Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Defense Made Solid Strides In 2018
November 27, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — In an up-and-down season overall, the Colorado defense proved to be a steady, much-improved unit in 2018.
The Buffs were among the Pac-12's top four teams in several categories, despite being on the field for an inordinate amount of time. Colorado's defense faced the third-most plays in the league this year, but still finished third in the conference in third-down defense and fourth in yards allowed per play.
"We had some great senior leaders and some really talented young guys," defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said Tuesday. "The guys who had been in the system for a year did a great job in keeping the defense together and we had some new faces who showed up and made plays right away. There is some excellent young talent and I think the future is really promising for the Colorado defense."
The Buffs made incremental progress in their scoring defense, yielding just more than 27 points per game. But even that number was inflated by offensive turnovers. Take away four touchdowns scored by the opposing defense, and CU's defense actually yielded less than 25 points per game, which would have been sixth-best in the Pac-12 and in a virtual tie with Stanford.
"The thing that stuck out was how the guys played hard right to the end every game," Eliot said. "The leadership was impressive, and some of those young guys were a big part of that. There will obviously be some new faces next year because of graduation and a chance for more young guys to play, but there are also a lot of really talented guys coming back."
Indeed, six of CU's top 10 tacklers for the year will be back in a Colorado uniform next fall. That includes linebacker Nate Landman, who led the team in tackles, as well as linebacker Davion Taylor, defensive end Mustafa Johnson and cornerback Delrick Abrams Jr. Johnson had the most tackles for loss by a Buff in more than 20 years and was second in the league in sacks while teammate Carson Wells tied for eighth in sacks.
Colorado's defense also faced some difficult situations and responded well. Over the course of the year, opponents had 15 drives that started in Colorado territory, including five inside the CU 35-yard line. The Buffs defense, however, allowed just three touchdowns out of those 15 drives that began in plus territory, and just two out of those that started inside the 35.
"They got put in some tough situations but never stopped playing hard," Eliot said. "They played right down to the end of every game, no matter the situation. There are some really good young players who are very skilled. Next year is will be very promising and I think you'll see the defense improve again."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
