Colorado co-offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur watches as players warm up for an NCAA college football game against Oregon State on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Pat Shurmur introduced himself as Colorado’s offensive coordinator during the Buffaloes’ first team meeting of 2024 on Sunday.
The former NFL head coach, who took over Colorado’s play-calling duties from Sean Lewis (now San Diego State’s head coach) after eight games of the 2023 season, will have a full offseason as the Buffs’ OC this time around.
“In all my years, I’ve never been more excited to start a year than this year,” Shurmur said during the first team meeting of 2024. “We have the people in here to go win a championship. We are embarking on our 2024 journey and we need to build.
“In order for us to become champs, though, we have to become a championship team and that’s where it starts today. Let’s do all the things necessary so when we face adversity next year, we’ll rip right through it and come out the other side better for it.”
Colorado ranked fifth nationally in passing yards per game (330) and averaged 408.6 total yards per game during the eight weeks when Lewis was calling plays. However, a one-dimensional, predictable offense and lack of protection for quarterback Shedeur Sanders down the stretch led to coach Deion Sanders handing the offensive keys over to Shurmur.
“We just needed change at the time,” Deion Sanders said of the coaching change after the loss to Oregon State, Shurmur’s first game as play caller. “We just needed to try something else at the time. And that’s what we did.”
The Buffs averaged just 273 yards per game against three of the top-five scoring defenses in the Pac-12 (Arizona, Oregon State, Utah) after Lewis’ demotion, but those numbers don’t tell the full story. Here’s a closer look at…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/where-colorado-oc-pat-shurmur-215028815.html
Author : The Coloradoan
Publish date : 2024-01-16 21:50:28
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