The Colorado football team’s passing attack has to come alive before the season is dead.
Deion Sanders is fully aware of that and he isn’t shy about letting it be known. The Buffs have shown glimpses of what this offense can be, but there are still too many question marks entering Big 12 play.
Colorado is averaging just 10.5 points per game (21 points scored) against two Power 4 opponents so far this season. That production doesn’t match the Buffs’ offensive talent.
“Offense is not doing what it’s supposed to do,” Deion Sanders said Tuesday. “Take away the cupcake game (Weber State) that we had, I think we’re averaging nine, 10 points a game.
“It’s not good. It’s not going to win for you whatsoever.”
Although Colorado football offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has helped improve the run game to a respectable level (181 rushing yards per game), the passing attack has been stuck in mud away from Folsom Field.
QB Julian Lewis is completing just 59% of his passes for 292 yards and two TDs with two INTs against Power 4 teams (Georgia Tech, Northwestern) this season. The 19-year-old is still one of the youngest P4 QBs and has just five starts under his belt, which is why he needs help from his teammates and OC.
WRs DeAndre Moore Jr. (24) and Joseph Williams (18) lead the Colorado football team in targets entering Big 12 play but after them, it falls off a cliff. Danny Scudero is third on the team with seven targets but he was out for the Northwestern game with a foot injury and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Losing a player of his caliber is never easy but WR was supposed to be one of the Colorado football team’s deepest position groups, especially because of guys like Kam Perry.
The Miami (OH) transfer was one of the best deep threats in college football last season, averaging 22.7 yards per catch and nearly reaching 1,000 yards (976) on just 46 catches. Perry seemed primed for an even bigger season in Boulder with Coach Prime calling him “a killer” earlier this year.
An elbow injury sidelined Perry for a portion of fall camp but Deion Sanders recently confirmed that the talented WR is “definitely” healthy.
Then why did Kam Perry — who has just three catches on seven targets — play just six snaps in the loss to Northwestern after playing just eight snaps in the season opener? Coach Prime might’ve finally shed some light on it this week.
“Now you have a lot of these trainers outside of the schools that these kids get with in the offseason and some of them are really good,” Deion Sanders said Wednesday on the Colorado Football Coaches Show. “But some of them, I wish they would call the school and ask the coaches what they’re doing so they can coach what they coach is doing instead of doing their own thing.
“Especially at the receiver position. Nobody is throwing you the ball with all that (head movements). Get into your route, get down the field, turn around and catch the ball.”
Colorado needs a third receiving option to emerge behind Moore Jr. and Williams and it needs to be Perry as long as Scudero is out.
Perry is one of the best route runners on the team and he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. More importantly, the Colorado football team is lacking big plays right now offensively. That’s Perry’s calling card.
It’s not an issue of talent. It’s a matter of buying in and proving to be trustworthy not only for the coaching, but for Julian Lewis.
“Kam has to lock in a little more and understand what we’re trying to accomplish,” Deion Sanders said of Kam Perry last week. “But the kid can play the game. He makes plays in practice on a daily basis. Love what he brings to the table.
“He just has to keep that energy up and keep that dog in the forefront of his mind.”
If it isn’t Perry who emerges as the Colorado football team’s No. 3 option, perhaps TE Charlie Williams takes on that role. He has at least one catch in every game so far this season (five targets), including the game-winner in Week 1.
Quentin Gibson (six targets), Quanell Farrakhan and Alex Ward (one target each) are capable but might not be ready to consistently contribute just yet.
RB DeKalon Taylor is another fascinating option because 64% of his snaps are pass plays and he runs routes on nearly half of his snaps.
Kam Perry breaking out is the best case scenario, though, and the Colorado football team (2-1) needs that to happen sooner rather than later.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.
