BOULDER — At last check-in, the Colorado offensive line was under fire.
Quarterbacks were scrambling around and being sacked, the offense couldn’t sustain success because of it and most fingers were pointed at the men up front.
Well, with two games left, the storm clouds have cleared from the offensive line, which is writing an ending much more Cinderella than “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Colorado’s offensive line is arguably the most improved unit on the team, and all it took was a little time working together, patience and help from the quarterbacks.
“There’s been some maturation,” CU offensive line coach Denver Johnson said. “I just think guys kept after it and kept seeing their mistakes and improving individually as far as technique and fundamentals go, and then improving as a group as far as coordination in the protection, switching off twists and picking up blitzes and those types of things. I think it’s been a steady and positive progression”
Through the first five games of the season, Colorado’s offensive line allowed 14 sacks, including six in a 52-7 loss at California. In the past five games, it has allowed only six total.
“We’ve had the ability to play together through the whole season without being out for a game with an injury here or injury there,” junior center Mike Iltis said. “That helped tremendously. In the beginning, we were trying to sort some things out, figure out who was going to go where. But once the coaches figured out who was going to fit best and we stuck with that, then we had the opportunity and the time to become more confident, to become more cohesive, to trust each other. “
The quintet of Nate Solder, Ethan Adkins, Iltis, Ryan Miller and David Bakhtiari has been the starting unit since the Cal game Sept. 11, with one exception as Bakhtiari missed the start against Texas Tech.
“Whenever you play a whole season with a group of guys, you’re going to be that much more used to the way they play and more confident,” Solder said. “I think the important thing with the O-line is you really have to work together as a group.”
The quarterbacks — first Tyler Hansen and now Cody Hawkins — have helped with improved footwork and awareness in the pocket. They also have gotten rid of the football faster, which has been a factor.
The unit had a goal of allowing less than a sack per game. It will fall short of that but can hit that average for the last seven games by not allowing a sack in the last two. Kansas State ranks 10th in the conference with just 15 sacks, but Nebraska is second in the Big 12 with 26.
“We’re building as a group,” Solder said. “I think our confidence is higher than it was, but we’ve got to get better, and we all know that.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Remembering Kansas State
Oct. 5, 2002: Colorado 35, Kansas State 31
In a wild one, Colorado outlasted the Wildcats in Boulder for a victory that ultimately would decide the Big 12 North title.
Colorado, 2-2 but coming off an impressive 31-17 win at No. 20 UCLA, jumped to a 14-0 lead on touchdowns by running backs Chris Brown and Brian Calhoun — the latter on a 71-yard pass from quarterback Robert Hodge.
But Kansas State’s top two playmakers, tailback Darren Sproles and quarterback Ell Roberson, evened the score in the second quarter with touchdowns — the second on an electrifying, 71-yard keeper by Roberson.
Talk about answering — CU’s Brown retaliated with an 85-yard touchdown run, and then wide receiver Jeremy Bloom took a Hodge pass 94 yards for another second-quarter touchdown.
Colorado padded its lead to 35-14 on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Hodge to Jesse Wallace early in the third quarter. But the Buffs had to hang on as Kansas State scored the final 17 points of the game.
In a game of long touchdowns, Sproles sparked the Wildcats’ rally with an 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Kansas State’s Jared Brite kicked a 35-yard field goal with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. Finally, CU cornerback Donald Strickland saved the day with a huge hit on Sproles on fourth down to kill a potential winning K-State rally.
CU would go on to win the Big 12 North with a 7-1 league record (9-5 overall), and Kansas State settled for second at 6-2 (11-2 overall).
THE SERIES
Overall: CU leads 44-20-1. In Boulder: CU leads 27-5. In Manhattan: CU leads 17-15-1.
