With Colorado now in the midst of conference play, The Denver Postap Kyle Fredrickson checks in on the state of the program entering Week 6 of the college football season.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
ǰ:3-2, 0-2 Pac-12
Best win: 17-3 vs. Colorado State: CU limited a CSU offense that dropped 58 on Oregon State and 51 on Hawaii to a field goal.
Worst loss: 27-23 at UCLA on Saturday night. CU took the lead with less than 7 minutes left for what would be a statement conference victory, but the Buffaloes had no answer for quarterback Josh Rosen, and sit 0-2 in Pac-12 play.
Offensive MVP: : Much of the talk surrounding CU’s offense in fall camp was returning talent at wideout, but the tailback known affectionately as “The Tasmanian Devil” is still the biggest offensive threat in Boulder. At UCLA, Lindsay fell victim to a helmet-to-helmet targeting penalty on one play, and caught a 21-yard touchdown reception the next. Toughness that leads to validated respect in the locker room.
Defensive MVP: : Attrition in CU’s defensive backfield led many to question its strength in 2017, but there’s no doubting the Buffaloes’ lock-down junior cornerback. Oliver’s 10 passes defended are tied for the most nationally, and he has been assigned to cover the opponentap top receiving threat through much of the first five games. Oliver and the CU secondary held UCLA’s Josh Rosen to only one passing touchdown.
Greatest concern: CU believed it could contend for another Pac-12 title this fall, but has yet to show it. The offensive line has rarely given quarterback a consistently clear pocket and has allowed 14 sacks. The Buffaloes’ defense has given up an average of 6.29 yards per play against Pac-12 foes. CU’s biggest problem is that its issues are far from isolated.
Greatest positive: CU started a total of 10 seniors at UCLA, a group thatap experienced many highs and lows under head coach , and now those leaders enter a stretch of winnable games: against Arizona (Oct. 7) and at Oregon State (Oct. 14). Montez has only started eight games and while he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes against UCLA, he showcased improved decision making with zero interceptions. The Buffaloes have yet to be defined.