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A look at what went wrong and right for Colorado
This Saturday we saw the Buffaloes suffer a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas State Wildcats. This loss left many CU fans wondering if we should have won, and with a 4-point lead and 3 minutes left, it sure seemed like. So what went right, what went wrong, and how will the Buffs move forward in the Big 12?
What went right?
Passing Game
Shedeur Sanders had a great day through the air except for one pass that sailed a couple yards over the head of the intended target. Shedeur seemed comfortable in the pocket despite pressure, but often was eventually overwhelmed by a talented Kansas State defensive line.
In the wake of the Buffaloes suffering multiple injuries at receiver, Omarion Miller stepped up in a big way, and his night ended with 145 yards on eight receptions. Miller took over the typical Travis Hunter role in the offense, running a combination of short in/out’s and the occasional screen or deep ball.
Omarion left the game on a wheel and we have to hope for a speedy recovery. But I wouldn’t expect to see him back soon after seeing this emotional tweet from him last night:
Pat Shurmur deserves some real credit for the game he called on Saturday night. This passing attack was as dynamic as I’ve seen it. Shedeur was able to find nine unique receivers in the game, and executed using just about every route in the route tree.
Sanders also made a number of pro-level throws. From leading receivers away from defenders and into open grass, to throwing gorgeous back shoulder fades on the sideline, he was doing it all. These sort of throws are getting more common for Shedeur and we are seeing the signs of a player with the potential to be playing every Sunday for years to come.
What went wrong?
Travis Hunter’s early injury
The impact of Travis’s absence in this game cannot be understated. With Travis being the best player on both sides of the ball, losing him meant that two different players would need to step up.
Offensively, Omarion Miller stepped up, but defensively nobody can fill the shoes of Travis Hunter. He plays an irreplaceable role in this secondary. Travis is Colorado’s lock-down corner and usually goes one-on-one with the other teams best receiver outside the numbers. DJ McKinney stepped up in his role, but the secondary at large was not up for the challenge.
The problem in the secondary became noticeable when slot corner Preston Hodge was forced into a role he is rarely needed in. Hodge was playing tight press man coverage on bigger receivers outside the numbers, and it eventually cost the Buffs in a big way as Kansas State scored over the top. Here’s a look at this play from Kansas State, which would be the play that truly won it for them:
This big play from KSU made me wonder why we were in press man coverage in the first place, given the four point lead and length of the field that the Wildcats had in front of them. I hope this will finally be the wake-up call this defense has needed to not become one dimensional in man coverage the entire game. This has consistently been a problem this season, and some of the play calling in the run defense made me scratch my head as well.
The Run Defense
The Wildcats’ 224 yards on the ground was the only thing that gave them a clear advantage over the Buffaloes. DJ Giddens had 184 of those yards, and might have exposed a clear weak spot for this defensive line. While I do believe Giddens is a spectacular back, to me there is no excuse for the front seven playing as poorly as they did.
Giddens broke into the second level on number of big carries and embarrassed Shilo Sanders in the open field. As Deion acknowledged in the post-game press conference, Shilo’s play on Saturday night leaves much to be desired. From the press box it looked like Shilo was just a step slow at times and wasn’t able to use his intuition in the secondary as a tool like he’s done in the past.
Deion believes Shilo was just rusty and will be able to pull it together. To me, this isn’t about being rusty. For the most part it’s about a lack of tackling fundamentals, which tells me he hasn’t quite grasped the true role of a free safety. As the free safety, your job isn’t to be an enforcer. Shilo’s job is being the last line of defense in both the passing and rushing defenses. We will need to see improvement in both play calling and Shilo’s discipline if this aspect of the defense is going to significantly improve.
Outlook
Despite the heartbreaking loss for Buffaloes fans, hopes for Buffaloes fans should remain high. This team showcased that they are the real deal, and can hang with some of the best competition the Big 12 has to offer. Big-time players like Jimmy Horn Jr. and Travis Hunter will need to be back and healthy going forward, but this team could make a big impact on the Big 12. The Buffaloes next matchup is at Arizona this Saturday at 2 PM (MT). Expect the Buffaloes to bounce back in a big way after such a tough loss.
by Jacob.Thompson
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