Three takeaways from Colorado's double-overtime win against Oregon State

BOULDER — The Buffs got a dub.

Colorado rallied from a four-point deficit with under two-and-a-half minutes to play, only to see Oregon State make a 60-yard field goal at the buzzer to force overtime. Then, in double-overtime, freshman CU kicker Cole Becker hit to win the game 37-34 at Folsom Field. The win is Colorado’s third of the season and pushes their conference record to 2-4, while the Beavers fall to 3-3.

Here’s what we learned from Colorado’s win:

It’s true, the offensive line is solid

Two weeks after firing offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue and replacing him with 33-year-old William Vlachos, Colorado looks markably better in the trenches.

The first sign came in the first game after the change last week at Oregon. The Buffs held the Ducks to one total sack, and held the best player in college football without a sack.

This week, the Buffs backed up their stellar performance by allowing no sacks in the entire game. Plus, Colorado ran for five yards per carry.

While one game can be a fluke, the second game probably cements the fact that the Buffs fixed whatever the problems were up front.

It’s shocking to see the difference in the offense over the past two weeks. While the Buffs still rank in the bottom dozen of the country in yards, passing and points, they now look competent. Maybe the lesson here is just how important winning the in the trenches—or at least holding your own—can be in college football.

And there’s still three more games for Vlachos’ changes to take effect.

Brendon Lewis shines

Freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis has transformed from potential bust to potential star in less than 10 days.

On Saturday, Lewis looked like he was in total control from the start.

He opened the game by completing eight of his first 10 passes, good for 137 yards and a TD.

He led a drive at the end of the gamete take the lead in the final minutes, and capped it off by dodging a defender in the backfield and slinging a pass into Montana Lemonious-Craig in the end zone.

Yessir, Montana 💪

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— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) November 7, 2021

Over the past two games, Lewis has put up 394 passing yards and six touchdowns, while not turning the ball over. He completed over 70% of his passes. He also ran in a touchdown to open the scoring in overtime on Saturday.

Those aren’t top-tier stats—it’d be great to see him put up 200 passing yards per game—but you can’t argue with the efficiency. You also wouldn’t be crazy to say he’s still two years away from playing his best football.

The defense held up without Nate

Nate Landman missed a second-consecutive game on Saturday.

The senior, All-American inside linebacker is dealing with a shoulder injury, which has opened the door for Quinn Perry, Jack Lamb and Marvin Ham to see consistent reps. They didn’t live up to Landman’s standards but they did provide a window into the future of the position.

Colorado’s run defense was solid, though the numbers don’t paint a pretty picture. The Beavers ran for 220 yards on 5.1 yards per cary with three touchdowns. But the defense wasn’t that bad.

Perry notched six “stops,” a stat that Pro Football Focus attributes when the offense fails; they don’t pick up half of the yards to gain on first down, 75% on second down or convert a third or fourth down. Barnes and Carson Wells tied for second on the team with three a piece.

The point, though, is that the Buffs were able to win Nate, and that’s something they’ll have to do often starting next year.