Buffs have no answer for defensive woes
BY LEOPOLDO RIVERA IV | 365 SPORTS
The Colorado Buffaloes football team has a problem that even Hall of Fame head coach Deion Sanders cannot solve.
Heading into their first game of conference play, the Buffs were (1-1) facing the Houston Cougars (2-0) on the road for Week 3. What was supposed to be a chance to improve the run defense turned into a nightmare that players won’t forget
In their week one loss, Colorado gave up an astounding 320 rushing yards, well over the 100-yard mark, which is the standard for offenses. In their victory that followed, they struggled. Although Colorado limited Delaware to 7 points and 84 yards rushing, the nearly 400 yards of total offense given up raised concerns about the defense’s consistency.
What started to reveal itself was a trend of weakness in Colorado’s defense.
Playing at TDECU Stadium, the Buffs had a game plan to limit Houston’s quarterback Conner Weigman, who had home-field advantage and momentum from a 2-0 start. During practice, emphasis has been placed on the Colorado defensive line to stop the run, an area the Buffs acknowledged they needed to improve.
The Buffs faced a Houston rushing attack that they knew could cause them trouble. During practice, the focus was on running back Dean Connors, who had 132 yards and two touchdowns against Rice a week earlier. Colorado was well aware of Houston’s run threat.
“We’ve just got to make sure we have great pass rush lanes for their quarterback, number one, but also their running back No. 44,” defensive line coach Domata Peko said. “He’s a hell of a player; he has a little bit of a burst to him.”
Lineman Anquin Barnes shared similar emotions with his coach, recalling the loss to GT in Week 1. Colorado’s defense felt a heavy sense of responsibility about its unit heading onto the road.
“Anytime someone comes in your house and has 300 yards rushing, you’re going to have a bad taste in your mouth,” Barnes said. “You want to make sure that never happens again. Just never want to feel that feeling again.”
After a perfect week of preparation, Colorado was reminded once again of that feeling. What followed was a layered offensive attack that pounced on the Buffs. Houston would rush for 209 yards en route to a 36-20 slaughter.
Postgame, Sanders was distraught, with no explanation for how the Colorado defense could be picked apart for the second time in three weeks.
“No one could have told me the game was going to turn out like this,” Sanders said. “The week of preparation that we had, the meetings, the film study were great…the game wasn’t good at all. We’ve got to do better in every phase of the game.”
With a whole summer spent on trying to improve the interior unit of the defense, Sanders’ feelings of frustration were clear after the loss. Colorado not only failed to stop the run but was out-physicaled in the process.
The Buffs will return home to Folsom Field to host the Wyoming Cowboys on Saturday and will have a few short days to figure out their defensive issues.