Woelk: 10 Takeaways From Buffs Vs. Washington
October 21, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With a difficult two-game road trip now in their rearview mirror, the 5-2 Colorado Buffaloes (2-2 Pac-12) next turn their attention to a regular season stretch run that will include three home games and a pair of road contests.
It begins next Saturday with a 1 p.m. home game against struggling Oregon State (1-6, 0-4), the only Pac-12 team without at least two wins this season and the only Pac-12 team without a conference win.
What the Buffs know today is what they heard from head coach Mike MacIntyre immediately after Saturday's 27-13 loss at Washington: the Pac-12 South is still up for grabs and the Buffs still have a reasonable shot at the division title.
But to get there, they will have to address some of the issues that have hindered them the last couple of weeks, as well as continue to improve on the things they have been doing well.
Thus, our weekly 10 Takeaways:
1. The Buffs have closed the gap on the conference elite — but their margin for error is still thin. If there was one overwhelming feeling in the Colorado locker room after Saturday's game, it was that they let an opportunity slip away.
The Buffs know they had a chance to pick up a signature win. This is not saying they should have won or that they deserved to win. The Huskies kept their composure in the wake of some potential game-changing mistakes, made adjustments when necessary, and made enough plays to win the game.
But for the first time in their last three meetings, Colorado was not overwhelmed physically by Washington. CU has narrowed the gap significantly in that department.
Still, what has been apparent over the last two weeks — and actually, throughout the Pac-12 this season — is that the margin for error is slim. The teams who are avoiding costly mistakes and taking advantage of opportunities when they occur are the teams who are winning the pivotal games.
2. Injuries make a big difference. Yes, injuries are part of the game. As MacIntyre said after Saturday's loss, "No excuses, no regrets. We've signed good players, we have good players. We have enough good players to win."
Neither is there much benefit in playing the "what if …" game. But no doubt, there were plenty of folks wondering Saturday what kind of impact CU's missing starters might have had.
Certainly it would have been nice to see Laviska Shenault Jr. lining up out wide and in the wildcat in short yardage situations. Starting cornerback Delrick Abrams Jr. also likely could have had an impact, as could have starting slot receiver Jay MacIntyre. (When CU lost another starting corner in the game, Chris Miller, it made the situation even worse.)
To be fair, the Huskies were also shorthanded, including missing top running back Myles Gaskin. As we said, injuries are part of the game.
But if there's one positive from Saturday's game, we saw continued evidence that Colorado has improved its depth over the last few years. The dropoff between No. 1 and No. 2 is not near as significant as it once was.
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3. There are some talented youngsters waiting in the wings. A host of Colorado players had some career firsts against the Huskies, including at least four freshmen.
Wide receiver Daniel Arias had the most notable first, hauling in a 37-yard touchdown pass on CU's opening possession. It was Arias' first career catch, making him the 16th player in CU history to score on his first touch as a collegian.
Other freshmen with their first catches were Dimitri Stanley (three catches for 24 yards in his first career start) and tight end Brady Russell (four catches for 23 yards, the most catches by a Colorado tight end since 2013). Also getting his name into the books was freshman kicker Evan Price, who knocked through his first PAT and a pair of field goals.
Overall, the Buffs started five freshmen against the Huskies — Stanley, DE Israel Antwine, cornerback Chris Miller, center Colby Pursell and left tackle William Sherman. All are players who will be major contributors in the years ahead, along with Arias, Price and several others who are getting quality playing time.
4. First down plays are important. We took note of this a week ago, when the Buffs averaged just 1.5 yards per snap on first down against USC. Saturday, they improved that numbers slightly to 2.7, but it was still far below their season average of 5.8.
On CU's first drive of the day against the Huskies, which produced Colorado's only touchdown, the Buffs ran four first-down plays for 23 yards. The Buffs' touchdown — a 37-yard pass — came on a manageable second-and-6, a down and distance that defenses usually have to play straight up.
But after that, CU's first-down numbers dwindled in a hurry, and that played into the hands of Washington's defense. No doubt, it is an area the Buffs will have to re-establish over the next five weeks.
5. The Pac-12 South is still a four-team race (maybe more). We mentioned this earlier, but it's worth closer inspection.
The current South standings (league games only) look like this: Utah 3-2, USC 3-2, Colorado 2-2, UCLA 2-2, Arizona 2-3, Arizona State 1-3.
It's certainly not hard to imagine the division winner finishing with three losses, and the likelihood of a two- or three-way tie is by no means far-fetched.
In short, it has all the makings of a extremely entertaining November (not that the Buffs should be looking past Oregon State). But for those of us who don't have to take it one game at a time, that November stretch — at Arizona, home against Washington State and Utah, and at Cal — is going to be a doozy.
By the way, the entire Pac-12 has been a "who's got next?" affair this season. With Washington State ascending to No. 14 this week in the AP poll — just ahead of Washington — four different Pac-12 teams had the honor of being the conference's highest rated team this year. Previously, Washington, Stanford and Oregon all held the spot.
6. It was good to see tight ends working into the equation. Actually, this isn't wholly accurate. Colorado's tight ends, Chris Bounds and Brady Russell, have played a valuable role all season. But their roles as blockers have gone mostly unnoticed by casual observers.
But Saturday, they found themselves on the receiving end of some Steven Montez throws. Russell, as we mentioned earlier, had four catches for 23 yards while Bounds had one for 15.
Both Russell and Bounds are sure-handed receivers, and both are very capable blockers, both in the run game and in pass protection. It is a weapon that could become more valuable as opposing defenses continue to make stopping CU's perimeter game a priority.
7. CU's run game will be looking for the restart button. After rushing for at least 160 yards in three straight games — including UCLA and Arizona State — the Buffs have slowed considerably. CU had just 95 yards on the ground against USC, and 119 against Washington.
Equally telling is Colorado's average per carry: the Buffs managed just 3.4 yards per attempt against the Huskies. CU's leader in yards per carry was Montez at 3.7 (his numbers would have been better had it not been for a penalty that nullified a big gain).
Meanwhile, without Shenault, the wildcat formation was ineffective, as Washington sniffed out the play and stopped Travon McMillian on two straight plays.
It's not something that can't be fixed. The Buffs have shown they can run the ball. But it is something they will need to do down the stretch, particularly when Utah and Washington State — the No. 1 and No. 4 teams against the run in the Pac-12 — pay a visit to Folsom Field.
8. Colorado's defense continues to be a dependable, steady group. While Washington did rush for 201 yards against the Buffs, Colorado's defense once again gave CU opportunities to stay in the game. A first-half interception by Nick Fisher left Colorado just 9 yards away from the end zone and the halftime lead (CU settled for a field goal); and a big play by Fisher and Nate Landman at the goal line ended a UW threat and gave the Buffs the ball back early in the fourth period and down by just four points.
Landman, by the way, continues to be a force. He was credited with 11 tackles — one for loss — and a forced fumble, as well as being a big presence on at least a dozen other plays. He continues to be a disruptive force all over the field and it won't be a surprise if he's on some all-conference teams at season's end. Meanwhile, safety Evan Worthington, nose tackle Javier Edwards, defensive end Mustafa Johnson and Buff back Davion Taylor also continue to be steady, reliable playmakers. More and more, this looks like a defense that will be a big factor in November.
9. Fourth downs and penalties are difference makers. Strictly from a numbers standpoint, CU's penalty situation Saturday wasn't bad — four flags for 48 yards.
But they also came at the worst possible time. One, a pass interference, came on a fourth down and gave UW a fresh set of downs deep inside CU territory, leading to a touchdown. Another nullified a tackle for loss and put the Huskies in position for a field goal, another gave the Huskies a first down after a third-and-11 incompletion, and the fourth nullified a 14-yard Montez run into Washington territory.
Fourth downs, meanwhile, were also a huge difference. The Huskies converted both of their tries, both times extending drives that resulted in touchdowns, and they also had a touchdown drive kept alive by a penalty on fourth down. Colorado, meanwhile, came up short on two fourth-down tries.
Those are the critical, difference-making moments. The Buffs had them go their way earlier this season in wins over Nebraska and Arizona State. They need to get that mojo back.
10. There is still room for a very good season. Yes, we said this a week ago after the Buffs suffered their first loss of the year.
It's still applicable to 5-2 Colorado. In the words of Montez, "There's no need to freak out, panic. We just need to get back to work."
Indeed. As we mentioned previously, the Buffs are still very much in contention for a South title. They can become bowl eligible with a win next week — and every week thereafter will have something riding on that game. This is a young team with talent in lots of places, and room to improve.
But most importantly, it is a team that hasn't lost its confidence. They know they let an opportunity get away from them Saturday, they will learn from it — and build on it.
There's plenty more good football to be played.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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