Colorado will be 0-1 before the month of September even begins. The Buffaloes play state rival Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Mile High Stadium on Friday night. They will leave Denver with a loss on the record, and there will be at least one more loss before the month of September concludes. And that loss is going to come from a team with a new head coach, either Scott Frost-led Nebraska or UCLA under Chip Kelly.
It won’t be for a lack of defense. Colorado will hold all four of their opponents under their eventual season average on the scoreboard. Isaiah Oliver was a huge loss after going in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But seven starters return from last season’s group, and they will be much better than last year’s sub-100 group. The front seven is going to be especially stout against the run.
But the offense won’t get the job done, as Steven Montez is working with a relatively new group of players around him. The Buffaloes quarterback will end the month with more sacks than touchdown passes as he faces consistent pressure behind a green group of teammates. Montez will have at least four interceptions by the end of September.
