Colorado University Athletics
Takeaways From Buffs Vs. Washington State
November 19, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — By any objective measure, this season has been a solid step forward for the Colorado Buffaloes.
The program that endured a 1-11 finish in 2022 is 4-7 this season with one game remaining. Thanks to the presence of Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, the Buffs are once again nationally relevant. They have played competitive football, have earned the respect of opposing coaches and have put down a foundation for the future.
No doubt, the expectations sparked by Colorado's 3-0 start and spot in the nation's top 20 have made CU's current five-game losing streak much harder to swallow. Two months ago a bowl game seemed like a sure thing, only to see seven losses in the next eight games douse those expectations with a harsh dose of reality.
But nobody's expectations have taken a bigger hit than those of Sanders, a man whose entire career — playing and coaching — has been about winning.
Sanders didn't come to Colorado to engage in a slow rebuilding project. His aim was to turn the Buffs' fortunes around immediately — and for a while, it seemed as if he was going to accomplish that goal.
Now, while it is relevant to compare this year's team to the state of the program a year ago, Sanders is far, far from satisfied.
He believes the Buffs should be better.
"We try to compare it to what we're capable of," he said in the wake of Friday night's 56-14 loss at Washington State. "And we are falling short of what we're capable of. And that's the tough thing. That's tremendously tough to digest week in and week out."
While the Buffs have been competitive in most of their losses — four have been by one score — CU's weaknesses have nevertheless been exposed. It's why the oddsmakers have made Colorado a three-touchdown underdog heading into next Saturday's season finale at Utah (1 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
But while the Buffs would no doubt like to end the season on a strong note, it is difficult not to cast an eye to 2024. CU's coaching staff has already started the process of evaluating the roster with an eye on next season, when Colorado will move to the Big 12.
Thus, our takeaways from the Washington State game and how they might apply to the longer term:
1. Improvement up front will be critical. There may be no more two confounding statistics this season for the Buffs than passing yardage per game and sacks allowed.
The Buffs are 12th in the nation in passing yards per game (301). But they are dead last in sacks allowed, having given up 54 — with No. 1 quarterback Shedeur Sanders having been taken down 52 times.
The moral to this story is a simple one: if Colorado can beef up its talent in the trenches, the tools for an outstanding offense are otherwise in place.
2. But it's more than just the passing game. Colorado's lack of a rushing attack only put more pressure on the passing game this season, allowing opponents to tee off on the quarterback.
The Buffs are averaging less than 72 yards per game on the ground, 129th in the nation. That lack of a run game means CU's first and second downs have been less than productive, which has led to Colorado facing far too many third-and-long situations.
The result?
3. Third down conversions have been sub-par. CU enters the last week of the season having converted 65 of 165 third-down tries (39 percent, 67th in the nation).
But that number has been even worse in the Buffs' losing streak. Over the last six games (which includes a win over Arizona State), Colorado has successfully converted just 29 of 87 third-down attempts (33 percent).
That's a number that has to be a priority as CU prepares for 2024.
4. Depth is crucial. When Sanders and his staff rebuilt CU's roster from the ground up, they did their best to address every position group.
They were clearly successful at the skill positions, greatly boosted by the additions of transfers Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. They also added quality receivers and running backs, and bolstered their secondary as well.
But as Coach Prime noted a few weeks ago, building in the trenches is a more difficult task. While the Buffs were able to land a handful of solid players on the offensive and defensive lines, sheer numbers simply weren't there — critical at positions that require depth.
Thus, when injuries hit, quality replacements weren't available — and development of young players in the span of a few months is a near-impossible task.
That lack of depth showed as the season progressed, and attrition no doubt played a role in CU's struggles in October and November.
But the good news is another offseason of recruiting, both in the high school ranks and through the transfer portal, should give Colorado coaches a chance to improve that depth.
5. Attitude matters. One thing Sanders has consistently stressed during the losing streak is the fact that the Buffs haven't quit. Even with the game out of hand by halftime Friday, CU players competed to the end.
That will be a valuable trait in the offseason. Colorado will no doubt add some new players to the roster, and it will be up to the returnees to make sure the newcomers know what is expected of them.
Those returnees will be critical.
A year ago, the program was virtually starting from scratch.
Now, there is a foundation of players who know what CU coaches want, how the program is supposed to function and what the overall expectations of the program should be.
That will be crucial when the Buffs hit Year 2 of the Coach Prime Era.
