Coach Prime And Colorado Struggle Against FCS Pass Rush

Colorado Buffalo fans who only read the box score may have been pleased by the results of the team's 31-26 win over North Dakota State, but they should be terrified. After star quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked 52 times last season (the most in the NCAA), Dad Sanders or Coach Prime went to work rebuilding the offensive line.

The team went into the transfer portal and came back with Kardell Thomas, Ethan Boyd, Zechariah Owens, and Wyatt Hummel. Colorado also brought in the top offensive line prospect in the country, Jordan Seaton. The plan was to give Heisman favorite, Sanders, more time to go through progressions and a cleaner pocket to step up in.

What transpired in the Buffaloes' first game of the season was embarrassing. North Dakota State was able to collapse the pocket in a matter of seconds on every pass play, using a limited number of blitz packages. With just three and four-man rushes, the Bisons were able to force Sanders out of the pocket, hit him as he threw, and have him running for his life almost the entire game.

It's important to remember that NDSU, unlike Colorado, is not an FBS team. They are an FCS school, playing their regular season games against inferior competition. Even against smaller and weaker teams, NDSU isn't known for its pass rush. It's known for its dual-threat quarterback play. Against Colorado, they looked like the 1985 Chicago Bears.

Colorado did come away with the win, and the game was won thanks to the arm of Sanders, but there is much cause for concern going forward. If they can't protect Shedeur against a JV College Football team, how can they expect to keep him upright against the likes of Nebraska or Utah?

One can only hope that this game was an anomaly and doesn't serve as a good reason for skepticism. If things continue the way they went against the Bison, Coach Prime, Sheduer, and the rest of the Buffaloes could be staring down the barrel of another 4-8 season.