Steven Montez adds versatility and pure athleticism to Buffs offense

The 2016 Colorado Buffaloes have showed that they can come out as a team and compete against the top schools in college football. Their quarterback situation has played out as a blessing in disguise and Steven Montez is their guy – one who adds versatility and pure athleticism to the CU offense.

Starter Sefo Liufau injured his ankle against Michigan and is still working on getting healthy. Head coach Mike McIntyre stated he will not come back until he is 100 percent.

Montez, a freshman, came in to close out the game against Michigan and looked as if he wasn’t ready to play. This were quite different the next week against Oregon in his first NCAA start. He came into this game looking confident and calm.

“It was great. He was poised and played really well,” Nick Kosmider from the Denver Post told Gil Whiteley on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7. “He knew, after going 0 for 7 against Michigan he had to be more prepared going into this week and he was. Had a lot of confidence from his teammates who worked with him almost exclusively in spring ball while Sefo [Liufau] was recovering from his foot injury. So, they had confidence in him, it was just a matter of him becoming prepared and Montez certainly was. He answered the bell in a big way.”

Against Oregon, Montez threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns. He also led rushing in the game with 135 yards and one touchdown. The freshman quarterback’s athleticism was what earned him his initial invite to Boulder.

“He’s just a great athlete. He played four different sports [in high school],” Kosmider said. “He was a really good basketball player and got some Division I attention in basketball, so he’s got that athleticism. He really blew Mike McIntyre away when he was recruiting him just watching him play basketball games. You don’t really assume it just looking at him, being as big as he is. He can move, and he showed that he can. That ability to make plays with your feet puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

The reason for their early success this season has been a change in offensive planning. The offense is able to keep any defense on its toes with the various types of attack they put out on the field.

“They’ve added a lot more quarterback run element this year,” Kosmider said. “It’s a way to keep defenses honest and it’s really paid dividends. They have been able to do a lot of things in terms of getting the ball quicker to playmakers, which they have a lot in that receiving corps and out of the backfield. But having the quarterback run has been a big thing and Montez was certainly able to do it.”

The Buffs now have two quarterbacks that can be playmakers and help the team compete against some of the best.

“They definitely have the insurance now that they have two good quarterbacks that they can plug in and lead what has proven to be a quality team in big games,” Kosmider said.

Hear the whole interview with Nick Kosmider, including his thoughts on the Buffs’ game against Oregon State, in the podcast below…

https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/9-27-16-nick-kosmider-from-the-denver-post-joins-the-show-gil-whiteley