RSSBot
News Junkie
Colorado Starts off 1-0 in a Close Home Opener
Recap:
This Thursday, the Buffaloes protected Folsom Field, narrowly fending off a determined North Dakota State Bison team. However, this wasn’t a win the Buffaloes felt particularly proud of, as Deion Sanders said in the post-game press conference, “You ever felt like you won, but you didn’t win?” The Buffaloes expected to win by two possessions but ended up just four yards away from a potential upset. NDSU tried a last-second hail mary which was caught but came up just short of the end zone.
What Went Right:
Colorado’s offense, as expected, was on fire Thursday. Shedeur Sanders led the passing attack, delivering a near-perfect performance. He was accurate for the most part and just like last season he sensed pressure extremely well. One notable improvement was Sanders’ ability to step up into a tight pocket and deliver accurate downfield passes, a skill he demonstrated multiple times throughout the game. The Colorado offense ended up converting seven of eleven third-down tries, mostly by way of Sanders’ arm.
Shedeur played well, but it didn’t hurt that Jimmy Horn Jr. seemed to get open at will. Horn reaffirmed his status as the primary deep-ball threat in this offense, even from the slot. He was clearly the fastest player on the field, showcasing pro-level speed with the ball in his hands. Horn was the focus of the first half, finishing with 134 yards, and ended up with 198 total yards. With 31 scouts in attendance, this was a much-needed performance for Horn, who may have real draft potential.
In the second half, we saw Travis Hunter dominate in the red zone with two fantastic touchdown catches that showcased his ability to beat man coverage with body control and game sense. Travis also played well on defense, participating in all but two snaps the entire game. He was one of the few defensive bright spots, allowing just 18 receiving yards all night.
Defensively Colorado had struggles, but some names of note were fan-favorite Trevor Woods, who had ten tackles, Shilo Sanders with nine, and LaVonta Bentley with 5 solo tackles including one sack and one tackle for loss. These guys were involved in nearly every run play, and seemed to fit different runs schemes well, especially in the second half.
The defensive line also generated pressure from the edge in the second half with transfers Dayon Hayes and B.J. Green coming up with important tackles in the backfield in big moments. We will need to see more guys creating pressure from the edge as the season goes on, as Colorado’s pass rushers will continue to be rotated to keep them fresh for the second half.
What Went Wrong:
North Dakota State’s offense was diverse, consistently finding chunks of yardage on early downs through the run game and quick passing attack. Colorado could not seem to get off the field, and at times NDSU seemed to just suffocate them. NDSU dominated possession time, holding the ball for 36:44 compared to Colorado’s 23:16. Next week Colorado will have to find some more innovative ways to be aggressive on the defensive side of the ball if the want to correct this disparity.
A key reason Colorado’s defense struggled to get off the field was their inability to contain Cam Miller and keep him in the pocket. Miller ended up rushing for 81 yards on 16 carries, most of which were improvised plays, not designed runs. Colorado’s revamped defensive line generated pressure from the outside but struggled on the interior, particularly on passing downs. This defense can expect to see heavier, run-dominant formations again next week against Nebraska, so this is a problem that will have to be fixed sooner rather than later. I would expect to see Colorado send some more exotic blitzes from the linebacker position with Trevor Woods and LaVonta Bentley next week, as this defense seems to be dead set on remaining in nickel packages.
The defense’s biggest issue seemed to be communication in the secondary. You could see Travis Hunter directing defensive backs all night as he was seemingly the only Buff prepared for NDSU’s motion and use of misdirection in the quick passing game. This defense will need better play from their more experienced players as the season goes on and who better than Shilo Sanders? Shilo was able to find the ball often in run downs and did his job in passing downs by not allowing any big passing plays over the top. He did flash some of the same shortcomings from last season though. We saw Shilo playing after the whistle on multiple plays early in the game, overcommitting on misdirection in the run game, and still taking less than desirable angles to the ball carrier. Shilo will have to improve as the vocal leader of his secondary.
Offensively, the Buffs played well for the most part, but there were some weaknesses. The run game looked lethargic, and there were a couple of questionable decisions when it came to game management. With 1:40 left, Shedeur checked into a deep pass in a clear-cut running situation, which gave NDSU an opportunity to get another possession that almost cost the Buffs the game. There was also a turnover on downs in the second quarter with the ball at Colorado’s 34-yard line in a clear punting situation. These game management errors can be fixed, and I expect Colorado to iron out many of these mistakes here in the first few weeks of the season.
Outlook:
The entire country anticipated growing pains for Colorado with so many new starters, and that’s exactly what unfolded. The good news for Buffaloes fans: none of the issues Colorado faced this week are beyond repair. I expect Colorado to bounce back defensively this upcoming week against Nebraska in what should be a very competitive matchup. It looks like the ceiling for Colorado still sits around the 7-5 to 8-4 range; however, the floor for this squad may be lower than we expected.
by Jacob.Thompson
Continue reading...