Buff Nation –
Week One Review:
Our Buffs are 1-0 and Pfizer is close to getting a Covid-19 vaccine. Coincidence? Probably, but still, the Buffs are 1-0! The Buffs coming out and punching the Bruins in the mouth help put to bed bitter memories of Midnight Mel and sad memories of ill-prepared Buff squads under MacIntyre. A sample size of exactly one game, yes, but still.
QB1 Noyer appears to be the right man for the job and may prove Coach KD has a better eye for QB talent than The Duke. The Buffs also appear to have a swarming defense led by Nate Landman who stands to have a monster season.
But, at the end of the day, here’s the thing (and it always has been the thing), anytime you can move a man from point A to point B against his will, at will, it’s going to be a favorable ending on the scoreboard. Last Saturday night, CU’s offensive line set the tone for the game, and while CU’s defense struggled with coverage adjustments and consistently gave up big plays, as a Buff fan, it was comforting to know UCLA wasn’t going to be able to stop CU’s run game (damn Bussard, where did you come from?). Good things are in store for CU if their offensive line can keep establishing dominance on the line of scrimmage.
Week Two Preview:
Today CU takes on the Stanford Cardinal (singular, not plural) at 1:30 on the road. This college season remains on the brink (six pac-12 teams had their games canceled last week), and CU needs to continue taking advantage while they can, to help this young squad grow. Stanford will have its starting QB and top receiver back, both who sat out of last week’s 14-35 loss at #11 Oregon (due to a False-Positive covid test nonetheless).
CU must find a way to get more pressure on the QB (the Buffs had only one sack last week), and contain Stanford’s potent run game. On the offensive side of the ball, CU will need to give Noyer time to throw (CU’s rushing attack is now on tape for Stanford review) and the Cardinal will be crowding the box. The return of CU’s top receiver KD Nixon will give Noyer and OC Chiaverini (who called an excellent game last week) more offensive options.
Final Thought:
CU stands a good chance of going 2-0 on this bizarre season. They appear to be extremely well coached on both sides of the ball, have a budding 5th year senior QB hungry for his opportunity, an apparent star running back, and a hefty offensive and defensive line. Get that cocktail mix right, and CU should have a season which Buff Nation can be excited about.
Go Buffs!
Doug