Woelk: Buffs Put Defensive Stamp On Pac-12 Contender Status

STANFORD, Calif. — Hello world.

The Colorado Buffaloes are no longer a well-kept secret, known only to folks who closely follow the Pac-12.

The secret is out. The Buffs have a bruising, punishing defense, an offense that can move the ball when necessary and a team that is a bona fide, legitimate Pac-12 contender.

Check the standings. Eight games into the season the Buffs are 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the Pac-12 and tied for the Pac-12 South lead as their redemption tour through the conference continues. They've beaten Oregon, Stanford and Arizona State — all teams considered to be contenders when the season began and all teams that have tortured the Buffs in the past.

But now the team picked to finish in the Pac-12 basement is sitting in the penthouse, patiently awaiting the newest challenge.

Who's got next?

Saturday's 10-5 win over Stanford was simply the latest evidence that Mike MacIntyre's rebuilding project is proceeding along a well-planned, well-thought line. No shortcuts, no quick fixes. The team that has embraced the motto of "Welcome To The Fight" found itself in a slugfest Saturday — and every time former heavyweight champ Stanford punched, the Buffs punched back.

Yes, the Buffs are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2007. Their six victories are the most by a CU team since that same season, with four still left to play.

But while the Buffs are happy to be back in the bowl picture — as MacIntyre said, "It's a monkey off the University of Colorado's back and it's exciting for our fans" — these Buffs have a more lofty goal.

The Pac-12 championship they set in their sights months ago is one step closer to reality — and they're doing what championship caliber teams do.

They're winning by whatever means necessary, and they're doing it even when things don't go their way. Adversity is no longer an obstacle that can't be overcome.

A month ago, the Buffs needed every bit of offensive firepower they could muster to produce a 41-38 win over Oregon.

Saturday, it was a stifling, suffocating defense that throttled Stanford and Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey at every turn. On a day when the Buffs' offense struggled in the red zone and the backup to the backup field goal kicker did the same (and even the backup to the backup to the backup), the defense rose to the occasion — again and again and again.

A thing of beauty it wasn't, at least not to folks whose idea of football is two teams scoring at will.

But to those who appreciate defense, those who love seeing a defense hold a team to 93 yards rushing and three offensive points in 60 minutes, it was a work of art.

"It's what good teams do — you find a way to win," a jubilant MacIntyre said in the locker room. "Every game is different. You're not going to play perfect. But good teams make the plays that win games. Today, our defense just kept coming up with those big plays."

Indeed. With the Buffs' backs to the wall and Stanford threatening to produce a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, CU linebacker Kenneth Olugbode saw Cardinal QB Ryan Burns fumble the snap at the CU 5-yard line. Olugbode burst through the line, pounced on the ball and then waited for his teammates to pile on and make sure the ball was his.

"I just reacted," Olugbode said. "I saw the ball pop loose and knew I had to get it. Give credit to (defensive linemen) Jordan Carrell and Josh Tupou. They were putting the pressure on and made that happen. I just got to it first."

That stymied Stanford's biggest threat, but there was more to come. With Colorado still clinging to a 7-3 lead, Stanford regained possession — and this time it was safety Tedric Thompson coming up with his second interception of the game. The CU senior returned the pick 30 yards and the Buffs finally converted a successful field goal try, with Chris Graham knocking it through from 22 yards out.

That left one more Stanford possession — and one more CU interception, this one from sophomore cornerback Isaiah Oliver.

Every big play counted. Every big play made the difference. On a day when CU had almost as many missed field goals (three) as punts (four), the defense made the difference.

"There was never a doubt on the sidelines," Thompson said. "Every time the offense came off the field, we told them not to worry, that we had their backs. That's the way this team is. They've had games where they've scored and had our backs. That's just what this team is — whatever's necessary, that's what we're going to do. We've been together too long for it to be any other way."

Indeed, these Buffs are patiently executing a formula that produces victories on a consistent basis.

"We go against that defense every day in practice — that's one of the best defenses in college football," said Buffs co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini. "It's a testament to Coach (Jim) Leavitt and his staff. But what you're seeing is a good football team, a team that knows how to win in a lot of different ways. There are going to be days when we need to score 41 to win like we did at Oregon, and days when our defense has to hold someone to three points.

"But at the end of the day, this team is finding a way to win. There's something special happening here. You can feel it."

While the Buffs did struggle — mightily — to get the ball in the end zone, the offense still did enough to keep the defense relatively rested. While three drives did end in missed field goals, they still consumed enough time off the clock to give the defense a chance to catch its breath and produce another stop when absolutely necessary.

"We all stuck our nose in there and did our jobs so we could get this 'W,'" said safety Ryan Moeller. "Stanford always has a real hard-nosed offense, a real balanced team. For us to hold them to 3 points says a lot about this defense and our willingness not to give up. We would have loved to have scored some more points, but this defense wasn't going to give it up. Not today."

What these Buffs have done is answer new questions each and every week.

When they proclaimed in fall camp that their goal was a Pac-12 title, people politely smiled. When they scared the bejesus out of Michigan, people began to take notice. When they won at Oregon, people sat up and wondered if the Buffs were real.

Saturday was simply the latest answer to a seemingly never-ending string of questions — and they know there will be more. The program that has been the perennial Pac-12 punching bag knows the believers won't be convinced overnight — or even over the span of eight weeks.

"Honestly, I think that's what continues to motivate us," said cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, whose four years at Colorado have personified the Buffs' return to relevancy. "It's what drives us. We know there are going to be people who still don't believe in us, who still doubt — and that's fine. We'll be ready to play and we'll keep proving who we are. That's all we can do."

Yes, the Buffs are back. They're no longer a nice little Pac-12 secret. They'll do whatever necessary to prove their point.

If you don't believe it, just watch.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu