2016 In Review: Buffs DBs Lived Up To High Expectations

As the No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes continue preparations for their Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl meeting with No. 12 Oklahoma State, we take a position-by-position glance at the team that produced one of the more dramatic turnaround seasons in recent college football history:

Today, we look at the secondary:

WHAT WE KNEW IN AUGUST: There may have been some questions about the Colorado football team when fall camp opened last August — but the Buffaloes' secondary was not among them.

The Buffs were expected to have one of the best group of defensive backs in the conference. With returning starters at almost every position as well as some excellent depth, the general consensus was that CU's pass defense would be a strength.

There were some minor adjustments to be made. With 2015 starter Ken Crawley gone to the NFL, it meant second-team all-conference player Chidobe Awuzie would make the move from nickel back, where he played for much of 2015, to cornerback.

But with returnees Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon and Isaiah Oliver at corner, along with safeties Tedric Thompson, Ryan Moeller and Afolabi Laguda, the group coached by Joe Tumpkin and Charles Clark was one very big reason people believed CU's defense was prepared to take another big step forward.

WHAT WE SAW THIS SEASON: In short, the Buffs met those preseason expectations — and then some.

Colorado finished the season as the Pac-12's leader (13th in the nation) in passing yards allowed, giving up just 182.5 yards per game. They also led the conference and finished third in the nation in pass efficiency defense, a metric that uses attempts, interceptions, yards and touchdowns allowed; and tied for third in the Pac-12 in team interceptions (15).

Most importantly, it wasn't just one player who made the difference.

Awuzie, who came into the year with a reputation as an excellent cover corner, didn't find many passes thrown his way, but he still finished with an interception, 12 passes defended, four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Thompson, meanwhile, came up with a league-leading seven interceptions and 22 passes defended; Witherspoon soon earned a reputation as one of the best cover corners in the league, matching Thompson's league-leading 22 passes defended to go with an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery; Laguda tied for second on the team with 66 tackles; Oliver had an interception and forced fumble; and Moeller finished with 56 tackles (four for loss) and two forced fumbles.

The secondary also produced big plays at key moments.

Witherspoon's interception at Oregon — in the end zone in the final minute of play to halt an Oregon scoring opportunity — was one of the biggest plays of the year, cementing the Buffs' 41-38 win over the Ducks. Thompson had two interceptions against Stanford, including one that set up an important field goal for the Buffs in the fourth quarter of a 10-5 win; and Oliver added what amounted to a game-clinching pick against the Cardinal with just 1:37 to go in the game.

Witherspoon also had a big fourth-down pass knockdown against Washington State to help the Buffs to a win over the No. 20 Cougars. A week later, Thompson had two interceptions against Utah, and Nick Fisher — playing for Laguda after the CU junior had been ejected for targeting — came up with a huge fourth-down stop deep in CU territory to help carve out a win over the No. 21 Utes.

One of the more interesting developments of the season came after CU lost outside linebacker Derek McCartney to injury for the season in Week 3 against Michigan. The Buffs moved Moeller to his spot the following week against Oregon, and he became the starting nickel back for the Buffs the rest of the year as they adjusted their defense to fit their personnel.

WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN 2017: No doubt, it's an area that will be hit hard by graduation. Awuzie, Witherspoon and Thompson are all seniors, and it's quite likely Buffs fans will be seeing the trio play on Sundays next fall. All three earned at least second-team all-conference honors, and all three were watched closely this season by NFL scouts.

But the cupboard is by no means bare, and CU should have a solid secondary a year from now.

Oliver, one of the best all-around athletes on the team, will return for his junior season and should immediately be considered as one of the top corners in the Pac-12 next fall. Moeller and Laguda — both of whom have earned reputations as big hitters — will also be back, giving the Buffs plenty of experience at safety.

Also returning is Fisher, who earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his effort against Utah, and true freshman Anthony Julmisse, another standout athlete who saw duty this year at corner, could step in and be an outstanding complement to Oliver next fall.

Also figuring into the equation at cornerback next fall could be freshman Ronnie Blackmon and junior Andrew Bergner, as well as one or two of CU's incoming recruits, while sophomore Kyle Trego could also fit into the mix at safety.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu