Woelk: Buffs Show They're Still Headed In Right Direction
October 26, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado coach Mel Tucker isn't one to buy — and definitely not one to sell — moral victories.
You win or lose. It's that simple. No gray area.
But anyone who watched Tucker's Buffaloes take Southern California down to the wire Friday night, especially in the wake of two lopsided losses, came away knowing this much:
Tucker's Buffs don't quit. And while a 35-31 loss will count the same as any other defeat his Buffs have been dealt this year, they did enough good things Friday night to send the message that Colorado football is still headed in the right direction.
Understand, there was no one in Folsom Field more disappointed with the Colorado loss than the head coach. Tucker believed his Buffs had a great shot at knocking off USC, and he spent the week making sure his players had the same attitude. When the clock hit zeroes and the Buffs were on the short end of the scoreboard after leading for much of the night, Tucker's clenched jaw spoke volumes.
But the first-year CU head coach is also not a man prone to wild mood swings. Win or lose, Tucker's demeanor stays the same. Thus, his message in the post-game locker room was simple: build on the positives, learn from the negatives and combine both into an effort good enough to win the next time out.
"I said, 'You can look at this two different ways. You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself and say woe is me. Or you can look at yourself and say this is the type of team we can have,'" Tucker told the media. "If you take care of the ball, take it away, run the ball, finish in the red zone, stop the run and get off the field on third down, then you have a really good chance to beat anybody."
Tucker's team did those things Friday night. But they also made just one too many mistakes and missed out on one too many opportunities to grab a win and turn their season back in the right direction.
"There was never a doubt in our mind coming into this game that we could win," Tucker said. "Even all the way to the end we felt like we could make a play. We're going to build on the positives and we're going to eliminate the negatives."
The Buffs know they had their chances. They had the Trojans on the ropes and didn't deliver the knockout punch.
They know that on USC's second touchdown drive of the night, the ball was up for grabs twice — and twice it ended up back in the Trojans' hands. They know the same thing happened on the game-winning drive, when USC drove 89 yards in 12 plays. Twice the Buffs had a chance to grab a loose ball and end the march, and twice the Trojans found a way to recover and keep the possession alive.
Those were too many opportunities to give a talented team.
There were other issues as well. Once again, penalties — 13 for 109 yards — bit the Buffs. "Every 100 yards is a touchdown," Tucker said.
And, there were just enough big plays by the Trojans to make the difference in the end. Given new life, USC took advantage, notching a 37-yard touchdown pass for the winning score.
"We have to be more disciplined," Tucker said. "We have to have less penalties and do our jobs better. I told the players that and I think they can see what type of team we can have."
But Tucker was also quietly proud of the way his players rebounded from back-to-back lopsided losses. Instead of checking it in, the Buffs dialed in and came up with some big moments.
It started with quarterback Steven Montez, who spent the week shrugging off criticism after two sub-par performances. The CU senior put forth an outstanding effort, throwing for 324 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also tacked on 45 yards rushing and another score.
The night also included an outstanding performance from CU's receivers, led by a nine-catch, 172-yard, one touchdown effort from Laviska Shenault Jr.
Equally impressive was CU's defensive effort. Coordinator Tyson Summers dialed up a vast array of blitzes from virtually every angle, and it produced two quarterback sacks, four more quarterback hurries, an interception, two fumbles and six tackles for loss. Freshman cornerback K.J. Trujillo had an outstanding game — six tackles, an interception and a sack — while Davion Taylor (eight tackles) and Nate Landman (seven) were also in the mix for much of the night.
For 45 minutes, it might have been Colorado's best effort of the season.
But in the end, it wasn't quite enough. After Montez was forced from the game following a vicious hit on the sideline, the offense never rediscovered its early groove, even when he returned. Meanwhile, the defense couldn't come up with that one last bounce of the football its way to produce one last stop.
And so, the Buffs went home with their fourth straight loss — but also with some confidence. While there are no moral victories, there are nevertheless positives to be gained from a solid effort.
Even in a loss, the Buffs sent a message that they aren't ready to give up on the 2019 season.
"We're going to get them better and get ready to take this show on the road," Tucker said. "I'm not sure how many teams are lining up to play us right now."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
