Colorado had arguably the worst rushing attack in college football in 2023 yet still it is one of the most exciting rooms on the Buffaloes squad going into the next season.
Jimmie Searfoss
The 2023 Colorado Buffaloes had arguably the worst rushing attack in college football.
The group finished last in rushing yards per game, total rushing yards and yards per rush, yet still it is one of the most exciting rooms on the Buffaloes squad going into the next season.
Buffs running back coach Gary "Flea" Harrell claims the Buffs are doing more than just changing the way they approach the run game in 2024, they're investing in it. That started with bringing in eight new offensive linemen to give the running backs the chance to make a play, but those plays still need to be called, something that didn't happen often in 2023.
Colorado rushed the ball only 358 times in 2024, one of the fewest in college football. They invested in a change there too, elevating Pat Shurmur from co-offensive coordinator to the only man holding the job. Coach Flea says this hiring came with an increase in talks on how the running back room, which hasn't changed much from last year, will better fit in the new offense.
Nearly every running back has returned from the previous year, with the addition of freshman running back Micah Welch. The return to complete health for sophom*ore running back Alton McCaskill is essentially adding an all-new running back to the room, as he was not fully healthy for the games he participated in during the 2023 season. Sophom*ore running back Dylan Edwards also is said to have developed both physically and mentally as he gets ready for his second campaign with the Buffaloes.
Coach Flea's room appears to have all the tools to succeed and now spends their time learning how to use them to the best of their ability. Here is everything he said after practice on Tuesday.
Q: Who's stood out to you in practices?
A: "We got a good room. We've got a great group of guys and you know it's good to see young Micah Welch come and do some of the things that he's doing. He started off slow because he was trying to get acclimated to college football as far as the information overload that was put on him, but now he's starting to build confidence and make plays. He's the guy that we thought he would be as far as downhill aggressively seeking the end zone, but he's done a good job as far as running the offense. So Micah [Welch] is doing a great job. Dylan [Edwards] is he has a different approach to this year. You can tell he's more focused. He knows what his role is going to detail, and we're going to lean on him heavily to be very explosive, and I think he's doing a good job for us being a student of the game. Dylan's [Edwards] very talented. But he came in this year with the mindset of really understanding his assignments to get done."
Q: What are those conversations like with Edwards over the offseason as you guys were just talking about him going to a sophom*ore year just asking more out of him and looking for being an every down back for you guys?
A: "Some of those things we talked about, you know. He didn't want to come back with a sophom*ore jinx. You know, he had a decent year. I think we could have gotten more out of him. I think he was prepared so we got to do better as coaches as far as putting him in a better position to have success. But he had a great offseason. I think he took it upon himself to gain more weight. You know, he's bigger than he was last year. He's stronger than he was last year. He's already naturally strong. You know, he was a participant in track. So he did all the necessary things to better himself, you know, with Coach Prime in his ear as far as running track, incorrectly, but then just coming back with a mature mindset as far as being a better overall football player. But, you know, with Pat Shurmur as offensive coordinator I think we have a better plan for him as far as a different scheme, and making sure that he's in when we need him in to get certain things done."
Q: That's what have the conversations been like with Coach Shurmur about the usage of the running backs that you guys plan to have this season as compared to last season?
A: "It's been good conversation. I think it'd be better than last year. I think last year was dictated based on the tempo of the offense and what the defense was presented to us. And, you know, the o-line was decent last year. It wasn't where we needed to be. So when you invest into it, when you bring Pat Shurmur to OC when you bring in coach Phil [Loadholt] as the o-line coach and then you bring in a whole new o-line, that, we feel, has a different mindset than you're investing into the run. So we got to do our job and make sure we're ready for when the run is called. We go over our alignment, our assignments, we want to press the hole and make the right reads. We just want to be there when the opportunity presents itself."
Q: What does committing to the run game mean to you?
A: "It means a lot. Not just for me just for the team. If we're able to run the football, that means the box gets a little heavier. That means we have one safety so the passing game is where it needs to be so we can improve on the passing game and it clears things up for Shedeur [Sanders]. Stop the run you got to put more bodies in the box to stop the run and then to stop the pass now you got to have a two safety shield to stop the pass. We want to make sure that we dictate to the offense what we want to bring that week. If the run game is going to work you know the passing game is there. but we know when you aim to run the football, whether you're home or away, you have a pretty good chance to win games."
Q: How many carries does it take to get into a rhythm as a running back?
A: "It varies. We don't want a back to have 25, or 30 carries. Those days are over. We want to make sure we keep them fresh. So they get 15 to 20 reps max then then that next guy comes in at 10 to 12 reps. That's where we want to be as far as that balance and make sure we don't overload one back. And then it's based on the play caller Pat Shurmur. And then I got a boss to answer to, Deion Sanders, who wants to see a guy on particular plays. So we have those variables. It's hard to say as far as getting them in rhythm. My job is to make sure they understand the assignments. So, once they get in, they know what they need to do and carry out the assignments. Once they in, fatigue as far as the stamina, we'd like backs to be able to go at least four, at least two series, four to eight plays. So that's what we're looking for. So if you're carrying a load, if you're not fatigued, if you're not blowing assignments, you know your reps will increase. But if you're a guy that's blowing assignments and can't physically get it done, then we're bringing this guy in. So it varies. It depends on that particular guy."
Q: What about the RPO in the scheme you just talked about the tempo you tried to play at last year did that factor into some of the struggles you had?
A: "Because a lot of decisions made by the quarterback and based on what a defender do, if we feel like the defender can make a tackle within four yards, he'll pull it and keep it or throw it or run it, so it's based on decisions. I don't think we had a whole lot of true runs where we just said okay, we're going to run the ball in a particular situation. This year is different. We're going to dial it up. We believe in people upfront. If a third and short situation, we have situations where we're actually going to run the ball and not have too many RPO's."
Q: What are you guys working on this year that you guys were lacking last year?
A: "We are just stick with the basics. You know, the fundamentals, the assessors, just footwork you know we want to believe in who we believe in, and train our eyes, have good eyes, you know, see a little, see a lot. Alignment, assignment execution. We want to stick with that. And then these guys are natural football players. They can play the game with the control, all decision making skills, all the things that comes in between the plays for us not to mental errors when he when he's going to play this call, you know, won't be fine. So we've talked about those things all the time. You know, we stick to the core value smart, fast stuff this and then we just build up that. As far as the footwork, being in a position where it has adversity and being able to get out of that position, or that bad adversity, which is B and making good plays always, always downhill."
Q: Is Alton McCaskill close to being where you guys saw him in Houston?
A: "He's close. You know, from last year, he's very close. I think he did a good job as far as doing all the necessary things as far as being able to decelerate and then accelerate. That's where you kind of have the issues, you know, as far as trusting going from point A to point B. We want to make sure we get them to the point where he gets downhill and I think he's working on that. He's very smart. He's very eager. His speed has increased, his strength has increased, but I think he'll be ready for game one. Once we go through all season, once we go through camp, you know, we're going to get him to where he needs to be to make sure that he's able to do all the necessary things."
