USC Football: 3 takeaways from comeback win over Colorado
By Dante Pryor
3. Mel Tucker’s influence is obvious
Colorado is lacking in a lot of areas. The Buffaloes aren’t deep in key positions on the field. They aren’t very good upfront on either side of the ball. They are lacking in the secondary.
However, these Colorado Buffaloes are buying what first year head coach Mel Tucker is selling so far this season. He has a long way to go; the Buffs don’t have a Pac-12 defensive line. They have to blitz to get pressure, and Kedon Slovis took advantage of man coverage every time the Buffaloes sent pressure. Slovis had all day when they dropped seven or eight in coverage.
When you watch Colorado play, this team doesn’t lie down. They are far from perfect, but the Buffaloes always give the effort. The Buffaloes, however, do have some talent in the skill position areas. Senior quarterback Steven Montez has some serious talent to throw to. Laviska Shenault, Tony Brown and K.D. Nixon are serious playmakers at receiver. Alex Fontenot is really good at running back.
Most importantly, the Buffaloes play hard for Mel Tucker. He wants to bring that SEC physicality to the Pac-12 and as these young Buffaloes get more comfortable in his system and he establishes his culture the wins are going to come, and Colorado being a contender in the league is good for college football.