Down But Not Out: Where Do the Buffs Go From Here?

[Editor’s note: John here — and there is some exciting news in our family as my nephew is joining CU’s football team this week as an invited walk-on. Therefore, I’m going to be stepping back from my coverage of CU’s football team, and will let some other authors take the reigns on CU football coverage. Enter El Matador, a friend and huge CU sports fan. He’s one of the writers that will be covering CU football for BuffsBlog going forward. He’s great – better than me — and will continue to deliver the smart, analytics-based jackassery that this site has become known for. Thanks as always for your continued support of this site and for your likes and follows. Last, if you’re interested in covering CU sports for the site — and you are a really good writer — let me know and shoot me a writing sample at [email protected]. Yes, it’s the email address that explains that it is an email address. Thanks all!]

El Matador here. John has been sick this week and has stepped back from CU football coverage so I’m here to give you the scoop on all things CU football.  Ole!

Let’s start with brass tacks: CU lost on Friday night.  

BUT THE SKY IS NOT FALLING.

Georgia Tech is a good team.  It wouldn’t surprise us if they’re in the discussion for a college football playoff spot at the end of the season.  They were physical, well coached, and their offensive scheme is muy picante.  There’s a reason they had 563 yards last season vs. Georgia, amigos.  They use QB keep and WR involvement (cracks/orbits) to steal gaps and really, really stress alley defenders.  Folks, Georgia Tech is vastly underrated nationally.  They’re going to be battling for the ACC crown in late November. 

Now, onto CU news and notes:

• Jordan Seaton was absolutely dominant on Friday night.  Count me as one of the people that thought his freshman year was only “good” (an observation borne out by his pedestrian PFF scores last season).  But the leap he showed on Friday night was Bob Beamon-esque.  He looked like a man among boys.  His PFF score of 89.5 on pass-blocking was the highest grade among all offensive tackles in week 1 of college football.  Read that again.  Seaton is going to have a monster year.  He is trending towards being a top 5 draft pick in the NFL draft in 2027.   [Now, for a little cold water — Seaton didn’t do great run blocking. His PFF score of 51.1 on running plays needs to improve.]

• On the flip side (the opuesto, if you will), Xavier Hill struggled.  Hill has been one of CU’s best offensive linemen in fall camp, but he struggled Friday.  Part of that is due to the fact that he was matched up against Georgia Tech defensive linemen Jordan Van Den Berg.  Van Den Berg will be one of the better defensive linemen CU plays against this fall.  Regardless, CU needs more consistency from Hill.

• Overall, however, the offensive line played well.  Each of Larry Johnson III, Zarian McGill and Zylon Crisler were solid if unspectacular. CU needs more from McGill in the pass blocking department, however.

• Ohhhhhh boy does Zach Atkins also need to work on his pass blocking. El Matador  knows a good ole block when he sees one – and Atkins had at least three in Friday night’s game.  Ole! 

• We need to quiet the chatter about replacing Kaidon Salter.  Kaidon Salter played well.  The hot take after game #1 is that it’s time for JuJu Lewis to start.  I disagree, at least inasmuch as I still believe Salter should get the majority of snaps.  Salter looked dangerous running; he just didn’t do it enough.  Yes, he missed some passes.  That’s life for quarterbacks in college football.  His PFF score of 79 was the highest PFF score for any of CU’s offensive players on Friday night.  This Saturday is a good time to get Lewis some playing time but make no mistake – this is Kaidon Salter’s team.  CU will sink or swim based on his play at QB.  

• CU needs to find ways to get the ball to Quentin Gibson and DeKalon Taylor more.  Taylor was only in the game for 12 plays.  He had 1 rushing attempt for 2 yards, and 3 receptions for 38 yards.  Gibson was only in the game for 5 plays.  He had 1 catch for 4 yards and 1 run for 7 yards. Those numbers have to increase for arguably 2 of the most explosive players on the roster.  

• Why didn’t Jaheim Oatis play more?  Whenever he was in the game, he was very good.  Frankly, he was one of CU’s only players that could disrupt Georgia Tech’s running game.  Yes, I understand that he hasn’t practiced as well as some players higher than him on the depth chart. But Oatis showed that he needs to be playing much more.   

• Shaun Myers, the linebacker transfer from North Alabama, had CU’s highest PFF ranking on defense with an 81.4.  Compare to CU’s starting linebackers, Reginald Hughes (PFF score of 60.1) and Martavius French (PFF score of 45.1).  Ouch. It’s clear that Myers needs to be playing a lot more.  He only played 12 snaps on Friday night.  

• Like Martavius French, Brandon Davis Swain had a rough night on Friday night.  Amari McNeill, Anquan Barnes and Jaheim Oatis all were materially better on Friday night

• DJ McKinney did nothing to quiet the first round NFL draft pick noise.  I thought he was CU’s best defensive player Friday.

• Deion Sanders’ clock management at the end of the game was awful.  No excuses, Deion.  Just own up to it, learn from it, and let’s move on.

• I was more frustrated with Roberto Livingston than Pat Shurmur after Friday night’s game.  CU’s insistence on playing 2 deep safeties –  a trend that started with Vic Fangio in the NFL and has now worked its way down to college football – was dumb.  CU was getting gashed repeatedly in the running game and should have dared Haynes King to throw the ball.  Instead, CU sat back with 2 high safeties and only 6 in the box for the majority of the game.  So, El Matador, what should Roberto Livingston have done?  He should have walked one of the safeties up to into the box opposite the nickle back.  Preston Hodge, CU’s nickleback, played on the wide side of the field 90% of the time.  Walk one of the safeties into the box on the short side and slant the defensive line to the wide side since there’s now an extra safety to help cover the weak side of the defensive formation.  Livingston started to do this more as the game progressed, but it was too little, too late.  

For all of you that will be at Saturday’s game, look for me in my bright red sombrero. I’ll be in Boulder early, tailgating, because we’re cooking blue hens for lunch.

Arriba los Buffaloes!