BOULDER — When Nebraska’s defensive coaches sat down to study Colorado film this week, there’s no doubt one thing jumped out: the Buffs’ penchant for explosive plays.
In CU’s 31-26 win over North Dakota State last week, the Buffs recorded seven plays of at least 25 yards. All were pass plays, and five of them came on Colorado scoring drives.
The longest play of the game was a 69-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Jimmy Horn Jr. Horn also had catches of 41, 31 and 25 yards, Travis Hunter had a 41-yard touchdown reception and a 40-yard catch, and LaJohntay Wester recorded a 25-yard reception.
Those explosive plays give Colorado a quick-strike ability that can change the complexion of the game in flash. Of CU’s five scoring drives last week, four of them took less than three minutes, with two taking less than a minute off the clock.
This week, CU coaches are well-aware that the Huskers’ defensive plan will include attempting to limit those explosive plays when the two teams meet Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln (5:30 p.m. MT, NBC).
“I’m sure they got a game plan to try to slow that down,” said Buffs wide receivers coach Jason Phillips after Thursday’s practice. “But our game plan won’t change. Explosive plays are part of what we do offensively, part of what we want to do to a defense. So I’m sure they got a plan, but we got to stick to our plans.”
Colorado’s explosive play ability is magnified by two factors: QB Sanders’ ability to extend plays with his legs to give receivers time to get open and the fact that he has at his disposal a fleet of receivers capable of producing big plays.
That has been a focal point all week for the Nebraska coaching staff.
“It’s coming together and seeing what the best calls and what the best philosophy is when we do pressure, what the coverage is going to look like, when we drop everybody, what the rush is going to look like,” said NU defensive coordinator Tony White. “It’s playing complementary football on defense. That’s the challenge. He (Sanders) is a talent. If you go through and look at all the games, there’s a lot of ways people played him and he was still able to perform and still able to execute. It’s a really big challenge but he’s the type of player that makes you a better coordinator because you have to find ways, you have to be creative, you have to find ways to cover, you have to find ways to attack, you have to find ways to disguise. It’ll be a challenge.”
But while the Buff have the ability to pick up yards in big chunks, they can also grind out long, sustained drives when necessary. CU’s most impressive march of the night against NDSU was a 17-play, 80-yard possession that produced what proved to be the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The longest play on that drive was a 14-yard pass from Sanders to running back Dallan Hayden.
Hayden’s catch was also the longest play of the night by a Buffs running back. CU finished with 59 yards rushing, with the longest run of the evening an 11-yard gain — by Sanders. The longest run by a running back was a 6-yard burst by Hayden.
That is an area Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders wants to improve.
“I wish we could turn it up, be a lot more physical on the run,” Sanders said. “Demand that we dominate our assignment on that particular play so that we can consistently run. We have several backs that can flat out do it … But we gotta take what the opposing defenses give us.”
***
Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.