Why Karl Dorrell is confident in Owen McCown as the Buffs starter

Head coach Karl Dorrell and Colorado made the decision to start true freshman Owen McCown last week and while the final score was not much different than the last three weeks, it appears that Colorado has a quarterback.

McCown’s performance last Saturday against UCLA was what coach Dorrell called, “our best passing production in two years.”

Against the Bruins, McCown went 26/42 for 258 yards, one touchdown and one interception. McCown also added a touchdown on the ground.

On Monday, Karl Dorrell talked at length about the Buffs’ new starter, how Colorado can improve defensively and the issues the Arizona Wildcats will present for Colorado

Young and in charge 

Coming into the season, the battle was primarily between Brendon Lewis and J.T. Shrout when it came to the Buffs’ starting quarterback. However, Dorrell emphasized the true freshman’s ability to join the program in June and quickly pick up Colorado’s offense as the reason why he is now the starter. 

“He learned the full offense, he’s a fast learner,” Dorrell said. “I think his background and training from high school and even before his high school years of being around the game, he’s seen a lot of stuff.”

There’s plenty of reason to believe that McCown’s father, Josh who was a 19-year pro football veteran, is also one of the reason’s why McCown is as seasoned as he is for a true freshman.

Overall, Dorrell said McCown’s performance was “solid” against UCLA and that McCown was eager to learn from his first collegiate start.

“He’s got a game under his belt to study which he did the day of the game, he was there studying that night,” Dorrell said.

The Bruins sacked McCown five times which could become a cause for concern given McCown is only 19 years old and has yet to grow into his frame.

“It’s a concern,” Dorrell said. “The hits that he took this past week, we don’t want him to do that all the time, because he took some pretty big ones. But it showed us his toughness, it shows his ability and his durability to bounce back from those things.”

Dorrell also commended McCown’s play style and the fact that the other players rally around his mobility.

“I think the players like his courage when he plays,” Dorrell said. “He does a lot of things with his feet, he tries to make plays off schedule. Those are things that I think a lot of his teammates really gravitate to. We just have to continue to build his skill set.”

Look for the Buffs to be more aggressive on early downs with McCown at quarterback as Dorrell said they are “working” on first and second down planning.

Addressing CU’s biggest on-field issue

There was no shortage of good things for Dorrell to say about McCown but the note turned somewhat sour when it came to the rest of the team. Most notably, the defense and the lack of ability to defend the run so far this season.

Offenses have been able to run on Colorado at will and while the Bruins’ rushing total of 249 yards helped lower the Buffs’ season-long average, they are still far and away the worst defense in FBS when it comes to rushing yards against per game.

“We’re playing with a number of new players out there,” Dorrell said. “So they’re developing and they’re learning week after a week.”

Dorrell talked about the Buffs’ inability to fit the run saying that the linebackers have to step up and get into their correct gaps at a higher, more consistent level.

The majority of the experience on the Buffs roster is in the front seven but Dorrell thinks that there are other factors at play limiting those players from playing at a higher level.

“It’s not because of them that we’re playing poorly, it’s a lot of things right now,” Dorrell said.

One of those factors is the poor tackling that Colorado has displayed in the first month of the season.

“We know that tackling is a big issue right now, there’s no hiding that fact,” Dorrell said. “If we clear up that issue and be more on the disruptive side, it’s a better defense.”

Ultimately, Dorrell put the majority of the blame on himself and his coaching staff as to why the defense has not performed up to par so far.

“We have to do a better job as a coaching staff of doing what we think our players are capable of doing and not really putting too much on them,” Dorrell said. “We need to be more diligent and proactive in our preparation to understand the skill sets of everybody and put guys in a position to do those things that fit their skill set. That’s the detail that we need to get ourselves to play better.”

Looking ahead to Arizona

Leading up to the season, many circled this week’s game against Arizona as a game that the Buffs could win. Things look quite different after only four games.

The Wildcats will be welcoming the Buffs to Tucson this weekend as a much more improved football team compared to the one-win team the Buffs beat 34-0 last year.

Arizona was able to use the transfer portal to their advantage over the off-season as quarterback Jayden de Laura and wide receiver Jacob Cowing joined the Wildcats.

De Laura is a former Washington State Cougar and Cowing is a former UTEP Miner, together they have been one of the more productive and dynamic passing duos in the PAC-12 this year.

Dorrell shared his thoughts on de Laura as the Buffs begin preparation for their next conference opponent.

“He is a very confident and experienced quarterback,” Dorrell said of de Laura. “He’s a big catalyst for their offense. He’s a really good player. He’s really given that offense the life and the confidence that you would want. I would say he has made a world of difference for them.”

The former Cougar has been able to find Cowing early and often through the first four weeks of the 2022 season. Cowing is tied with two other players for fourth place in the country in touchdowns scored (6) and is 17th in the country in receiving yards (386).

The Buffs will have to rely on their depth a good amount this week in Tucson as coach Dorrell said Isaiah Lewis, Alex Fontenot and Chase Sowell are doubtful to play. Tight end Brady Russell suffered a low-grade ankle sprain against UCLA but should be able to suit up this weekend against Arizona.

The banged-up Buffs will need all hands on deck against Arizona before they can take advantage of their bye next week.

After that, it’s an absolute gauntlet for the Buffs as they have games against Oregon State, Oregon, USC, Washington and Utah on the horizon.

Oddsmakers at Draftkings Sportsbook remain bearish on the Buffs as they are 17.5-point underdogs heading into this week’s game against Arizona.

Owen McCown and the Buffs’ defense certainly have their work cut out for them as they continue to move forward in 2022.