CU Buffs OC Brennan Marion pushes back as the offense looks to break out

Colorado’s offense has spent five games searching for points. Its coordinator isn’t searching for approval.

“I don’t give a damn what y’all say,” Brennan Marion said Wednesday. “I think I’m that dude still.”

Colorado’s offensive coordinator said the noise online wears on young players who read it. It doesn’t wear on him.

Speaking with reporters four days before No. 11 Utah (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) visits Folsom Field, he defended his quarterbacks, his system and his track record. Colorado (2-3, 0-2) averages 18.6 points per game, which ranks 122nd of 138 FBS teams.

He answered one question about Isaac Wilson with a question of his own. Asked what he saw during the bye week that gave him confidence in the quarterback “even with” his outing against Texas Tech, Marion stopped on those two words.

“Yeah, I mean words matter. So what does ‘even with’ mean?” Marion said.

Marion admitted the scoring drought is unfamiliar. Asked how frustrating it has been, giving his success at previous stops, he said “this is new territory for me.” He said he plans to “go through the storm” and keep faith in the system.

The system, in his view, isn’t the issue.

“I just saw Utah score a touchdown with our system last week,” Marion said.

His bye-week self-scout pointed elsewhere. Marion said he believes Colorado ranks last in the country, 138th of 138 FBS teams, in starting field position. He also said the Buffaloes have largely found success in total yards and time of possession. That held against Texas Tech, when Colorado outgained the Red Raiders 375-304 and held the ball for 31 minutes and 4 seconds. The Buffs also turned it over four times. Marion said they “just haven’t been able to put the ball in the hoop,” and that the bye week shored up some of the reasons why.

He sees Wilson’s night against Tech the same way. Wilson, who will start Saturday against his former team, threw for 290 yards and ran for 42, albeit with three interceptions.

“If you take away the turnovers and you accumulate 350 yards at quarterback, you would be one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country,” Marion said.

That’s a sizable “if.”

The drives that ended in turnovers, Marion said, also featured drops and missed assignments up front. The blame still lands on the head coach, the coordinator and the quarterback.

“We stink, we’re horrible,” Marion said, voicing the critics, “but nobody else looks at the full picture of what goes on.”

The run game struck a nerve. Asked how the staff balances keeping its back fresh with letting one like Micah Welch find a rhythm, Marion started with a disclaimer.

“I’ll try to be polite and answer the question without being an a–hole,” he said.

He then said he didn’t know why he was “getting asked run game questions” given his history.

His 2024 UNLV offense averaged 251.2 rushing yards per game and his Sacramento State team had a 1,230-yard rusher last season. Colorado’s 140.8 rushing yards per game rank 15th of 16 games in the Big 12 this season. Welch has the only two rushing touchdowns by a Colorado running back.

“So the run game will be fine. The running backs will be fine,” Marion said.

Part of the bye week, Marion added, went to “rebuilding some of the relationships that might have been fractured.” Asked whether that included Julian Lewis, he said it didn’t.

Marion was most expansive on Lewis, who leads the team with 733 passing yards.

He said a young quarterback no longer gets time to grow because, with “money on the line now, everybody wants instant results.” He pointed to Shedeur Sanders, who he said struggled a little bit in his first season at Colorado before becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Lewis, he said, skipped part of that process by leaving high school early. He is still adjusting to a new locker room, a new staff and a new offense.

Young players read what is said about them online, Marion said, and it can affect their spirit. His advice for Lewis was to “get off the internet,” keep developing and be ready when his next opportunity comes. Asked whether Lewis is next in line behind Wilson, Marion said that’s “Coach Prime’s decision.”

Among the receivers, Marion said that Joseph Williams has “been awesome.” DeAndre Moore Jr., whom Marion recruited to Texas out of high school before bringing him to Boulder, “needs to make more plays,” he said.

Saturday’s opponent won’t make it easier. Marion said he has seen Utah’s defense up close since 2015, when he was at Arizona State. The Utes allow 13 points and just 78.8 rushing yards per game.

“They’ve had a buzz saw on defense,” Marion said.

He expects Utah to load the box, blitz and force contested catches. Anyone running into that front, he said, had better “have your chin strap buckled and your mouthpiece in.”