Buffs Aim To Establish Ground Game Against Sun Devils
October 04, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the nation, it's no secret the No. 21 Colorado Buffaloes would love to maintain that trend Saturday against visiting Arizona State.
But to accomplish that goal against the Sun Devils (3-2 overall, 1-1 Pac-12) in their 2 p.m. meeting at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Networks), the Buffs must first establish a run game.
Otherwise, head coach Mike MacIntyre warned, the 4-0 Buffs (1-0 Pac-12) could find themselves with a one-dimensional attack, and "that is when they feast on you."
Sun Devils defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales — a protege of San Diego State head coach Rocky Long — runs a 3-3 scheme that attacks with a variety of blitzes and stunts, all designed to make life miserable for an opposing quarterback. In five games, ASU has recorded 41 tackles for loss, including 18 quarterback sacks.
Thus, to prevent the Sun Devils from teeing off on CU's passing attack, the Buffs must first establish a run game.
ASU has struggled at times against the run. San Diego State gashed the Sun Devils for 311 yards on the ground in a 28-21 win and Washington ran for 171 yards in a 27-20 victory. And, even in a 52-24 win over Oregon State last week, ASU still gave up 261 yards on the ground.
"We have to be able to run the ball on them and they know that," MacIntyre said. "We have to be able to run the football and make some plays there to be able to allow us to throw it."
While their passing game has grabbed the headlines, the Buffs have also had some success on the ground this year. Senior tailback Travon McMillian has rushed for at least 100 yards in three of four games, and Colorado is averaging a healthy 205.5 rushing yards per game.
But CU's run attack did struggle in the 33-28 win over Nebraska. Colorado finished with just 44 yards on 35 attempts in that game — and even when adjusting for sack yardage, CU still only managed 87 yards on the ground.
It means Colorado's offensive line will be under pressure to establish a push early, and must also be prepared to deal with ASU's multiple looks at the same time.
"They have to understand the different schemes and I believe that they definitely do," MacIntyre said.
Another key will be the play of CU's tight ends, who have been a big factor in Colorado's run game. The extra blocking provided by Chris Bounds and Brady Russell have helped CU spring some big gains on the ground, including last week's 35-yard touchdown run by quarterback Steven Montez.
"Chris has done an excellent job and Brady Russell and Darrion (Jones) are doing really well," MacIntyre said. "Brady and Chris on the long run sold their guys, pinned them, stayed blocked on them and Steven took off. That was exciting to see. "
Montez will also have to be on his toes. The Sun Devils will no doubt give him all kinds of looks and bring pressure from as many places as possible. Eleven different Sun Devils have recorded at least one quarterback sack thus far, with five owning at least two, led by freshman linebacker Merlin Robertson's three.
"Steven has to know what is going on and where the free guy is coming from," MacIntyre said. "I believe he understands that. He needs to get the ball out of his hands quick."
Thus far, Montez has been excellent in that regard. He leads the nation in completion percentage, having connected on 91 of his 120 attempts (75.8 percent).
"He understands it all," MacIntyre said. "He's a quick-twitch thinker. He can see and he can think. He is very, very bright. He can get the ball out of his hands quickly."
ASU WINLESS ON THE ROAD: While the Sun Devils are 3-0 at home, they are 0-2 on the road, with losses at San Diego State and Washington.
It's something ASU coach Herm Edwards addressed to his team immediately following last week's win over Oregon State.
"We know how to win at home. We got that thing figured out," Edwards said. "We've got to go on the road at Colorado. If you want to win this division, it starts with them. … We're going on the road and we're going to win a road game. Up there at Colorado. They don't think it's going to happen, but it's about to happen."
Edwards talked about the topic again at his weekly press conference.
"I think I have always enjoyed going on the road with teams and even as a player," he said. "You have that mentality when you go on the road, that it's going to be tough, it's going to be loud. … It's a fun environment. The fans are in an uproar and you know it. Emotions of the crowd, it takes on the personality of the team that is playing."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
