Colorado University Athletics
RB Smith Has Big Day In Buffs Scrimmage
August 11, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — In what might be the most hotly contested battle of the Colorado Buffaloes' fall camp, every repetition counts for the running backs.
Saturday morning, Deion Smith made the most of those reps. The redshirt freshman from Houston ripped off a long run for a score and had several other nice runs in the Buffs' first full-contact scrimmage of camp.
"Everybody sees the type of guys we have in our room," Smith said. "Coach (Darian) Hagan has us basically rotating every two plays, so you have to do everything you can in those two plays. You know that when you come out, the next guy, he's going to make a play. That just makes you say to yourself, 'OK, I have two plays, I have to take full advantage of these two plays.'"
Smith, sophomore Alex Fontenot and true freshman Jaren Mangham have been getting the majority of the reps with the No. 1 offense over the last few days (although another redshirt freshman, Jarek Broussard, also had a good day Saturday). Head coach Mel Tucker has said repeatedly that he will likely use a running back rotation when the season begins, which has kept competition keen.
"Deion Smith showed up big today, made some really good runs," Tucker said after the scrimmage. "We have a least three running backs that can get it done, and I saw Jarek Broussard step up today early in the scrimmage. He's been coming on. In terms of having depth at that position we're sound and solid."
Smith had a good spring in CU's first practices under Tucker, but he has taken his game up a notch in camp.
"Coach Hagan harps on the little things, the details," Smith said. "The steps, the aiming points, the read keys. I may have a good run but maybe my steps were bad, or I had my eyes in the wrong place, or I wasn't good with the football. Him harping on those little, small details have helped me make big improvements over this stretch of time."
Just how Tucker, Hagan and offensive coordinator Jay Johnson will divide up the reps when the season begins is anyone's guess — and it could very well be a fluid situation as the season progresses.
Smith just wants to keep taking advantage of every opportunity he has.
"All that competition helps me not become complacent," he said. "You have a good day, you might come back the next day and relax a little bit. But I know I can't relax. If I get two reps and I don't do good on my two reps, then the next day that rotation is going to be different. I'm not saying the rotation is based all on production — but all I know is, when I get my two plays, I have to take full advantage."
The 6-0, 190-pound Smith showed an extra burst of speed on his long run, breaking through the middle of the line, then hitting the next gear to reach the end zone.
"Like Coach Hagan says — you can't try to hit the home run, you just have to do the little things right," Smith said. "I just read my keys, hit the hole as if I was pounding, and I just popped through. Then I just had to turn on the speed."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
