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Colorado Daily – TCU Week
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October 4th – Game Day!
… CU in a few minutes …
TCU Scouting Report
From the Daily Camera …
5 Horned Frogs to Watch
S Bud Clark: He’s posted 22 tackles, an interception and three pass breakups. Earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last year after posting 67 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups. A sixth-year senior, he has posted 167 tackles, 12 interceptions and 27 pass breakups in the last four years.
Edge Devean Deal: Former North Texas transfer had a huge first year at TCU in 2024, posting 46 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. So far this year, he has 20 tackles, two TFLs and a sack. At North Texas in 2023, he had 12 TFLs and six sacks. His younger brother, Markis, is a starting defensive tackle for the Horned Frogs.
WR Jordan Dwyer: Former Idaho star leads TCU with 20 catches this season. He’s posted 299 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In three years at Idaho, he caught 109 passes for 1,651 yards and 18 TDs.
QB Josh Hoover: One of the nation’s top passers, he’s thrown for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns, but also four interceptions. In his first full season as the starter in 2024, Hoover set a TCU record for passing yards (3,949) in a single season, while also throwing 27 touchdowns, but he was picked off 11 times.
WR Eric McAlister: TCU’s top deep threat, but it’s unclear if he’ll play because of injury. He’s caught 13 passes for 320 yards (24.6 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. In 2024, he caught 39 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. At Boise State in 2023, he caught 47 passes for 873 yards and five touchdowns.
When TCU has the ball …
The Horned Frogs have one of the top passing quarterbacks in the country in Josh Hoover and they’ll look to him to lead the offense. Hoover is averaging 310.5 passing yards per game and he has several top receivers to throw to, although one of his favorite targets – Eric McAlister – may not play in this one because of an injury. Still, Hoover will provide a big test for CU’s struggling corners. “We challenge our guys every week to play the game, play by play,” Sanders said. “Forget the last play. Let’s go to the next play.” TCU is best, however, when it can run the ball. Last week at Arizona State, the Horned Frogs rushed for only 10 yards on 25 carries (including 53 yards lost in sacks). They are currently last in the Big 12 at 133.5 rushing yards per game. Dykes said this week, “Sometimes we’re gonna be able to run the ball 40 times, which I think is ideal for us. If we could get to that 35-40 runs, that’s where we’d like to be.” When TCU gets Hoover and the run game going, it can move at a fast pace, and Sanders is hoping to avoid that. “They’re going to run a tempo offense, which they do really well,” Sanders said. “So we got to get the plays in and out. We got to make sure we’re on the same page. … That team presents you with a lot of problems with tempo, tempo, tempo, so we’re practicing tempo right now, and we’re familiar with the tempo offense. That’s the same offense we featured our first year here.”
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October 3rd
… CU in a few minutes …
CU Injury Report not improving: 8 of CU’s 16 scholarship linemen “Questionable” or worse
… Update from Wednesday … Athlete Isaiah Hardge and defensive tackle Tavian Coleman went from “questionable” to “out”. Amari McNeill went from “probable” to “questionable”, and fellow defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain went from not being included on the injury report to “questionable”, and edge rusher Alex McPherson went from not being on the report to being “questionable” …
… So … Who’s left? … Starting defensive ends Arden Walker and Keaten Wade are not on the list, but all four of the defensive tackles who have started games so far this season – Amari McNeil, Brandon Davis-Swain, Anquin Barnes, and Tavian Coleman – are all on the list.
Others? It’s bleak, with no proven talent left to earn their first starts of the season. Remaining linemen: True freshman London Merritt (has played in all five games; five tackles), senior Jeheim Oatis (four games; three tackles); junior Quency Wiggins (all five; three tackles), senior Taurean Carter (two games; one tackle), sophomore Nikhil Hill-Webber (three games; two tackles), and senior Tristan Maurios (five games; two tackles) have played, but none have started yet this season …
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October 2nd
… CU in a few minutes …
CU Injury Report includes one-third of the entire team; 15 players listed as “Out”
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October 1st
… CU in a few minutes …
CU up to “respectable” in rushing attack: “Everything’s coming together”
From the Daily Camera … CU was last in the country in rushing in 2023, at 68.9 yards per game, and was actually worse in 2024 (65.2) to finish last again.
This year, the Buffs are respectable 85th (out of 136 FBS teams), with 147.4 yards per game. They rank 62nd in yards per carry, at 4.58.
After rushing for 193 yards against Wyoming on Sept. 20, the Buffs had 172 yards in a 24-21 loss to BYU on Saturday.
CU has benefitted from a better offensive line, while also learning from first-year running backs coach Marshall Faulk, who was a Hall of Fame player.
“I think you can see the bonuses in what Marshall Faulk has brought to the table,” head coach Deion Sanders said.
Welch, a sophomore, already has more yards this year (210) than he had a year ago (186), on fewer carries (43 in 2024, 40 this year).
Quarterback Kaidon Salter has been a big contributor (202 yards), but so have running backs Simeon Price (143) and DeKalon Taylor (83).
Receiver Dre’Lon Miller is now in the backfield, too, and he posted 52 yards on eight carries against BYU.
Welch said the whole operation, between the line and the backs, has worked well this season.
“The relationship with everybody is great,” Welch said. “We get some work after practice. I have to learn their job, and they’ve gotta know where I’m going. So everything’s coming together, and we working together as a whole.”
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September 30th
… CU in a few minutes …
*Coach Prime’s Weekly Press Conference*
… Video starts with freshman defensive lineman London Merritt and Running back Micah Welch … Coach Prime starts at 18:41 …
… “I want them to play like their life is on the line. Like their careers are on the line … I want them to play with full intensity and passion. That’s all any coach wants … I asked the players to ask themselves: ‘Are you underachieving or overachieving?’ … We’re just not making plays … If I had the answer to why not, I’d make a lot of money. We know what we need to do, we just need to go out and do it … I’m not concerned about their confidence. If you are not confident, you shouldn’t be here … We don’t make excuses for ourselves or our team … 95% of cornerbacks play not to get beat; 5% play to make plays. I’m looking for that five … We can’t blame it on the money. We’ve played good football, except for the Houston game. We could have won the other two games. We just didn’t get it done. We had opportunities. We can’t cry: ‘We ain’t got the money’. Money had nothing to do with the games we dropped.”
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September 29th
… CU in a few minutes …
CU CB play a problem with TCU coming up: “We gotta do a better job of preparing them and coaching them”
From the Daily Camera … Few people know better than Colorado head coach Deion Sanders what elite cornerback play should look like.
Sanders is, after all, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and arguably the best cornerback to ever play the game of football. That’s why it’s surprising to see that one of the glaring issues for the Buffaloes this season has been poor play at cornerback.
“We gotta do a much better job on the back end, we do,” Sanders said Saturday after a 24-21 loss that dropped the Buffs to 2-3, 0-2 in the Big 12.
CU’s pass defense faces its toughest test of the season so far on Saturday with a visit to TCU (5:30 p.m., Fox). CU has yet to play a top-30 passing offense, but the Horned Frogs rank 12th in the country in passing yards per game (320.8).
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover is sixth nationally in passing (310.5 per game). He has two of the top five receivers in the Big 12, in terms of yards per game, and a third who ranks 12th.
Statistically, the Buffs haven’t been dreadful against the pass. They rank 63rd nationally (out of 136 teams) in allowing 207.6 yards per game through the air. But they have yet to play against a top-notch passer and have still managed to struggle in coverage.
Per Pro Football Focus, there have been 58 cornerbacks in the Big 12 that have played at least 20% of the coverage snaps for their respective teams this year. CU has five corners on that list, three of which rank among the bottom five for coverage grades: Preston Hodge (No. 54), Makari Vickers (No. 55) and Teon Parks (last, at No. 58).
RJ Johnson is CU’s top-rated corner on that list, at No. 22, but he’s played just four snaps in the last three games because of injuries. DJ McKinney comes in at No. 46.
“They gotta play better. All of them gotta play better,” Sanders said after another disappointing loss on Saturday against BYU. “We gotta do a better job of preparing them and coaching them.”
… Continue reading story here …
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CU v. Iowa State set for 1:30 on ESPN
Press Release from CUBuffs.com …
Week 7 – 10/11
- UCF at Cincinnati, 12pm ET on FS1
- Houston at Oklahoma State, 12pm ET on TNT (simulcast – truTV/HBO MAX)
- Iowa State at Colorado, 3:30pm ET on ESPN
- TCU at Kansas State, 3:30pm ET on FOX – Homecoming
- Kansas at Texas Tech, 7:30pm ET on FOX – Homecoming
- BYU at Arizona, 8pm ET on ESPN2
- Arizona State at Utah, 10:15pm ET on ESPN
- Baylor & West Virginia
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September 28th
… CU in a few minutes …
Dre’lon Miller a bright spot: “That’s what he is going to do for us from here on. That’s who he is”
From the Daily Camera … Missing two running backs out with injury on Saturday night, the Colorado Buffaloes plucked Dre’Lon Miller away from the receiver room to boost the backfield.
The side gig appears to be permanent for the sophomore.
Amid the disappointment of a 24-21 loss to No. 25 BYU at Folsom Field, CU found a new way to utilize Miller’s talent.
Lining up as a running back, wildcat quarterback and receiver against the Cougars, Miller rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and caught two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.
“That’s what it’s going to be,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said of Miller’s role going forward. “That wasn’t a play-play, that was real-real. That’s what he is going to do for us from here on. That’s who he is. We’ve identified what he is.”
From the time Miller got to campus in the summer of 2024, he’s been a receiver who dabbled a bit as a running back. He actually started two games in the backfield in 2024, but carried the ball just four times for 10 yards. Miller caught 32 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns, however, during his freshman year, leading to projections of this being a huge year as a receiver.
It’s been a surprisingly slow start to the season for Miller, though. He had just eight catches for 62 yards in the first four games combined, while running once for three yards.
“I didn’t expect that,” he said of his start. “I’m pretty sure the fans didn’t expect it; y’all didn’t expect it, but you know, that’s what football is for. You gotta forget, learn and forget. … Tonight, I feel like I was just free to play myself and just be Dre’Lon.”
… Continue reading story here …
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Rooney: Sanders and his staff did not make adjustments and were thoroughly outcoached
From the Daily Camera … The Buffs remained winless in the Big 12 after dropping a 24-21 decision on Saturday night in an effort that hinted at CU’s potential but instead once again exposed all of the Buffs’ many shortcomings.
The Buffs are talented enough to compete in a Big 12 Conference that’s unlikely to feature many blowouts from week to week. But there are far too many “toos” for this CU team to expect to win consistently — too much shaky decision-making from Salter late in halves, too many big penalties at inopportune times, and too many head-scratching moments in the time management department from head coach Deion Sanders and his staff.
Once BYU got off the floor following CU’s opening salvo, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake and his staff made shrewd adjustments. Sanders and his staff did not and were thoroughly outcoached.
Sanders and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are still judging the prowess of the Buffs’ run game against the production of the past two years. And, indeed, CU’s 172 rushing yards, a total that includes Salter’s critical 22-yard sack early in the fourth quarter, would’ve been about a month’s worth of work a year ago.
On CU’s first drive, Salter went 3-for-3 for 39 yards and added five carries for 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground. That touchdown was about as exciting a 3-yard scramble as you’ll ever see.
The rest of the way, though, Salter was just 8-for-13 for 80 yards with a touchdown and an interception. And, thanks to the three sacks and a holding call on Omarion Miller (one he got away with earlier in the game) that nullified a 45-yard run, Salter netted just 10 yards rushing the rest of the way.
… Continue reading story here …
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8 Replies to “Colorado Daily – TCU Week”
Deion sucks!!!! Dude is an idiot!
Injury report: This is what happens when you run it like a “pro” team. A lack of fundamentals, blocking, and tackling, along with the injury bug, seems to be creeping in. This system has never worked at the college level, just ask Nebraska. Get back to the fundamentals, tackle to the ground in practice, and condition their bodies for the brutality of the game.
Is that the local scuttle?? That they don’t practice hard? I actually took it as tough week of practice and guys got dinged up…
This is exactly the point…one tough week. Take a look at how Saban and others ran their programs. Tough weeks were the norm every week, starting at spring practice. They conditioned their bodies to handle the brutality of the game. You play as you practice. Poor tackling in a game often occurs because players are not tackling at full speed in practice.
Saban also had elite level depth as far as the eye could see… ain’t the case in Boulder.
Same coaches, have to imagine not too much has changed year over year re. how they practice…having two legit P4 ILBs helped the defenses tacking tremendously last season.
Oh man, love me those Deion pressers. He calls it like he sees it, doesn’t he? He doesn’t buy the X’s and O’s concept. He knows players make plays. Players win games. He also agrees he’s got to help them do that. But at some point, you gotta be that guy when the bright lights are on.
To wit, and I paraphrase “tell us how to help your offensive line get better” Deion “Go get new linemen”. He did that. They’re playing pretty well this year.
About coaches “Yeah, I like NFL guys. A lot of college guys rely on scheme. NFL guys rely on players.”
About the whole Harbaugh/Michigan sign stealing thing “I don’t give a dern if you got my playbook. Heck, I’ll give it to you. You still gotta stop us”.
This year, about the close losses “it’s not like we were surprised. We knew what they were doing. We just didn’t execute.”
This year “you’re watching the games. You’re seeing the same stuff I am. The plays are there. Except in one game where we got our butts kicked”.
I could go on. He’s still recruiting. At a higher level than we’ve seen in 25 years.
We have an OK qb, who can play better. Hopefully he does. Kaidon’s got the tools to do some damage. I think he’s got to slow down, trust himself, and be decisive, quickly.
I trust Deion’s judgment to not toss Julian in there, as well as if/when the right time will be. I doubt it would be in the next three games. Kaidon’s just got to settle down. Run when it’s there. Make throws when they’re there. And, as someone else pointed out, not sure what’s up with those side arm mechanics.
Looking at the poll, I’m in the minority about players vs. plays, in these parts. But, for anyone critiquing the play calls, can you tell me what the offensive and defensive sets were? What was the pre-snap read? Did the play call change at the line? What was the post snap read? Who did their job executing, and who didn’t?
As Stu pointed out in his recent essay, and others have commented, all of us probably watch more football than the average bear (or Buffalo, maybe). I still can’t say call out any of those things.
And lastly, this might be an excellent opportunity to watch Deion coach. It’s easy when you’re winning. The real work begins when times are tough. They got through that in year 1. I think they’ll do better than that in year 3. Making a second consecutive bowl game would be pretty significant progress for this program. Anyone remember the last time they did that?
Bring on TCU. The fight for six continues.
Go Buffs
Since I am king troll, I will also point out that before the season started, I said Dre’Lon would be at running back. Unless it wasn’t needed. Sounds like it is.
Troll on.
Go Buffs
they can beat tcu