BOULDER — When the season began, there were some things just about everyone who follows college football already knew about the Colorado Buffaloes.
Two-way star Travis Hunter would be a force on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders would be a difference-maker, especially in clutch situations. CU’s offense would be dynamic and capable of scoring plenty of points in a hurry while the Buffs’ secondary would be a strength.
All have unfolded as conventional wisdom suggested. Hunter is arguably the best player in the country thus far and is leading a number of Heisman Trophy straw polls. Sanders has delivered on a weekly basis, coming up with big play after big play while creating opportunities out of seemingly hopeless situations, and as a result, Colorado’s offense has indeed been potent.
And, CU’s secondary has been a strength.
But after five games, the Buffs have proven to be a complete team, thanks to some significant contributions in a number of areas that were question marks when the season began. The Buffs (4-1 overall, 2-0 Big 12) have improved in just about every statistical category compared to a year ago and are now a legitimate contender for a Big 12 championship game berth and College Football Playoff appearance.
Now, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ squad is making the most of a bye week in preparation for CU’s Oct. 12 showdown with Kansas State at Folsom Field (8:15 p.m., ESPN).
Here’s a quick list of players who have helped the Buffs make the jump from a one-dimensional team to a sound, solid overall group.
1. Safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig. A starter in 10 games a year ago, Silmon-Craig was nevertheless overshadowed by fellow safety Shilo Sanders.
But when Sanders left the Nebraska game early with an injury, Silmon-Craig grabbed the spotlight and has been a force every week since. He leads the Buffs in tackles with 36, including 30 solo stops and three tackles for loss. He also has four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and last week recorded a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown in CU’s 48-21 win at UCF, tying the second-longest return in Colorado history.
He is a great example of defensive coordinator Robert Livingston‘s approach of putting players in position to take the best advantage of their skill sets. Silmon-Craig has a nose for the ball, shows a readiness to play the run, can drop into coverage and is seemingly always in position to make a play.
2. LB Nikhai Hill-Green. The transfer from Charlotte wasn’t a starter when the season began, but he stepped into the starting lineup in Week 2 and has been a big contributor since.
Despite playing just eight snaps in the opener, he is second on the team in tackles with 32, including a team-leading five for loss. He also has a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. He has been particularly stout against the run and paired with fellow inside ‘backer LaVonta Bentley, he gives the Buffs a nice one-two punch in the middle.
3. WRs LaJohntay Wester and Will Sheppard. Yes, Colorado fans expected big things out of their receiving corps when the season began, in particular from Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr.
But there was no way of knowing for sure if transfers Wester and Sheppard would fit in.
Now we know. Wester has proven to be a big-play guy in big moments with 21 catches for 260 yards and five touchdowns, including the game-saving Hail Mary TD against Baylor that sent the game into overtime.
Sheppard, meanwhile, bounced back from a big drop in that Baylor game to have a big performance against UCF, including his first touchdown catch as a Buff. He has 17 catches for 247 yards this season and leads the Buffs in yards per catch (14.53).
The importance of these players’ emergence can’t be overstated. Defenses can choose to double-cover Hunter and/or Horn, but only at the very real risk of allowing Wester and Sheppard to run wild in the secondary.
4. TE Sav’ell Smalls. From a pure statistical standpoint, Smalls’ production is by no means eye-popping. In five games — just one start — he has just four catches for 31 yards.
But Smalls is also playing a bigger and bigger role in Colorado’s run game as an extra blocker, and he’s making a difference.
Smalls played a total of just 44 snaps in CU’s first three games. But he was in on 32 snaps against Baylor and 42 against UCF — and it’s no coincidence that the Buffs had their two best efforts of the year on the ground in those contests.
Credit here to Buffs offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who has crafted a game plan each week that has kept opposing defenses guessing. The Buffs ran predominantly four-receiver sets in their first three games before making the tight end a bigger piece of the puzzle when they started Big 12 play.
The result was an improved rushing game — and against UCF, a much better pocket for QB Sanders when the Buffs threw the ball. Smalls had decent Pro Football Focus grades in each of the Buffs’ Big 12 wins and it’s a good bet he’ll continue to see a significant role in CU’s scheme as the season progresses.
5. All of CU’s running backs. The Buffs have by no means settled on a “bell cow” running back who is getting the majority of the carries.
Instead, it’s been a true running back by committee effort, with good results. Thus far, three different Buffs backs — Dallan Hayden, Micah Welch and Isaiah Augustave — have been CU’s leading rusher in at least one game, with Welch’s 9-carry, 65-yard effort in the win over CSU the best individual effort thus far.
Each brings a slightly different skill set to the table and CU’s coaching staff has shown an inclination to give each an opportunity, then ride the hot hand as the game progresses.
It will be interesting to see if one emerges as the lead back as the season progresses. But so far, the Buffs have done a solid job in utilizing all of their backs.
6. OT Jordan Seaton. When the season began, CU fans no doubt had big expectations for the true freshman tackle, who arrived on campus as one of the nation’s highest-ranked prep offensive lineman recruits.
Seaton hasn’t disappointed. While he understandably had a relatively slow start — the difference between college ball and high school ball is immense — he has improved every week.
Now, he has become a quality left tackle, especially as a pass blocker. In his last three games, he has graded out near or above the 80 mark according to PFF reports. He’s also improved his run blocking grades and as a result, Colorado’s run game and pass protection has improved, especially in last weekend’s win over UCF.
7. Red zone defense. Colorado currently has the fifth-ranked red zone defense in the country. The Buffs have given up just 13 scores in 21 red zone possessions by the opponent, with just nine touchdowns, four field goals and eight empty possessions.
Those red zone stops — or limiting the opponent to a field goal — have been huge.
It began in the season opener when North Dakota State took the opening possession and drove inside the CU 20. But a pass breakup by Preston Hodge on second down and a run stop by Bentley on third down forced NDSU to settle for a field goal, which swung a little momentum back in Colorado’s direction.
The biggest red zone stop, of course, came against Baylor in overtime. With the Bears threatening to tie the game, Hunter forced a fumble at the goal line that bounced through the end zone to end the BU possession and hand CU the win.
But there were two more big red zone stops last weekend against UCF. The first came on the Knights’ opening possession with UCF facing a third-and-goal. Hodge recorded his second interception of the season to stop the drive and prevent what would have been a huge momentum boost for UCF.
Later in the game, the Knights were threatening to climb back into the contest only to see DJ McKinney come up with a tackle for loss on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line before Hill-Green cemented the stop with a sack on fourth-and-goal from the four.
Every one of those plays has been a difference-maker.
8. Punter Mark Vassett and kicker Alejandro Mata. Vassett has been solid, averaging nearly 44 yards per attempt with eight kicks downed inside the 20 and five of at least 50 yards.
Mata hasn’t been perfect but he’s 5-for-7 and has delivered some clutch field goals, including two in the final minute of the first half against UCF that gave the Buffs a 27-14 halftime lead.
That’s the kind of dependability and consistency that will be critical as the Buffs continue their Big 12 march.
9. Defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo. The 5-11, 290-pound Nwankwo has played in just three games but when he plays, CU is better against the run. He’s been credited with just five tackles but he has one sack and a tackle for loss — and more importantly, he occupies a couple of offensive linemen on every snap.
That opens up the tackling lanes for linebackers Bentley and Hill-Green and keeps opponents behind the sticks. Nwankwo gives the Buffs a much-needed rock in the middle of the run defense and if he stays healthy, he’ll be a key piece to the puzzle down the stretch.
10. CBs DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge. CU fans knew the Buffs would be solid at one corner with Hunter. But McKinney and Hodge have given Colorado the opportunity to use Hunter in a variety of places.
Both have played well at corner. Both have come up with big plays. Hodge has a pair of interceptions while McKinney has 31 tackles, including two for loss, and a team-best five pass breakups.
11. Edge rushers Samuel Okunlola, BJ Green II and Dayon Hayes; defensive linemen Shane Cokes and Taje McCoy. Lots of names here but the Buffs have utilized a nice rotation up front that keeps fresh legs in the game and produces steady production.
Okunlola has 3.5 tackles for loss. Hayes also has 3.5 TFLs with two sacks and Green had four TFLs.
Cokes, meanwhile, has made a big step from last year and shown he has adjusted to the Power 4 game. After not recording a single sack or tackle for loss last season, he has 2.5 TFLs and a sack in the first five games. McCoy, a redshirt freshman, has two sacks and gives Buffs fans plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future.
Overall, that’s the production the Buffs have been needing from the players up front and a big reason why Colorado’s defense is much improved.
***
Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.