Buffs ranked in Top 10 nationally in two major defensive categories
NOTEBOOK: Frazier, Irwin to return to lineup
Buffs offense 'looked like we should look' in decisive third quarter
INSTANT ANALYSIS: Colorado takes care of Texas State, 37-3
Rivals.com
Not allowing a touchdown in the first two games has catapulted Colorado towards the top of the list of teams surrendering the fewest points in the country.
According to the latest NCAA statistics, Colorado is No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense with an average of 3.0 points per game. Air Force is No. 1 but the Falcons have played just one game, a 62-0 victory over VMI in Week 1. They travel to Michigan this coming weekend, so Air Force is unlikely to retain their lofty ranking.
In the wake of the 17-3 and 37-3 victories over Colorado State and Texas State, respectively, Colorado is one of only two FBS teams that has not yet yielded a touchdown through the first two weeks of the season. Defending national champion Clemson is the other.
The Buffs didn’t allow a single point from the 9:56 mark of the second quarter in the Rocky Mountain Showdown to the 9:39 mark of the third quarter in Saturday’s victory over Texas State. That’s four straight quarters of shutout football.
“We’ve always had good players,” Mike MacIntyre said after Saturday’s 34-point win over the Bobcats at Folsom Field. “We’ve signed good ones, we’ve developed them and we’ve stayed in the same defense, so there is not a big learning curve. I’m pleased with how we’re playing (defensively). They need to just keep playing like that.”
Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot and his staff on the defensive side of the ball have demonstrated a knack for making timely and effective adjustments. Saturday. Texas State stunned the Buffs with a 55-yard run early. But the Buffs adjusted and the Bobcats tried the same play again five or six times during the course of the game but met with little success.
“They hit us with a big run early,” MacIntyre said. “They did a little different blocking scheme. We caught them from behind because we have speed out there. We pretty much stopped that run the rest of the day. They ran it about six or seven more times. But we knew how to fix our fits. We’re very sound in what we do”
Colorado is also ranked No. 9 in Red Zone defense after allowing Colorado State and Texas State to register points on just two of four trips inside the 20-yard line.
“Some defenses, when they get near the red zone, just say, ‘Crude,” MacIntyre said. “Our defense just goes to another gear. We rise to another level and keep playing. All the kids too. We practice in the red zone hard. We don’t flinch when teams get near the red zone. We did that last year and these young guys are doing even better this year.”
MacIntyre singled out three Buffs players for praise after Colorado improved to 2-0 on the young season - CB Isaiah Oliver, DL Leo Jackson and DB Evan Worthington.
Oliver made an acrobatic interception in Saturday’s game, essentially out-jumping the Texas State wide receiver and tipping the ball to himself. He had a major role in limiting Texas State to 8-of-18 passing for 127 passing.
“It was an amazing play,” MacIntyre said. “I thought he was going to score off it. He is a phenomenal player. He’s doing a lot of great things for us. He has always been close to that good. He has just gotten stronger and faster and gained weight. He is more confident too. And he’s out there all the time. The two guys we played last year are both playing in the NFL. But I have always thought Isaiah was a phenomenal corner. He is special. He has great ball skills and he can finish plays.”
Jackson, a former JUCO transfer that has appeared in 23 games over the past two seasons, collected three sacks and three tackles for loss in Saturday’s game, and led the defensive line charge against the Bobcats.
“He has gotten a little bit bigger after rotating in and out last year,” MacIntyre said about Jackson. “He is a multi-dimensional lineman. He can two gap in our defense. But he is quick enough to accelerate to run-pass, which is hard for some guys to do. He has gotten so much better in his power and strength.
"We play him in both our nickel and base defense. I’m proud of Leo. He is a sharp young man. He is going to have a heckuva year. He is athletic and he has long arms. He could potentially play at the next level, too.”
The fleet footed Worthington has bounced back nicely after sitting out all of last season due to a suspension. He was second on the Buffs with nine tackles in Saturday’s game to go along with 2.0 tackles for loss and 1 pass breakup.
“Can he fly or what?”, MacIntyre asked of Worthington. “He has always been like that, but now he has gone to another level. Maturity is an interesting thing. When people mature, they see what they can be. He’s doing it. It’s exciting to see. Evan does so much for us. He reminds you of Chidobe (Awuzie). He is that fast and that athletic. He is not a cornerback like (Awuzie). He is a nickel or safety guy that can blitz. He is a big addition for us this year.”
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