Colorado OC sends message on Buffs’ gameplan against TCU
By Matt Kennedy
With less than 10 days until the season opener against TCU, the University of Colorado football program is starting to officially shift their work in practice toward game planning for the Horned Frogs.
A lot of, if not all, the media focus has been on the skilled positions and high-energy transfers that Buffs head coach Deion Sanders has drawn to Boulder. However, come September 2, one of the keys to victory will be in the trenches. Offensive coordinator Sean Lewis has quietly installed the brand new offense that will be fresh for almost every set of eyes when it debuts next weekend.
Everything starts with the front five. It doesn’t matter how flashy or skillful Shedeur Sanders is if he or any of his running backs can’t get the necessary protection. CU punted the football 63 times last season, the second most in the conference.
It can’t get much worse this year for Colorado football, but with Sean Lewis at the helm of the offense, it should improve immensely
“We build a team and every single day matters,” Lewis told the CU media on Tuesday after practice. “…there’s 12 Saturdays that count and now we’re turning the page to the ones that truly count. We’re 11 days out from playing a really good opponent and we think we’ve got a really good team and it should be a great matchup.”
The former Kent State head coach brought over two Golden Flashes. Right guard Jack Bailey and right tackle Savion Washington will look to play vital parts in the refreshed Buffs offense. In 2022, CU had the tenth-ranked rushing offense and overall worst offense in terms of total yardage in the Pac-12.
Bailey and Washington helped lead a Kent State offense with the best rushing attack in the MAC, averaging 202.8 yards per game. With those two on the right sight of the ball, mirroring Jackson State transfer Tyler Brown and Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, expect the offense to gel more smoothly compared to years past.
Critics of Colorado football (primarily coming out of a state northeast of the state lines) have mocked the smaller size of the Buffs’ offensive line. The projected starting five has an average height and weight of six-foot-five and 303 lbs. That is right up there with the FBS average and significantly bigger than last year’s starting front five.
The basic football concept is that a good rushing attack eventually opens up the passing game; enter Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Lewis’ offense is catered towards throwing the football, but he aims to have a more balanced approach with the Buffs.
“If you don’t have the ability to have a strong right hook with a counter as well, whether it be run or pass whatever your strength is, then you get too one-dimensional,” Lewis said. “It’s very hard if you’re just going to throw the ball in to drop eight (defensive coverage formation). It doesn’t matter how many guys you can release; they’re not going to have that numerical advantage. You have to be able to have a physicality, a presence to run the ball.”
