Tonight wasn’t fun. At all.
The Buffs went into TDECU Stadium on Friday night needing to prove themselves with a big win on the road to open conference play against the Houston Cougars. With a brand new quarterback at the helm after the thorough demolition of Delaware, it felt as though the Buffs might finally be able to find their identity.
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Instead, Colorado looked more lost than ever against the Coogs, falling by a final score of 36-20. Friday night’s game left Buffs fans with more questions than answers, as there were struggles in just about every phase of the game.
1st Half
Colorado’s start couldn’t have been much worse, with four straight punts on the Buffs’ first four drives. Starting quarterback Ryan Staub looked uncomfortable, Pat Shurmur’s playcalling raised eyebrows in both the run and pass game, and the offensive line struggled to hold its ground.
CU’s sheer inability to move the football was cause for concern, but head coach Deion Sanders opted to stick with Staub to see if his young quarterback could build any semblance of momentum. As a silver-lining, Colorado avoided turnovers and gave punter Damon Greaves plenty of chances to show off his leg.
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Defensively, the Buffs weren’t great either, but they did manage to hold Houston to field goals in key moments and kept things from getting out of hand early. The Cougars had five drives in the first half and came away with one touchdown and three field goals. Houston was able to move the ball through both the air and on the ground, with quarterback Conner Weigman and running back Dean Conners giving the Buffs’ defense fits—especially in the run game.
CU’s ‘bend, not break’ defense did just enough to keep give Colorado’s offense a chance to stay in this contest, and they did exactly that with a 38-yard rushing touchdown by Simeon Price to make the score 13-7. Houston and Weigman would respond with another drive, but Colorado’s defense proved stout once again, holding the Coogs to another field goal.
Down 16-7, Colorado took the field with less than two minutes before halftime and a chance to cut the lead to one score. Just like last week against Delaware, CU finally showed signs of life. Ryan Staub would move the chain with a shovel pass to Omarion Miller for 31 yards, followed by the CU quarterback channeling his inner John Elway by taking a helicopter shot-esque hit to score a touchdown to cut the lead to two points.
It wasn’t pretty, but Staub’s willingness to put his body on the line in the two-minute drill gave Colorado a chance. They’d just need to build on that momentum in the second half.
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Score at Half:
Colorado 14
Houston 16
2nd Half
It’s hard to capitalize on the momentum when you don’t have the football, and the Buffs learned that the hard way in the third quarter.
It quickly became clear that the Buffs had no answer for what Houston wanted to do offensively. The Cougars scored on three of their first four drives in the second half and controlled the game from there. That wasn’t even the worst of it—Houston dominated the time of possession by over 13 minutes, and the Buffs’ offense did very little to help the defense stay off the field.
Colorado only ran five plays during the entirety of the third quarter, as their offense couldn’t stay on their field and the defense couldn’t find a way to get off it. Houston took advantage of their time of possession edge, scoring ten points in the third quarter to build a healthy cushion between them and the Buffs.
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As for the Buffs’ second half offense: two punts, two interceptions from Staub, and a turnover on downs. Staub’s performance against the Coogs didn’t do him any favors, as the broadcast repeatedly questioned his status as the starter moving forward, and the entire offense looked out of rhythm and completely lost. Wide receivers dropped several catchable balls, Staub missed some open throws, and the offensive line continued to struggle.
Colorado did manage to find the end zone one final time on a deep shot to Joseph Williams that made the score look a little more respectable, but by then, the game felt out of reach. The Buffs looked outmatched, and in some areas, outcoached.
Final Score:
Colorado 20
Houston 36
Player of the Game
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Tawfiq Byard: The USF transfer was one of the few bright spots on defense. Byard flew around the field and led the team with 12 tackles, added a pass breakup, and was credited with half a sack. He was constantly involved in the run game and looks like a player Buffs fans should keep an eye on moving forward.
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Outlook
Things are looking bleak for the Buffs after tonight, specifically for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. The same issues that plagued Colorado last season haven’t gone away. The Buffs ran the ball just 23 times, and when they did, it came mostly out of shotgun. Failed run after failed run continues to define this offense, and despite bringing in multiple backs with different skill sets, the usage continues to baffle fans.
Last year, the Buffs were able to mask some of these problems with Shedeur Sanders’ arm and four NFL-caliber receivers. But this year’s group doesn’t have the same firepower, and it’s fair to ask if the right pieces are in place. The offensive identity still isn’t there. The line still can’t hold up. And the playcalling feels predictable and stuck in neutral.
Colorado now drops to 1–2 and leaves Houston with more lots to reevaluate and reflect on, as they return home for their final non-conference game against Wyoming next Saturday evening.
