Colorado’s running back by committee approach starts in the film room

Around 7 a.m. each day, the Colorado Buffaloes report to team meetings.

The running backs go to the same room on the third floor of the Champions Center, where running backs coach Darian Hagan shows clips from the previous day’s practice on the projector.

Then, the backs dig in.

Whoever is running the ball in the play being shown typical doesn’t speak. Instead, the rest of the group explains what they would have done differently in the situation shown. Maybe that’s hitting a different hole or bouncing the run outside. Maybe it’s putting an extra hand on the ball or throwing a stiff arm.

“Coach Hagan has his input but we critique each other,” redshirt freshman Deion Smith told DNVR. “We’re all just making each other better.”

From the outside, trying to make each other better may not seem like the ideal strategy for a group of running backs competing for playing time. That’s especially true for Smith, who is on the edge of the rotation.

As the third running back on the depth chart, Smith eats up whatever playing time isn’t taken by sophomore starter Alex Fontenot and his freshman backup Jaren Mangham. Early in the season, the gameplan has called to involve Smith more in the offense but Fontenot or Mangham often gets the hot hand early in the game and the gameplan shifts.

Smith isn’t fazed.

“We prepare the right way all week. We all go through the same regiment,” Smith said. “It’s just a matter of ‘When are you up? When is it your turn?’ And if it’s my turn I’m expected to do what I’m supposed to do, just like when it’s Alex’s turn, he has to do what he has to do.”

It isn’t easy to come in cold off the sideline but Smith downplays the effects of not getting into a rhythm on his performance.

“I mean, yes it’s tough if you’re not locked into the game,” Smith said. “But at the end of the day, it’s just football. We’re doing the same stuff we practiced. We’ve just gotta go in there and apply it.”

For Fontenot, sharing the rock hasn’t been a difficult obstacle to overcome. At George Ranch High School in Richmond, Texas, there were a few backs worthy of reps. Fontenot came to Boulder ready to take a few plays off.

“For some people, they don’t like sharing but that’s just something I’m used to, so I’ve got no problem with it,” Fontenot said.

Although he isn’t upset about splitting time, Fontenot still has lofty goals. He wants 1,000 rushing yards this season. He knows he’s capable of 100 per game.

“For me, I’m really not pleased,” Fontenot said of his performance so far.

Those goals are tough to attain on a team that rotates running backs often, even if Fontenot is the starter. But just to hold onto his starting job Fontenot has to keep his level of play high.

“Every snap you get, you’ve gotta do your best on it,” Fontenot said. “You can’t take any off.”

The touch distribution has varied wildly from week-to-week so far this season. Fontenot has 75 total so far, with Mangham’s 42 and Smith’s seven lagging behind. But the splits were much tighter before Fontenot carried the ball 25 times and caught a pass against Arizona State.

For the most part, the Buffs’ running backs aren’t worried about who’s getting the ball. They’re just focused on keeping the offense clicking like it did against the Sun Devils.

“I just want to keep helping the team to the best of my abilities,” Mangham said. “If we get the run game going that really gets the offense going. It’s good getting some fresh legs in there.”

That all starts in the film room.