Buffs Wire and Trojans Wire discussed how Colorado’s offense has an opportunity to succeed against a struggling USC defense
Earlier this week, Buffaloes Wire joined Trojans Wire in podcast form to discuss this weekend’s matchup. A lot was discussed but one of the more interesting dive-ins was how this could be an opportunity for Colorado’s offense to get going. USC’s defense has struggled recently and has relinquished over 40 points in two of its last three games. I speculated what offensive changes may work for Colorado and who I’d like to see get involved more.
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The following is a transcript of my response to Trojans Wire editor Matt Zemek asking about CU’s offense:
If CU can duplicate what they did in that first drive in the second half against ASU in terms of spreading out the field a little bit more, and this wasn’t fun to watch the past couple of years, but if they can go more east-west and get some of our talented wideouts going like Brenden Rice or a Dimitri Stanley who, it’s not their fault, but they haven’t really done anything this year. If we can get them more screen passes and the ball in open space not right in the middle of the field, again, taking advantage of going sideline to sideline, then I think that will be better for CU. They did that a little bit with Texas A&M too. That’s a strength of this team I think is our speed with some of our wideouts. And then having a guy like Brady Russell to be one of Brendon Lewis’ checkdowns so he can have that security blanket if something’s going wrong.
Five things we learned from Colorado’s Pac-12 opener
Another week, another disappointing result for the Colorado Buffaloes. This time it was a 35-13 loss to Arizona State to open up Pac-12 play. Whether you agree it was a better offensive performance than what we’ve seen in previous weeks, 13 points is more than 0 points. Brendon Lewis still didn’t do much in terms of building a passing attack, but we did see a revival of the rushing game. With two 1,000 yard career rushers in Alex Fontenot and Jarek Broussard, that is likely where the bulk of CU’s offense will continue to come from.
On the defensive side of things, we saw a hard-nosed performance that was shadowed by a lack of discipline in several areas. A couple of roughing the passer penalties hurt the Buffs while Sun Devils QB Jayden Daniels’ arm and legs had several big gains. Below are five things that I took away from Colorado’s third consecutive loss.
RECAP: Small improvements were seen in the CU Buffs’ Pac-12 opener loss to Arizona State
It wasn’t a shutout. but the offense continued to lag in Colorado’s third consecutive loss as the Buffs’ Pac-12 opener went the way of the Sun Devils, 35-13.
Two field goals and a touchdown were all the Buffaloes could muster on Saturday against an Arizona State squad that is a growing threat to win the Pac-12 South.
Despite throwing for just 67 yards, Brendon Lewis took another step forward according to Karl Dorrell. Colorado’s ground attack, however, was the beacon of positivity. Alex Fontenot ran for 65 yards and a touchdown while Jarek Broussard had 35 to become Colorado’s quickest to 1,000 career rushing yards. When all was complete, CU outgained ASU on the ground 183 to 167.
After Cole Becker hit a 51-yard field goal late in the second half, which ended CU’s Pac-12 record 24 consecutive scoreless possessions, the Buffs came out firing in the third quarter. Lewis completed a 26-yard jet sweep to Ty Robinson and it appeared the Buffaloes’ offense had been revived. Fontenot ended the drive with a 1-yard rushing TD and ASU’s lead was trimmed to 14-10.
TEMPE, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 25: Running back Alex Fontenot #8 of the Colorado Buffaloes reacts after scoring on a one-yard rushing touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the NCAAF game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 25, 2021 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“I was really encouraged that we came out of halftime with the ball and we went down the field and scored,” Dorrell said. “That was kind of more reminiscent of what we saw a year ago with how we played with the running game really leading the way.”
In the fourth quarter, Colorado handed the ball off every time but twice despite being down big. The nearly 100% ground attack produced a meaningless fourth quarter Becker field goal.
The Buffs’ defense, which has been solid in 2021, struggled to contain the explosiveness of ASU QB Jayden Daniels. His 75 yards rushing led the team and caused fits in the Buffs’ secondary. Colorado’s defense relinquished seven plays over 20 yards and couldn’t record a sack or a turnover. Nate Landman led with 10 total tackles.
While the effort may have been an improvement over last week, better results are still the goal.
“Progress doesn’t keep you stable,” Dorrell said. “We’re frustrated, we’re all frustrated, they’re frustrated, coaches, everybody is. But that’s kind of the nature of the beast… We got to be big men and grow up and try to get some things fixed in a hurry so we can be productive, and I think we’re pretty close. I don’t think we’re that far away.”
Up next for Colorado will be a home matchup on Oct. 2 with the likewise discombobulated USC Trojans.
Colorado has an opportunity to turn the page in its Pac-12 opener at ASU
Last week’s 30-0 loss is now in the past as the Colorado Buffaloes have a clean slate when they travel down to Tempe for their Pac-12 opener. From everything we heard this week, the Buffs aren’t pointing any fingers and are simply focused on Arizona State.
“In the wake of obviously the disaster last week, I think out players’ attitudes and our efforts and the urgency about getting things past us and moving forward is pretty evident right now,” Karl Dorrell said.
As for the biggest question mark for Colorado—its offense—there won’t be any drastic changes this week according to Dorrell. The second-year head coach said he’ll be more present in the offensive room and provide more game preparation help. “We think we’re off to a good start,” Dorrell said on Monday.
Without getting too into the numbers, CU’s offense, particularly in the passing game, has been rough. The Buffs are averaging just 91 passing yards per game, by far the lowest in the Pac-12. Oddly enough, Arizona State and junior QB Jayden Daniels hold the second-worst average at 213 yards a game. But at the same time, the Sun Devils’ rushing duo of Rachaad White and Daniyel Ngata has produced the most rushing yards in the conference and is averaging over 225 yards a game. It’s looking like any offense generated on Saturday by either team will be on the ground.
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A big bright spot for Colorado last week was a linebacker group that had three members (Nate Landman, Quinn Perry and Guy Thomas) record at least 10 tackles. This trio and a hopefully healthy Na’im Rodman on the D-line will be the Buffs best chance at slowing down White and Ngata.
Another comforting fact is that Colorado has played well against Arizona State in recent years. Former CU QB Steven Montez led the Buffs to one-score victories in both 2018 and 2019. The 2020 rendition was canceled due to COVID-19.
Saturday will mark the Buffs’ latest kickoff time so far in 2021 with an 8:30 p.m. MST start in Tempe.
The Buffs take on the Sun Devils. Here are 5 things to watch as they try and rebound from the shutout vs the Gophers.
The Colorado Buffaloes are trying to bounce back from a 35-0 drubbing against Minnesota this past weekend. On tap next is a matchup against Arizona State, and a tough one at that.
Moreover, the Buffaloes need to respond as Pac-12 Conference play begins. The Buffs hung tight with Texas A&M in impressive fashion but couldn’t muster up a similar outing against the Gophers.
Brendon Lewis and the rest of the Buffs offense stalled big time against the Gophers and will be itching for some sort of bounce back. Lewis went 8-16 for 55 yards, and the Buffs rushing attack was also nonexistent. Jarek Broussard had just eight yards, and Alex Fontenot had four yards in a game the Buffs will like to forget.
Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels had a stellar 2019 campaign and is looking to revitalize some of that in 2021. Thus far, he has tossed for 572 yards with just a pair of scores and three interceptions. However, it seems to be only a matter of time before Daniels turns on the jets and is back to burning defenses, and the Buffs need to find a way to contain him.
One of the bright spots from the Minnesota drubbing was linebacker Quinn Perry, who registered 10 tackles and was the heart and soul of the Buffs defense. Perry will play a major role in handling Daniels and this tough Arizona State team.
Putting the Gophers’ game aside, here are five things to watch for as the Buffs travel to Tempe and take on Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devils.
On Monday, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Karl Dorrell shared his thoughts on a tumultuous weekend in Boulder. There was plenty to discuss following Minnesota’s 30-0 shellacking of Colorado and most of it revolved around the offense. After scoring just seven points in two games, Dorrell said he’ll be more active with the offensive game prep and possibly even give backup QB Drew Carter some more looks. Colorado will take on Pac-12 rival Arizona State on Saturday in Tempe.
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Prior to Dorrell, the No. 24 CU women’s volleyball head coach Jesse Mahoney and senior middle blocker Meegan Hart took the podium first to discuss their 9-0 start and recent sweep of Colorado State. Mahoney’s Buffs open Pac-12 play on Wednesday at Washington State. Women’s soccer head coach Danny Sanchez hopped on next to talk about his 5-3 Buffs, who face California on Saturday.
RECAP: Colorado dropped to 1-2 following a disappointing loss to Minnesota
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.
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
“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.
A few thoughts on where Colorado can excel against the Gophers
Riding high off a statement performance against then-No. 5 Texas A&M, the Colorado Buffaloes welcome the Minnesota Golden Gophers back to Folsom Field for the first time since 1992. With both teams sitting at 1-1, it could be an early season decider for bowl game eligibility. The Buffs’ Pac-12 schedule doesn’t get much easier, which means a winning non-conference record is crucial.
Despite losing running back Mohamd Ibraham in their season opener, Trey Potts filled in nicely for the Gophers in Week 2 as they extended their non-conference win streak to 20 against Miami of Ohio. But the Gophers haven’t played at Folsom yet. Second-year head coach Karl Dorrell oversees a Buffaloes team that has allowed just 17 points in two games. Offensively, we’ve seen sparks of greatness from QB Brendon Lewis, but consistency will be key for his offense on Saturday.
Below are five reasons why I believe the Buffs will be 2-1.
Colorado’s week 3 opponent hasn’t lost a non-conference game since 2015.
Just like Colorado, a 1-1 record sits beside the Minnesota Golden Gophers heading into week three. Both schools suffered their lone loss to a top-5 team; CU is coming off a narrow loss to then-No. 5 A&M and Minnesota fell to then-No. 4 Ohio State 45-31 in its opener.
“They’re a really good team, they played Ohio State really well,” said Karl Dorrell on Minnesota. “They probably felt that they didn’t play as well last week (a 31-26 win over Miami (OH)), I’m sure they’ll be working on getting some things fixed just like from our standpoint as well coming off the Texas A&M game.”
Leading the Gophers offense will be senior quarterback Tanner Morgan. Through two games, Morgan has completed 52% of his passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns. But according to Dorrell, it’s the Gophers ground game that the Buffs should be worried about. After senior running back Mohamad Ibrahim suffered a season-ending injury in week one, sophomore Trey Potts stepped up for Minnesota against the RedHawks. Potts ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start.
Dec 12, 2020; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck (right) and linebacker James Gordon IV (13) celebrate after victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
“They’re definitely a run-first offense,” Dorrell said. “They really churn out yards and they’re pretty efficient at doing that… They use a lot of tackles to play the tight end positions. They try to use a big offensive front and they try to make defenses defend them. That’s going to be a tremendous challenge again for our defense this week.”
In fact, the Gophers O-line has the most combined starts (193) than any other FBS program.
As for Minnesota’s defense, Dorrell expects a similar “structure” to what the Buffs saw against Texas A&M. Explosive plays will be hard to come by on Saturday and no yard will come easy. Linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin has racked up 16 total tackles in two games while Tyler Nubin and Terell Smith help control the secondary. Minnesota has, however, allowed a total of 71 points compared to CU’s 17 surrendered.
Fifth-year head coach P.J. Fleck leads Minnesota, which has won its last 20 non-conference games. None of those were against CU as the Buffaloes last played and beat the Gophers in 1992.
