In the Colorado Buffaloes’ Week 8 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, success was hard to come by at any position. Especially in the second half, when the Buffaloes were outscored 34-0 and lost 57-24 despite leading at halftime.
With a fifth-straight loss in the books, here’s a look at the grade for each position against Oklahoma State.
Quarterback: D-
Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson may have lost his starting job with this performance. He added two interceptions and two fumbles to his laundry list of turnovers this season, and they were costly as ever. For as good as his first half was, his second half was bad enough to make that not matter.
Running back: D
While the running backs can’t help how they’re utilized by offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, they need to make the most of their attempts when they’re given the ball. JaQuail Smith was Colorado’s leading rusher again, but he only averaged three yards per carry. As bad as that is, it was the highest mark of anyone in the Buffs’ backfield.
Wide receiver: A
You’ve got to feel for Colorado’s wide receivers right now. They continue giving their team a chance to win by unlocking big plays at any given point in a game, but other aspects of the team still fall apart. Colorado had two 100+ yard receivers in Joseph Williams and DeAndre Moore Jr. and a near-100-yard receiver in Quanell Farrakhan Jr., who finished with 70. Williams was particularly impressive, as his nine catches for 135 yards added to his career year.
Offensive line: C-
The offensive line took a major step back this week. They allowed four sacks a week removed from keeping their quarterback upright for the entirety of their matchup against the then-No. 11 Utah Utes. On top of that, poor blocking was a major reason the run game couldn’t get going, further hindering the offense.
Edge rusher: B-
While Lamont Lester Jr. returned to form by securing a sack on quarterback Drew Mestemaker, this unit still needed to do more to slow him down. A major theme leading into this game was how much the Buffaloes were relying on their edge rushers to create havoc in the pass rush. While they did what would be asked of them in a normal game, it wasn’t enough to play to their matchup.
Defensive tackle: B-
The same can be said for the interior of the defensive line. Santana Hopper was as dominant as always, but the likes of Dylan Manuel, Samu Taumanupepe and Dylan Moore were ineffective. That goes for stopping the run as well as putting pressure on Mestemaker; they didn’t really do either.
Linebacker: B-
The linebackers were the ones creating most of what havoc there was in the backfield, and Liona Lefau had a great game in all aspects. However, the work in pass coverage was poor at best, as Mestemaker had options all over the shallow middle of the field.
Gideon ESPN Lampron was particularly guilty of that. His work in zone coverage allowed consistent options to the Cowboys, and his work in man led to big plays for the offense. It was an uncharacteristic weekend for the Buffs’ linebackers in Stillwater.
Cornerback: F
The Buffaloes’ cornerbacks were the Achilles’ heel of the Buffaloes’ defense.
"They tested our corners, and we didn't do well against the opposition," said Colorado coach Deion Sanders postgame. “That was one of the first teams [that did that]. So we've been beaten, but not [like that].”
RJ Johnson and Cree Thomas were primarily to blame for the secondary’s struggles. They couldn’t keep up with the Cowboys’ receivers, and Mestemaker read them like a book all game long. Simply nothing positive to note from the Buffs’ corners.
Safety: B+
Randon Fontenette and Naeten Mitchell did a solid job keeping a lid on the Cowboys and forcing them to work out sustained drives instead of scoring on many big plays. They gave their defense opportunities to get stops, and although a turnover or two would’ve gone a long way, they certainly weren’t to blame for the defense’s struggles as a whole.
Special teams: A
The Buffs’ special teams have finally started to become special. Elliot Arnold was once again perfect against the Cowboys, and Damon Greaves did all he could to help the Buffaloes in the field position battle. In addition, Colorado recorded a respectable four kick returns, though none went for scores. While this unit couldn’t do much to impact the outcome of this game, it certainly did its job.
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