Buffaloes blown out at home but new faces show promise

Sep 24, 2022 - 10:02 PM

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Karl Dorrell and the Colorado Buffaloes coaching staff tried to shake things up when they welcomed the UCLA Bruins to Folsom Field with a number of new faces getting starting roles, including true freshman quarterback Owen McCown, but the results were mostly the same as the Buffs fell to the Bruins 45-17.

While the score looks bad, and it was, McCown showed moxie and the offense seemed more competent than it had all season. It was a lot to ask to put a kid just months from high school into that position and he handled himself well. At running back, freshmen Charlie Offerdahl and Anthony Hankerson acquitted themselves nicely and Jordan Tyson had a few good grabs. I realize it’s a bit odd to be pointing out the positives after a home blowout where the Buffaloes were never in the game, but at this point in this terrible, no good, very bad season we’ll take what we can get.

While the kids on the Buffs offense were able to generate a decent (for our standards) 309 yards, the defense couldn't do much in the way of stopping the Bruins, who generated over 500 yards of offense with rushing and passing yards being almost identical. Dorian Thompson-Robinson looked like a world beater against Colorado, going 19-of-23 for 234 yards with two touchdowns. Zach Charbonnet was able to run for 104 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries.

It’s only week four and we’re going to have to get through a lot more of this this season. May as well look on the bright side for our own sanity, I guess.

Next up is a trip to a much improved Arizona team.