Boulder, CO– Last Saturday, Colorado dropped their third game in a row to the Oregon State Beavers, bringing their overall record to four wins and five losses. They have also dropped five out of their last six matchups. With three games remaining, beginning with Saturday’s home finale against surging Arizona, the Buffs must find a way to replay their performances from earlier in this year or lose out on attending a bowl game in the winter. Now that the dust has settled on the game, here is what I thought of Coach Prime and company’s latest showing.
New Play Calling Doesn’t Seem To Rejuvenate Offense
Throughout the first half of the season, CU’s offense looked impeccable. We saw the Buffs slinging the ball at an outstanding rate. Versus TCU, Colorado’s offense posted stats that hadn’t ever been done before in school history with four pass catchers posting 100 or more receiving yards. And against Stanford (for the first half at least), Shedeur Sanders and company had the game in a chokehold, scoring a touchdown during their first four possessions.
But since that game, the offense had come to a stand-still. Sanders has been held under so much pressure lately that during UCLA, he had to be injected with a legal pain-killing drug called Toradol in order to survive the rest of the game. It had gotten to the point where coach Pat Shurmur, an NFL veteran coach as an Offensive Coordinator and Head Coach, took the play-calling reins.
On paper, that is a move that should work beautifully, as NFL play calling should outweigh college competition. However, the team looked a bit sluggish on the field, and the running game once again served no threat; they posted a team total of negative two rushing yards once the final horn sounded. CU still needs to win two more games to make it to a bowl game, and if they want to make that final stretch, that consistency needs to find its way back.
Coach Kelly’s D is beginning to truly shine
For the most part of the season, this CU team was a ‘first-half team.’ During the first 30 minutes of their games, the offense would be on a rampage, and the defense would easily allow their counterparts more time of possession with the pigskin. However, once both teams left the locker rooms something would always seem to be in the air that changed the team’s play. The Buff’s opponents would find seams and gaps through their defense, and the offense would sometimes find themselves needing to play catch-up.
However, that was nowhere near the case versus the Beavers. The defense was able to infiltrate the dam, causing multiple stops on third downs and batting several balls. They even forced two turnovers. However, the offense wasn’t able to capitalize, and the defense needed to be on the field for the majority of the quarter and it tired them out.
Coach Kelly is keeping his opponents guessing, and it is leading to significant success for his unit.
The Future is Looking Bright for 2024-2025 Colorado Football
Coach Deion Sanders has a lot of haters. People see him as too flamboyant, too cocky, or flat-out annoying. But traits absolutely nobody can deny about Prime are his ability to build men, coach football, and — recruit.
After publicly blasting his offensive line after a dismal performance versus UCLA, news came out about two monster offensive linemen in relation to CU football. One has already confirmed his intent to be a Buffalo, and if the other falls into Prime’s hands too, the Big-12 is due for a shakeup.
The top Junior College offensive lineman Issiah Walker Jr., who is a former D1 commit with the Florida Gators, announced he will be attending CU next season. Walker Jr. is a monster among men, boasting a 6 foot 4 inch and 309-pound frame.
Additionally, the no. 1 offensive lineman recruit in the upcoming recruiting class, Jordan Seaton, was in attendance at the Oregon State game on his official visit.
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