Santana Hopper has a name for the chances a defensive lineman gets on a Saturday night.
“We call them ops, like, short for opportunities,” the Colorado defensive lineman said.
Against No. 12 Texas Tech, he took most of his. Hopper made 10 tackles, five of them behind the line of scrimmage, in a His position coach, Dante Carter, talked this week about . Hopper said the message landed.
“My coach talked about being in the moment a lot, and I had a lot of moments out there,” he said.
It wasn’t enough on a night when the Buffaloes threw four second-half interceptions. For most of the game, though, Colorado’s defense gave its offense every chance to win it.
First-half stands
Texas Tech came into Boulder averaging 429.5 yards a game. It finished with 315, its fewest this season. Will Hammond threw for 134 yards, also a season low, and the Red Raiders converted on just 3-of-12 third downs.
The first half was the defense’s best work. Tech had three points at the break, and the Buffs made the two biggest stops of the night on fourth down plays.
The first came right after Colorado’s fake punt failed near midfield. Tech went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Colorado 41. Safety Naeten Mitchell, the same player who had been stopped short on the fake, dropped J’Koby Williams for a 4-yard loss. Later in the quarter, Tech had fourth-and-1 at the Colorado 7. Linebacker Gideon Lampron met Quinten Joyner at the line for no gain.
Lampron finished with 10 tackles. Safety Randon Fontenette added nine, along with an 11-yard sack on Tech’s first drive of the second half that helped force a punt. Defensive end Toby Anene also had a sack in the final minutes of the first half.
When one lineman makes a play, Hopper said, the man next to him wants to match it.
“So it’s like we just feed off each other,” he said.
Short fields
The interceptions changed the math. Twelve of Tech’s points came on drives that started after a Colorado interception. Seven more came on John Curry’s pick-six, with the defense on the sideline.
Isaac Wilson, who threw three of the four interceptions, said he owed his defense an apology.
“I’ve still got to go apologize to them,” Wilson said. “They’re getting stops within our own 30-yard line.”
Three days earlier, Hopper had said the line wanted to play four full quarters. Asked how close it came, he put the line on the final minutes.
“I feel like we played good ball up to like the last five minutes of the fourth quarter,” Hopper said.
Head coach Deion Sanders said his defense “did some phenomenal things.” Asked about his confidence in the team, he singled it out.
“I’m confident in them as a unit, as a group, particularly the defense,” Sanders said.
The Buffs did it without linebacker Tyler Martinez, whom Sanders called “a tremendous leader.” Sanders said the linebackers who have stepped in “are doing a good darn job.”
Believing in the other side
Hopper didn’t point a finger at the offense. He said he was surprised by how the night went for it.
“I’m very surprised because those guys are hard-working guys,” he said. “I believe in everybody.”
Colorado (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) has a bye before hosting Utah on Oct 17. Hopper said some players are banged up and could use the time to get healthy. His plan following the loss is simple.
“My mentality is to flush this loss,” he said.
