Northwestern coach David Braun knows the attention surrounding Colorado frequently begins with Deion Sanders.
Braun, however, is preparing his team for what exists beyond Coach Prime’s marketing power and national profile: a talented Colorado roster that has become more physical at the line of scrimmage and already demonstrated an ability to survive under pressure.
“I don’t think, I know they did a really good job with their roster construction this offseason,” Braun said. “You can see it tangibly showing up on tape.”
Colorado will visit Northwestern on Saturday for the Wildcats’ final game at Martin Stadium, their temporary lakefront home before moving into the new Ryan Field. Northwestern enters the matchup following an early bye week, giving Braun and his staff additional time to study the Buffaloes.
What caught his attention was Colorado’s improvement along both lines.
“I think where it really shows up is at the line of scrimmage for these guys with their offensive line and defensive line,” Braun said. “They’re effectively, efficiently and explosively running the football with some really good backs.”
Braun respects what Sanders has built
When asked to evaluate Sanders after stripping away the branding and hype, Braun focused on the connection between Colorado’s coach and his players.
“What I see is someone that loves his players,” Braun said. “You can just see, whether it’s listening to press conferences or the way that he interacts with his team, that he’s in it to develop young men.”
Braun believes that relationship helps explain the resiliency Colorado displayed in its dramatic victory over Georgia Tech. The Buffaloes rallied late to take the lead before Boo Carter blocked a potential game-winning field goal.
“They’re playing resilient football,” Braun said. “I think it shows resiliency and toughness in that program.”
That assessment presents a much different picture from the style-over-substance narrative that has occasionally followed Sanders throughout his tenure in Boulder. Braun sees a team playing for something larger than individual recognition.
“When you have a team that’s rooted in that, you’re probably going to find a team that plays really hard for something bigger than themselves,” he said.
Colorado’s running game creates a new challenge
Colorado’s passing attack and explosive perimeter weapons remain significant concerns, but Braun repeatedly returned to the Buffaloes’ rushing offense under coordinator Brennan Marion.
“There’s clearly a commitment and investment to running the football, and they’ve shown that,” Braun said. “They showed it very effectively against Georgia Tech and Weber State.”
He also praised Colorado’s offensive line, tight ends and deep collection of running backs and recognized Marion’s willingness to remain committed to the ground game while finding unconventional ways to attack a defense.
“He’s going to find creative ways to attack you in the run game, and it’ll present an awesome opportunity, an awesome challenge for us as a defense,” Braun said.
Northwestern prides itself on stopping the run, tackling well and creating turnovers. Braun knows all three will be essential against a Colorado offense capable of stressing a defense in multiple ways.
“You know what? We better,”
Add us as a preferred source on Google