BOULDER — The bottom line for the anemic Colorado offense is not a need to block better, run better, pass better or catch better.
The bottom line is, well, the bottom line: points.
“We have to find a way to get into the end zone,” CU offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said.
Colorado (4-4, 1-3 Big 12) is threatening to add points to the state’s endangered list. The Buffaloes enter Saturday’s game at Texas A&M (3-5, 1-3) averaging 10.5 points for four conference games. Next worst in the league, Baylor, averages almost double that (20.2). Seven teams are scoring 30 or more points in Big 12 play.
The Buffs were fortunate to squeak out a 14-13 victory over Kansas State. Don’t count on that happening again. Not in the Big 12, where scores resemble something from a video game. CU’s win over Kansas State is the only time in 24 conference games played when the winning team scored fewer than 20 points. More than half the time (13 of 24 games), the winning team has reached 40 points. Almost a third (seven times) have reached 50.
Big 12 coaches still can’t believe it, especially those who recall the days when Big Eight/Big 12 teams won with a running attack and stingy defense.
“We used to think that 50 points was a blowout,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “Now, that’s happening every week.”
Brown added that “it puts tremendous pressure on the defenses.” True. But what about the pressure faced by offenses to keep pace on the scoreboard? Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State have each scored 35 points in a conference game and lost.
“We’re probably not to the point where we can outscore people 51-50,” CU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. “But we’ve got to get to the point where we’re going from 14 points to 24 or 27 or 31, or something like that.”
The Buffs need two victories in their final four regular-season games to become bowl-eligible. Nothing figures to come easy, but a Nov. 15 home game against Oklahoma State and the Nov. 28 finale on the road against Nebraska could be particularly challenging.
Without giving away this week’s game plan, Helfrich said “considerable changes” have been made to jump-start the offense. Gadget plays, perhaps?
“We had a couple against Missouri that we didn’t end up using, based on the situation,” Helfrich said. “So we just kept them in our pocket for down the road.”
In practices this week, Colorado has blasted artificial noise (recording of jet engines) to simulate the crowd at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, which is regarded as the Big 12’s loudest.
“I definitely need to stay calm,” said freshman quarterback Tyler Hansen, who will share time with Cody Hawkins. “Going into the environment at Missouri (his first college start), I was stressed a little bit. I rushed things. A couple of things I usually see, I didn’t. I can’t let that happen.”
Sophomore receiver Josh Smith says the Buffs now know how to fight through their lowest moment, the 58-0 loss at Missouri.
“We’re learning a lot,” Smith said. “It’s going to trickle over for us doing real well when we hit our stride.”
Whether that happens in time to earn a bowl bid remains to be seen.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
The lowdown
By Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
COLORADO (4-4, 1-3 Big 12)
Player to watch: WR Josh Smith.
One of CU’s few breakaway threats, Smith ranks second among Big 12 players in all-purpose yards, behind only Missouri All-American Jeremy Maclin. But Smith has caught more than one pass in only one of the four conference games, when the sophomore averaged just 9 yards on four receptions against Missouri.
Key for Buffaloes: Touchdowns, touchdowns, touchdowns.
Colorado has not scored more than two TDs in a game in more than a month — and that was just three, in an 18-point loss Sept. 27 to Florida State. There can be no excuses about the strength of the opponent this week. Texas A&M yields an average of 34.5 points.
TEXAS A&M (3-5, 1-3)
Player to watch: QB Jerrod Johnson.
Just Colorado’s luck: The Buffaloes face another hot quarterback. At 6-feet-5, 229 pounds with good feet, Johnson has opened eyes since taking over for injured three-year starter Stephen McGee. Johnson passed for 381 yards Saturday in a 49-35 victory at Iowa State and is averaging 361 yards for his last three games.
Key for Aggies: Win the turnover battle.
Texas A&M ranks 11th among Big 12 teams in total defense for all games, yielding an average of 431.5 yards. But the Aggies have shown a propensity to pounce on fumbles. With nine fumble recoveries, Texas A&M ranks second in the league, behind 13 by Iowa State.
