Photo by: Tony Harman
Fast Five: Keys For The Buffs Vs. Texas State
September 08, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With two games to go before their Pac-12 opener against defending conference champion Washington, the Colorado Buffaloes have plenty of areas in which they need to improve.
That preparation means making the most of every opportunity between now and then, beginning with Saturday's noon home opener against Texas State.
Everett Withers' Bobcats, just 2-10 a year ago, opened the season last week with a 20-11 win over Houston Baptist. While the Bobcats are still in rebuilding mode in Withers' second season at TXST, they do have some quality athletes, including quarterback Damian Williams, a graduate transfer from Mississippi State, as well as some quality linebackers.
Here's what the Buffs need to accomplish in their home opener:
1. Develop offensive consistency. A week ago, Colorado scored 17 points on three straight possessions against Colorado State early, then went scoreless the rest of the night while holding on for a 17-3 win. CU did not penetrate the CSU red zone until midway through the fourth quarter, and came away empty on that drive after missing a field goal.
While big plays are terrific — CU scored touchdowns on a 45-yard Phillip Lindsay run and a 31-yard Steven Montez pass to Shay Fields — the Buffs need to develop the ability to put their tempo offense to work and produce some long, sustained marches. The Buffs had only three drives of at least eight plays against CSU, and came away without any points on two of them.
Part of the equation here is consistency from the offensive line. While the Buffs did have some "flashes" of good play from the line in the opener, it was far from consistent, a big factor in CU's drives stalling. One big point of emphasis Saturday will be pass protection. The Buffs gave up five sacks against CSU. That's a number they don't want to repeat again the rest of the season.
2. Stretch the field. The deep ball was almost non-existent in the opener, with the touchdown toss to Fields the longest completion of the night. Montez also had a 28-yard toss to Jay MacIntyre — but both of those plays came on scrambles, not from Montez setting up in the pocket and testing the defense on deep patterns.
Maybe most telling was CU's average per completion: a scant 9.6 yards, nearly 3 yards less than the average over the entire season in 2016. The Buffs need to stretch the defense and force opponents to respect the deep ball.
3. Reduce "explosion" plays. The Buffs gave up just three plays of 20 yards or more against the Rams, two passes and one run. But they were also the beneficiaries of three offensive pass interference calls that negated three deep completions. All the explosion plays were attributable to mental mistakes, not physical mismatches. Saturday's game is a great opportunity to continue working on the little details that make a big difference.
4. Continue to develop depth. One big storyline from the opening win was the contributions the Buffs got from youngsters and newcomers to the lineup, especially on defense. It is an area Colorado needs to continue to develop as the opportunity presents itself before Pac-12 play begins.
Saturday will be an interesting opportunity for the Buffs as they see an option-oriented attack, something they rarely face. It will require disciplined defensive assignments and will be a great test, particularly for young players.
5. Contain quarterback Damian Williams. While the Bobcats did get a nice performance from running back Anthony Smith (7 carries, 71 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run), it is no doubt Williams, a dual-threat quarterback, who makes the offense go. Williams carried 13 times for 43 yards and a score last week and also was an efficient 18-for-28 for 135 yards and an interception in the air. Williams has played against quality competition before. He appeared in 16 games at Mississippi State (where he played behind Dak Prescott for a couple of seasons), including one start. He won't be intimidated by a Power Five defense.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
That preparation means making the most of every opportunity between now and then, beginning with Saturday's noon home opener against Texas State.
Everett Withers' Bobcats, just 2-10 a year ago, opened the season last week with a 20-11 win over Houston Baptist. While the Bobcats are still in rebuilding mode in Withers' second season at TXST, they do have some quality athletes, including quarterback Damian Williams, a graduate transfer from Mississippi State, as well as some quality linebackers.
Here's what the Buffs need to accomplish in their home opener:
1. Develop offensive consistency. A week ago, Colorado scored 17 points on three straight possessions against Colorado State early, then went scoreless the rest of the night while holding on for a 17-3 win. CU did not penetrate the CSU red zone until midway through the fourth quarter, and came away empty on that drive after missing a field goal.
While big plays are terrific — CU scored touchdowns on a 45-yard Phillip Lindsay run and a 31-yard Steven Montez pass to Shay Fields — the Buffs need to develop the ability to put their tempo offense to work and produce some long, sustained marches. The Buffs had only three drives of at least eight plays against CSU, and came away without any points on two of them.
Part of the equation here is consistency from the offensive line. While the Buffs did have some "flashes" of good play from the line in the opener, it was far from consistent, a big factor in CU's drives stalling. One big point of emphasis Saturday will be pass protection. The Buffs gave up five sacks against CSU. That's a number they don't want to repeat again the rest of the season.
2. Stretch the field. The deep ball was almost non-existent in the opener, with the touchdown toss to Fields the longest completion of the night. Montez also had a 28-yard toss to Jay MacIntyre — but both of those plays came on scrambles, not from Montez setting up in the pocket and testing the defense on deep patterns.
Maybe most telling was CU's average per completion: a scant 9.6 yards, nearly 3 yards less than the average over the entire season in 2016. The Buffs need to stretch the defense and force opponents to respect the deep ball.
3. Reduce "explosion" plays. The Buffs gave up just three plays of 20 yards or more against the Rams, two passes and one run. But they were also the beneficiaries of three offensive pass interference calls that negated three deep completions. All the explosion plays were attributable to mental mistakes, not physical mismatches. Saturday's game is a great opportunity to continue working on the little details that make a big difference.
4. Continue to develop depth. One big storyline from the opening win was the contributions the Buffs got from youngsters and newcomers to the lineup, especially on defense. It is an area Colorado needs to continue to develop as the opportunity presents itself before Pac-12 play begins.
Saturday will be an interesting opportunity for the Buffs as they see an option-oriented attack, something they rarely face. It will require disciplined defensive assignments and will be a great test, particularly for young players.
5. Contain quarterback Damian Williams. While the Bobcats did get a nice performance from running back Anthony Smith (7 carries, 71 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run), it is no doubt Williams, a dual-threat quarterback, who makes the offense go. Williams carried 13 times for 43 yards and a score last week and also was an efficient 18-for-28 for 135 yards and an interception in the air. Williams has played against quality competition before. He appeared in 16 games at Mississippi State (where he played behind Dak Prescott for a couple of seasons), including one start. He won't be intimidated by a Power Five defense.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
TB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ FootballMark Johnson, Gary Barnett and Andy Lindahl breakdown the win against Iowa State
Sunday, October 12
Mark Johnson & Gary Barnett break down the game at TCU | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Footbal
Sunday, October 05
FB at TCU postgame presser
Sunday, October 05
Mark Johnson & Gary Barnett break down the game vs. BYU | The Buffalo Stampede: Colorado Football
Sunday, September 28