Buffaloes back to business in Boulder after the bye week

Coach Prime's team looking to make waves in the final five games

For Colorado, the bye week could not have come at a better time after giving up a 29-point lead and allowing the Stanford Cardinal to come back and get the double overtime win in Boulder 46-43. The Buffs would have preferred that to be a win heading into the off-period, so they would have momentum heading into this week’s game against UCLA.

They would be one game away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2020, when they played Texas in the Alamo Bowl. The talk once again would have been about how CU continues to shine, but with that loss it showed that CU is far from a finished product and still has plenty of work to become a postseason contender.

This bye week allowed players to get both a mental and physical break. A much-needed one to reevaluate how they approach games week in and week out. To focus on improving their weaknesses and finding ways to get stronger both physically and again mentally. It really gave them time to just escape and that might be a good thing with the spotlight being on the football program.

We've watched this team perform under pressure and now It's about getting back to how the Buffs were in the first three games. And for many of these players, it will come down to mindset and the work they put in when the spotlight is not on them. CU has shown they are a team that has found success, but they have also shown that there are still plenty of miscues and mistakes. 

This week it is all about stopping the run game, which has plagued Colorado's defense all season long. The Buffs allow 157.4 yards per game, which is 87th in the nation. They'll also need to become a more disciplined team as penalties have been killing drives and keeping drives alive for their opponents. In fact, the Buffs are dead last with an average of 80 yards per game worth of penalties. CU's coming off their most penalized game against Stanford, where they allowed 17 penalties for 127 yards.

Keep in mind, Sanders' Buffs were the least-penalized in the win against TCU. A total of six penalties for 35 yards. They need to get back to this type of game and the coaching staff will need to have a firm hand in making sure that penalties will not have a negative impact on the team.

Colorado allows 35.9 points per contest, which is ranked 120th in the nation and second-worst in the Pac-12. This is not all on the defense's shoulders. The offense cannot afford to not give their opponents short fields to work with; they also cannot afford as many three and outs as they have had. Even with this being a high tempo offense, they'll need to find a way to give the defense a break. They need to find a way to put together longer drives, so the defense can remain at the freshest points. Allow that time of possession to go up to give the defense a break.

CU's most glaring weakness on offense is their inability to establish a true rushing threat, averaging just 86.3 yards a game. Buffs offensive coordinator Sean Lewis needs to find a way to get this team more balanced as they have yet to have a back eclipse 100 yards in a game this season. Listen, Shedeur Sanders can't do it all, even though there are times he should take off down the field. This is where the Buffs could be a threat with Shedeur running an option package ahead of Dylan Edwards. You get him in open space and it's a foot race down the sideline.

Any way you stack it up, this must change with what was supposed to be one of the deepest position groups on the team. Edwards, along with Anthony Hankerson have both shown glimpses and now you must wonder if Alton McCaskill might see some more touches. The other issue for CU has been keeping Sanders upright. The Buffs offensive front has allowed the second-most sacks in FBS with 35 this season. The O-line needs to win the battle at the line of scrimmage when it comes to both running the ball and protecting Sanders.

If these two changes happen there is no reason that CU will not find success on offense and keeping the defense fresh. CU has shined plenty this season and Boulder is back on the map once again in the football world. But now it is time to show the work that was put in this past week and get back to winning ways.

 A win and a strong performance against 23rd-ranked UCLA will once again show that work, determination, focus, and believing in each other has led to this CU team finding success this season.