Colorado Football: Don’t read too much into blowout of Colorado State

2. Buffaloes defense could make difference in Pac-12 South race

Last year the Buffaloes finished 109th in the FBS in yards allowed, fading back to mediocrity after Jim Leavitt left to take the defensive coordinator job at Oregon. In the first season under D.J. Eliot’s guidance as the new coordinator, they gave up 208 rushing yards per game and more than four touchdowns per game.

Things turned out really well for the Buffaloes in the season opener, however. They allowed only 284 total yards of offense to the Rams, stifling their rivals on the ground and in the air. After throwing for more than 500 yards and five touchdowns against Hawaii, K.J. Carta-Samuels came back down to earth against Colorado.

Carta-Samuels, the Washington transfer who decided on Colorado State over staying in the Pac-12, was held to one-third of the production he managed against lower-tier competition. Against the Buffaloes, Colorado State’s quarterback was held under 200 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick.

And even though Colorado State attempted just one fewer carry than the Buffaloes, Colorado’s defense held the Rams to just 40 percent of the rushing production as their backfield counterpart. In every aspect, the Buffaloes controlled the narrative when they didn’t have the ball. That could prove a winning ingredient in the Pac-12 race.