Tuesday Buffs Bits: Third In Pac-12 Scoring, CU Offense Aims For More

BOULDER — From a statistical standpoint — especially the statistic that counts — Colorado's offense is still enjoying a productive season.

The Buffs are averaging 32 points per game, third-best in the Pac-12. Even in their current four-game losing streak, they have averaged more than 25 points per game, with 34 in each of their last two outings. Nationally, the Buffs are still in the top half of the nation in passing offense (30th), scoring offense (41st) and total offense (43rd).

But, as Buffs quarterback Steven Montez said Tuesday, "We can do a better job. There are opportunities we've left on the field. If we can just take advantage of a few more of those opportunities, we could have another score or two a game and hit 40 (points). Football is a game of inches and we're just a few inches away."

Inches may be a stretch, but a few yards is by no means an exaggeration. The Buffs have knocked on the door of an opponent's end zone multiple times during their current losing streak — only to see the door shut. That includes two first-down situations inside the Arizona 15-yard line last week that produced just three points, a first-and-goal at the Washington 8-yard line that yielded only a field goal, and a first-and-10 at the Oregon State 15 that also ended with a field goal.

Those are opportunities — if presented — the Buffs can't afford to waste Saturday when they host No. 10 Washington State in a 1:30 p.m. game at Folsom Field (ESPN).

It won't be easy. While it is WSU's "Air Raid" offense that attracts most of the publicity, the Cougars' defense is quietly having a very solid season. Washington State is fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, giving up just 23.8 points per game and fourth in total defense, yielding 327.1 yards per game.

"They're well-coached with a lot of movement up front," CU co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini said. "They'll play some man, but a lot of (zone) coverage. They're really good up front at confusing offensive lines and not letting you get in protections because they're stemming and shifting and moving. It's a really good scheme and they know how to run it."

While the Cougars defense is under the direction of first-year coordinator Tracy Claeys, they have not changed their scheme a great deal. They do their best to confuse opposing offensive linemen with movement just before the snap, and try to loop linemen into different gaps.

It's similar to what the Buffs have seen the last couple of seasons from WSU.

"It's more difficult for the offensive line," said Montez, who second in the Pac-12 in total offense (288.7 yards per game) and second in completion percentage (67.6). "A lot of the time when those guys are moving and stemming, they are saying things like, 'Move! Stem!', or something to get those guys to go. It is tough to sit there and hold your water when they are yelling all of that stuff in your face. It is going to be a challenge for our guys, but we have some guys that have played a lot of football. I think they are up for the challenge."

One big challenge for the Buffs over the last four weeks has been dealing with injuries. Starting wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr.— still the team's leader in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns — has missed the last three games. Another starting wideout, Jay MacIntyre, missed one game with a concussion (and suffered another last weekend), and a third starter, K.D. Nixon, went out last week with a hip injury.

All three, head coach Mike MacIntyre said Tuesday, are "day to day."

But, Chiaverini said, the Buffs have to figure out a way to move the ball, no matter who's in the game.

"Nobody's feeling sorry for us," Chiaverini said. "Even with injuries, you have to have ways to get guys the ball. We have enough playmakers on this team to make plays and score points. We know we can do that. We just have to make good calls and have our guys execute."

SECONDARY CHALLENGE: After starting strong, Colorado's secondary has struggled the last couple of weeks.

In the first seven games this year, CU did not allow an opponent to break the 300-yard mark in the air, and gave up just nine touchdown passes in that stretch.

But that all changed in a hurry. In the last two games combined, CU's pass defense has given up nearly 695 yards (345 to Oregon State and 350 to Arizona) and eight touchdowns (three vs. OSU and five vs. Arizona).

Now, they face the nation's No. 1 passing team. Led by quarterback Gardner Minshew, the Cougars are averaging 397.4 yards per game in the air. It will be a major challenge for Colorado's corners, who have been in position to make plays in recent weeks but just haven't been able to finish the play in crucial situations.

"You've got to be able to do it under pressure," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "it's kind of like finishing a layup under pressure or making a 3-pointer under pressure. It's that type of situation. We've seen glimpses of it where they've done well, we've seen others where they haven't. It's just been a little bit hit or miss. Hopefully we hit more this week than we miss."

KEEP GRINDING: Senior linebacker Rick Gamboa said that despite the four-game losing streak, the Buffs' haven't lost sight of the fact that they are still in position to have a good season.

"The main thing is to keep pushing and keep grinding," Gamboa said. "All four losses were close games. It's not like we've gotten blown out or anything. In all the games, we had a chance to win. Just little things and corrections we need to make. We are preaching that in practice. Making sure everybody is doing the right things, focusing in meetings and asking questions, and not making the same mistakes of and over again. Just making sure we keep improving. We've had a chance every week. We just have to keep grinding."

INJURIES MOUNTING: As mentioned earlier, the Buffs have been hit hard by the injury bug. All four starting wide receivers from CU's opening game this year — Shenault, Nixon, MacIntyre and Juwann Winfree — have been hurt this season.

Meanwhile, at least eight other significant contributors on both sides of the ball have missed at least one game as well, with some out for the season.

"It's been tough," head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "We set the expectations high, we played really well (early in the year). I cannot control game day injuries. We've had one injury in practice (all season), that was a tweaked calf. We've practiced well, we've done well, we've just had a rash of injuries. That makes it tough when you're playing really good football teams and you have key players go down. But as I've always said, nobody cares. You still have to find a way to win. We've been close in the last three and just didn't get it done. Hopefully we will get it done Saturday."

The absence of Shenault has no doubt been a major hit. Along with a team-leading 60 catches for 780 yards and six receiving touchdowns in six games, he has also rushed for 87 yards and five touchdowns.

"I think when you take a Heisman trophy candidate out of the picture, it's a big deal," MacIntyre said. "If you had taken (Heisman-winning RB) Rashaan Salaam off the '94 team, I don't know — they might still have been really good, they had a lot of great players. But you take a Heisman Trophy candidate out at the time he left, he was leading the country in every category kind of like (Washington State QB Gardner Minshew). If you take Minshew out, it might change Washington State. We haven't had our best football player on the field since halfway through the USC game, so he only played five and a half games."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu