Evaluating Colorado's defensive line through its first four weeks
All the talk might be on Colorado's quarterback change from Julian Lewis to Isaac Wilson, but there could be an even bigger problem staring down the Buffaloes.
The Colorado defense is allowing the second most points per game in the Big 12 this season, including a 41-point blowout against Northwestern.
"Not enough, we got to do more," said defensive line coach Dante Carter in Wednesday's press conference when asked about his group's performance.
It wasn't always this way. In week one, Colorado looked like a strong defensive unit. Lamont Lester Jr. had three sacks and the Buffs held Georgia Tech to 13 points. It has been downhill ever since, though. Colorado has given up 85 points over its last three games and the team has just eight sacks all season, with only five as a group after the opener.
The trouble starts on the ground. Opponents are averaging 119 rushing yards per game against CU, the fifth most in the conference. Carter said the fix starts up front.
"We got to stop the run, and once we do that, find some juice in the passing game." He kept coming back to one word: consistency.
Graduate DL Santana Hopper pointed to the individual battles.
"We gotta win one-on-one. Win upfront," he said. He was blunt about how teams have attacked CU. "Every team we've played, they can run the ball down our face."
That lack of pressure shows up in the secondary too. The Buffs have only two interceptions, the third fewest in the Big 12, and those tend to follow a pass rush that gets home.
Still, Carter said the mindset hasn't changed. "We're still up for the challenge every week. We play defense."
The Colorado defensive staff will have a big task ahead as they look to reinvigorate things at home against No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday.
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