Columbia, Mo. – The Colorado Buffaloes want to take touchdowns in the red zone for granted.
But their current state of affairs won’t let that happen.
This season, touchdowns avoid CU as writers should a cliché, dipping, dodging and eluding the Buffs at every turn. The closer Colorado gets to the goal line, the tougher it becomes.
In five games, the Buffaloes have been to the red zone 15 times. Of those 15, Colorado has come out with just four touchdowns. Seven times, Mason Crosby has booted a field goal. Four times, the Buffs have come out with nothing at all.
“Three points is OK, but we as a team have to learn to get in the end zone, especially when we’re down there in the red zone so many times,” running back Hugh Charles said.
Said wide receiver Dusty Sprague: “We’ve got to put points on the board. When you get down into the red zone, you’ve got to have seven instead of three and we’ve just got to get it in our mind that we’re not going to settle for anything else.”
It was especially irritating for players and coaches in CU’s loss to Missouri. Colorado had its chances. It marched into the red zone five times against the Tigers, but the only touchdown came on a 1-yard run by quarterback Bernard Jackson that was set up by a 63-yard pass play to Sprague that reached the 1-yard line on the previous play.
So what are the problems?
“The key is, we’ve got to make a play,” coach Dan Hawkins said.
Colorado has been unable to run close to the goal line and doesn’t execute well in the passing game. Colorado ran 15 plays inside Missouri’s 20-yard line and gained a total of 12 yards. All 12 yards came on five carries, and Jackson was sacked once. Throwing the ball, Jackson was 1-for-8 for zero yards. The other play was a field goal by Crosby.
“If we go back and watch it on film it’ll probably be one little thing; one little thing here or there,” Sprague said. “The key is, when you get in the red zone, you have to turn it up. Everything happens quicker. There can be no mistakes, you’ve got to be right on cue. We’ve got to get better at that.”
Said offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich: “Whether it was an errant throw or a drop, there were several plays that were sickeningly easy to make, and we didn’t make them. That’s my fault.”
Colorado is averaging 9.8 points this season, dangerously close to the lowest average in school history (9.1 in 1946). It has scored four touchdowns in five games.
Since records were traced starting in 1937, the fewest touchdowns in a season for CU is 12 in 1964.
“It’s real frustrating,” Charles said. “We just have to learn to get in the end zone. That’s it. I think once we get that first win, I think we’re going to click and things will be all right.”
EYE ON … The Bears
BAYLOR AT CU: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Folsom Field
For the record: CU is 0-5, 0-1 in Big 12 play. Baylor is 2-3, 1-0.
Streaking: Counting last year’s season-ending win over Oklahoma State, Baylor’s win over Kansas State gave it consecutive conference wins for the first time since 1995.
Who’s hot: QB Shawn Bell has thrown a least one touchdown pass in seven consecutive games.
Who’s not: Baylor’s rushing offense ranks last in the Big 12 with 27.4 yards per game.
Key stat: Baylor is 6-25 against teams from the Big 12 North.
FYI: Baylor’s 17-3 win over Kansas State was only its third win in a Big 12 opener.
Injury update: Safety Jordon Lake is out with a broken collarbone.
Coachspeak: “A win is a win, obviously. It’s always good to win, no matter how ugly it is. But for some of the folks we are fixing to line up and play, we aren’t good enough offensively.” – Baylor coach Guy Morriss
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
