Five takeaways from Colorado’s Pac-12 opener vs. UCLA
I have been on vacation this week, meeting with family on the East Coast and spending time in one of my favorite little towns in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Though I may not have been in the stands with my fellow Buffaloes, the view was not much better from the Granite State.
Colorado has extended its streak of losing by at least 25 points and even another quarterback swap couldn’t change the Buffs’ fortunes in their Pac-12 opener against UCLA. As the hole grows deeper for Colorado, there are still some glimmers of hope for fans to hang onto as we move forward.
Below are five takeaways from another lopsided defeat for the black and gold:
Owen McCown has arrived
Owen McCown proved that he is the best QB on the roster as he played well for a true freshman in his first career start. McCown completed 26-of-42 pass attempts for 258 yards with one touchdown and one interception (along with one lost fumble). McCown did have some freshmen moments where he was trying to be too perfect but overall looked pretty good being inserted into a rough situation.
In a perfect world, CU would not have to rely on an undersized McCown, but he has staked his claim to being the QB of the future.
Here come the freshmen
Colorado not only started McCown but also gave a lot of playing time to a bunch of other offensive freshmen in running backs Charlie Offerdahl and Anthony Hankerson, wide receiver Chase Sowell and LG Van Wells. The Buffaloes are looking to their young guys to try and get the offense jumpstarted.
Offense better, but not where it needs to be
The Buffaloes were able to move the ball a little bit, but it is not enough to play a competitive game against a pretty good Power Five school. McCown did impress, though, with CU’s first 250-yard game passing game since Sam Noyer back in 2020.
Owen McCown's 258 passing yards today were the most by the #CUBuffs quarterback since Sam Noyer threw for 258 yards against Utah in the #Buffs' 2020 regular season finale.
— Adam Munsterteiger (@adamcm777) September 24, 2022
What is going on with the run defense?
Colorado entered the season with a veteran front and a solid group of linebackers. The run defense has to go down as one of the most disappointing aspects of the season so far. UCLA was able to roll up another 249 yards on only 34 carries. Head coach Karl Dorrell was asked about this after the game, too.
Coaching change talk will only get louder
The coaching staff has to be hearing the noise about their jobs at this point. Getting blown out in four straight games is unacceptable for any school, especially one with CU’s history. The CU staff has to make some dramatic improvements in the coming weeks if they want that talk to go away.
