Tuesday Buffs Bits
September 10, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Just about everyone who follows college football knows that the Air Force offense is difficult to defend. The Falcons' option attack, run from multiple sets, presents problems most defenses seldom see.
But a group that doesn't get the same notoriety — but one that can also cause problems for an opponent — is the AFA defense. That side of the ball for the Falcons will definitely have Colorado's attention when the Buffaloes play host to Air Force on Saturday at Folsom Field (11 a.m., Pac-12 Network).
"They've got some really good defensive ends that can rush the passer," CU head coach Mel Tucker said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. "Their secondary has experience and talent. They have really good size and length and they do attack and they do pressure."
In last week's 34-31 overtime win over Nebraska, the Buffs had problems early against the Cornhuskers' pass rush. NU collected three sacks in the first half before the Colorado offensive line stiffened and kept CU quarterback Steven Montez upright for the entire second half.
While the Falcons aren't particularly big on the outside edge, they do have a pair of quality pass rushers in defensive end Jordan Jackson (6-5, 270) and defensive tackle Kaleb Nunez (6-1, 270). But inside, they have plenty of size, as starting nose tackle Mosese Fifita checks in at 6-1, 330 pounds — giving AFA a solid run stopper up the middle.
AFA's defense is a perfect complement for the Falcons' ground-based, ball-control offense. Because the Falcons eat up clock with their offensive possessions, it forces opposing offenses to try to score quickly when they finally get their hands on the ball — and that oftentimes can lead to mistakes.
"They play really physical football on defense, really physical and very disciplined," CU's Montez said. "They've got good talent on the defensive side of the ball and they bring a lot of pressure. They try to set you behind the sticks. They try to put you in bad positions where you do things that are just uncharacteristic of yourself, like force the ball and try to do too much to get first downs."
But the bottom line to Saturday's game, Tucker said, is no different than any other game.
"Everyone's got players," Tucker said. "We've got players, Air Force has players, so it's going to really come down to execution and running and hitting. You know, being disciplined, playing clean football, taking care of the football, trying to take the ball away, time of possession. It's going to be a gut check."
JACKSON'S WORK PAYS OFF: Colorado sophomore wide receiver Jaylon Jackson came up with two big plays in Saturday's win over Nebraska, running 14 yards on a reverse to help set up one touchdown, then catching a 57-yard pass to set up another.
The 57-yard pass eclipsed his career yardage total heading into the year, as he came into the season with eight catches for 44 yards.Â
Saturday's game was also an indication that he might finally fully be back from a long string of injuries that have hampered his development. From two serious knee injuries in high school to a broken ankle that ended his 2017 season in spring ball, Jackson has been hounded by the injury bug — but he has never stopped working.
"Jaylon's been through a lot in his time here in Colorado," Montez said. "He just kept his head down and kept working the entire time when adversity hit him. When adversity hits people, you don't really know how they're going to respond. They might shut down, they might feel sorry for themselves, but Jaylon is not like that at all. He kept his head down, he kept working, he kept pushing and waited for his opportunity. When his opportunity came, he made the most out of it. I'm very happy for him and I'm hoping that we can see a lot more
 out of him for the rest of the season."
SCOUT TEAM CRITICAL: The scout team's ability to present a good "look" to a team's No. 1 offense and defense is crucial every week, but it becomes extra critical in a week such as this. The Buffs will face an offensive scheme that they will not see at any other time this year — and haven't seen for years.
It means CU has utilized different players as the scout team quarterback, finding players whose speed and quickness can at least give a solid representation of Air Force's Donald Hammond.Â
"We have to get the same or similar looks that we're going to get on Saturday," Tucker said. "We've got to go full speed and we've got to run and we have to hit. We've got to get off blocks, we've got to stay alive, we've got to stay in the hunt, we've got to get to the ball, we've got to swarm to the ball."
But it is also more than just the skill positions. CU coaches have also had to teach the scout team offensive line how to use the blocking techniques employed by the Falcons. That includes some cut blocks inside that make it especially difficult for defensive linemen.
"They do a lot of cutting, so we have to be prepared," said Buffs defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson. "You have to slow down a little. You can't just fire off the ball and strike like normal. You have to be prepared."
MR. STEADY: One of the more consistent players on offense in the first two games for Colorado has been tight end Brady Russell. The former walk-on has started both games, and has already matched the 2018 season total of catches for Buffs tight ends with six receptions for 75 yards.
But Russell's contributions are more than just as a big receiver and safety valve for Montez. He is also a key blocker in the run game, and can offer extra pass protection as well when the Buffs use their "max protect" package.
"He's just one of those guys who kind of just does everything right, down to the fine details," Montez said. "He plays hard every single play, he's very physical and very tough. It's fantastic having him on the offense because he's one of those guys that is calm the entire game and doesn't get too high or doesn't get too low. He also blocks very well in the run game and blocks very well in the pass game. Plain and simple, he's the kind of guy who just does everything right."
ANSWERING ADVERSITY: Before the first game of the year, voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson asked Tucker what he wanted to learn from his team in the first game.
Tucker told Johnson he wanted to see how the group responded to adversity. Now, after two games in which the Buffs have had to rally from deficit, Tucker said he likes what he's seen.
"We try to create adverse situations in practice with the intensity in which we practice and the sense of urgency and attention to detail on a day-to-day basis," Tucker said. "There are ups and downs, and I've seen guys respond. We talked about momentum swings and creating your own momentum and the pendulum swinging back and forth in games, and how do you respond? The words you use? How do you talk? How do you behave? But to actually see them do it in the game, I know they understand that."
The Buffs' ability to respond to adversity received a severe test against Nebraska, when they had to rally from a 17-0 halftime deficit, then score again in the last minute of the game to force overtime.
"It's just a matter of when those things happen because it's inevitable every game, there's some type of momentum swing," Tucker said. "How are you going to respond? And so I know these guys believe in what we're doing. And I know that they will play hard for each other. I know they're unselfish. I know that it's important to them. I know that they understand the magnitude of the situation that we don't get that many opportunities to actually play games."
NO SUBS ON O-LINE: Colorado's five starters on the offensive line against Nebraska — tackles William Sherman and Arlington Hambright; guards Colby Pursell and Kary Kutsch; and center Tim Lynott — played all 78 offensive snaps in the game.Â
Sherman and Lynott now lead the line with six direct touchdown blocks, followed closely by Hambright with five.
EXPLOSIVE PLAYS: Buffs defensive coordinator Tyson Summers said explosive plays are a concern against Air Force. The Falcons' offense is one that can pound away steadily, then pop a big play.
That hasn't been a CU strong point thus far. The Buffs have already given up 12 plays of 20 yards or longer, including five scoring plays of at least 39 yards.
EVERYONE HAS A JOB: Asked how his scout team learned to replicate the AFA offense, Tucker's answer was simple.
"They study tape and get it done," Tucker said. "You have to do what you see to the best of your ability and take pride in it. Everyone has a role to play. If you go to a Broadway musical, a guy may have one role, might not have any lines, but just come walk across the stage with a broom, sweep the floor and walk off the other side. But if he doesn't do that, then you don't have a show. And so everyone's got to kind of pitch in and do their job and play a role for the team to the best of their ability."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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