Woelk: 10 Takeaways From Buffs' Win Over CSU
September 02, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado fans were giddy Saturday morning — and rightfully so — in the wake of the Buffaloes' 45-13 win over Colorado State in their Friday night season opener.
The Buffs did lots and lots of things well.
But, as CU coach Mike MacIntyre told his team in the locker room, it was just the first step in a long journey, and while the Buffs' performance was no doubt reason for optimism, there is still room for improvement.
Thus, it's back to the grind Monday for the players and Sunday for coaches, who now find themselves in the position of trying to prepare for Nebraska with no game film. The Huskers' scheduled season opener against Akron was washed out Saturday, and the much-anticipated Scott Frost era will now begin with a visit from the Buffs.
But before we look ahead to a trip to Lincoln, Friday night's fourth straight Colorado win in the Rocky Mountain Showdown is worth another look. Thus, our weekly 10 takeaways:
1. CU's offense is a perfect fit for Steven Montez. For starters, Montez's numbers were terrific Friday night — 22-for-25, 338 yards and four touchdowns in the air, plus three rushes for 41 yards and another score. His 246.4 quarterback rating is the best in CU history for 20-plus and 25-plus attempts in a game, breaking the mark set by Koy Detmer in 1995 against NE Louisiana.
But what is also apparent is that co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper are putting Montez in the best possible position to succeed. CU's game plan takes full advantage of his terrific physical abilities while still making sure not all the pressure is on his shoulders.
Montez's ability to read defenses, react and make solid decisions has clearly improved. Meanwhile, those fly sweeps, screens and quick passes to the flat utilizing Colorado's speedy receivers keep defenses honest, keep the ball moving, and are perfect for an up-tempo attack. That up-tempo attack also opens up the downfield passing lanes for Montez's big arm, and he showed it with a picture-perfect 46-yard bomb to K.D. Nixon, who never broke stride en route to the end zone.
It all adds up to a great fit for CU's junior quarterback.
His best pass of the night, by the way, might have been the 4-yard back-shoulder scoring toss to Juwann Winfree. The timing between the two was perfect, as was the throw. Montez put the ball where only Winfree could make the catch, just at the end zone sideline. It was the result of the two spending countless hours over the last year throwing together whenever they had the chance — and unless teams continue to double-cover Winfree as much as CSU did, you can bet we'll see that connection plenty more times this year.
Montez did have one ill-advised toss that ended in an interception — and in the locker room, he was berating himself for the throw. But in the big picture, a 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is one most coaches will live with.
2. Laviska Shenault Jr. is going to cause nightmares for defensive coordinators. Guaranteed, every defensive coordinator on CU's schedule will be trying to figure out how to stop No. 2 and the package the Buffs have designed to feature his talents.
The Buffs lined up Shenault in the backfield, at H-back, out wide and in the slot — and he made plays from every spot, finishing with 11 catches for 211 yards. His speed, size and athleticism make him a coverage nightmare. Too big for true corners to handle and too fast for linebackers, he is a demon in space. In the span of a couple of offensive series against the Rams, he simply bulled over a CSU cornerback for extra yards, then outran four defenders on an 89-yard scoring play that began with a short toss.
To be fair, Shenault no doubt caught the Rams by surprise. He had some moments last year, but no one on the CSU staff could have had an inkling what he was capable of doing. In the future, that element of surprise won't be there.
But when future defenses do decided to double up on Shenault, it will only open the door for somebody else. Which brings us to …
3. The Buffs have some serious speed. Shenault's performance somewhat overshadowed the effort of do-everything wideout K.D. Nixon — who also lined up at a variety of places, including the backfield.
Nixon's speed was clearly evident on his 46-yard reception. He simply ran by CSU corner V.J. Banks, and finished with six catches for 112 yards.
But Nixon and Shenault aren't the only wideouts with speed. Winfree, remember, ran through the USC secondary last season for a pair of long scores and is a threat to go deep. When teams provide back-end help coverage on one of CU's receivers, there's a good chance another will be open.
4. The running game looks alive and well. A big question coming into the season was how the Buffs would replace Phillip Lindsay, one of the most productive backs in CU history.
If Friday is any indication, they'll do it with a stable of backs who all bring something to the table.
The biggest night came from grad transfer Travon McMillian. His first carry as a Buff went for 15 yards, and he finished with 10 carries for 103 yards. His 49-yard scoring run was a thing of beauty, as he faked a dip inside and left a CSU defender in his tracks before heading down the sideline for the score.
But the Buffs also got a solid performance from Beau Bisharat (7-for-52, plus a 4-yard touchdown catch) and a good night from Kyle Evans (12-for-59). Bisharat adds a nice element to the offense — a big back who can carry or lead block in short yardage, and who is also a reliable receiver.
5. There's a new sheriff in town. Granted, this corner has been a big fan of linebacker Nate Landman since last season, when he made the most of some playing time down the stretch.
But the sophomore had an excellent camp and took his game to another level — and is now showing the possibility of putting his name alongside some CU greats of the past. His first start produced a 16-tackle night (two for loss), as well as an interception, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry.
He has earned the nickname "The Hammer" from his teammates because, as MacIntyre says, "he gets to the ball in a hurry and arrives in an angry mood."
But along with being a big hitter, he is also an instinctive, heady player who should only keep getting better.
One other name to remember at linebacker? Try redshirt freshman Carson Wells, who had two tackles, half a sack and a quarterback hurry in his starting debut. He is another name CU fans will be hearing for the next several years.
6. There is speed on defense as well. Landman taking a starting job inside allowed senior Drew Lewis to move outside — and it appears he is ready to thrive at the spot.
Lewis had three tackles against CSU and showed an ability to come off the edge and put pressure on the pocket. Equally importantly, he played well in pass coverage. He finished with two pass breakups, showing good speed and an ability to break on the ball — and it is only a matter of time before he turns one of those breakups into an interception.
7. The defensive line is improved. With two starters back from last year in Javier Edwards and Chris Mulumba, the Buffs had a good start here. While Mulumba didn't start, he got plenty of snaps in at defensive end and finished with four tackles and half a sack.
But Colorado also got some big plays from newcomers, in particular junior college transfer Mustafa Johnson. The sophomore made his presence felt early by getting some pressure on the quarterback, and was also in on a sack and a big third-down stop early in the game. He finished with five tackles and was solid against the run.
Also showing up were true freshman Israel Antwine with a pair of tackles and redshirt freshman Terrance Lang, who had one quarterback pressure and a tackle.
8. Corner in good hands. Junior college transfer Delrick Abrams Jr. steadily improved throughout fall camp to earn a starting spot — and he didn't disappoint in his Colorado debut.
Nicknamed "Slim" by his teammates and coaches (he's 6-foot-3, 185 pounds), Abrams was credited with nine tackles, including one for loss, and a pass breakup. He should only get better as the season progresses.
9. Red zone/special teams should be consistent. A year ago, the Buffs walked away from the red zone with too many field goals and not enough touchdowns.
Friday night, they were 3-for-3 on red zone trips that counted, producing two touchdowns and a field goal. Their only red zone "failure" came at the end of the game, when the offense took a knee to run out the clock.
Meanwhile, CU's special teams were solid. Alex Kinney punted three times for a 45-yard average, including a beautiful 42-yarder that he dropped at the CSU 1-yard line, and the Rams did not return any of his punts. Kicker James Stefanou was good on his only field goal try, a 39-yarder, while Davis Price had only one of his eight kickoffs returned.
In the return game, Ronnie Blackmon averaged more than 16 yards on five punt returns. Overall, a solid effort from special teams that helped CU in the field position battle all night.
10. Don't take too much away from this one. Yes, that's right — our last takeaway is not to take too much away from one game.
No doubt it was an outstanding performance. But the Rams are a team searching for something resembling consistency, and the Buffs will see much — much — better teams in the future.
More than anything, it was a great confidence boost for a young team that needed a good start. It helped wash away the sour taste from last season, and allowed many of the newcomers and youngsters to see that they do indeed belong on a Division I field.
But the road gets much tougher next week. What we learned Friday is that this team does indeed have the potential to play well when the lights go on. They believe they have plenty more to prove.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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