While Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense was struggling to fire before the bye week, Colorado’s offensive coordinator is optimistic they can turn things around against No. 11 Utah.
With two weeks of rest, strategy and preparation, the Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) will face their second straight ranked opponent in their rival Utes (5-0, 2-0 Big 12). The juggernaut will come into Folsom Field on Saturday riding an undefeated wave, a stark contrast to CU’s three-game losing skid.
The backbone of Utah’s style is physical defense, which shows in their 13 points allowed per game this season. For the Buffs, Marion’s offense has averaged just 18.6 points per game and only scored one touchdown during the losing streak.
Still, Marion is confident his team will figure it out and return to their winning ways from Weeks 1 and 2.
What Utah brings
Morgan Scalley is a familiar defensive coordinator to Marion. Having coached against him and respecting the program, he understands the difficulty of the task at hand.
“They've been the Monstarz on defense since 2015, when I was at Arizona State,” Marion said. “They've had a buzzsaw on defense. They are very confident; they believe in what they do. They're gonna stop the run, they're gonna blitz, they're gonna be up in your face, so it's a tough challenge for us.”
Even with a home-field advantage, it won’t be easy for Colorado to get back on track; however, here’s what Marion has seen from his team.
Improvements from the bye
“The bye week has been awesome for us from the standpoint of going back to the fundamentals and details, to stuff that we did well in game one and game two,” Marion said. “Looking at it, looking over it, and just making sure guys have an understanding.”
The self-reflection and analysis is something the Buffs have needed. Even while averaging 394.2 yards per game, the points have not followed. The frustrations from the offense have been a real concern, but Marion recognizes the need to finish.
“We just haven't been able to put the ball in the hoop for whatever reason, and I think some of those reasons we shore up during the bye week,” Marion said. “So I'm excited to see what we look like moving forward throughout the season.”
Passing game
Through the air, the biggest reason for inconsistency has been the quarterback for CU. After benching Julian Lewis, the Buffs turned to Isaac Wilson to start against then No. 12 Texas Tech before the bye.
Although he accumulated 332 total yards of offense by himself, he threw three interceptions, raising questions about whether the gun slinger would get another opportunity. After Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders confirmed he’d be the starter, Marion has helped him grow.
“We've worked on the issues that he has when he gets flustered, when he gets outside of the pocket, and he made some of those turnovers where he could have just tucked it down and ran,” Marion said. “Like he was doing well in that game. I think he showed toughness; I think he showed a lot of things that you're looking at from a quarterback's perspective.”
The Buffs aren’t short on talent, with Biletnikoff Award Watchlist receiver Joseph Williams and SEC transfer DeAndre Moore Jr., who’ve been consistent. They just need a QB who can get them the ball and allow them to make plays, which is something Marion has emphasized.
Run game
With the ground game being a staple of the Go-Go offense, it would make sense for the Buffs to turn back to their running backs. They averaged over 180 yards per game for their first three weeks, before fumbling issues caused a decline in trust and production.
Against Texas Tech, no back had more than four carries, and through five games they are averaging just 140 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Marion has called on his rotation of backs to step up.
“The O-line is opening up lanes; the running back has to open his eyes,” Marion said. “He has to trust where the run's supposed to go. We worked on that with the running backs to understand where the ball's supposed to hit, and that's what we did really well in the first two games.”
No matter if it’s Micah Welch, Damian Henderson II, JaQuail Smith or Richard Young, the offense needs the explosion from the room to return to its production from the first three weeks. The talent is there, but the execution must improve.
“We were able to run the ball for six to seven yards per carry. So our run game hasn't disappeared,” Marion said. “ That's been a tenet of what our program is, as far as offensively, everywhere I've been. So we'll get the running game back rolling.”
Marion will have his chance to showcase the unit’s improvements Saturday at 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN).
Players Mentioned
Coaches Mentioned
