Woelk: Buffs QB Montez's Goal For Final Season Is A Simple One
August 03, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Steven Montez just wants to win.
It's a simple equation, but a formula the Colorado quarterback hasn't quite solved often enough in his college career.
Now, the fifth-year senior has just one more shot to put it all together in college ball.
Montez has no doubt had his share of big moments with the Buffs. He led Colorado to a memorable win at Oregon in 2016 in his first start ever, the springboard to a Pac-12 South title and Alamo Bowl berth. He is 2-0 against in-state rival Colorado State, he threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Laviska Shenault Jr. in a dramatic win at Nebraska last season, and he is already among CU's all-time leaders in passing yards (fourth in Colorado history) and total offense (third).
Meanwhile, he is on a number of preseason watch lists, including the Maxwell, Earl Campbell and Davey O'Brien awards.
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In two full years with him as the starter, the Buffs have managed to go just 10-14. Throw in his 2-1 record as a starter as a freshman, and it's still a sub-.500 mark.
This year, under new head coach Mel Tucker and his third quarterback coach in his five years in Boulder, Montez has one last shot to change that. The numbers, the awards, the record books — there is no doubt he would trade all of that for a winning season in his final year in Boulder.
"Watch lists are just all chatter," Montez said Saturday at CU's annual media day. "That's really just what they are. We're not focused on winning individual accolades. We're trying to win football games. Winning awards is cool and all, but winning a whole lot of games this year is a lot better. Worlds better."
Saturday wasn't an easy day for Montez. When he finished the Buffs' morning practice, he went to the locker room and was greeted with the news of Saturday's horrific shooting in his home town of El Paso. Clearly shaken by the event, he still made the requisite media day appearance, patiently answering questions from a seemingly endless string of reporters who all wanted to know basically the same thing.
What will be the difference in Steven Montez this year? What challenges will he face as he takes on the role of being the clear leader of the CU offense?
"The biggest challenge is winning games," he said simply. "I know it sounds like I'm saying that a lot, (but) that's the most important thing right now. Just for this entire team is to win games and go out there and give it all we've got and play hard."
Montez knows his role will be expanded in terms of being a team leader. He and head coach Mel Tucker have had multiple conversations about the topic, and he has heard the same from quarterback coach/offensive coordinator Jay Johnson.
It's a role he vows to fulfill to the best of his ability.
"I have to be a leader," he said simply. "I have to be accurate with the football, I have to make the right reads, I have to not be greedy with the football, I have to keep it out of the defender's hands. There's a lot of different things I have to do to give us a chance. I think every position has kind of the same check list that they have to do."
But what is also clear is that Montez has the full support — and faith — of his head coach. Tucker made that much patently clear in his media day press conference.
"Steven is a very smart player," Tucker said. "I've been really impressed with his intellect and how quickly he picks up the schemes, the things that coach Johnson asks him to do, whether they're run checks, pass checks. He really runs a good show. He's got command of the huddle."
Of course, some of those things have not always been Montez's strong points. A strong-armed gunslinger, he has put his team in harm's way on occasion with ill-fated decisions.
But what has never been in question are his physical tools.
"The first time I saw him throw the ball, I said this guy's got as good an arm as anyone that I've seen — and I've seen some really good quarterbacks and coached against some really good quarterbacks," Tucker said. "In terms of arm talent, he has no deficiencies. He has really good size and he has really good mobility. He's a fierce competitor."
That last trait — the Montez's fierce competitive fire — is something Tucker wants to see utilized on a regular basis.
I told Steven, 'Your starting quarterback has to be your No. 1 competitor,'" Tucker said. "I see him competing at a high level every day."
What Tucker also knows is that while Montez has made his share of mistakes, many of those have come because the weight of the offense rested entirely on his shoulders. Those untenable situations simply produced the likely result.
"We need to help him," Tucker said. "We need to bolster our offensive line. Coach Kap does a great job with our offensive line. He's one of the best O-line coaches in America. We have to run the ball. That's going to open up the play action and give us some balance on offense."
And, Tucker noted, the Buffs have to make the best use of a talented group of skill players.
"We need to get the ball to all of our best players," Tucker said. "We want to spread it out. We've got some skill guys at receiver other than Laviska and K.D. who can do some things for us. We're going to use the tight end in our offense."
If all those things happen, if the Buffs can find some balance, Montez has a chance to make his final season in Boulder a memorable one.
"Steven has all of the tools," Tucker said. "It comes down to taking care of the ball, judgment, decision making. But I'm very high on him. The sky's the limit for him. I believe in him."
Montez believes he is ready to fulfill that potential by doing his part in all regards.
"I just want to win," he said. "That's all that matters. We want to win a lot of games. I'll do whatever it takes to do that."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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