BOULDER — Anyone who pays even casual attention to Colorado football knows the Buffaloes’ offensive line will be under the microscope Thursday when Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ squad opens the season at Folsom Field against North Dakota State (6 p.m., ESPN).
The Buffs’ top priority in the offseason was improving protection for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and also improving what last year was an anemic rushing attack.
But just as important Thursday will be the performance of Colorado’s defensive line — also one of the Buffs’ top priorities in the offseason. CU had one of the nation’s worst run defenses a year ago and if Colorado is going to take a step forward this year, the defensive line has to be improved.
The Buffs added plenty of help up front in the offseason. Now, they should get a very good idea Thursday as to how much the position group has improved. The visiting Bison boast a balanced attack that last year finished fourth in the nation in FCS in rushing (237 yards per game) and two of the mainstays — quarterbacks Cam Miller and Cole Payton — are back this season.
That’s right, two quarterbacks. The Bison can hit opponents with a pair of outstanding signal callers.
Miller, the starter, is more of a traditional QB, throwing for 2,688 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while also rushing for 629 yards and 13 scores. Payton, meanwhile, is an imposing physical presence (6-3, 230 pounds) who can line up at a variety of spots in the offense. He attempted just 27 passes last year and completed 18 for 289 yards and three touchdowns — but he also rushed for 615 yards and 13 scores.
Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston says that one-two punch presents a big challenge for his unit, in particular a defensive line that will be required to play error-free assignment ball.
“They make you play 11 on 11,” Livingston said. “I can’t say enough about the quarterbacks. If you go back and look at it, I think (Miller) runs better than you anticipate, and I think (Payton) is a phenomenal athlete. So we got our hands full. We have to tackle, we have to get off blocks and have to play fast … It’s really a phenomenal challenge that we’re excited for.”
The task of preparing for the Bison has also been complicated by the fact that NDSU has a new head coach. Tim Polasek, a former North Dakota State assistant, spent the last three seasons as Wyoming’s offensive coordinator. That means the Buffs have watched plenty of NDSU film as well as a good deal of Wyoming film to try to get an idea of what kind of attack the Bison will bring to Folsom.
“To our assistant coaches’ credit, they’ve been on top of this,” Livingston said. “It seems like we’re watching six different teams, but we’ve been doing it every walkthrough, so there’s time on task there. But like all first games, you’re going to look up midway through the first quarter, start of the second quarter, and you say, ‘OK, hey, this is what it is.’ And then you have to adapt and adjust. And it all goes back to putting our guys in position to be successful.”
The general thought is that the Bison will do their best to establish a run game. One, they will want to test CU’s front seven and see if they can establish some kind of tempo by pounding away at the Buffs.
Two, they will want to run clock and shorten the game — and keep the ball out of the hands of QB Sanders and his fleet wide receivers.
One person who said he’s already seen a big improvement on CU’s defensive front is offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who spent most of last year as an analyst before taking over play-calling duties down the stretch.
Now the full-time coordinator, Shurmur said he’s seen a big improvement in the Buffs’ front seven.
“We’re much better up front on defense, which has been a challenge for our guys, and that’s what you want in training camp,” Shurmur said. “Training camp is obviously put the pads on and get calloused up. Everybody work on their individual skills, and then as a team, come together. And I feel in all three phases, because of how we’ve worked together, we’ve been able to do really all three things.”
Thursday will be Livingston’s first go-round as a defensive play caller. He spent the last eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals as a defensive backs coach but now he’s the man in charge of calling the entire defense.
It’s an opportunity given to him by Coach Prime that he says he won’t ever forget.
“Obviously I’m a first-time play caller, and it’s not lost on me,” Livingston said. “He took a chance … I’d run through a wall for the dude. He’s given me this opportunity. I am forever indebted to him. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be here. My family loves it here. It’s a phenomenal honor and it’s a blessing.”
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Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.