Rooney: 3 extra points from CU Buffs’ win against Nebraska

BuffZone
PUBLISHED September 11, 2023 at 3:57 p.m. | UPDATED: September 11, 2023 at 5:47 p.m.
BuffZone.com beat writer Pat Rooney breaks down three under-the-radar reactions from Colorado’s 36-14 victory against Nebraska.
1. Clean and disciplined
For me, one of the most impressive aspects of CU’s 2-0 start has been the clean brand of football on display, a few silly (and ultimately harmless) personal fouls against Nebraska notwithstanding. At TCU it was the Buffs, not the team that played in the national championship game months ago, who played with superior poise, with the Horned Frogs collecting 78 yards in penalties and committing two red zone turnovers. The Buffs (80) doubled up Nebraska (40) in penalty yards, but some of that was circumstantial. CU’s penalty total included an intentional grounding against Shedeur Sanders when the only other option was to take the sack, so those were lost yards anyway. Sanders added another 15 yards to that total with an unsportsmanlike conduct flag while celebrating his wild scramble-and-throw on a 2-point conversion (ultimately overturned on a video review). Those 15 yards were assessed on the kickoff, and Jace Feely booted a touchback anyway.
Moreover, the Buffs are playing through what few mistakes they do make. CU converted a second-and-24 on its opening possession after a Savion Washington personal foul. The Buffs converted a third-and-15 on the first possession of the second half. They are shrugging aside mistakes that crushed Buffs teams in the past.
2. Shoring up the front
I watched national sports shows gush about Colorado’s improved offensive line. They’re better, no doubt. But I’m not quite there yet.
Sanders was sacked four times at TCU and seven more times against the Cornhuskers (CU backup Ryan Staub also was sacked during mop-up time). Plus the hit Sanders took on the intentional grounding, which essentially played out like a sack. Travis Hunter might be CU’s most talented player, but Sanders is the most valuable. Eleven sacks in two weeks won’t be sustainable when the competition gets better.
Not every single one of those 11 sacks is on the offensive line. But more than enough were that line coach Bill O’Boyle must address the protection issues. The Buffs also are still waiting to take off in the run game. Again, the production hasn’t been awful. CU’s three primary ball carriers have shared the load equally (15 carries for Dylan Edwards and Anthony Hankerson; 14 carries for Sy’veon Wilkerson), but they’re averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. With Sanders shredding opposing secondaries so far, the Buffs don’t need to be one of the top rushing teams in the Pac-12. But generating a little more balance will take some of the pressure off the passing game and take some of the bite out of opposing pass rushers.
3. Turnover bug
There are takeaways, and there are giveaways. At TCU, a pair of ball-hawking Buffs took away scoring chances from the Horned Frogs. Nebraska, on the other hand, gave the ball away.
Three of Nebraska’s four fumbles (three lost) occurred on botched snaps. No offense to Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, but if he ever has an easier interception than the one served up to him by Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims, then he’s certainly living right.
Still, defenses often create their own breaks, and the Buffs are doing just that. At some point we’ll have to stop the comparisons with last year’s team, as this clearly is an entirely different situation. But sometimes the numbers are staggering. CU’s defense has recorded six turnovers in two games. The Buffs had 11 all of last season.