Woelk: Bye Week Takeaways As Tucker's Buffs Prepare For Arizona
September 29, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With the Colorado Buffaloes enjoying a weekend off before they begin preparations for next Saturday's home game with Arizona (2:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network), it's a good time to take a quick dive into what we've learned so far from Mel Tucker's 3-1 Buffs.
Call it our Bye Week Takeaways:
1. Colorado's 34-31 win at ASU continues to grow in importance. The fact that the Buffs went into Sun Devil Stadium and knocked off then-unbeaten and nationally ranked Arizona State was no doubt impressive in its own right. The Buffs started fast, withstood an ASU rally, then put together a game-winning offensive drive and defensive stand down the stretch to produce the win.
Today, that win looks even better, thanks to ASU's 24-17 victory Friday at 15th-ranked and previously unbeaten Cal. It was the Sun Devils' second win over a ranked team on the road in three weeks, as they beat No. 18 Michigan State one week prior to the Colorado game.Â
Remember, Cal earlier this season knocked off Washington — a preseason Pac-12 contender — on the Huskies' home turf. It was a nice bounce-back win for the Sun Devils, and it makes Colorado's win last week even more impressive.
One more Pac-12 note: the winner of next weekend's Colorado-Arizona game will find itself atop the Pac-12 South standings. The Buffs could see a quarterback who has put up career numbers against them the last two years —Khalil Tate — or freshman Grant Gunnell, who started in Tate's place Saturday and led the Wildcats to a 20-17 win over UCLA.
2. It will be fun to watch Colorado's offense continue to develop. This much has become clear: when quarterback Steven Montez has time to throw — and when the Buffs have established a run game — the CU offense can be potent.
Montez had one of the best overall games of his career a week ago against ASU, throwing for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions — and he was not sacked once. At the same time, CU's run game kept the Sun Devils' defense honest for much of the night, and it allowed the Colorado quarterback to utilize all of his weapons (even with Laviska Shenault Jr. on the sidelines).
While Montez is a fifth-year senior, he is playing under his third quarterbacks coach in as many seasons. He's done a good job learning Jay Johnson's new offense (Montez is also on his third offensive coordinator) and he is becoming more comfortable each week in the system. Johnson has done a nice job with patient yet creative play calls and is putting Montez in a position to succeed. If the Buffs can continue to improve their consistency, they will have an offense that will keep them in plenty of games.Â
3. The offensive line is gelling. Colorado O-line coach Chris Kapilovic is hard to please, but Kapilovic liked what he saw from the Buffs a week ago — a consistent, steady effort in terms of playing together.
The Buffs opened up holes for the run game early, paving the way for a pair of touchdowns on the first two drives, and they kept Montez upright all night. This is a group Kapilovic believes still has room to improve, but the consistency shown last week is a good indicator that they can take that next step.
4. CU's defensive coaches are coaxing everything possible out of a young bunch. Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers and Tucker deserve some credit here. While the Buffs are giving up more than 30 points per game, they still have put Colorado in position to win each week by making some solid halftime adjustments and giving the offense a chance to get back in the game.
It hasn't been easy. The Buffs are not only young, they have been hit with some injuries in key positions. But Tucker and Summers have mixed and matched players at virtually every position, stressed takeaways, and made some key calls in critical moments — and as a result, kept the Buffs in every game.
5. Speaking of young players, we are watching the future develop in a hurry. The Buffs are no doubt getting plenty of contributions from their veterans. Players such as Montez, Shenault, K.D. Nixon, Tony Brown and Tim Lynott are leading the way on offense, while linebacker Nate Landman, defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson and safety Mikial Onu are making plays on defense.
But we are also seeing youngsters grow up in a hurry. True freshman running back Jaren Mangham has 163 yards and three touchdowns. Redshirt freshman receiver Dimitri Stanley has 11 catches for 110 yards and a score, including some key receptions at critical moments. The Buffs are starting two sophomores on the offensive line in Colby Pursell and William Sherman, and sophomore tight end Brady Russell has also been a steady contributor (7 catches for 77 yards).
On the defensive side, the Buffs are getting some significant help up front. Redshirt freshman Jalen Sami has started all four games at nose tackle, true freshman Na'im Rodman played 40 snaps against ASU, fellow freshman Austin Williams is getting some good experience and sophomore Janaz Jordan is contributing in the trenches as well.
Meanwhile, youngsters such as linebacker Jash Allen, safety/nickel Mark Perry and cornerback K.J. Trujillo have seen snaps at critical moments, and we could see see Tarik Luckett in the near future.
What's clear is that Tucker isn't afraid to throw young players into the fray at crucial times. If they've earned the opportunity, they will get their chance — and that bodes well for the future.
6. Junior linebacker Nate Landman is quietly having a nice season. A year ago, Landman burst onto the scene with some early takeaways and big plays.
This year, Landman has been quieter in the big play category — but he's still far and away Colorado's leading tackler. According to coaches' statistics, Landman has 49 tackles this year, nearly twice as many as the next player on the list (Mikial Onu with 27). That includes 41 solo stops and five third-down stops.
7. CU's staff is still learning about this team. No matter how much you see a player in practice, you don't know how they will produce when it matters until you see them in a game.
Tucker and his staff are still learning about this team. They gather information every week, chart progress and apply it to the next game. They see how players react in critical situations, then try to put the best players in position in those situations. It is as much an art as science, but we have seen the results — a third-down sack near the end against ASU, followed by some outside pressure and a quarterback hurry on fourth down to basically win the game.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Johnson is doing a nice job of getting the ball to playmakers in big moments. It's a process that is always evolving, but this staff is putting players in position to make plays — and knowing which players are most capable in those moments.
8. Tucker and his staff never stop recruiting. A Tucker maxim is, "We recruit every day." Indeed — and right now, Tucker's team has to be making a great impression on potential future Buffs.
Colorado is a team that plays a brand of football that should be appealing to players on both sides of the ball. Exciting on offense, physical on defense and a team that does not quit. Young players are getting their opportunities and playmakers are put in position to excel.
It's a style that should be attractive to players who want to play at an elite level — and one that is reason for optimism for folks who follow the program.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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