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October Grades – Defense and Special Teams
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The words “Colorado football” and “defense” have not meshed well in recent years.
Two years ago, the Buff Nation endured the embarrassment of having the worst defense in the nation … and it wasn’t even close. Colorado gave up 44.5 points per game, dead last in the country.
In the first year of the Coach Prime era, the Buff defense was markedly improved, but still struggled. CU gave up ten points per game less than the year before, but, in surrendering 34.8 points per game, CU only improved to 124th in scoring defense in the country.
The sentiment for many Buff fans heading into the 2024 season was that, with a very good offensive roster, if the CU defense could improve to being even “pretty good”, the Buffs could have a winning season.
Well, CU’s defense in 2024 is, well, pretty good …
Colorado Defense – October, 2024 …
Defensive Line
It all starts up front.
After being a weak link in the Colorado defense for seemingly forever, the defensive line has become a strength.
CU leads the Big 12 in sacks (22) and tackles for loss (53), and the Buffs are second-best in the conference in getting stops on third down and in the red zone.
“These guys are hungry,” defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said. “They want to play. Give them a chance, and they’ll make the play for you.”
Livingston is given a great deal of credit for taking a list of players with strong credentials, and molding them into a cohesive unit.
“I love his energy. He brings energy every day,” defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo said recently. “Having him around is just exciting. It makes you want to play for him. It makes you want to just go to work and attack every day.”
The defensive line doesn’t necessarily have impressive stats (defensive lineman Samuel Okunlola leads the line in tackles, with 21, but that is only good enough to rank ninth on the team overall), but that’s not always the job of the linemen.
Take the pivotal stop on fourth down against Cincinnati in CU’s last game.
The situation: Cincinnati has the ball, fourth-and-one, CU 46-yard line. The Buffs lead, 17-14, with less than a minute to play before halftime. The Bearcats, who haven’t been stopped by the Buffs since their opening drive, go for the first down.
The stat sheet reads: Quarterback Brent Sorsby rush middle for 0 yards to the COLO46 (tackled by safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green). Colorado takes over on downs.
But everyone knows that it was the push of the defensive line which made the fourth down stop possible. Everyone also knows that the Buffs went on to score a touchdown in the final minute, taking a 24-14 lead into halftime.
The stats and the glory may not be shining down on CU’s defensive line, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t doing their job.
October Grade … B+
September Grade … B+
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Linebackers
The depth at the linebacker position remains paper thin, but, at least through CU’s games in October, the unit has been a strength.
Nikhai Hill-Green, a transfer who spent three years at Michigan, was in a backup role in the season opener against North Dakota State. Hill-Green, though, started the Nebraska game … and he hasn’t looked back.
Second on the team in tackles, with 59 (36 unassisted), Hill-Green leads the team with eight tackles for loss, with two sacks and three passes broken up.
“His experience playing the game,” linebackers coach Andre Hart said of Hill-Green when asked about his senior’s strengths. “I got a lot of guys there that’s done that, but he’s been on the big stage before. He’s got a great IQ. I mean, the tests that we give him in the meetings, he’s aced all of those.”
Hill-Green’s running mate is a returning starter from last season, LaVonta Bentley. Bentley has 29 tackles (20 unassisted), with a sack and two fumble recoveries.
With Trevor Woods sitting out the rest of the season, there isn’t much depth (Brendan Gant and Jaylen Wester) behind CU’s productive starters.
But here were looking at what happened in October, not what might happen in November and beyond …
October Grade … B+
September Grade … B
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Defensive Backs
Safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig is a beast.
Silmon-Craig leads the team in tackles, with 61 (a whopping 48 unassisted), with six tackles for loss and two sacks … and that nifty 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown against UCF.
“Cam’s the heartbeat. I love that dude,” defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said. “Cam is everything you want from a player. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He speaks, people listen. He’s our unquestioned leader. We go as Cam goes, and he does a great job setting the tone, and he’s everything you want in a player and a person. So super glad we have him, and excited for the rest of the year for him.”
With Shilo Sanders missing playing time with a broken arm, Carter Stoutmire ably stepped up.
And we haven’t even talked about CU’s cornerbacks, which might be the best unit in the Big 12 – and one of the best in the country.
When teams challenge Travis Hunter, Hunter responds, with a career-best four pass breakups against Cincinnati. When teams avoid Hunter, which is most of the time, Preston Hodge, D.J. McKinney and Colton Hood have been more than up to the challenge.
Hood, in particular, had a good October, with a potentially game-changing interception and return against Kansas State, with another pick and long return against Arizona the following week.
Even in the often pass-happy Big 12, the Buffs are a more-than-respectable 49th in the nation in pass defense, giving up just over 200 yards per game.
October Grade … A-
September Grade … A-
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Special Teams
CU kicker Alejandro Mata didn’t get off to the best of starts this season. There were missed fields, including one which was blocked.
“Really wish I could get those kicks back, especially in Nebraska, knowing …” he said, shaking his head without finishing the sentence. “But nothing we could do about it now but move on.”
Move on he has. The junior went 2-for-2 on his field goals during CU’s 34-23 win against Cincinnati, including a 47-yarder that sealed the victory with 1 minute, 39 seconds to play.
Mata apologized for his final kick, which barely cleared the crossbar, saying he will be better. But, he’s now made seven consecutive field goals and is 9-for-11 on the season.
Punter Mark Vassett has also been more consistent. For the season, Vassett is now averaging 43.9 yards/punt, with 14 punts inside the opponents 20-yard line.
The return game has also started to show signs of life, with Jimmy Horn posting an 18-yard punt return against Arizona, with both Horn and LaJohntay Wester getting 13-yard returns against Cincinnati.
Yes, yes, CU fans have to hold their breaths with every kickoff, as the Buffs don’t have anyone on the roster who can consistency put the ball into the endzone, but CU wasn’t burned by any long returns in October, so … fingers crossed.
October Grade … B
September Grade … C
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Overall
The metamorphosis of the Colorado defense under first-year defensive coordinator Robert Livingston has been a sight to behold.
The numbers …
Rushing defense …
- 2022 (1-11) … 245.1 ypg., 130th in the nation
- 2023 (4-8) … 176.4 ypg., 107th
- 2024 (6-2) … 155.4 ypg., 80th
Passing defense …
- 2022 … 264.7 ypg., 127th in the nation
- 2023 … 276.9 ypg., 124th
- 2024 … 209.2 ypg., 50th
Total defense …
- 2022 … 509.8 ypg., 129th in the nation
- 2023 … 453.3 ypg., 127th
- 2024 … 364.6 ypg., 67th
Scoring defense …
- 2022 … 44.5 ppg., 130th in the nation
- 2023 … 34.8 ppg., 124th
- 2024 … 22.0 ppg., 49th
Does Colorado have an elite defense? No.
Does Colorado have a very good defense? Getting there.
What Colorado does have is an improving defense, a defense which makes timely plays, and is money in the second half, giving up only 52 second half points in CU’s first eight games.
If the Buff defense plays as well is has the past two games against Arizona and Cincinnati, there isn’t an opponent on CU’s remaining schedule with which the Buffs can’t compete.
Can’t ask for more than that.
October Overall Grade … B+
September Overall Grade … B
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… Previously posted … October Grades – Offense …
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2 Replies to “October Grades – Defense and Special Teams”
Defense is a B+ and improving, and they’re coming off a buy before the last four games I’ll take that. Add that while any team in the BIG 12 can win win on any week, the rest of the schedule doesn’t look as daunting as it did before; CU can win those games.
Just being able to say that after the stats and losses we’ve seen, it’s great to be able to say that can win those games; one game at a time, SKO BUFFS!
I was looking at the big 12 standings on espn. com
You know the one with the little logos then the name than record record record etc
As I looked at it several times and seeing the order the schools and the records
I came to one conclusion.
THE BIG 12 IS A SHIT CONFERENCE
GO BUFFS