While the Colorado offense has been lighting up the scoreboard behind quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the Buffaloes’ defense has struggled to get stops while simultaneously collecting a number of game-changing plays.
It has been enough to get the job done. Yet while the takeaways certainly have provided a spark in each win during the 19th-ranked Buffs’ 3-0 start, the CU defense is seeking more consistency as the schedule toughens, beginning with Saturday’s showdown at No. 10 Oregon (1:30 p.m. MT, ABC).
“I think the biggest thing is the explosive plays. We’ve got to eliminate that,” CU defensive coordinator Charles Kelly said during a media session following Wednesday’s practice. “Some of those are just caused by missed tackles on the perimeter. Some of those balls (against Colorado State) weren’t completed very far but turned into bigger gains. We’ve got to do a better job.
“I was proud of the guys. Our number one thing is get the ball. It’s all about the ball. There’s nothing more important you can do for your team than get turnovers. Our guys are buying into that. We’ve got to keep that up.”
The Buffs are allowing 30.3 points per game and a gaudy 460.3 points per game. The comparatively modest points per game total can be attributed to CU’s 10 takeaways through three games.
CU’s lowest game total so far this season was two takeaways in the opener at TCU, but both doused scoring chances. An end zone interception by Trevor Woods thwarted TCU in the first quarter, and in the third quarter Travis Hunter recorded another red zone pick.
In the Week 2 win against Nebraska, the Cornhuskers put the ball on the ground four times (losing three), and Jackson State transfer Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig grabbed his first interception with the Buffs. CU posted four takeaways again in the win against Colorado State, getting the first CU fumble recovery by Florida State transfer Derrick McLendon in addition to interceptions by Shilo Sanders, Silmon-Craig, and Woods.
Sanders returned his pick 80 yards for a touchdown, and Woods’ second end zone interception of the season clinched CU’s win at the end of the second overtime.
“When you run to the ball like we do, that’s something we pride ourselves on,” Woods said. “When you run to the ball, we’ve got a lot of guys with some good hands and good ball skills. Those two combinations of things helps a lot. Obviously we pride ourselves on it. Most teams do. It’s one thing to say it but it helps when you have a lot of good players.”
CU’s defense needs just one more takeaway to match last season’s total of 11, and the Buffs are on pace to collect more takeaways this year than they have the past two seasons combined (24; with 13 in 2021). It might be a pace difficult to maintain, particularly this week in Eugene. Oregon (3-0) has not yet committed a turnover in three games, with quarterback Bo Nix remaining interception-free through 98 attempts. Nix threw only seven interceptions in 409 attempts last year (one every 58.4 attempts).
“There’s always room for improvement, but it’s just our defense,” Shilo Sanders said. “We just get to that ball. That’s what we specialize in — hustling, playing fast. It shows up.”
