Woelk: Late Season Defense Review
November 15, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Bye weeks are usually a good time to provide a midseason assessment of a team's progress while keeping one eye on the remainder of the season.
But because the Colorado Buffaloes' bye week has arrived so late in the season — CU has just one regular season game remaining — we'll adjust the format slightly by taking a look at what we've seen this year, and in some instances what that might mean for 2018.
Today, the defense:
Overview: Simple math suggested the Buffs' defense was going to have to take a step back. Colorado entered the season with three new defensive coaches, including coordinator D.J. Eliot; and the Buffs were also tasked with the chore of replacing eight starters from last year's defense (including four NFL draft choices).
That math has added up to an up-and-down season that included holding rival Colorado State to three points in the opener, a good effort at UCLA, and flashes of solid play at several other junctures. But, there were also plenty of long afternoons (and evenings).
Still, heading into the last two weeks of the season, the Buffs are sixth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense and eighth in overall defense (yards per game) — not a bad spot for a group with so much turnover.
Secondary: The Buffs lost two starting cornerbacks and a starting safety to graduation (all three are on NFL rosters today), yet still played reasonably well against the pass, especially in light of some key injuries. Colorado was eighth in the league in pass defense yards per game, but sixth in pass efficiency defense.
The most damaging injury was to cornerback Isaiah Oliver, which sidelined him for two games and rendered him relatively ineffective in last week's loss to USC. Oliver would have been a big help early in the game at Arizona State, when the Sun Devils hurt the Buffs through the air in the first half. There is a question if Oliver will be back next season or make himself available in the NFL draft; but there have been some strong indications lately that he plans to return to Colorado for his senior year.
One bright spot has been the development of young cornerbacks Trey Udoffia (redshirt freshman) and Dante Wigley (sophomore), two players who should improve and be reliable corners in the future. Both have had their moments — good and bad — but overall have shown the ability to play the position at a high level.
Maybe the most pleasant development in the secondary has been the rapid progress of safety/Buff back Evan Worthington, a playmaker who will almost assuredly be a central figure of the defense next year. Worthington has a knack for finding the ball, can rush the passer, is solid in coverage and is a good run defender.
A question in 2018 will be safety, where the Buffs will have to replace Afolabi Laguda and safety/Buff back Ryan Moeller.
Nick Fisher, hampered by an injury early in the year, has played well since returning and should be a mainstay next year. If Worthington becomes the primary Buff back, it will mean finding another starter from a group that will likely include Kyle Trego, Jaisen Sanchez (injured this year), Lucas Cooper and redshirt Kevin George, who came in as a corner but has put on some weight and muscle and has been getting some work at safety.
Linebackers: The Buffs have received good production on the outside this year from senior Derek McCartney (44 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 passes defensed), but Colorado never really replaced the sack threat posed by Jimmie Gilbert (10.5 sacks in 2016). After producing 36 sacks in 14 games in 2016, the Buffs have managed just 17 in 11 games this year, a dramatic reduction.
There is some intriguing young talent on the outside, beginning with true freshmen Jacob Callier (who led the team in quarterback pressures this year) and Dante Sparaco. Callier has shown a knack for rushing the passer; Sparaco is a big, physical player who can rush and play the run. Both are expected to be contributors in 2018.
Inside, the Buffs have received a steady performance from Rick Gamboa, and Drew Lewis has shown flashes of big-play potential. But they were also part of a run defense that wore down late in games, something that will have to be addressed next season.
There is some depth here. It will be interesting next year to see how CU coaches work three more solid freshmen — Nate Landman, Carson Wells and Jonathan Van Diest — into the equation, either outside or inside. Landman got some significant snaps last week against USC in relief of Lewis and played well, especially against the run.
Colorado's linebackers could definitely be a strength in 2018.
Defensive line: While most folks were worried about replacing three starters in the secondary, this was perhaps a bigger concern when the season started because Colorado lost three capable 300-pounders.
It has been an up-and-down group. Senior Leo Jackson III has played well, but is somewhat undersized for a 3-4 alignment, particularly against the run. Meanwhile, JC transfers Javier Edwards and Chris Mulumba took some time adjusting to high-level Division I play, but both also showed some flashes of potential, particularly Mulumba over the last couple of weeks. If Edwards can add some strength and stamina, he and Mulumba will be a nice starting point next fall.
One youngster up front who has some potential is sophomore Lyle Tuiloma. His development in the offseason — spring ball and in the weight room — will be a big part of how his future unfolds.
A big factor next year will be freshman Terrance Lang. CU's coaches are excited about his potential. He has added about 30 pounds to his frame since arriving and shows all kinds of signs of being a force if he continues to develop. It will also be interesting to see if redshirt freshman Terriek Roberts can make a jump.
Special teams: Overall, this group was vastly improved. No doubt there were some costly errors, but Colorado is actually among the top 20 teams in the nation this year in overall special teams efficiency. The Buffs should have kicker James Stefanou (17-for-21 field goals) and punter Alex Kinney (a respectable 36th in the nation in average) back, a nice start in terms of continuity.
Conclusion: While the defense was by no means consistent, there were some bright spots. Run defense was an issue, and CU no doubt missed some stability in the trenches. Improvement in the front seven will be a key for next season, and the good news is the players capable of making that jump appear to be in place.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Players Mentioned
