September Grades – Offense

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September Grades – Offense

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Colorado entered the first bye week of the 2024 season at 4-1, with a 2-0 conference record in the Buffs’ first season in the Big 12 since 2010. In a September to remember, the Buffs opened with a top FCS team, went on the road to face their two biggest rivals, came home for a “White Out” overtime win none of us will be forgetting anytime soon, and played their best overall game in memory in their first-ever game against Central Florida.

The 4-1 record is at least a slight surprise to many of us (in my preseason picks, I had CU at 3-2 in September. The first four games I picked correctly; happy to be wrong about the UCF road game). The 4-1 record raises questions as to what the new ceiling for Colorado may be this fall. Was the big win over Central Florida the new floor for the program? Or a once-in-a-season effort? Is a bowl bid now a certainty? … Or is there a chance for a second half collapse the Buff Nation endured in Coach Prime’s first season?

Time will tell. But, before we move on to October and a “Gold Rush” game against a ranked Kansas State team, let’s take a bye week look back at the first month of the 2024 campaign …

Colorado offense – September, 2024 … 

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Quarterback 

Shedeur Sanders finished September ranked 6th in the nation in passing yards (1,630), 4th in the nation in passing touchdowns (14), and 8th in the nation in total offense (1,655 yards).

Sanders is, barring injury, destined to be the first CU quarterback to be taken in the first round of an NFL Draft, and the first Buff quarterback to be drafted – period – since 1997 (and that was a seventh round pick, with Koy Detmer taken by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 207th pick overall).

Shedeur’s numbers alone make Sanders an easy “A” for September. Okay, Sanders does tend to hold onto the ball too long, and has been at least a partial contributor to CU being again near the bottom in the nation in sacks allowed (128th in the country, with 18).

Still, anyone who is not excited about the quarterback position at the University of Colorado isn’t paying attention. All you need to ask anyone who has any on-field complaint about Shedeur’s play: Imagine CU’s offense without him.

September Grade … A

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Running backs 

Colorado lost virtually all of its running back production from last season, and it hasn’t helped the early reviews of CU’s new ball carriers that Buff defectors Dylan Edwards (KSU … 201 yards rushing, with two touchdowns; 71-yard punt return) and Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State … 372 yards rushing, with seven touchdowns) had very good Septembers.

In the first five games of the season, Colorado posted a grand total of 403 rushing yards, with five touchdowns and only a 3.0 yards per carry average. Yes, the 18 sacks counting against the rushing attack don’t help, but the fact remains that the Buffs have continued its legacy from last fall of not being able to establish a running game.

The Central Florida game, with tight ends being on the field for most of CU’s snaps, showed improvement. The Buffs had a season-high 128 yards on 29 carries, a 4.4 yards/carry average.

With the Central Florida stats, CU finally has two running backs with over 100 yards – in five games, with Isaiah Augustave (117 yards) just ahead of Micah Welch (113 yards). Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden, who missed most of September, got back into action with 11 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown against the Knights.

The potential is there, and yes, CU’s offense is not geared toward the running game, but the numbers don’t lie. Last season, Colorado was 130th in the country in rushing, at 68.9 yards per game.

This fall? 124th, with 80.6 yards per game.

September Grade … C – 

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Wide Receivers 

Where to start?

How’s about this … Will Sheppard was Vanderbilt’s leading wide receiver in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but it wasn’t until Sheppard collected a 47-yard bomb from Shedeur Sanders in the Central Florida that Sheppard had an impact on a game this fall. Yes, the CU wide receiver room is that deep.

Travis Hunter, of course, is a unicorn. With 46 receptions, Hunter finished September 4th in the nation in that category. His receiving yards, 561, ranked 5th, and his touchdown receptions (5) ranked third.

Those numbers are gaudy enough, but Hunter’s running mates are also putting up impressive numbers. Jimmy Horn has 23 catches for 327 yards and a score, while LaJohntay Wester, one of the heroes of the Baylor win, has 21 catches for 260 yards and five touchdowns.

And now Will Sheppard has joined the party.

Last season, which seemed like a great year for the CU receiving corps, Jimmy Horn led the team with six touchdowns; with Travis Hunter finishing the season with five.

This unit is well on its way to being one of the best in CU history, and is one of the best in the nation.

September Grade … A 

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Tight ends

Okay if we grade on a curve? On improvement?

If Buff fans only saw the Central Florida game, they would be left with the impression that CU has found a way to incorporate the tight end position into the offense.

Converted defensive lineman Sav’ell Smalls was actually on the field for more plays against the Knights than Jimmy Horn, LaJohntay Wester, or Will Sheppard. Smalls has only four catches – one each in every game except for the North Dakota State game, but his presence helped keep the sack total low against Central Florida (2), and helped the Buffs push the rushing total for the game into triple digits.

Sam Hart, the Ohio State transfer who was supposed to bring an infusion of talent to the room, has one catch for minus-one yard so far this fall.

If the tight ends can help bring some success to the running game going forward, this grade will improve. As it is, the unit is – as usual – a disappointment.

September Grade … D+ 

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Offensive Line 

The main reason the Colorado offense struggled in 2023 was poor play along the offensive line. The ridiculous sack count, coupled with the complete lack of a running game … kept the Buffs from competing for a winning season and a bowl bid.

The offensive line in 2024, a complete rebuild from the previous team, is an improvement. There are still too many sacks, but the overall play is better. In five September games, the Buff line surrendered three or fewer sacks three times. In 12 games last fall, the Buff line surrendered three or few sacks … zero times.

The rushing attack seemed to gain some traction in Orlando, but that remains a small sample size. Freshman left tackle Jordan Seaton is getting better each week, but he still young, and is making freshman mistakes. Moving Tyler Brown from right tackle to left guard after the Nebraska game seems to be paying dividends, and keeping tight ends in the game certainly helps deal with both the rushing attack and pass protection.

Nevertheless, Colorado finished the month of September ranked in the bottom ten in the nation in rushing offense and sacks allowed. The line is better than last year, and the line is better than it was at the beginning of the season.

But will the line be good enough to get the Buffs to a bowl? … Or will it be the reason the Buffs slide into another second half decline?

Too early to tell.

September Grade … C+

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Overall

Here are the numbers through CU’s first five games of the 2024 season:

• Rushing offense … 80.6 ypg., 124th in the nation (2023 – 68.9 ypg., 130th)
• Passing offense …  326.0 ypg., 9th in the nation (2023 – 294.7 ypg., 16th)
• Total offense … 406.6 ypg., 61st in the nation (2023 – 363.6 ypg., 80th)
• Scoring offense …  31.0 ppg., 60th in the nation (2023 – 28.2 ppg., 58th)

By almost every metric, the Colorado offense has improved over last season. True enough, the September numbers include a game against an FCS team and a G5 team, and the averages may decrease as the Buffs enter the teeth of their Big 12 schedule. But, to the naked eye, the Buffs certainly appear to have a more diverse offense, to have improved offensive line play (with “improved” being a relative term, comparing this year’s unit to last year’s), and have, perhaps most importantly, confidence of success.

Until the “W” total has a “6” next to it, however, there will be skeptics of CU, and the CU offense.

But a 4-1 start is about as much as anyone could have reasonably expected.

September Grade … B+.

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This post, about the Kansas State game, from the 2024 Season, is filed under Article.
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