Defense featuring new coordinator rises to occasion as Colorado chases Big 12 title, playoff spot

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - At Colorado, the topic of last season borders on taboo and risks the wrath of Deion Sanders.

"Ain't nobody talking about last year," the coach of the 18th-ranked Buffaloes said when the subject was broached.

Of course, those bygone days do need to be revisited when reflecting on just how much progress the Buffaloes (7-2, 5-1 Big 12, No. 17 CFP ) have made on the defensive side. They're dependable enough this season to where if Shedeur Sanders and the offense sputter for a quarter - as they did in a 41-27 win at Texas Tech last week - they can pick up the slack.

Under the direction of new coordinator Robert Livingston, the defense is vastly improved. They’re allowing 22.6 points a game while blending in six new starters, including five newcomers/transfer portal additions, with two-way standout Travis Hunter. Last season, it was nearly two touchdowns more (34.8) as Colorado finished 4-8.

"We've changed the roster. We flipped the darn roster," Sanders explained of the turnaround as his team prepares to host Utah (4-5, 1-5) on Saturday. "We've gotten the people that we wanted. You keep forgetting we got here in December a couple years ago, and that's kind of tough. Back was up against the wall. We flipped the darn roster, and I'm proud of them."

The Buffaloes lead the Big 12 with 29 sacks by employing a rush-by-committee approach. They have nine different players with multiple sacks, their most since 1983.

"We just continue to play hard and it's paying off," said defensive lineman Arden Walker, whose father, Arthur, was a standout defensive tackle with the Buffaloes in the 1980s. "But I feel like we're still climbing up the mountain and we want to get to the top. We've just got to continue to stay consistent with playing hard and playing fast, playing physical. It separates us."

The numbers highlight the difference under Livingston, who was brought in after serving as a longtime secondary coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Colorado’s defense is allowing 101.8 less yards per game compared to this nine-game juncture a season ago. The squad also is allowing 16 less touchdowns and 84.1 fewer yards passing per game.

This is a defense that marches to the beat of Hunter, the do-everything cornerback/receiver who's one of the Heisman Trophy favorites. They also have an offensive lineman, Tyler Brown, who’s cross-training on the defensive front to give them another two-way player.

It’s all coming together on both sides of the ball as Colorado remains in the thick of not only a Big 12 title chase but earning a seat at the table in the College Football Playoff.

Not that Sanders was in a reflective mood over what his team, his defense, has accomplished so far this season.

"I never take a step back. I try to take a step up," Sanders said. "I’m trying to see around the corner, not trying to see straight ahead. It's normalcy for everybody to see what's in front of them. I'm trying to see around the corner."

What's immediately in front of Colorado is a Utes team desperate for a win after dropping five straight following a 4-0 start.

"Coach Sanders is doing a great job and his staff have made a lot of adjustments and improvements over last year," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "They're much better at the line of the scrimmage on both sides of the ball. So we've got our work cut out for us."

Colorado has been at its best this season after halftime, outscoring teams by a 76-24 margin in the third quarter. At Texas Tech last weekend, Colorado’s defense shined in the fourth quarter by producing three turnovers, two fourth-down stops and four sacks. It culminated with Walker's strip sack of quarterback Behren Morton, with Shilo Sanders picking up and scoring a game-sealing touchdown.

The Buffaloes struggled early, too, trailing 13-0. But the defense kept them afloat until the offense found its rhythm.

"This is championship football," said Shedeur Sanders, who threw three TD passes and ran for another score to earn the league’s offensive player of the week honors. "One of the coaches came up to me and was like, 'You know, one of the best things about this is, we're down 13 and you can look at the sideline, nobody is panicking.' I was like, 'That's how you know we've got a great team.'"