Scouting Colorado - A Look A The Buffaloes' Defense

by ccmachine on Oct 27, 2010 5:16 PM CDT in Oklahoma Sooners Football

Colorado isn't going to wow you with their defensive stats but they do rank better in scoring defense than future Oklahoma opponents Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The Buffaloes are allowing opponents score an average of 25.6 points per game which places them seventh in the Big 12 Conference. Against both the run and pass they're also middle of the pack in the conference which should equate to success for Oklahoma's offense, assuming they can take care of the football.

	DE Josh Hartigan 9 Tkls/3 Sks	DT Wil Pericak 19 Tkls/1 Sk	DT Curtis Cunningham 11 Tkls	DE Marquez Herrod 2 Tkls
CB Jalil Brown 22 Tkls						CB Jimmy Smith 35 Tkls
	LB B.J. Beatty 20 Tkls/2 Sks		LB Liloa Nobriga 11 Tkls		LB Michael Sipili 49 Tkls
		S Ray Polk 42 Tkls		S Terrel Smith 15 Tkls/1 Sk

Colorado's defense is ranked sixth in the conference against the rush. They allow 139.3 yards per game on the ground and have had opposing running backs cross the goal line 4 times this season. Against the pass they're just a little worse in conference rankings. The Buffs come in at seventh in the conference in defending the pass, allowing 241.4 yards per game and giving up a total of 14 touchdowns through the air. Opposing running backs average 4.6 yards per carry against Colorado and opposing quarterbacks are completing 66.1% of their passes.

Oklahoma has the nation's 12th ranked passing offense with an average of 303 yards per game through the air and running backs DeMarco Murray and Roy Finch provide the balance needed to keep an opponent from making the Sooners one dimensional on offense. This spells trouble for a defense that doesn't excel in one category or the other but is middle of the road against both the pass and the run. That's where Colorado sits on defense and the understatement of the week is that they face a tall task against OU's offense.

Making matters worse for the Buffaloes is that they lost middle linebacker Jon Major to a knee injury. Major was the Travis Lewis of the Colorado defense. He was the heart an soul of who they were in both scheming and in physical play. He led the team in tackles and now they must move on without him against an Oklahoma offense that can be explosive.

This is one of those games where I see the Sooners using the same type of offensive game plan they did against Iowa State. With an replacement in the middle linebacker spot they're going to want to test the middle of the field both with their rushing attack and with short passing. Look for them to also continue to widen the field by running stretch plays and a flair passes to the sidelines in an effort to bring the Buffs up closer to the line of scrimmage. Then a down field passing attack becomes a matter of one-on-one coverage and quarterback protection.

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Lets make a poll as to which Landry shows up

Good Landry
Mediocre Landry
Bad Landry

It really is hard to tell week to week and I haven’t a clue as to which to choose. He has no Modus Oprandi. Helter Skelter is more like it. He can be Good at home and Mediocre at home. He can be almost Good on the road, Mediocre on the road, and Bad on the road as well. He can be good 3 weeks in a row or he can Good one week and Mediocre/Bad the next week, then Good, then absolutely Bad. Just can’t get a read on the guy. It’s nice to know that no one else can get a read on him either.So I won’t vote.

The Sooner offense should be able to do some good things at Colo, but I thought we were going to run and pass well at Mizzou, I never thought we would run and pass all over them but I sure thought we would have a better showing.

Hoping the Good Landry shows up and the team does well.

by scarab on Oct 27, 2010 9:56 PM CDT reply actions

He's at home

so…..I’ll go with GOOD Landry. Also after crappy games where Bad Landry shows up, we tend to get Good Landry as well.

He’s an OK QB….but the more I watch the Sooners, the more I think Wilson needs a Bradford, who was in class by himself to win games. A good QB won’t cut it. The rest of the pieces particularly on Defense aren’t good enough to make up the difference for a National Contender level team, given Wilson’s Offensive scheme, which from what I gather is "make amazing thread the needle passes to covered WRs, on Bubble screens and slants)

Colorado Rockies correspondent at My Team Rivals (www.mtrmedia.com/rockies) and my own site Rockies Reporter (www.rockiesreporter.wordpress.com)

by Redhawk on Oct 28, 2010 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

great observations

I believe much like you but most of the time bot don’t spit out eh words to explain it. The “make amazing thread the needle passes to covered WRs, on Bubble screens and slants”, hits the nail on the head. I am just concerned the Mediocre Landry shows up at home, it’s happened before, and if the at happens this team cold easily let a victory over Colo slip thru their hands.

On KW…. he needs alot, having Sam Bradford spoiled him and us fans.

Here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen.

by scarab on Oct 28, 2010 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions