The Colorado Buffaloes had as rough of a six-quarter stretch as a team could have. More questions were created than answers, and there is still a lot of season left to be played. Though we’ll get into the weeds down below, things could have gone worse for the Buffs.
Still, with back-to-back losses in conference play, there is a major question about whether the hype was warranted and whether it should fade away. At the very least, this has been one of the most interesting seasons that Colorado Football has had in a long time.
A Rough Start
We all know how things went in Eugene the week prior. The Buffs and the fan base were ready to move on and write that game off. The focus was shifted to USC. That said, you would have never known there was a focus on improvement and taking on USC with the way the first half went.
Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams made it look easy in the first, guiding a pair of touchdown drives. He continued in the second quarter as USC racked up another 20 points. By half time, things were looking just as ugly as they had against Oregon, the Buffs staring down a 34-14 deficit going into the locker room.
The Comeback
It took a little bit of time, but Colorado let the world know that they weren’t going down without a fight. They gave up another 14 points to USC in the third quarter but managed to stay nearly in lockstep with their opponent, picking up 13 points of their own.
In the fourth quarter, the Buffs showed real life. An Omarion Miller touchdown reception early into the fourth cut the deficit to 14 points. The defense managed to stop the bleeding for a bit before Shedeur Sanders connected with Jimmy Horn Jr. for a touchdown with just under two minutes left to cut the lead to seven. Unfortunately, the comeback would end there, the Buffs falling just short against a top-10 team.
PICKED by @Young_Cam20! pic.twitter.com/CguD1pDbJe
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 30, 2023
Fill Shedeur is Back
Losing is never a good thing but there are some positives to take from this game. Compared to last week, when nothing went right against Oregon, there are at least a couple of things that we can look at on film that bodes well for the Buffs moving forward.
The biggest plus is that Shedeur Sanders, one of the best players in Colorado football roster, had a big bounce-back game after running for his life against Oregon. He started a bit slow but found his groove eventually, nearly leading the big comeback by Colorado. He finished the day going 30-for-45 for 371 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception.
The Buffs defense is a major issue, but we all knew that, even before the debacle at Oregon. Seeing the offense find a groove and put up 41 points against one of the top teams in the country is definitely something to build on. Sanders won’t threaten the Heisman because of the team’s record but he could become a favorite if he keeps this up and returns for another season in 2024.
Thank you Buff Nation 🦬 pic.twitter.com/aIB5lcF21j
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 1, 2023
What to Take Away From This Game
There are a few things to take away from this game, some good, some bad, and some realistic. Let’s start with the latter first. If there is a good thing about this game, it’s that the Buffs had a chance to tie it late in a game where they could have given up. They aren’t going to beat the big boys yet, but they aren’t going to lay down, either.
The bad is obviously the defense. They are 126th out of 130 teams in the nation in total defense bad. The defense is also 123rd out of 130 teams in the nation when it comes to scoring defense at 36.2 points per game. As good as the Colorado offense is, the defense is just as bad if not worse.
Finally, the good is Shedeur Sanders and the offense. He had another great game, showing great accuracy and the ability to stretch the field. When Travis Hunter gets back, things will only get better on offense.
This view of that Shedeur Sanders pass to Omarion Miller 🎯🔥@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/2RhliNyoNr
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 30, 2023
The Rest of the Season
If anything, the last two games should have tempered unnecessarily high expectations. This is a team that won just a single game last year, though there has been a ton of turnover and talent injected into the lineup since coach Deion Sanders came into the fold.
There are still some very tough games on the Colorado football schedule – they play Oregon State at home and have both Washington State and Utah on the road to finish out the year – where they could get exposed again. If they can manage to build momentum by winning three of four against Arizona State, Stanford, UCLA, and Arizona, the fan base should be thrilled with six wins and a bright future.
.@DeionSanders on the resilience of the Buffs today.#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/eXKzr5PQUX
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 30, 2023
