Buffs Gear For Powerful Cardinal Offense

BOULDER — When the Colorado defense lines up against Stanford on Saturday (11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks), they'll see one of the best running backs in the nation in Christian McCaffrey and an experienced dual-threat quarterback in Kevin Hogan.

It's a talented duo that nobody in the Pac-12 has been able to stop thus far this season. McCaffrey leads the Cardinal in rushing (1,087 yards) and receiving (25 catches for 310 yards) while Hogan has 1,662 yards passing and 186 yards rushing.

But the first thing Buff defenders see won't be McCaffrey or Hogan.

Rather, the Buffs will first see a massive offensive line, one that averages well over 300 pounds per player and one that takes great pride in imposing its will on opponents. To get to the Cardinal stars, the Buffs will have to first deal with the hosses up front.

“They have a lot of big guys up front and they just try to pound the ball,” Buff linebacker Kenneth Olugbode said. “That's what they've done all year, and what they've done in the past. They work really well with their technique and they get up to the second level and make sure their running backs don't get touched.”

Indeed, the Cardinal aren't fancy. Unlike the spread offenses that have proliferated throughout the Pac-12, head coach David Shaw's pro-set offense is relatively simple.

They don't try to fool you. They just try to beat you.

“They're well-coached, they do what they do and they're very, very good at it,” CU defensive line coach Jim Jeffcoat said. “That's why they've had so much success. They don't change. They're doing to do what they do and dare you to try and stop them.”

Thus far, not many folks have had much success in that department. After a shocking 16-6 loss to Northwestern in the season opener, the ninth-ranked Cardinal have rebounded to win seven straight games, averaging 41 points per game in the process.

According to the Buffs, it all starts up front, where the Cardinal have had the same five starters in every game this year.

“Their offensive line is excellent,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “They're good and they've stayed healthy so they've gotten into a rhythm.”

While Stanford is only 10th in the conference in total offense — trailing Colorado by almost 10 yards per game — the Cardinal are much higher up in the statistics that matter most: fourth in scoring offense and third in scoring defense. They win by controlling the ball (they lead the league in time of possession) and not turning it over (Stanford's eight turnovers are second-fewest in the Pac-12).

It is McCaffrey, though, who gives the offense its punch. The former Colorado prep star and son of former Denver Bronco wide receiver Ed McCaffrey leads the nation in all-purpose yardage at 244.3 yards per game and is on the short list of Heisman Trophy favorites.

“He has excellent vision, he's a very powerful runner, has a great body lean and he can make himself small in the hole,” MacIntyre said. “He can get into a hole and turn sideways and slip and fall through it and keep moving forward and still have power. The other thing is he's extremely fast, so he's able to pull away from guys that don't have angles on him and is able to gain some more yards.”

Added Olugbode: “He runs hard. He runs with a purpose. He hits that hole going downhill, and he won't let one person bring him down.”

Some teams have managed to slow McCaffrey down. While he had 107 yards rushing on 22 carries in last weekend's 30-28 win over Washington State, 30 of those came on one run. That, however, only opened up the running lanes for Hogan, who scooted for 112 yards on just 14 carries, including a 59-yard touchdown run.

“McCaffrey presents a lot of problems. He's probably the most talented back we've faced all year, no question about it,” Jeffcoat said. “But Hogan can do a lot of things. He's got an excellent arm and the mobility to make you pay if you don't wrap him up. You've got to trap him.”

What's certain is this: the Buffs know what they'll be seeing Saturday. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the ordinary.

The question is whether they can stop what they know is coming.

“We just have to play strong, play stout, and hit them in the mouth,” Olugbode said. “That's the best thing that we can do.”