The Colorado Buffaloes’ Week 8 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys was a deflating one to say the least. Although it was a game the Buffaloes weren’t favored to win, they certainly weren’t expected to allow 34 unanswered points in the second half and lose in blowout fashion.
As the Buffaloes work towards their Week 9 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats, they’ll have a lengthy to-do list to address. Here’s a look at what their biggest concern on that list is, which concerns are real and which ones are overreactions.
The Colorado Buffaloes’ biggest concern
This game made it more obvious than ever what the Buffs’ biggest concern is. The glaring issue has been the quarterback position for the entirety of the season thus far, and that was only reinforced in this game.
It first appeared that the Buffaloes may be out of the weeds, as Isaac Wilson put together quite an impressive first half. He threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns while completing 14-of-16 passes with no interceptions through the first two quarters.
However, he fell apart in the second half. His two interceptions and 5-of-15 passing clip for 58 yards, no touchdowns and two fumbles were catastrophic for CU. He was a major reason for the Buffaloes leading 24-23 at halftime, but he undid all of his great work with his second-half performance.
Now, for the fifth week in a row, Colorado faces more quarterback questions.
Which concerns are real
The quarterback concern is obviously as real as it gets, but there are other legitimate concerns facing this Buffs team.
First of all, Colorado’s cornerbacks are a liability on its stout defense. Boo Carter has been a solid player for the Buffaloes this season, but they have two voids at the other cornerback spots. Cree Thomas and RJ Johnson were tested time and again in this game, and they repeatedly failed that test.
Despite the Buffaloes’ defense being star-studded at every other position, the Cowboys exposed cornerback as its weak point. If other teams can exploit the Buffs in a similar way moving forward, there are likely more losses like this to come.
Colorado also still has an offensive playcalling problem. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s mismanagement of his personnel has been tough for Buffs fans to watch, and it was prevalent as ever in this game.
Having a turnover-prone quarterback like Wilson throwing the ball 27 times while only running the ball 15 times is a recipe for disaster. In addition, the Buffaloes have a deep running back room, yet Marion refused to utilize that depth for any kind of versatility. JaQuail Smith had 13 carries despite only averaging three yards per carry, and aside from two carries for three yards by Damian Henderson II, no other running back saw a touch.
Which concerns are overreactions
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So while there are very few overreactions to how poorly Colorado played in Stillwater, a glaring one has emerged.
Any Buffs fan who has begun to doubt defensive coordinator Chris Marve or his playcalling ability will quickly be proven wrong moving forward. This was an uncharacteristic game for his defense, and things like that don’t tend to become repetitive.
Although his defense has struggled to stop opposing offenses late in games when they are already out of reach, it has been among the best in the Big 12 otherwise. This game saw the secondary get exposed, but if there’s anyone who can get that right, it’s Marve.
His 2023 defense with the Virginia Tech Hokies allowed just 2,194 passing yards, the third-fewest in the nation, only to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Expect Marve to right the ship in the secondary and morph it into one that begins to show glimpses of that team’s ability.
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