Woelk: 10 Takeaways From Buffs' Win Over New Hampshire
September 16, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After two emotional games to start the season, the Colorado Buffaloes went to work Saturday and methodically disposed of an FCS opponent.
The win, which improved their record to 3-0, earned them a few more votes in the weekly polls, as they emerged Sunday high on the list of "others receiving votes" in both the AP and USA Today voting (29th in both).
But in terms of drama, Saturday's game at a sun-splashed Folsom Field didn't budge the needle. There was no rivalry to stir up emotions, no do-or-die situation for the home team, and by halftime, no doubt about who the better team was.
Still, we learned a little more about the 3-0 Buffs, who will now spend the better part of the next two weeks preparing for their Sept. 28 Pac-12 opener against UCLA under the Folsom Field lights (7 p.m., FS-1).
But, before we start looking ahead to a visit from Chip Kelly and the Bruins, we'll take one last look at Saturday's win. There was more to it than meets the eye.
Our weekly 10 Takeaways:
1. The Buffs are developing some important depth. While CU's regulars played well, there were a number of reserves and backups who either started for injured regulars, came in early or got plenty of playing time in the second half — and many of them performed well.
The list is lengthy. Wide receiver Tony Brown had five catches for a team-leading 80 yards; running back Beau Bisharat carried 13 times for 92 yards; offensive lineman Jacob Moretti got his first start and played well at left guard; sophomore JC transfer Kary Kutsch received some quality snaps starting with the No. 1 offense at right guard; junior OLB Alex Tchangam played with the No. 1 unit and got good pressure on the pocket; redshirt freshman defensive lineman Terrance Lang had a nice quarterback hurry that forced an interception; and ILB Jonathan Van Diest had a couple of tackles.
That is by no means the entire list, but it gives you an idea — the Buffs are developing depth at a lot of positions. Sooner or later, the Buffs are going to need some of those players to play key roles in big moments, and early indications are, they will be ready to contribute. Depth is ultra-important late in the season, and Colorado appears to have players who will be able to step in and help when needed.
2. Takeaways continue to be a big part of the defense. Every defensive staff stresses takeaways. But some teams just seem to have a knack for forcing them.
So far, the Buffs appear to be one of those teams. In three games, Colorado's defense has produced seven takeaways (including three in each of the last two games). CU's defense has converted one of them into a score — Saturday's 14-yard scoop-and-score by Buff back Davion Taylor — while the offense has added four more scores off of those takeaways.
An interesting note in this area: CU's linebackers have already produced three interceptions, two by Nate Landman and one from Rick Gamboa. That is already as many picks as CU's linebackers have produced in any of the last 10 seasons.
If Colorado can continue its takeaway trend — and the offense can continue to take care of the ball (CU's No. 1 offense has turned it over just three times) — it will mean the difference in a game or two in the Pac-12 South race.
3. The OL is still a work in progress but making steady improvement. This should not be a surprise to anyone who has watched this team since fall camp. Colorado came into the season needing to replace three starters up front. That's not an easy task and not one that is solved quickly, especially for a team still building depth at the position.
But the Buffs took some big strides Saturday. O-line coach Klayton Adams is still mixing and matching combinations, as he continues to get more snaps for redshirt freshmen Moretti and Will Sherman, while also working sophomore Kutsch into the mix.
The Buffs were better in pass protection against New Hampshire, and much better in the ground game. There is still work to be done (which can be said for virtually every position on the team), but if they continue to improve up front at a steady pace, they will be a key factor in any November push this team makes.
4. The defensive line is also improving. Yes, two of the biggest questions coming into fall camp were CU's lines. So far, the defensive line is holding its own. CU's D-line played well against Colorado State, recovered from a rough start at Nebraska to put together a solid second half, and then dominated a smaller New Hampshire team on Saturday.
The best news is that CU is getting production from a number of players. Sophomore Mustafa Johnson is turning into a versatile, big-play producer who can get to the passer and stuff the run. Javier Edwards has been more consistent at nose tackle, freshman Israel Antwine is improving each week, and Chris Mulumba, Jase Franke, Terrance Lang and Lyle Tuiloma are providing solid relief in the rotation.
It may not be an overall overpowering group — but their depth keeps them fresh. That depth will be a big help as the Pac-12 season unfolds.
5. Quarterback Steven Montez is taking the next step. The CU junior leads the Pac-12 in completion percentage (69-for-94, 73.4 percent), is third in yards per game (285.0) and second in passing efficiency (173.6). He also has eight touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Montez has always been a playmaker. But this year, we are seeing him become a developed decision-maker. As head coach Mike MacIntyre said Saturday, if the Buffs are going to be successful in the Pac-12, they need Montez to play well. So far, he's done exactly that.
6. CU continues to develop offensive weapons. While it may seem that way, the Buffs are far more than just Montez to Laviska Shenault Jr. No doubt, the sophomore wide receiver is something special. He still leads the nation in receiving yards per game (151.7) and is fourth in receptions per game (8.7), despite playing just a half Saturday in order to rest an aching shoulder.
Shenault also has one touchdown catch in each of CU's first three games this year. His 28-yard scoring catch Saturday in traffic looked almost too easy, prompting one teammate to shrug his shoulders and say, "That's just Viska being Viska."
But there are other weapons, and they are getting better as the season progresses. CU's running game looked solid, and it wouldn't be hard to imagine a nice one-two punch of Travon McMillian (15 carries, 162 yards, two touchdowns) and Bisharat (13-92) as conference play unfolds. We also can't forget Kyle Evans here, who had five carries for 25 yards and a touchdown.
As for the receivers, Brown is turning into a consistent weapon in clutch situations. He had two key third-down grabs against Nebraska, then had a nice 53-yard reception Saturday. Sophomore K.D. Nixon continues to be a regular target, and the Buffs should have a healthy Juwann Winfree back for UCLA. Throw in reliable Jay MacIntyre, and it is an offense that is developing and refining plenty of options.
7. "Folsom Fast" is not just an empty phrase. When the Buffs score, they usually don't need a lot of time to do it. Offensive co-coordinator Darrin Chiaverini has made up-tempo a priority, and so far the Buffs are delivering.
Colorado's offense has 19 scoring drives this year, with 15 touchdowns. Ten of those 19 scoring drives have taken less than two minutes off the clock, and just three Colorado scoring drives have lasted longer than four minutes.
It's not as if the Buffs are throwing on every down. They had one drive Saturday that covered 55 yards in eight plays, and the only pass was a 3-yard toss. Still, that drive took just 2:36 off the clock.
Meanwhile, CU has had just one scoring drive last longer than five minutes, a 5:21 march Saturday for the game's final score.
That up-tempo pace is no doubt entertaining, and it also takes its toll on defenses — especially in the high altitude of Boulder.
There will be a time, however, that the Buffs need to "eat" some clock with a long, time-consuming drive. That's when their running game will need to be able to pound out steady yards against a defense that will be stacking the box. They haven't faced that situation yet, and it will be interesting to see how they manage such a situation when it arises.
8. The defense has playmakers, too. While the offense is stacked with weapons, the defensive side of the ball has some game-changers as well. What's equally clear is that defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot is getting them in position to deliver those momentum-shifting moments.
Saturday, we saw Buff back Taylor recover his second fumble in as many weeks. Taylor did not play high school football, and is still learning the game. But he is improving on a weekly basis and his outstanding athleticism — size and speed — will continue to be a factor for the Buffs.Â
But Taylor isn't the only playmaker on defense. Linebacker Nate Landman has a pair of interceptions and recorded his first sack Saturday. The sophomore is also showing a terrific knack for making stops behind the line of scrimmage, as he's currently fourth in the nation in tackles for loss with seven.
Also stepping up have been senior linebacker Rick Gamboa (his interception Saturday set up CU's first score) and defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson (he's tied for first in the Pac-12 with 3.5 sacks and also has a fumble recovery and tipped ball that led to an interception).
Now throw in such players as senior safety Evan Worthington and linebacker Drew Lewis, both of whom have shown a penchant in the past for big plays. They have been relatively quiet this year, but odds are, they will have their turns soon.
9. Colorado's secondary is answering the bell thus far, but … But the biggest tests are still to come.
CU's defensive backs played well against a potent Colorado State passing attack. They did give up one long ball for a score against Nebraska and another against New Hampshire (against CU's second unit), but overall, they have been solid. Cornerbacks Delrick Abrams Jr., Dante Wigley and Trey Udoffia have all been consistent in coverage, as have safeties Evan Worthington and Nick Fisher and nickel back Ronnie Blackmon.
But the true tests are still ahead. The Pac-12's current top five teams in passing offense are all on CU's schedule, meaning there are plenty of challenges on the horizon.Â
10. There's work to be done. Not only is it hard to argue with a 3-0 start, it's harder to argue with the way the Buffs have gotten to this point. They smacked around in-state rival Colorado State, showed great resilience in recording a come-from-behind win in a hostile atmosphere at Nebraska, then put forth a dominant effort against FCS New Hampshire.
But along the way, they have also made their share of mistakes. The good news is they are not only aware of the miscues, they have shown the work ethic necessary to address them.
Still, MacIntyre and his staff have been quick to remind the Buffs of this: when conference play opens, the margin for error diminishes while the price for a mistake increases significantly.
One-fourth of the way through the season, the Buffs are on the right trajectory. Now, with their "second season" now on the immediate horizon, it will be fun to see if they can keep that trajectory on the same path.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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Players Mentioned
