Tuesday Buffs Bits: Chiaverini Says Offense Will Bounce Back

BOULDER — Colorado co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini minced no words when it came to last Saturday's 31-20 loss at Southern California.

"I did a terrible job," Chiaverini said Tuesday morning. "At the end of the day, I'm a play caller. I'll take the praise, I'll take the criticism. … When we don't play well, it's on me. When we play well, it's on me. I have no problem saying I'll do a better and I'll do a better job getting the ball to our kids and giving us a better plan."

It wasn't as if the Buffs were completely ineffective — but it was the first time in six games that CU's offense was unable to come up with game-changing plays when needed. Colorado trailed 28-7 going into the final quarter before putting together two substantial scoring drives to close the gap.

Still, the Buffs finished with season lows in points (20), total yards (265) and passing yards (170). USC's defense, of course, had plenty to do with that. The Trojans finished with 16 tackles for loss — including four sacks — which led to Colorado averaging just 1.5 yards on first down plays. Colorado also had just 95 yards rushing, which included a 49-yard touchdown run from Laviska Shenault Jr.

Now, the Buffs are preparing for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. matchup in Seattle against a Washington defense that is tied for the Pac-12 lead in scoring defense (16 points per game) while allowing just 315 yards per game (third-best in the league).

It's a challenge Chiaverini said CU's offensive players are looking forward to facing.

"You have to love a challenge," Chiaverini said. "That's why we do what we do. If you're scared, you're in the wrong business. You have to have the mindset that you're going to compete. If you're going to be the best in the conference, you have to beat the best and they've been one of the best since I've been here."

One of Colorado's offensive strengths all season has been getting wide receivers in space and giving them the opportunity to make one-on-one plays. Those opportunities never materialized against USC, as the Trojans' always seemed to have extra players on the perimeter while also still being able to prevent any deep ball completions and stop CU's rushing attack.

"I've been through this before," Chiaverini said. "Do I go into a game thinking we're going to get stuffed? No. I'm aggressive by nature. But if we're getting stuffed and things aren't working, then we have to look other ways, do some other things. It's not going to discourage me as a play caller. I'm going to be aggressive, I'm going to get the ball in our playmakers' hands and we'll see what happens on Saturday."

WIDE RECEIVER DEPTH: Buffs head coach Mike MacIntyre said at Tuesday's weekly press conference that wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. (toe) and Jay MacIntyre (concussion) are still "day to day" as far as their availability for Saturday's game.

"Jay is in concussion protocol so we'll know as the week goes along," MacIntyre said. "Viska is day-to-day. It's still all up in the air with both of those guys."

Even if the two are available Saturday, it could still mean more playing time for a handful of other wide receivers. MacIntyre said that list includes seniors Kabion Ento and Juwann Winfree and freshmen Jaylon Jackson and Dimitri Stanley.

"All those guys will play more this week if the other guys can't go," MacIntyre said.

Ento, who redshirted last season, has seen his playing time reduced by the emergence of sophomore K.D. Nixon, who is second on the team in receiving with 29 catches for 326 yards and one touchdown. Winfree began the season as a starter and was off to a solid start before being sidelined late in the Nebraska game with an ankle injury suffered on an out-of-bounds hit.

Both Ento and Winfree had solid practices Tuesday.

"Kabion is a kid that works really hard, knows the offense," Chiaverini said. "He's going to be ready this week and going to make play for us. … (Juwann) is getting closer. He was practicing today, which was good. It's encouraging."

With Winfree out, junior Tony Brown has emerged as a steady threat over the last four weeks, averaging four catches per game since Winfree's injury. Brown has 22 catches for 264 yards this season.

WASHINGTON RUN GAME: The Huskies have one of the Pac-12's best one-two running back combinations in Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed — but when both went down with injuries in UW's overtime loss to Oregon, the Huskies had to turn to their No. 3 and No. 4 backs.

Kamari Pleasant and Sean McGrew responded by combining for 60 yards on 12 carries and three receptions. Both Gaskin and Ahmed are expected to be back this week.

"Their offensive line is big and powerful," MacIntyre said. "The thing that do different than a lot of people is their tight ends are excellent blockers. They've got big, athletic tight ends that are excellent blockers and that bothered us a little bit last year in the run game."

Indeed, the Huskies have gashed the Buffs on the ground in each of their last two meetings. UW ran for 265 yards in a 41-10 win over Colorado in the 2016 Pac-12 championship game, then rushed for 254 last year in a 37-10 win in Boulder.

Colorado trails 5-11-1 in the all-time series, with CU's last win coming in their 1996 Holiday Bowl matchup. Since then, CU has lost eight in a row to UW, with six of those coming in Pac-12 play.

BACK TO WORK: This is the first time this year the Buffs have had a week coming off a loss. So far, MacIntyre said, CU has had good practices.

Colorado quarterback Steven Montez, meanwhile, said the USC loss may have served as a wakeup call of sorts after a 5-0 start.

"It is a reality check," Montez said. "We can maybe get a little more work in practice and take those reps a little more seriously. That will help us out a lot. Game planning, scheming, and getting back to what we were doing earlier. Getting the offense going and getting that tempo going. Putting us in good positions to be successful."

LEWIS IN GROOVE: Buffs linebacker Drew Lewis has had an excellent Pac-12 season thus far. In three conference games — including one in which he moved back to his old inside spot for a half — the CU senior has 16 tackls, including two sacks and another for loss, along with four third-down stops, a pass defensed and his first career interception.

"He's more and more comfortable, he's playing really well," MacIntyre said. "He's doing an excellent job."

DEFENSE PLAYING WELL: Colorado continues to be among the top teams in the conference in scoring defense. CU is giving up just 20.5 points per game — third-best in the conference — and that includes 7 points off a USC interception return for a touchdown in last week's game.

In yardage allowed, Colorado is fifth in the conference, allowing just over 351 per game.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu