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Football is a game of momentum swings, in a close matchup the first three-quarters will swing back and forth and it’s usually not until the fourth quarter where the game will be decided sometimes coming down to just a single play.
“Players make plays, players win games.” That’s what head coach Mike MacIntyre preaches to his Colorado Buffaloes program before each and every game.
It turned out to be true last Thursday night when the Buffs were taking on the UCLA Bruins. With around five minutes left in the game, sophomore cornerback and punt returner Isaiah Oliver returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, sealing the win for the Buffaloes. The victory kept the Buffs atop the Pac-12 south and moved them up to No. 12 in the nation according to the College Football Playoff rankings.
“I was able to get it outside and no one was there so it all worked out well,” Oliver said after the game. “It was pretty much a feeling of relief because we knew as a team that we felt like we could stop UCLA’s offense for the rest of the game.”
The touchdown was especially important because special teams have been a facet of the game that the Buffaloes have failed to excel in all season, this time they were able to finally make a positive impact on the game. It also shows that this Buffs team can win in all facets of the game, which is going to be extremely important heading down the stretch against two, maybe three, ranked teams.
“It’s a phase of the game that we’re going to have to win to win a Pac-12 Championship,” Oliver said. “You have to have a great offense and a great defense but you also have to have a great special teams to be able to win it all.”
It also marks a coming-out party, of sorts, for the 190-pound Oliver. He played as a second stringer during his freshman year and was productive when he was able to get action, recording a total of 19 tackles. This season, he’s played alongside seniors Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon and has continued to produce when called upon. With his 6-foot-1 frame and world-class speed, he has shown that he’s able to matchup against almost every receiver in college football.
“He’s definitely a high-caliber Pac-12 corner,” MacIntyre said. “He’s long, athletic, he can judge the ball, he’s tough and extremely bright. I’m very, very pleased with Isaiah.”
The high praise from the coach comes with great reason, this season he’s recorded 22 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and a key interception against Stanford. Oliver is a big reason why the Colorado defense is ranked No. 6 nationally in defensive pass efficiency.
When starting punt returner Jay MacIntyre suffered a concussion against Arizona State coach MacIntyre looked to the CU Track and Field decathlete Oliver to take over punt returning duties. After taking a few games to get used to his new role, Oliver was able to break loose for a 43-yard return against UCLA and then added the aforementioned 68-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter.
Oliver gets his world-class athletic ability from his father, Muhammad. His father was a cornerback and Track and Field decathlete for the Oregon Ducks and was later drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1992.
With Awuzie and Witherspoon being set to graduate after this season, MacIntyre and defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt will turn to Oliver to be the premier shutdown cornerback next year for the Buffaloes. Until then, look for Oliver to continue to prove his excellence in the secondary and for the special teams unit when called upon.
