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The Colossi of the Centennial State, the Mutants from the Mountains or the Behemoths of the Buffalo, whatever you call the Colorado Buffaloes defense it better be complementary.
Over the past two games, the Buffs’ defense has carried them to victory. In two straight absurd showings, they’ve allowed a combined 15 points over the past two contests. Going back a bit more, they’ve actually only allowed 15 points in their last 129 minutes of play.
When looking at what they’ve done at home, the Buffs have allowed just three touchdowns this year at Folsom Field. Two of those three opposing scores came on a direct result of a Buffs’ blunder from either their offense or special teams.
The defense has been flat out ridiculous and their recognition is deserved.
The numbers back up the fact that they’re an elite defense in the nation, but more impressive has been their ability to make plays when they need to be made. Every time the team needs a sack, strip or pick, it’s the battle-tested Buffaloes defense that comes through. They’re more than elite, they’re clutch.
This team is built on the backbone that is their gaudy defense. Championships are won on the back of gaudy defenses.
“The defense has played well,” Mike MacIntyre said this week. “You always have to have defenses to win championships, I’ve always believed that and I’ll never stop believing that. You gotta score points but there are days when the offense isn’t always gonna be clicking. It’s kinda like in basketball there are days where your three pointers aren’t gonna be falling and you better play defense and you better rebound. It’s the same thing with football.”
The fundamentals for this program just like Tad Boyle’s on the hardwood are built on defense. This defense displays MacIntyre and defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt’s platonic image.
“It’s something that we take pride in,” defensive back Isaiah Oliver said of the defense’s recent excellence. “We look for that. At the end of the games we want the game to be on our shoulders and the game is on our line and everything like that. But we always feel like we’ll measure up to any team in the Pac-12 and be able to win that game.”
Certainly, Oliver’s words are backed by what the Buffs have done on the field. And that on-field performance has shown just how much this team has improved under Leavitt’s leadership.
“I think our performances say how much we’ve improved and how much we believe in each other,” senior safety Tedric Thompson voiced. “How much we believe in coach Leavitt and the whole defensive staff.”
The Colorado Buffaloes are yet to not force a turnover under Jim Leavitt. An unbelievable streak the exhibits the clutch factor of the defensive unit.
“I think we’re just a clutch team, to be honest not just on the defensive side,” Thompson told. “Once our offense needs a field goal or touchdown they’ve provided enough for us. We just gotta go out there and have the offense’s back because I think a lot of people are forgetting the fact that our offense had our back early in the season, especially in Oregon game. Whenever it’s crunch time, and we know we need a play we look at each other and know one us is gonna make that play.”
Thompson, like any good leader on any good football, couldn’t take too much praise without slowing it.
“I think we’re our biggest critics because there is still a lot to improve on defense, we still feel like we’re giving up more than we should and we feel that is on us,” Thompson uttered. “We need to improve our tackling, the biggest thing is the big plays we’re giving up, it’s not like teams are out scouting us, I think we’re just messing up sometimes on our own. But we believe in ourselves so we don’t get down about it and I know we’ll improve.”
So the Buffs defense, a top dozen defense in the country isn’t satisfied. But they also won’t let their names be forgotten. It’s a defense that wants to be crowned champions and they won’t stop dismantling the opposition until they reach their goal of a title.
