CU Offense Aims To Clean Up Inconsistencies
October 31, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Despite dire reports to the contrary, the Colorado Buffaloes' offense has not disappeared.
Two-thirds of the way through the season, the 5-3 Buffs are still in the upper half of the Pac-12 in most offensive categories. That includes points per game (32.0, third in the conference) and yards per game (439.6, also third).
Even in conference play, the Buffs are near the middle of the pack. Colorado is averaging 26.6 points in five Pac-12 games. While that is only eighth in the league, the fourth through eighth teams are separated by just one point per game (Oregon is fourth at 27.6 per game).
But one area in which the Buffs have struggled recently is the second half. After scoring a combined 38 points after halftime in wins over UCLA and Arizona State, Colorado has scored just 23 points after intermission in its last three games (after taking the early lead in all three contests).
The Buffs have the "start fast" part of the equation under control.
It's the "finish strong" part they know they need to address, preferably beginning Friday in Tucson, when they face surging Arizona in an 8:30 p.m. game at Arizona Stadium (FS1).
"We've had opportunities offensively," said Colorado quarterback Steven Montez, who is still second in the Pac-12 in completion percentage (68.2) and total offense (284.9 yards per game). "We have to clean up the small details and the things you don't really think about in practice, like catching the ball. We have to get back to doing the little things and that is how we started the season. Doing the little things right and doing things correct, worrying about those small details. We are getting back to that and focusing on those details."
Those little details have made a big difference.
The Buffs have had no problem with explosion plays — gains of 20 yards or more — in the last three games. CU produced 12 such plays in that stretch.
But the biggest bugaboo has been inconsistencies, particularly in the red zone and in third- and fourth-down conversions.
In the first five games of the year, Colorado scored 14 red zone touchdowns in 19 opportunities. But in the last three games, they have tallied just three red zone touchdowns in seven trips inside the opponents' 20-yard-line. Throw in the fact that CU has also converted just 27.4 percent of its third-down tries in that three-game stretch (14-for-51) and is only 2-for-8 on fourth downs, and the inconsistencies are the difference.
It is, head coach Mike MacIntyre said, a matter of making plays in crucial situations. He pointed to the second half of the Oregon State loss as an example.
"We shot ourselves in the foot on a few third downs," MacIntyre said. "We caught a third-down pass and had the first down and ran behind it. We ran another third-down route that you're supposed to run at the sticks and the kid runs a yard short. … We didn't come off the ball good on a fourth-down play where we should be able to knock them back and get half a yard. We couldn't. Those are situations where guys have got to make the plays and keep drives going, keep things happening for us."
Friday, the Buffs will face an Arizona defense coming off of perhaps its best performance of the year. In last week's 44-15 win over No. 19 Oregon, the Wildcats to just 270 yards total offense (84 rushing, 186 passing). UA's defense is giving up just 23.8 points per game in Pac-12 games, and has also forced a league-best 12 turnovers in conference games.
But the Buffs are anxious to get back on the field and turn their season back in the right direction.
"I think we're ready to bounce back," said wide receiver K.D. Nixon, who is coming off a career-best 13-catch, 198-yard effort. "We've had a good week of practice. We realize it's our team. Coaches call the plays, but at the end of the day we're out there playing between the lines."
Montez voiced a similar sentiment.
"You need to have a chip on your shoulder and come out hungry," Montez said. "Our guys have that and are doing a good job of keeping that attitude around the entire team. The attitude is still come of swinging. That has to be our attitude this week."
EL PASO CONNECTION: Arizona defensive back Tristan Cooper, a product of Andress High School in El Paso, Texas, remembers playing one game against Colorado's Montez in high school. Montez played at El Paso's Del Valle.
"He ran the ball on us," Cooper said of his memories of that game.
Cooper said he and his defensive mates have plenty of respect for Montez now, especially after watching him on film.
""He's a great quarterback," Cooper said. "He's 6-foot-5, 230, can run, can throw, has a strong arm. Getting a lot of hats to the ball is going to be very helpful."
BROADCAST CREW: Friday night's FS1 crew will consist of Brian Custer (play by play), Ben Leber (color commentary) and Jennifer Hale (sidelines). The KOA radio crew will have Mark Johnson on the play by play, Gary Barnett with color commentary and Bobby Pesavento from the sidelines.
ON FRIDAYS: All-time, Colorado is just 18-24 in Friday games. But the Buffs have won their last three Friday games, including Colorado State and UCLA earlier this season.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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