ever since his days with Hal Mumme with that offense. What they do is they use the passing game as a run game.”

On if he would rather face a team that throws the ball 50 times or runs the ball 50 times:

“For us, in the secondary, it doesn’t matter, it’s really about us being hard on reading our keys and playing with fundamentals week in and week out, the game has changed so much that everybody is going to have something, you’re going to get some type of quick game attack from all different types of teams, everybody in this league has something. It’s all about how you defend the formation, how you line up, your guys playing with great eyes, great discipline and playing with great fundamentals.”

(Head coach Mike MacIntyre on the same question)

“It depends on which one is better at what they do, you know? If you face Navy and they’re running it perfectly that’s tough and if you facing Washington State and they’re throwing it perfectly [that’s tough]. It’s all in execution and the talent level they have at different spots.”

Tumpkin on if they plan to use Chidobe Awuzie in more of a coverage role this week:

“We’re going to mix it up, one of the things that Coach Leavitt does a great job with is really changing it up and give different looks. We’re going to change up and try to move things around and we’re going to play our game, we’re not going out to say we’re going to change what we’re doing, we’re just going to go out and play the way that we’ve been playing and the scheme that we’ve been playing and just continue to get better and play with great fundamentals and look at it that way. We know what our challenge is, the kids know what their challenge is, they have a good understanding of what we want to do, it’s just about us executing, playing with great fundamentals, tackling well and harassing that quarterback.”

On if low temperatures, snow and rain have an effect on their game plan:

“No. We don’t let it affect us as a football team, Coach Mac doesn’t let it affect us as a football team, we don’t let it affect us as a defense. No matter where we go, where we are we have to play in the elements because we can’t control that. That’s what coach talks about all the time, control the things that we can control, we can’t control the weather, we don’t control the weather. We’re going up to Pullman, if it’s 80 degrees and sunny then it’s 80 degrees and sunny, will it be 80 degrees in November? Probably not, but we deal with what we deal with and we have to play and have that mindset. We live in Colorado, we play in varying weather, we’ll be up for the challenge and we’ll be ready to play.”

We’ll find out if Tumpkin, Leavitt and the Buffs can slow down Mike Leach, Luke Falk and the Cougars on Saturday night (7:45 MT, ESPN 2).