Just scoured the Pro Football Focus grades for Colorado following the Buffs' 16-13 win over Stanford. Here's what we're looking at:
OFFENSE
QB:
Steven Montez: 68.7 (his highest grade since scoring an 85.2 vs. Arizona)
RB:
Alex Fontenot: 77.1 (about right on target for him throughout the year. IN week 9 vs. USC, his last game, he scored a 78.8) --played 44 snaps
Jaren Mangham: 60.6 (season-low grade, played 29 snaps)
WRs:
Laviska Shenault: 76.6 (33 snaps)
K.D. Nixon: 67.4 (highest grade since the ASU game...played 52 snaps, also produced an 83.8 run block grade)
Tony Brown: 57.6 (second-lowest grade of the year...he had a 53.3 grade @ Oregon...his 70 snaps led all CU WRs)
Dimitri Stanley: 46.4 (second-lowest score of the year, he had a 45.0 @ WSU...played 46 snaps)
***Vontae Shenault, Maurice Bell, Jaylon Jackson and Daniel Arias played a combined 19 snaps. If you want to know their scores just holler***
OL:
Tim Lynott, C: 52.9 second-lowest of the year (scored a 49.3 vs. Air Force) (73 snaps)
Casey Roddick, RG: 57.5, (played 26 snaps)
Colby Pursell, RG: 61.8 (first action since the ASU game) (23 snaps)
Jack Shutack, RG: 61.9 (second-highest score of 2019...had a 66.9 vs. UCLA) (50 snaps)
Kary Kutsch, LG: 63.6 (highest score since the WSU game) (47 snaps)
Will Sherman, RT: 64.3 (highest scored since the Nebraska game) (73 snaps)
Arlington Hambright, LT: 69.8 (highest score since the WSU game)
TE:
Brady Russell: 64.3 (best scored since the CSU game, where he produced a 64.7 score) (55 snaps)
DEFENSE
DL:
Jalen Sami: 72.4, best grade since his 73.3 grade vs. CSU
Mustafa Johnson: 70.9, best grade of the season
Terrance Lang: 66.8, tied a season-high grade set @ ASU
LBs:
Akil Jones: 69.8, third-best score of the year
Carson Wells: 62.8
Davion Taylor: 59.8, best score since his 64.4 grade @ WSU
Nate Landman: 59.6
Nu'umotu Falo (played 11 snaps) 49.1
Alex Tchangam (played 13 snaps) 60.9
DBs:
Derrion Rakestraw: 65.0, (third-best score of the year, behind his ASU and WSU performances)
Mikial Onu: 62.2 (highest score since the ASU game)
Tarik Luckett: 55.4 (season-low)
K.J. Trujillo: 50.0 (season-low)
Mark Perry: (played 11 snaps) 60.8
I think the most notable trend here was the effectiveness of the d-line. Johnson and Lang getting back-to-back sacks in the game was the cherry on top, but the ability of the d-line to congest Costello's pocket combined with the good CB blitzes we saw throughout the game, was arguably the best such combined effort by the Buffs' defense this season.
Derrion Rakestraw was another guy who stuck out to me — he really has been a guy who's stepped up big time this season in the midst of Aaron Maddox's injury and subsequent transfer portal announcement. He's held his own back there.
You'll also notice much of the o-line turned in their best grades in weeks, with the exception of Tim Lynott who actually had the second-lowest score of 2019 yesterday vs. Stanford.
Montez turned in a very Montez-esque grade — he didn't do anything calamitous while also not doing anything spectacular.
The last point I'll make has to do with K.D. Nixon...I'm really starting to notice polar opposite tendencies between he and Viska, the latter or whom, despite playing banged up and knowing his own past pertaining to injuries this season, STILL routinely puts his shoulder down, avoids at all costs going out of bounds and for all intents and purposes, will fight, claw and otherwise absorb whatever punishment it takes to gain an extra yard or two.
I watched Nixon run out of bounds after catching the ball many times yesterday, and many of those instances were situations where a few more yards were there to be gained, if Nixon had so desired.
I realize the two players are very different in physique, but Nixon yesterday didn't even try to hide how much space he had between him and incoming DBs trying to make a tackle before he opted to step out of bounds. I don't expect these players to be sadists and seek out every opportunity to get blasted by a defender, but the above contrast I noted between Viska and Nixon is becoming more and more blatant.
OFFENSE
QB:
Steven Montez: 68.7 (his highest grade since scoring an 85.2 vs. Arizona)
RB:
Alex Fontenot: 77.1 (about right on target for him throughout the year. IN week 9 vs. USC, his last game, he scored a 78.8) --played 44 snaps
Jaren Mangham: 60.6 (season-low grade, played 29 snaps)
WRs:
Laviska Shenault: 76.6 (33 snaps)
K.D. Nixon: 67.4 (highest grade since the ASU game...played 52 snaps, also produced an 83.8 run block grade)
Tony Brown: 57.6 (second-lowest grade of the year...he had a 53.3 grade @ Oregon...his 70 snaps led all CU WRs)
Dimitri Stanley: 46.4 (second-lowest score of the year, he had a 45.0 @ WSU...played 46 snaps)
***Vontae Shenault, Maurice Bell, Jaylon Jackson and Daniel Arias played a combined 19 snaps. If you want to know their scores just holler***
OL:
Tim Lynott, C: 52.9 second-lowest of the year (scored a 49.3 vs. Air Force) (73 snaps)
Casey Roddick, RG: 57.5, (played 26 snaps)
Colby Pursell, RG: 61.8 (first action since the ASU game) (23 snaps)
Jack Shutack, RG: 61.9 (second-highest score of 2019...had a 66.9 vs. UCLA) (50 snaps)
Kary Kutsch, LG: 63.6 (highest score since the WSU game) (47 snaps)
Will Sherman, RT: 64.3 (highest scored since the Nebraska game) (73 snaps)
Arlington Hambright, LT: 69.8 (highest score since the WSU game)
TE:
Brady Russell: 64.3 (best scored since the CSU game, where he produced a 64.7 score) (55 snaps)
DEFENSE
DL:
Jalen Sami: 72.4, best grade since his 73.3 grade vs. CSU
Mustafa Johnson: 70.9, best grade of the season
Terrance Lang: 66.8, tied a season-high grade set @ ASU
LBs:
Akil Jones: 69.8, third-best score of the year
Carson Wells: 62.8
Davion Taylor: 59.8, best score since his 64.4 grade @ WSU
Nate Landman: 59.6
Nu'umotu Falo (played 11 snaps) 49.1
Alex Tchangam (played 13 snaps) 60.9
DBs:
Derrion Rakestraw: 65.0, (third-best score of the year, behind his ASU and WSU performances)
Mikial Onu: 62.2 (highest score since the ASU game)
Tarik Luckett: 55.4 (season-low)
K.J. Trujillo: 50.0 (season-low)
Mark Perry: (played 11 snaps) 60.8
I think the most notable trend here was the effectiveness of the d-line. Johnson and Lang getting back-to-back sacks in the game was the cherry on top, but the ability of the d-line to congest Costello's pocket combined with the good CB blitzes we saw throughout the game, was arguably the best such combined effort by the Buffs' defense this season.
Derrion Rakestraw was another guy who stuck out to me — he really has been a guy who's stepped up big time this season in the midst of Aaron Maddox's injury and subsequent transfer portal announcement. He's held his own back there.
You'll also notice much of the o-line turned in their best grades in weeks, with the exception of Tim Lynott who actually had the second-lowest score of 2019 yesterday vs. Stanford.
Montez turned in a very Montez-esque grade — he didn't do anything calamitous while also not doing anything spectacular.
The last point I'll make has to do with K.D. Nixon...I'm really starting to notice polar opposite tendencies between he and Viska, the latter or whom, despite playing banged up and knowing his own past pertaining to injuries this season, STILL routinely puts his shoulder down, avoids at all costs going out of bounds and for all intents and purposes, will fight, claw and otherwise absorb whatever punishment it takes to gain an extra yard or two.
I watched Nixon run out of bounds after catching the ball many times yesterday, and many of those instances were situations where a few more yards were there to be gained, if Nixon had so desired.
I realize the two players are very different in physique, but Nixon yesterday didn't even try to hide how much space he had between him and incoming DBs trying to make a tackle before he opted to step out of bounds. I don't expect these players to be sadists and seek out every opportunity to get blasted by a defender, but the above contrast I noted between Viska and Nixon is becoming more and more blatant.
