Friday's Fast Five: Digging Into Keys For Buffs Vs. Wildcats
September 14, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After his team opened the season with a pair of emotional wins over two long-time rivals, Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre had a simple message when the Buffs hit the practice field this week:
Keep your foot on the gas and don't let up.
What MacIntyre and his players don't want is any kind of letdown — emotional or otherwise — when the Buffs take the field Saturday for their 3 p.m. home opener against New Hampshire (Pac-12 Mountain). With a 2-0 record and a bye week on the horizon, the Buffs would love to take some momentum into that bye week, when they will begin preparation for their Sept. 28 Pac-12 opener at home against UCLA.
But to get there, they need to take care of business against the Wildcats, an FCS program with a strong tradition that includes 14 straight postseason appearances.
This year, UNH is off to an uncharacteristically slow start. The Wildcats opened the season with a 35-7 loss to Maine, then dropped a 10-3 decision to Colgate last week. They have been hampered by an injury to quarterback Trevor Knight — the CAA preseason "offensive player to watch" — and are now operating under the direction of sophomore Christian Lupoli.
Still, Colorado is taking nothing for granted. A loss — or even a poor performance — would create some unnecessary doubts heading into conference play.
What do the Buffs need to do in order to keep their momentum going in the right direction?
1. Get the crowd in the game early. There's no doubt the Folsom Field gathering should be in a good mood when they arrive, as they have watched their Buffs rack up a 45-13 win over in-state rival Colorado State and a dramatic 33-28 victory at former conference foe Nebraska. CU fans will arrive expecting another win.
In both games so far, the Buffs have scored touchdowns on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead. Do that again against the Wildcats, and they'll have the crowd on its feet and the Wildcats on their heels.
The best way to do that?
2. Keep the passing game rolling. In two games, the Buffs are averaging 344 yards per game in the air with seven touchdowns. Five different CU players have been on the receiving end of a Steven Montez touchdown pass thus far this season, and the Buffs already have three 100-yard receiving games (two by Laviska Shenault Jr.).
They need to keep that trend going today. Colorado's offensive motto this year has been "Folsom Fast," and there would be no better time or place for the Buffs to play that way than in their home opener.
3. Continue to improve pass protection. In last week's win at Nebraska, Montez was sacked seven times. While not all of those sacks were the O-line's fault, it was still no secret the Buffs were having trouble protecting their quarterback in the pocket for a portion of the game.
While the Wildcats don't have the depth or size of the Huskers up front, they do have some capable pass rushers. New Hampshire defensive linemen Jae'Wuan Horton and Ryan Sosnak both have a pair of sacks this season, and the Buffs need to keep them at bay to give CU time to find a rhythm in the passing game. The Buffs did provide some solid protection in the fourth quarter against the Huskers and the result was a game-winning touchdown.
The next step will be developing more consistency in that area.
4. Re-establish the run game. After a solid opening game against CSU, Colorado's rushing attack ground to a halt against the Huskers, finishing with just 44 yards on the ground on 35 carries. While those numbers are skewed by the sacks — Montez lost 43 yards on the sacks — it still wasn't a great day on the ground.
Saturday would be a good time for the Buffs to regain their footing in their running attack. While their passing game has been solid, sooner or later they will need to run the ball with authority in a critical situation. They need to use every opportunity possible to develop that ability.
5. Continue their takeaway/turnover trend. Colorado's defense has produced four takeaways this year, two interceptions and two fumbles.
Even better, the Buffs have turned three of those takeaways into touchdowns, including two last week at Nebraska that led to CU's first two scores. Those are the kinds of momentum shifts that make a huge difference. If the Buffs can get to Lupoli early and rattle him, it will be a good step toward giving the offense some extra opportunities.
Meanwhile, CU's offense has been good at taking care of the ball. While CU did have two turnovers against CSU, the Buffs were spotless in that department against Nebraska — a big deciding factor in the final outcome.
MacIntyre's teams have always prided themselves in ball security. If they can keep that tradition going, it will be a big help in making sure the Wildcats don't get any surprising momentum swings that will build their confidence.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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