Colorado tries to end losing skid vs. No. 16 Oregon State: Keys to the game
STOP THE TOP BACK
This week Colorado goes up against last year’s Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year and All-Pac-12 First Team running back Damien Martinez, who comes in averaging 95.3 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry. His yards per carry are 14th in the nation and it’s clear why. Martinez can get to the second level and has no qualms about lowering his shoulder to initiate contact. OSU’s star back has rushed for over 100 yards in three games this season and last week ran for 87 yards against Arizona.
Colorado will have to be sure to wrap up Martinez and keep him at bay. The Buffs defense had a great week getting at the UCLA ball carriers, forcing two fumbles. They’ll need to be physical with Martinez and try and force him to make mistakes. He racked up 178 yards and three touchdowns last year against CU, while this is not the same defense, don’t underestimate his ability to stack up big chunks of yards.
Oregon State has an identity when it comes to running the ball. For CU, their rushing identity is on the back of a milk carton. It’s missing and needs to be found as CU rushed for 25 total yards last week against the Bruins top ranked defense. The combo of Pat Shurmur and Sean Lewis need to be more creative in play calling to help take the weight off Shedeur Sanders. Colorado has shown they can use Michael Harrison more with off-tackle blocking situations.
Shurmur should use this approach more to give Dylan Edwards and Anthony Hankerson that lead blocker through the holes. With it being announced that Alton McCaskill will be taking a redshirt year, it is on these two backs as Buffs fans have seen very little from Sy’veon Wilkerson and Kavosiey Smoke. Finally, the offensive line needs to bounce back and be physical and show that they can get leverage to push the defensive line back to create larger holes to run through.