The rushing numbers are looking better. The reduced number of sacks has been vital.
Yet, Colorado guard Justin Mayers felt some validation for his play when he got yelled at during a 34-23 win against Cincinnati on Saturday night.
“I think it’s a good sign, too, when the refs come up to you after every play and just yell at you,” he said with a laugh. “I was blocking this linebacker and then I was just driving him and then after the play the ref is like, ‘66, that’s your last warning!’ I’m like, ‘Wait, that’s my first warning. What?’
“So I think we’re making some progress for sure.”
Aggression and winning battles in the trenches is, without question, progress for the 23rd-ranked Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1 Big 12), who are off this week before returning to action Nov. 9 at Texas Tech.
“The adversity we went through, like we bonded together as a team, came together and did what we had to do on the field and off the field as well,” guard Kahlil Benson said.
The results haven’t always been pretty for the Buffs up front this season, but they are starting to improve.
Head coach Deion Sanders and his staff almost completely retooled the line in the offseason, with none of the 2023 starters still on the team. CU signed 11 transfer linemen, as well as the No. 1 high school offensive line recruit in the country, Jordan Seaton.
Still, there have been mixed results.
Seaton has been a rock at left tackle and returning sophomore Hank Zilinskas has started every game at center. Senior Tyler Brown (who redshirted in 2023) has held down a starting spot in seven of eight games, although he shifted from right tackle to guard.
Meanwhile, none of the 11 transfers has been a full-time starter this season.
Two of the transfers CU signed never made it to fall camp. Two transfers — Tyler Johnson and Yakiri Walker — both recently left the team after not being able to get on the field. Four others have provided good depth, but they aren’t playing much or at all.
Mayers is one of only three transfers who have made an impact, but that trio has been important, especially lately.
Phillip Houston, who didn’t play on offense in the first two games, has started six in a row at right tackle. Kahlil Benson started the first four games but suffered an injury and has been back in the mix the last two weeks. And, Mayers was a starter the first two games, lost his job, but was back in the lineup Saturday against Cincinnati.
“I think for me personally, going through adversity kind of lights a spark back in your butt, which is good,” Mayers said.
The group needed a spark, especially after giving up six sacks in a 31-28 loss to Kansas State on Nov. 12, a game in which CU had a program-record low minus-29 yards rushing.
In two games since CU has dominated up front. The Buffs rushed for 148 yards and gave up only one sack in a 34-7 win at Arizona, and then had 123 rushing yards and one sack allowed against Cincinnati.
It was the first time all season the Buffs had two strong games in a row up front.
“Yeah, the pattern has been that,” quarterback Shedeur Sanders said of the up-and-down nature of the line. “We noticed that too. We definitely talked about that in the team meeting. … We had to make sure we broke the pattern.”
CU has given up the most sacks in the Big 12 (26), but 20 of those have come in three games (Nebraska, Baylor and K-State). In each of the other five, CU’s allowed two or fewer.
To break the pattern, the Buffs changed their approach at guard, rotating four players. Typically it’s been Brown playing with Kareem Harden and Benson playing with Mayers. Each of the four has played at least 41% of the snaps the last two weeks.
“It’s all on just trusting the process and trusting the coaches,” Mayers said. “I feel like we were still brought here for a reason, to help this team win a championship.”
Coach Prime believes the rotation has kept the guards fresh throughout the games, and the results have certainly been positive.
“Obviously, we’re making progress every single week,” Mayers said. “It doesn’t matter what position I play the way we train. … Yeah, there’s a lot of rotation going on, but just working hard, being coachable, getting better and perfecting our game to be on the field, it’ll make a difference.”
It may not be the way CU envisioned its line coming together, but two-thirds of the way through the regular season, they’re figuring it out and finding success.
“I think we’re right where we’re supposed to be,” Benson said.
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