Driving in his truck on the way home from Saturday’s game against Iowa State, Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston couldn’t help but smile.
For the first time this season, the Buffaloes finished on top in a close game against a good opponent, out-playing then-No. 22 Iowa State down the stretch for a 24-17 win.
“The part that kind of makes you smirk in the truck on the way home is it was the third time we’ve really been in that same situation,” he said, referring to late stumbles in losses to BYU and TCU the previous two weeks. “To finish this time, obviously we’ve made a huge deal about finishing, and that was something that was very gratifying.”
Statistically, there’s not much on either side of the ball that’s been exceptional about the Buffs this season. There’s been plenty of good moments, but it’s been a roller coaster.
The win against Iowa State, however, provided some positive signs for Livingston and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur that the Buffs (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), who are on a bye this week, are making progress
“I think we’re getting better each game,” Shurmur said of the Buffaloes’ offense.
Throughout the season, head coach Deion Sanders and others have talked about the lack of consistency that has plagued the Buffs. For the most part, they’ve played well enough to be in position to win just about every game, but too often stumble in key moments.
Offense and defense have both contributed to the inconsistency.
Offensively, the Buffs certainly aren’t a high-powered attack. They rank 14th in the Big 12 in scoring (24.9 points per game) and 15th in total yards (361.3 per game).
Just one starter is back from the 2024 offense (left tackle Jordan Seaton), so it’s been a work in progress for Shurmur, new quarterback Kaidon Salter and others.
“We’re on our journey,” Shurmur said. “I think we’re getting better. There’s reasons to be optimistic with this team, as I’ve mentioned earlier on in the year. It’s a young football team that’s getting better, and we’re getting a lot better by playing together more.”
Much of that starts with Salter, a transfer from Liberty who has certainly had ups and downs this season, including getting benched earlier in the season. He also had a rough outing at TCU with his first career three-interception game.
Salter has also displayed his dual threat ability, throwing for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for 270 yards and five scores. It’s already the most rushing yards for a CU quarterback since Steven Montez in 2017 (338).
“He’s getting better,” Shurmur said. “I think he’s making more plays and being involved in less bad plays. I think that points to consistency. He’s no different than the guys up front or the receiving corps or the running backs or the tight ends. You just have to keep practicing to get better at what you’re doing. He’s working hard at things and I think it’s showing up in the games.”
Defensively, the Buffs are having a similar experience.
They are 10th in the Big 12 in points allowed, at 23.7 per game – which isn’t far off from last year’s average of 23.1. They’re also 15th in yards allowed, at 404.9 per game.
Like the offense, the defense is loaded with new starters and role players. Just three defenders who started more than three games in 2024 – cornerbacks DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge and safety Carter Stoutmire – are back this year.
Overall, 56% of the starts on defense have come from players who had never started a game at CU before this year.
This is a defensive group, however, that has come up with some big plays at opportune times, especially against Iowa State. Livingston hopes that’s a positive sign going into the final five games.
“We had a great week of practice (before Iowa State),” he said. “Obviously it starts with Coach Prime. The attitude, the effort, all that stuff, are things that he preaches every day. And so I’m excited to see what these next couple weeks hold.”
Shurmur and Livingston are both striving for more consistency and hope that is on display when the Buffs come out of the bye for a trip to No. 23 Utah on Oct. 25.
Livingston said he’s looking forward to seeing his defense perform during the next five weeks, and Shurmur believes the offense is playing much better.
“I think when you watch us play, there’s things we’re doing a lot better this year than we did last year,” Shurmur said. “We’re always looking for consistency.”
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