Woelk: Takeaways From Buffs Game Vs. Arizona

BOULDER — In four of their five games this year, the 3-2 Colorado Buffaloes have gone down to the wire with their opponent.

Take a few plays here or there in each of those four games and the Buffs could be 5-0 or 1-4.

It's how close the margin of error has been for Mel Tucker's team all season, and it is something that will quite likely pop up again before his first year in Boulder comes to an end.

So what did we learn from CU's latest down-to-the-last-possession performance, Saturday's 35-30 loss to Arizona?

1. CU fans will be glad to see Khalil Tate's eligibility come to an end. It would be hard to find another player in Colorado football history who has wreaked more havoc on the Buffaloes than the Arizona quarterback. In his last three games against CU, Tate threw for 908 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 365 yards and four scores, all in UA victories.

Quite simply, the Buffs have had enough of Tate.

2. Injuries matter. Before we go any farther, understand this is not Tucker's outlook. Tucker abhors excuses. As he said after Saturday's game, "Next man up is not a cliche, it's what is required. We were able to put 11 out there on every snap and we had enough guys to finish the game. There is no excuse."

But every once in a while,a team endures an abnormal amount of injuries — and this is one of those years for the Buffs. On a team that was lacking in depth when the season began, it is a hit that is taking an out-sized toll.

By game's end Saturday, at least eight players who have had significant roles as starters for Colorado this year weren't available. That's more than a third of the Buffs' starting lineup, and it resulted in a host of youngsters, including a number of freshmen, being thrust into key roles.

To their credit, many of them played well. But if you're wondering why Tate was 23-for-27 in the second half Saturday, remember that Colorado's secondary at that point consisted of just one player who began the year as a starter. Meanwhile, CU's top defensive lineman and sack leader did not play the entire game and the Buffs' starting nose tackle did not play the second half.

Those are obstacles that are difficult to overcome under any circumstances.

3. Colorado's rushing attack is becoming more and more of a dependable weapon. The Buffs rushed 37 times Saturday for 159 yards, a solid 4.3-yard average per carry, led by a 21-for-94 day from Alex Fontenot. The run game was a big part of a couple of CU's long scoring drives, and was also a reason CU had just one three-and-out possession all day.

It's a credit to Colorado's offensive line, and also to Fontenot and Jaren Mangham, who are running with an edge. They are forcing defenses to respect the rushing attack, and as a result, defenses aren't able to simply tee off on quarterback Steven Montez, who was not sacked for the second game in a row.

4. Offensive coordinator Jay Johnson's play calling continues to be a nice mix of innovation and patience. Saturday, Johnson once again reached into his bag of tricks at a critical moment, calling a reverse pass in the first half that gave the Buffs their first touchdown of the day.

But Johnson is by no means all razzle-dazzle. He is using CU's run game to keep defenses honest, he is putting Montez in position to succeed, and he is utilizing every weapon possible. It is an offense that still has room to grow, and it will be interesting to see what new wrinkles they might show as the season progresses.

5. Colorado's specialists have become reliable weapons. Kicker James Stefanou has hit nine field goals in a row this season — one of just 13 kickers in the nation who is still perfect — and he is now just one away from the CU record of consecutive successful attempts, held by Mason Crosby.

Punter Alex Kinney, meanwhile, is also having a banner season. The CU senior dropped three punts inside the 10-yard line Saturday, finishing with an outstanding net average of 46.4 yards on five attempts. He's currently 22nd in the nation, averaging 45.7 yards per attempt while the Buffs are 21st in net punting (41.8).

6. Montez continues to grow in Johnson's offense. Montez's best play Saturday came just before halftime, when he kept a play alive by scrambling until he found tight end Brady Russell in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

A year ago, Montez might have tried to run for the end zone and likely come up short as time ran out. But as a fifth-year senior, he showed good clock awareness and field presence and made the play.

Of course, fans expect their quarterbacks to be perfect. They'll remember CU's last drive, when he threw incomplete on fourth down — and they'll forget the picture-perfect 49-yard throw he made to Tony Brown to set up one score (and another perfect throw in the end zone that was dropped in the second quarter).

But the bottom line is he continues to give Colorado a chance to win, which is what good quarterbacks do.

7. We'll see if the eight penalties were an aberration or a trend. Prior to Saturday, the Buffs had done a good job in reducing their penalties over their last three games. After a season-high nine against Nebraska, they had just six a week versus Air Force, then only three at Arizona State.

But the yellow flag fever was back Saturday, with eight penalties — and nearly every one costly — called on the Buffs. Guaranteed, it is an issue Tucker and his staff will address. On a team where the margin of error is razor thin, Colorado certainly can't afford to give the opponents freebies.

8. CU's run defense took a step forward. Arizona brought the Pac-12's leading rushing attack to Boulder, one that was averaging more than 250 yards per game on the ground. Colorado allowed a season-low 83 yards on 26 carries, a 3.2-yard average.

Of course, the Wildcats didn't try to run the ball much in the second half against the Buffs' injury depleted secondary. But CU still had a stout effort up front — even with some youngsters filling in.

9. Youngsters will have to grow up in a hurry. We've mentioned the young players who had to step in for injured players. Here's a quick list of those who got some significant time Saturday and their snap counts:

True freshman cornerback K.J. Trujillo (67 snaps); true freshman defensive lineman Na'im Rodman (45); true freshman defensive lineman Austin Williams (38); true freshman defensive lineman Lloyd Murray Jr. (6); sophomore defensive lineman Janaz Jordan (24); redshirt freshman safety Isaiah Lewis (17); junior safety Sam Noyer, who started fall camp as a quarterback (16).

That's just a small sample of the newcomers who had to step in Saturday.

Again, you won't hear Tucker use it as an excuse. Rather, he'll say whoever is on the field has to play like a starter. But when the season began, there's no way Tucker would have envisioned a scenario when all of those players had significant snaps in the fifth game of the year.

10. Tucker still believes in this team, and his players believe in him. Anyone who saw the fourth quarter Saturday knows this much — the Buffs aren't a team that is going to quit.

This is a team that has bought into Tucker's belief in fundamentals and hard work. The Buffs will play for him down to the wire because they know he has their back. They trust him, they respect him and they will come back next week with a resolve to get better — because that's how good programs are built.

Piece by piece, week by week — and Tucker is building it the right way.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu