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BOULDER – The Colorado Buffaloes host Northern Colorado at Folsom Field this Saturday, their last in a trio of less challenging matchups before they start Pac-12 play. With two games already in the books, the Buffs have stalled offensively while holding opponents to a collective six points with stellar defensive play.
Northern Colorado gives the Buffs one more chance to get their offense on track. As they prepare for their week three bout, there are the factors that will be key to a CU victory.
The Buffs have to ‘feed Phil’
Last week, lead running back Phil Lindsay was held to only 87 rushing yards on 26 carries. The Buffs offense as a whole only managed 91 rushing yards, the fifth time since the start of 2016 they’ve finished under 100 yards as a team (the other four times were against Michigan, USC, Washington and Oklahoma State – all ranked teams, all losses for the Buffs).
Some of the rushing struggles can be attributed to missteps along the offensive line, where veteran Jeromy Irwin has been missing for the first two matchups. Irwin will return this weekend, helping to shore up the line and potentially provide Lindsay with a few more opportunities to break off big runs.
Bottom line, the Buffs have to get Lindsay going so they can lean on the run like they did so often last season.
CU’s offense needs to start clicking
That starts with Montez, who struggled in the first half of last week’s tilt with Texas State. The quarterback admitted he wasn’t staying in the pocket long enough, an issue he addressed at halftime. While the return of Irwin should help to keep the pressure off of Montez, the quarterback still has to get better at reading all of the options on the field. Staring down his intended receiver and not noticing a wide-open wideout in the red zone will get him in real trouble when Pac-12 play starts in week four.
With the talent in this receiving corps, the Buffs shouldn’t look like they are struggling for every play and point. Their first two matchups (against CSU and Texas State) should have been the perfect opportunity for Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, and Devin Ross to rip off big play after big play as they built momentum for the real test – Washington. Instead, the wins have been a battle well into the second half. Don’t get me wrong, the Buffs are doing what they need to do and coming away with the ‘W’. But they shouldn’t look this out of sync heading into week three.
The defense needs to keep shining
The defense has been impressive at every level through the first two weeks. The secondary, led by Isaiah Oliver, Ryan Moeller, and Afolabi Laguda, doesn’t appear to have missed a beat after losing three starters and getting a new defensive coordinator. Evan Worthington and Trey Udoffia have both been impressive in coverage and have each forced a turnover. Oliver had a 0.0% passer rating last week against Texas State and nabbed a huge interception as well, proving that this secondary could be as shutdown as they were last year.
The defensive line has also played incredibly well. Javier Edwards, Derek McCartney, Leo Jackson and Drew Lewis have had phenomenal games. They have kept consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and racked up six sacks in last week’s matchup (three of which belonged to Jackson). If the defense can keep up this level of play as they face off with Pac-12 opponents, they will be able to cut the offense some (potentially much needed) slack.
The current mantra seems to be that offenses take longer to get going than any other phase of the game. If that’s true, then the Buffs get one more matchup to get everything clicking before they host the sixth-ranked Huskies next weekend. A convincing win over Northern Colorado would go a long way in building confidence before they take on ranked opponents.
Sam Weaver
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Northern Colorado gives the Buffs one more chance to get their offense on track. As they prepare for their week three bout, there are the factors that will be key to a CU victory.
The Buffs have to ‘feed Phil’
Last week, lead running back Phil Lindsay was held to only 87 rushing yards on 26 carries. The Buffs offense as a whole only managed 91 rushing yards, the fifth time since the start of 2016 they’ve finished under 100 yards as a team (the other four times were against Michigan, USC, Washington and Oklahoma State – all ranked teams, all losses for the Buffs).
Some of the rushing struggles can be attributed to missteps along the offensive line, where veteran Jeromy Irwin has been missing for the first two matchups. Irwin will return this weekend, helping to shore up the line and potentially provide Lindsay with a few more opportunities to break off big runs.
Bottom line, the Buffs have to get Lindsay going so they can lean on the run like they did so often last season.
CU’s offense needs to start clicking
That starts with Montez, who struggled in the first half of last week’s tilt with Texas State. The quarterback admitted he wasn’t staying in the pocket long enough, an issue he addressed at halftime. While the return of Irwin should help to keep the pressure off of Montez, the quarterback still has to get better at reading all of the options on the field. Staring down his intended receiver and not noticing a wide-open wideout in the red zone will get him in real trouble when Pac-12 play starts in week four.
With the talent in this receiving corps, the Buffs shouldn’t look like they are struggling for every play and point. Their first two matchups (against CSU and Texas State) should have been the perfect opportunity for Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo, and Devin Ross to rip off big play after big play as they built momentum for the real test – Washington. Instead, the wins have been a battle well into the second half. Don’t get me wrong, the Buffs are doing what they need to do and coming away with the ‘W’. But they shouldn’t look this out of sync heading into week three.
The defense needs to keep shining
The defense has been impressive at every level through the first two weeks. The secondary, led by Isaiah Oliver, Ryan Moeller, and Afolabi Laguda, doesn’t appear to have missed a beat after losing three starters and getting a new defensive coordinator. Evan Worthington and Trey Udoffia have both been impressive in coverage and have each forced a turnover. Oliver had a 0.0% passer rating last week against Texas State and nabbed a huge interception as well, proving that this secondary could be as shutdown as they were last year.
The defensive line has also played incredibly well. Javier Edwards, Derek McCartney, Leo Jackson and Drew Lewis have had phenomenal games. They have kept consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and racked up six sacks in last week’s matchup (three of which belonged to Jackson). If the defense can keep up this level of play as they face off with Pac-12 opponents, they will be able to cut the offense some (potentially much needed) slack.
The current mantra seems to be that offenses take longer to get going than any other phase of the game. If that’s true, then the Buffs get one more matchup to get everything clicking before they host the sixth-ranked Huskies next weekend. A convincing win over Northern Colorado would go a long way in building confidence before they take on ranked opponents.
Sam Weaver
Continue reading...