Woelk: Takeaways From Buffs Win At Arizona State
September 23, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Take a breath, Buffs fans.
The Colorado Buffaloes have a bye this week, meaning there won't be another heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, down-to-the-wire CU game for at least another 12 days.
But while you are taking a break, Mel Tucker's 3-1 Buffs will get back to work. Tucker made that very clear just minutes after Saturday night's 34-31 win at Arizona State, CU's second win over a ranked team this season.
"We need to get better," Tucker said. "We get to meet and we get to practice. I believe we have a good football team, we have upside and we haven't reached our full potential yet. And you get better through practice and meetings — and not just going through the motions, but really getting after it, straining to get better, pushing to get better."
Not that the Buffs won't take advantage of some extra time. Colorado doesn't play again until an Oct. 5 home game against Arizona, and will thus be on the practice field just three times this week. They will also use the extra time to heal some of the bumps and bruises they have incurred over the last couple of weeks.
But when they hit the practice field, it will be like everything Tucker does when it comes to the Buffs — with a purpose.
"We're going to take advantage of the bye, we're going to be smart, we'll get healthy," Tucker said. "But when we step on the practice field, we're going to go."
So what did we learn from the Buffs' latest win? Our weekly takeaways:
1. Fast starts are fun. Not only did the Buffs hammer out touchdown drives of 75 and 70 yards on their first two possessions, they did it against a defense that hadn't given up a point in the first three quarters in any game this season.
It might have been CU's best back-to-back possessions thus far. Quarterback Steven Montez was effective and efficient, the run game kept the Sun Devils on their heels and the play calls were outstanding (Colorado successfully converted five third-down plays on the two drives).
So what made it all possible? Glad you asked …Â
2. CU's offensive line continues to get better. Hats off to O-line boss Chris Kapilovic for the performance of his big fellas up front in this one.Â
CU's five starters — tackles Arlington Hambright and William Sherman, guards Kary Kutsch and Colby Pursell and center Tim Lynott — played all 70 offensive snaps. They opened holes for the running game early, which allowed quarterback Steven Montez to get into a rhythm and keep the Sun Devils defense on its heels. They were also outstanding in pass protection — ASU did not have a sack all night — and they gave Montez plenty of time to find open receivers.
And, they were consistent, with only one penalty. While the Sun Devils did come up with some defensive stops, you never got the feeling that CU's offense was spent. The Colorado O-line kept hammering until the very end, which brings us to …Â
3. Tucker's emphasis on strength and conditioning continues to pay dividends. This was supposed to be a game in which the heat would benefit the home team and take its toll on the visitors.
In fact, just the opposite happened. Colorado's offense had enough left in the tank to put together a game-winning drive against a tiring ASU defense; then the Buffs' defense simply overran the worn-out Sun Devils on Arizona State's last possession.Â
What has become clear is that the Buffs believe in their coach and believe in their conditioning. It is a mentality that builds confidence — a critical element in every crunch-time situation.
4. "Next man up" is more than just a saying. When asked how his team was able to respond in the face of a string of first-half injuries Saturday, Tucker's answer was simple.
"We coach everybody," he said. "We have confidence in all of our guys."
 Fun fact: wide receiver Tony Brown, who finished with nine catches for 150 yards and three touchdowns, wasn't a starter Saturday. Neither was defensive end Terrance Lang, whose quarterback sack on ASU's final possession was the clinching nail in the Sun Devils' coffin. But they came up with big plays in critical moments all night long.
Meanwhile, safety Derrion Rakestraw produced a team-leading nine tackles along with CU's only takeaway of the night — a big fourth-quarter interception — in his first start of the year in place of injured Aaron Maddox.Â
The list also includes true freshman Na'im Rodman, who logged 45 snaps on the defensive line when Mustafa Johnson went out with an injury. Sophomore Janaz Jordan earned his first start and played 20 snaps, and true freshman Austin Williams had 10 snaps up front. In the secondary, freshmen Mark Perry and K.J. Trujillo stepped in for injured players. On offense, redshirt freshman running back Deion Smith picked up some time early and delivered some nice runs.
"When you're out there, you're a starter," Tucker said. "The expectation is for you to play that way."
5. Halftime adjustments are a real thing. After giving up 21 points in the second quarter, CU's defense gave up only a field goal in the third period.
Colorado has now outscored its opponents 28-6 in the third period, with the defense producing three turnovers, three sacks and five punts, including three three-and-outs, in 12 opponent possessions.
 6. Montez delivers again. On the heels of last week's loss to Air Force, Colorado's senior quarterback was outstanding, finishing with a 23-for-30, 337-yard, three touchdown night.
Montez no doubt received a big boost from his offensive line. Given time in the pocket, he found open receivers all night long, delivering tight-window throws that left ASU defenders shaking their heads.
Even when Montez did drift from the pocket, he did so with a purpose — and more often than not, found open receivers for big plays. It was undoubtedly his best overall game of the season, and it left Tucker once again telling the media, "I believe in Steven."
7. Takeaways and explosion plays. Colorado's defense produced just one takeaway Saturday, but it was huge. Rakestraw's interception in the fourth quarter halted a potential ASU scoring drive at the CU 24-yard line and prevented the Sun Devils from taking their first lead of the game. With CU losing just one fumble, Colorado came away even in the turnover department.
But one thing that will no doubt be a focus this week for the defense will be reducing explosion plays. Of the 16 touchdowns scored by opponents this year, 10 have come from at least 25 yards out, with ASU collecting a pair of long scores. That's a trend Tucker wants to fix.
8. CU's special teams are a solid asset. Kicker James Stefanou's game-winning 44-yard field goal was his second of the year, coming two weeks after his overtime winner against Nebraska. Stefanou is one of 25 kickers in the nation to have hit all of his field goal tries this season (6-for-6), and he also had five touchbacks in six kickoffs against ASU.
Colorado's punting game has also been steady. Alex Kinney is 25th in the nation with a 45.4-yard average, and CU is 38th in net punting with a 40.5 average.
9. CU's run game is quietly improving. On the surface, the Buffs' run game was by no means spectacular against the Sun Devils — 40 carries, 138 yards, 3.5-yard average.
But the Buffs' running backs were solid on CU's scoring drives. Alex Fontenot hammered out a 25-carry, 89-yard night that included a touchdown, and Jaren Mangham and Smith combined to add 38 yards on 11 carries. It was enough to keep the Sun Devils honest and it presented Colorado with manageable second- and third-down situations (the Buffs were 10-for-17 on third-down tries).
It is one more reason Montez had time in the pocket, and a factor that future opponents will have to take into account.
10. The Buffs continue to take on Tucker's personality. Late in the second quarter Saturday, just after freshman defensive back Mark Perry got his first playing time of the season, the television cameras flashed on Tucker talking to Perry on the sidelines.
The game situation no doubt tense. The Buffs were seemingly losing players to injury at every juncture and a 14-point Colorado lead had been erased.
But Tucker took that moment to coach Perry. There was no ranting or raving, no sign of panic, no hint of chaos. Tucker used the opportunity as a teaching moment because … well, that's what good coaches do.
No doubt, Tucker is a tough coach who demands physical play. He requires his players to devote every ounce of their effort and energy to the game. He has no problem being forceful when necessary.
But he is also cool under pressure and brings with him an air of confidence that has been forged by success. Players know that Tucker has earned his confidence, they respect it and they want to be a part of it.
It's why, when he told his team at halftime that he couldn't wait to get back out on the field because he knew they were a better team, the Buffs believed him. Then they proved it.
It another example of how Tucker is building the CU program — and why each week, win or lose, the Buffs come away with another lesson that becomes part of the Colorado foundation.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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