TCU suffered its first loss of the season in gut-wrenching fashion against Arizona State last week. The Horned Frogs led 17-0, only to see the Sun Devils storm back, tie the game, and score the final 10 points to seal the win.
Now, fresh off that defeat in Tempe, TCU returns home to host Colorado in Fort Worth for the first time since Shedeur Sanders and the Buffaloes lit up the Frogs for 45 points and 565 yards in the 2023 opener. Both teams, though, look very different this time around.
To get a
clearer picture of Colorado in the post-Sanders and Travis Hunter era, we caught up with Colorado Buffaloes on SI’s Jack Carlough to talk about the Buffaloes’ season so far, their revamped offense, and what to expect on Saturday.
Frogs O’ War: When you look at Colorado’s season so far, do you feel the Buffaloes have exceeded expectations, met them, or fallen short?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: Largely due to inconsistent play at almost every position group, Colorado has fallen well short of expectations so far this season at 2-3. Still, the Buffs’ only bad loss came at Houston, which may end up being better than expected. Losses to BYU and Georgia Tech both came by one score, signaling that Colorado is still learning how to win close games.
Frogs O’ War: Is Kaidon Salter the season-long answer at quarterback? Do you think Coach Sanders was too quick to bench him for Ryan Staub before ultimately going back to him?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: These next two games will ultimately decide Kaidon Salter’s fate for the remainder of the season. If he struggles, Coach Prime may consider letting five-star freshman Julian Lewis loose in hopes of building toward next year. At the time, Ryan Staub appeared to be the answer heading into Week 3 against Houston, but his poor performance certainly raised some fair questions about Salter’s quick detainment. In hindsight, letting Salter work through his shaky play early and allowing him to grow chemistry with his wide receivers may have been the better decision.
Frogs O’ War: How much of an adjustment was it to go from a high-powered, pass-first offense with Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and that group of playmakers to a more diverse, less star-driven, run-based approach?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: Very difficult. Kaidon Salter and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur still don’t appear to be on the same page, and the Buffs aren’t taking full advantage of a still very talented group of wide receivers. That doesn’t mean the Buffs should lean away from the run game, but spreading the love and sticking with what’s working will be key moving forward. Hopefully, Colorado can replicate what it showed in the first half against BYU with creative run plays and timely passes.
Frogs O’ War: Colorado ranks near the bottom of the Big 12 in rush defense. TCU, on the other hand, has the league’s worst rushing attack. Is Colorado’s porous rush defense a problem regardless of opponent? Or is this the week they can reset against a team that hasn’t run the ball well?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: Colorado’s run defense is essentially only a problem against quarterbacks who use their legs. Opposing running backs have largely been held in check, so I’d expect Colorado to have some success in limiting TCU’s rushing attack with Josh Hoover being more of a pocket quarterback.
Frogs O’ War: The Buffaloes have only six sacks so far. Do you think they’ll look to blitz more to disrupt Josh Hoover? Could that be the key to replicating Arizona State’s success against him?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: At this point, Colorado doesn’t have much to lose and should be more aggressive in blitzing the quarterback, especially after what Arizona State accomplished last week. Freshmen defensive ends Alexander McPherson and London Merritt will likely see some more playing time this week and should be eager to get after Hoover. Getting off to a fast start will also help defensive coordinator Robert Livingston feel more comfortable about letting his rushers loose.
Frogs O’ War: What’s your prediction for Colorado vs. TCU? Who wins? What’s the final score?
Colorado Buffaloes on SI: I’ll go TCU 31, Colorado 24. I like what Colorado’s defense showed against BYU last week, but the Buffs’ issues at the second cornerback spot will likely cost them some points against TCU’s pass-heavy offense. If that holds true, Colorado’s offense hasn’t yet shown the ability to go blow-for-blow.
Special thanks to Jack for providing some fantastic insight ahead of TCU’s matchup against Colorado. For all things Buffaloes, be sure to check out Colorado Buffaloes on SI.
