On Saturday, the Colorado Buffaloes were defeated 48-41 by the USC Trojans in a Pac-12 shootout. Colorado football was unable to overcome the Trojans’ offensive firepower despite a second-half comeback attempt. In this article, we will look at four Colorado Buffaloes players that are to blame for the team’s loss.
In a Pac-12 shootout, the USC Trojans upset Colorado football. The Trojans were led by quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw for 403 yards and six touchdown passes, tying a career record. The Trojans advanced to 5-0, 3-0, while the Buffaloes lost to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Pac-12 play.
Despite going behind 21-0 early in the game, Colorado rallied and had a late chance to tie it. However, despite a bad onside kick effort, USC was able to hold on for the victory. Shedeur Sanders, the team’s starting quarterback, had his best game of the season, throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. Colorado football’s defense finally got a stop owing to some USC mistakes, and the offense showed signs of life, but they were unable to score.
Here, we’ll look at the four Buffaloes most responsible for Colorado’s college football loss to USC.
Late in the game, Colorado’s offensive play-calling appeared questionable. In the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes had a chance to tie the game, but their play-calling was too conservative, and they failed to convert on fourth down. This choice cost them the game in the end.
This one hurt a little in the game’s final stretch. There was no true clock management, and timeouts were a self-inflicted wound. Furthermore, the series of rushing plays that went nowhere across the middle allowed USC to run out the time at the end. I’m not sure what coach Prime and his staff were hoping to achieve, but things could have gone a lot better. That’s not to say Shedeur Sanders didn’t try to get the Buffs back into the game. It was basically an unplanned shambles.
2. Defensive blundersThroughout the game, the Buffaloes’ defense made multiple mistakes, allowing the Trojans to score on several big plays. The defense of Colorado football was unable to contain Williams, who had a field day against them.
CU had a few of late defensive stops and even intercepted Caleb Williams once, but the Trojans still had 498 yards of offense and made a few scoring drives look simple as they established a 27-point lead that proved insurmountable for the Buffs.
3. Subsequent injuries
The Buffaloes’ secondary was in disarray, with safety Shilo Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter both out due to injuries. Colorado football was vulnerable to Williams’ throwing assault as a result, and they were unable to stop the Trojans’ offense.
4. Inadequate experience
The Buffaloes are a youthful club with less experience than a team like USC. While their second-half comeback attempt showed promise, they were ultimately unable to overcome the Trojans’ talent and depth.
Looking Forward
The Colorado Buffaloes were defeated by the USC Trojans, and various reasons played a role in their failure. There were various Buffaloes to blame for the loss, ranging from dubious play-calling to injuries and defensive lapses. Despite the setback, the Buffaloes showed potential in their second-half comeback attempt, which they will aim to build on in their next games.
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Colorado football: Four Buffaloes to blame for USC loss appeared first on ClutchPoints.
In week five, the Buffaloes put up a strong effort against USC at Folsom Field, but were defeated 48-41. Coach Prime and Colorado now have a 3-2 record. The Buffs were never expected to win today, as the eighth-ranked Trojans were listed as 21-point favorites. At first glance, it would be difficult to tell that the Buffs had lost, as spirits were high in Boulder following the game. Colorado’s one-point loss is the definition of a moral win, especially after last week’s thrashing in Oregon.
The Buffs fumbled out of the gate for the fourth week in a row. Colorado’s offense struggled to maintain pace, and their defense battled to contain the Trojans’ high-flying attack. Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at USC, was destroying the Colorado secondary in the first half. Williams threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns in the first two quarters alone, effortlessly orchestrating big plays. With a USC blocked punt thrown into the mix, it appeared that this game was going to get ugly. The Buffs trailed 34-14 at halftime.
Things began to change dramatically in the second half. The Colorado attack, led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, began to pick some steam. However, it would not be Sanders who would provide the most of the Buffaloes’ momentum, but rather a breakout effort from freshman wide receiver Omarion Miller. When Miller entered the game in the second half, the tides began to shift. Miller quickly established himself as Shedeur’s go-to man, racking up huge play after big play. Miller finished with 196 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Nobody anticipated Miller to even play today, let alone have a breakout performance. Miller’s performance versus USC stunned even Coach Prime.”I didn’t expect we’d receive that from Omarion. “I haven’t seen that,” Coach Prime said after the game. “[Miller] hasn’t practiced well, that’s why he hasn’t played.”
Miller wasn’t the only Buff on offense who stood up, as running back Anthony Hankerson played a key role in Colorado’s comeback. Hankerson rushed for 74 yards and scored one touchdown. The Buffs struggled to create a strong rushing assault in previous weeks, but concluded week five with a very encouraging 193 yards on the ground. Hankerson played a significant role in that triumph.
“[Hankerson] ran the ball aggressively. He’s done well. “He’s been consistent in every game,” remarked Coach Prime. “Hank is resilient, he’s been doing a good job.”
When it comes to Colorado’s run game, the offensive line really stepped up to support the running backs. The offensive line at CU created some large gaps, which Hankerson took full advantage of. Colorado also punched above their weight in the pass rush. Last week, the big men were thrashed brutally by Oregon, allowing seven sacks. They only allowed three sacks on Shedeur today. You obviously don’t want any sacks, but the wounded and bruised unit really stepped up today. Hopefully, they will be able to safeguard Shedeur better for the rest of the season. The less punishment Shedeur receives, the better.
After a difficult week in Eugene, Shedeur had a terrific comeback performance on Saturday. Despite a sluggish start, Colorado’s quarterback picked up the pace and turned on the burners in the second half. Shedeur’s outstanding vision lets him to pick apart opposition secondaries when he gets time in the pocket. Shedeur was sending rockets into tight positions all game, including a stunning fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Omarion Miller. Shedeur finished the day with 371 yards passing, four touchdowns, and one interception. That interception was also not his fault, since the intended receiver, Xavier Weaver, was devoured by the turf monster during the play. Against USC, Shedeur solidified his standing as a true stud.
Colorado’s secondary struggled today against Williams and USC’s receivers, but who can blame them? USC’s offense is one of the most skilled and dangerous in the country. This season, healthy secondary defenses will struggle to keep up with USC. At this stage, CU’s secondary is essentially held together with duct tape. With corner Travis Hunter and safety Shilo Sanders out due to liver issues, the Buffs were without their top two defensive players. Taking that into consideration, Colorado performed admirably today.
Cormani McClain, a five-star recruit, had considerable playing time at cornerback this week and made the most of it. Coach Prime had criticized McClain earlier in the week for apparent work ethic issues off the field. Despite the odds, Cormani had a spectacular debut versus USC. McClain had a huge end-zone pass breakup and what should have been an interception, but it was called back due to a controversial defensive interference penalty. Cormani proved himself as a viable cornerback option and a potential significant asset for the Buffs in the future.
“I’m proud of [Cormani] for just even stepping up to the challenge to get out there and make a difference,” Prime added. “I’m quite proud of him. I truly am.”
This week was supposed to be Colorado’s and Coach Prime’s most difficult game of the season. Many predicted the Buffaloes would lose this week, but they put on a show nevertheless. This is CU’s best performance since week one versus TCU. There were a number of promising signs for the Buffs today. The secondary made some noise without their two stars, the offensive line really picked up their game, and Colorado held their own against the nation’s eighth best squad. Coach Prime and Shedeur both stated after the game that they don’t believe in moral victories and are hungry for more victories.
The Buffs will travel to Tempe for a game against Arizona State next Saturday. Colorado should be the favorite after their performance this week. The game next week is really winnable and could be a lot of fun. The Buffs’ quest for a bowl game continues, as they need three more wins to become bowl eligible. Coach Prime and his team will face the Sun Devils on the Pac-12 Network next Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MT.
