Woelk: 10 Takeaways From Buffs Game At UCLA

BOULDER — Sitting at the bottom of the Pac-12 South standings is not where the Colorado Buffaloes expected to be just two games into the conference season.

Still, the Buffs (3-2 overall, 0-2 Pac-12) can gather a little consolation in the fact that only one team in the division — Utah — is still unbeaten in Pac-12 play, and the Utes have played just one conference game.

It means the Buffs' hopes of being a part of the Pac-12 contender conversation are still alive, albeit bruised.

But this week, in the wake of a difficult 27-23 loss at UCLA, it's safe to assume the Buffs aren't going to be focusing on any long-term goals. They will take a look at Saturday's loss — a game they had plenty of chances to win — and then set their immediate sights on breaking their two-game losing streak next Saturday when they play host to Arizona (2-2, 0-1) in a 6 p.m. game at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Networks).

What we learned from Saturday's game at the Rose Bowl:

1. Colorado's secondary is solid. While UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen got his yards (372), the Bruins still finished 18 points under their season average. CU's defensive backs played relatively well for most of the evening, especially considering they were missing starter Trey Udoffia for the entire second half and starting safety Afolabi Laguda for a big portion of the second half.

The Buffs did give up some big plays — a 44-yarder aided by a missed tackle and a 46-yard flea-flicker — but they also came up with some key third-down stops. The bottom line is the secondary played well enough to keep the Buffs in the game right up to the end. That's all you can ask for against a quarterback like Rosen.

2. CU's pass rush needs a boost. After an outstanding start — nine sacks in the first two games — the Buffs have produced just one sack in each of the last three, including one against UCLA.

Nobody expected Colorado to wreak havoc on Rosen; the Bruins had given up only eight sacks in the first four games. But it's more than just sacks. When CU did get some pressure on Rosen and force him off his spot, he hurried his throws and was not nearly as accurate. It's a delicate balance — getting pressure often means bringing extra defenders, which exposes your secondary — but with more quality quarterbacks on the horizon, it's an area the Buffs will no doubt be working on diligently.

3. The long ball has been AWOL. This is one of the more perplexing issues with the Buffs so far. A wide receivers group tabbed by a number of publications as not only one of the best in the Pac-12 but one of the best in the nation has struggled to produce any kind of deep threat.

What's clear is opposing defenses are doing their best — and succeeding for the most part — in taking away anything resembling the long ball by providing extra coverage deep with safeties at every opportunity. Thus, the Buffs' longest completion of the year is a 44-yard Steven Montez throw to Shay Fields; the second-longest is a 42-yard Montez throw to freshman Laviska Shenault against UCLA.

Still, some opportunities have presented themselves and the Buffs haven't been able to connect.

An interesting comparison? After five games last year, the Buffs had nine pass plays longer than any completion they have had this year — and five of those long balls came off the arm of Montez.

4. The running game is improving. It took a while to get rolling Saturday, but CU's rushing attack did finish with 191 yards against the Bruins. As head coach Mike MacIntyre said after the game, "Anytime you rush for almost 200 yards and hold the other team to 95, you should win."

It was by no means a conventional rushing attack, at least for the Buffs. Montez was CU's leading ground gainer (15 carries for 108 yards), with tailback Phillip Lindsay chipping in 83 yards on 19 carries, including some nice gains off direct snaps.

What the Buffs can't afford to continue to do is hurt themselves with penalties. CU had at least three big runs nullified by flags against UCLA: a 25-yard gain by Shenault on a reverse, a 20-yard run by Lindsay and a 9-yard Montez run to the end zone. The first two would have extended drives and put the Buffs in UCLA territory in the first half; the Montez run would have given CU the lead in the third quarter.

Those are the kinds of mistakes that are literally making the difference between winning and losing. Fix those and it will be a big step toward establishing more consistency on the ground.

5. The O-line is still a work in progress. Before the season, MacIntyre said he thought this would be his best offensive line in his five years in Boulder. But a group that has been beset by a variety of problems, including suspensions and injuries, has yet to gel into a consistent, cohesive unit.

What is perhaps most perplexing is that of the five players who started Saturday's game, four were starters for at least half of CU's games in 2016. The general consensus was that the group would take a big step forward, simply on the basis of experience.

So far, that hasn't happened — but there's still time. It will be interesting to see how they perform over the next two weeks.

6. Kicker James Stefanou continues to be a reliable weapon. It seems like we mention Stefanou every week, but there's a reason: the 30-year-old freshman's reliability has been a boon.

Stefanou was a perfect 3-for-3 against UCLA, making him 10 for 11 on the year. He's also hit nine in a row since missing his second attempt of the season. That kind of consistency will make him more and more valuable as the season progresses.

7. Laviska Shenault will be a big-time weapon. Thus far, we've just seen glimpses of the true freshman wide receiver — but every time we see them, they are impressive.

Saturday, he had a big run called back by a penalty, then added a 42-yard reception, with half those yards coming after the catch. Shenault is a big (6-foot-1, 215 pounds), solid, fast athlete who is just beginning to learn the nuances of the game. It's a good bet we'll see more of him this year — and plenty more in years to come.

8. Overall, CU's defense continues to improve. We've already mentioned the secondary play and pass rush.

But overall, D.J. Eliot's defense has exceeded expectations. Holding UCLA to 27 points is not something most teams will do this year, and while Washington did score 37 against the Buffs, at least 14 of those (blocked punt and interception return) can hardly be blamed on the defense.

In terms of Pac-12 leaders, figure this: Colorado is third in the league in scoring defense (18.2 points per game) and fifth in total defense. Overall, CU is in the upper half of the league in just about every key defensive category — probably not something most folks expected.

9. Colorado's offense will improve. Yes, it's been frustrating. Players, coaches and just about anyone connected with the program have used that word to describe CU's offensive inconsistencies. But all those folks also know the Buffs are close — sometimes painfully close — to finding that groove.

In each of the last two games, the Buffs have put together some beautiful long drives, mixing the run and pass in the process. At the same time, they've hurt themselves at critical junctures with penalties, dropped balls and other miscues.

But, lost in the haze of Saturday night's loss was the fact that Montez took another step forward in his overall development while CU's running game also came alive in the second half.

Certainly it hasn't been what folks thought they would see, but inside the locker room, there's still a belief that the breakthrough game is coming soon.

10. It's not time for the panic button. Next weekend, CU will hit the halfway point of the regular season. It's an opportunity for the Buffs to put together a solid game from top to bottom against a team that has struggled on the road in conference play (since winning in Boulder in 2015, Arizona is 0-7 in road conference games and just 2-13 overall in Pac-12 play).

After that, it's a trip to Oregon State, a squad that has struggled mightily this season.

In short, there's time for these 3-2 Buffs to fix what ails them and get some wins under their belts.

Next weekend would be a great time to start that process.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu