Woelk: 10 Takeaways From Buffs Game Vs. USC

BOULDER — With one regular season game remaining and the possibility of a bowl game hanging in the balance, the Colorado Buffaloes have an extra week to prepare for the decisive Nov. 25 game at Utah.

That extra time will come in handy for coaches and players as they prepare for what could possibly be a "playoff" game of sorts. If Utah loses at Washington next weekend, it means the Buffs and Utes will enter the final game with identical 5-6 overall and 2-6 Pac-12 marks.

The winner will play in a bowl game; the loser will be home for the holidays — and also finish last in the Pac-12 South.

So, with a few extra days to wait for the next game, we'll take our weekly look back. What did we learn from Saturday's 38-24 loss to USC at Folsom Field?

1. There's no bigger momentum switch than a pick six. No doubt, every turnover hurts — but those that end in a touchdown for the defense are particularly detrimental. The Buffs have given up two such plays this year, and both came at especially crucial moments.

In CU's Pac-12 opener, Washington broke open a tight game with an interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter, giving UW a 24-10 lead. Saturday, it was a USC interception return for a score in the final 20 seconds of the first half that sent the Trojans into the locker room with a 20-0 lead.

Both were big blows against quality teams and put the Buffs in holes they couldn't dig out of. Not to say the Buffs would have won either game without those plays — but both dramatically changed the complexion of games the Buffs were in until those moments.

2. Ninety yards is a long way to go in less than a minute. When the Buffs forced a USC punt late in the first half, there was a chance for some decent field position and a couple shots at getting into scoring position.

But when the punt traveled 57 yards to the CU 10-yard line, it decreased those chances significantly, and the decision to try to move downfield with so little time left and so far to go raised more than a few eyebrows in the radio and television booths. Making the situation extra difficult was the fact that USC knew the Buffs would have to throw to the sidelines in order to stop the clock (Colorado had just one timeout remaining). Colorado went to that well once too often, leading to USC's interception return for a score.

3. Quarterback Steven Montez has improved on his downfield throws. In CU's two previous games, Montez had his best success of the year throwing downfield, connecting for big scores in both games.

Saturday, he continued that trend. When the Buffs opened up their passing attack and went deep in the second half, Montez threw a pair of perfect touchdown strikes to Juwann Winfree, covering 79 and 57 yards.

Montez is still learning, and CU's coaches are still figuring out how to put his best talents to use. It's a process, but one that still has plenty of time to yield some nice dividends.

4. Evan Worthington continues to show he's a playmaker. The junior defensive back was all over the field Saturday, finishing with nine tackles, including a big stop on fourth-and-1.

Worthington is a force throughout the secondary, but with Ryan Moeller out, he's been extremely effective at the Buff back spot. NFL scouts love Worthington's game, and it will be fun to see how he develops next year in his senior season.

5. Juwann Winfree has a bright future. The double-move Winfree put on USC's defensive back on his second touchdown catch (57 yards) was a thing of beauty, even drawing praise from Trojans coach Clay Helton after the game.

Winfree is just now finally rounding into "game shape" after missing all of last year with a torn ACL. A wide receiver needs every step, every burst of quickness possible, and Winfree is finally regaining all those little extras. He'll be a force on the outside next season.

6. Speaking of next year, there are some quality youngsters making plays defensively. The latest to step up and turn heads is inside linebacker Nate Landman, a big, physical true freshman who replaced Drew Lewis on Saturday and played well, especially in the run game.

Landman's big play of the day was a blocked punt that set up a Colorado touchdown. He's one of several good young Buffs linebackers (including Dante Sparaco, Jonathan Van Diest and Carson Wells) that will help CU's front seven in the future. Colorado's run defense has struggled this year; this group of linebackers should help in that regard in the future.

7. There are solid youngsters on the offensive side of the ball as well. While we've seen just glimpses, K.D. Nixon and Laviska Shenault Jr. are playmakers.

Nixon can do a little of everything — he's run the ball, caught passes and returned kicks. Shenault appears to have that big-play capability — he's averaging 26.5 yards per catch, and he also had a 55-yard score on a punt return earlier this year after picking up a fumble.

It will be fun to watch those players develop in this offense over the next three years.

8. That's the best we've seen Chris Mulumba play. Mulumba is a big, strong, physical defensive lineman who's still learning the game (he didn't start playing until he was a senior in high school in Finland). Saturday, he had four tackles, including one for loss. He played well against the run and also put a little pressure on USC quarterback Sam Darnold. Another spring should help Mulumba develop and be a much more consistent player next year — something the Buffs need in a big way up front.

9. Kicker James Stefanou will continue to learn. The former pro soccer player is still figuring out the nuances of kicking field goals. He'd been incredibly consistent until Saturday, but two uncharacteristic line drives resulted in two USC blocks. Stefanou will learn from his mistakes, correct them and continue to improve.

10. We will miss Phillip Lindsay. Yes, this is obvious — but as I watched the CU running back walk off Folsom Field in uniform for the last time Saturday, it was indeed a melancholy moment.

Lindsay has been a terrific representative of the program and the university, on and off the field. He has treated the opportunity to play for Colorado as a privilege — but the true privilege has belonged to those of us who had the opportunity to watch him wear that uniform with such pride.

No matter what Lindsay does in the next chapter of his life, he will succeed. We can only continue to wish him the best of luck in whatever that may entail.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu