Record-Setting Buffs Offense Just 'Scratching Surface' Of Potential

BOULDER — When the season began, Colorado coaches said they believed their offense was ready to take a significant step forward in its production.

The Buffs have made good on that promise — and then some. In their first year of executing a retooled, up-tempo attack, the 2016 Buffs have enjoyed a record-breaking season.

The nation will get a first-hand look at that offense Friday night when Mike MacIntyre's 10-2, eighth-ranked Buffs (No. 9 AP) face No. 4 Washington in the 7 p.m. Pac-12 Championship game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

CU's numbers have indeed been impressive this season:

With one game remaining, the Buffs have already established a school record for most yards in a season, with their 5,639 yards this year eclipsing the 5,448 yards produced by the 1994 team.
For only the second time in school history, four different CU players — Shay Fields, Devin Ross, Bryce Bobo and Phillip Lindsay — have produced 100-yard receiving games.
The Buffs have produced the most red-zone trips (55) in school history.
CU has had six 500-yard games this year, tying the school record set in 1994.
For the first time in CU history, the Buffs had a player throw for at least 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game — and it happened twice this season, with Steven Montez and Sefo Liufau both achieving the milestone. (Only four players in the nation this year hit that mark: Liufau, Montez, Alabama's Jalen Hurts and Louisville's Lamar Jackson.)
CU has produced a school-record 301 first downs.
These Buffs are just the fourth team in school history to score at least 400 points (417).
Colorado is currently leading the Pac-12 South in scoring (34.8 points per game) and total offense (469.9 yards per game).
The Buffs have produced four Pac-12 Offensive Players of the Week, with Liufau winning the honor twice and Montez and Lindsay once each.

Those are just some of the highlights, numbers made even more impressive when you consider two factors:

One, it's the first year of a revamped offense the Buffs installed just last spring. Two, the Buffs have hit most of those numbers with a quarterback (Liufau) who missed all of spring ball because of an injury.

"It's been awesome to see the growth of this unit from spring ball — when we didn't have Sefo — to fall camp and then throughout the season," offensive co-coordinator Darrin Chiaverini said. "It's been great to watch his growth and see him make plays for us in the run game and the pass game. Then when he goes down (against Michigan), Steven Montez comes on and in what amounts to his first college football game, throws for 300 and runs for 100 (vs. Oregon).

"It's been really exciting."

But quarterbacks have been just part of the equation. Virtually every one of CU's receivers is having a career year. Ross has established career highs in catches (65), yards (758) and touchdowns (5); Fields has career highs in receiving yards (819) and touchdowns (9) and has tied his career high for catches (50); Bobo has career highs in catches (41) and yards (543); and Jay MacIntyre has career highs in catches (29) and yards (374).

"It's been great to see how far our receivers have come in a year," Chiaverini said. "They've set school records and they just keep getting better and better. The great thing is it's not just one guy — someone steps us for us every week and makes big plays."

Neither has the success all been through the air. The Buffs have also displayed an ability to run the ball with authority, as Lindsay has also established career highs in rushing (211 carries for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns) as well as receiving (44 catches for 371 yards and a score).

"They're fast," said Washington coach Chris Petersen. "They just have a nice blend. They mix up personnel and they have a lot of elements that make them successful."

The scary thing — at least scary for opponents — is that CU's coaches believe they are just starting to scratch the surface of what the offense is capable of producing. With 15 bowl practices directly on the horizon and an entire spring to continue to fine-tune the offense, Chiaverini firmly believes even bigger numbers are ahead.

"Honestly, this year just showed the potential of this offense," he said. "I think you're going to see this offense really, really grow going forward. We have some very talented playmakers, a great offensive line coach (Klayton Adams) who does a really good job with his guys and Brian (Lindgren, offensive co-coordinator) and I really work well together.

"It's been fun to work with these guys and see the growth of this thing, but honestly, we're really just kind of scratching the surface right now. There's a lot more we're going to be able to do."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu