Anytime a connection is made to the 2012 Colorado Buffaloes, it’s probably not a good thing. This 2021 team now has that unfortunate bond after being shut out 30-0 by the Minnesota Gophers on Saturday. It marked the Buffaloes first goose egg at Folsom Field since losing 48-0 to Stanford in November of 2012.
Any positives were honestly difficult to find for the now 1-2 Buffaloes, who totaled just 63 yards of offense.
“That was a complete beat down in every phase,” head coach Karl Dorrell said.
In Brendon Lewis’ third game starting at quarterback, his offense was unable to find a first down until the second quarter. After Lewis’ third consecutive lackluster performance, questions came down on Dorrell for potential changes on the offense. The second-year head coach said he will “reevaluate everything” while looking at the tape. In the meantime, getting Lewis more comfortable may be the Buffs’ only option.
“He’s having a hard time,” Dorrell said of Lewis. “I got to watch (the film) and talk to him and see what he’s seeing and tell him what he’s seeing and all that stuff, but he’s struggling. We’ve got to be better in coaching him and getting prepared.”
With just 55 passing yards, Lewis was promptly excused for freshman walk-on QB Drew Carter late in the game.
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Following a scoreless first quarter from both sides, Minnesota’s offense, and running back Trey Potts in particular, began to wear down the Buffs. Potts rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter and then added another late in the third quarter. Minnesota kicker Matthew Trickett’s two missed field goals and one missed extra point were the Buffaloes’ only savior on the afternoon.
Minnesota’s 40 minutes of possession exactly doubled that of Colorado, pushing the Buffaloes’ defense to its limits. DB Chris Miller, DL Janaz Jordan and DT Na’im Rodman were all sidelined with apparent injuries during the contest. Their statuses are currently to be determined.
Missed tackles became another frequent issue. Carson Wells, who had a sack and a TFL, blamed a lack of physicality for allowing Minnesota’s playmakers to stay upright for far too long. Colorado’s linebackers, however, ended up having a solid performance. Three LB’s, including Nate Landman, Quinn Perry and Guy Thomas, all recorded double-digit total tackles.
“Defensively, we hung in there at times,” Dorrell said. “We still missed a lot of tackles and we weren’t getting the ball down.”
Perhaps the most abysmal performance on the day was that of the Buffs’ offensive line. Shades of the Denver Broncos’ 2013 Super Bowl loss came when Iowa transfer Noah Fenske, who made his Buffs debut, hiked it past Lewis on the first snap of the game. The O-line allowed four sacks (all on third or fourth down) while giving RB’s Jarek Broussard and Alex Fontenot enough space for 12 combined rushing yards.
The Buffs now turn their sights to Pac-12 play when they travel to No. 19 Arizona State on Sept. 25.