Colorado’s secondary is chasing a different kind of impact this week.
After three games, the Buffaloes have only one interception - Randon Fontenette’s lone pick against Weber State - and that number is sitting front and center for a group that believes it was brought to Boulder to change games on the ball. Safety Naeten Mitchell said Wednesday that forcing turnovers is “what they brought us here ” to do, and safeties coach Vonn Bell sounded just as frustrated after reviewing the film from Saturday’s 41-7 loss at Northwestern.
“There’s a lot of plays to be made on the ball, and a lot of opportunities, especially in the back end,” Bell said. “When the ball is in the air, we’ve got to complete it. We’ve got to make it happen.”
Now comes a chance to attack a quarterback with a track record of giving defenses exactly that sort of opening. Colorado heads to Baylor on Saturday at 10 a.m.
MT in Waco, Texas on ESPN2, with both teams opening Big 12 play at 2-1. DJ Lagway led the SEC with 14 interceptions at Florida last season, then attempted 54 passes in his lone game for Baylor so far, a 17-16 loss to Auburn on Sept.
- An ankle injury kept him out of two games, but he is listed as probable this week.
Mitchell believes the matchup can reveal a lot about Colorado’s defensive backfield.
“I think the back end is going to really show what we got this week,” he said.
For Bell, the assignment starts with simple, unglamorous details: count the bodies, identify the targets, and don’t lose track of Baylor’s tempo. The Bears lean on pace and their top receivers, which means the Buffaloes have to stay locked in on “knowing where the playmakers are at,” while keeping an eye on landmarks, spacing and down and distance.
If Colorado does force a turnover, Bell wants the response to be clean and disciplined. Northwestern turned the Buffs’ mistakes into points last week, so Bell’s message after a takeaway is straightforward: “nothing cheap, nothing deep.”
The other team will take a shot, and Colorado’s job is to keep everything in front and force “three or nothing.”
Bell’s week isn’t only about Baylor’s offense. It’s also about managing a secondary full of new faces, each with different needs. Fontenette, who led Colorado with 13 tackles last week, can be hard on himself, Bell said, and sometimes needs the opposite of a shove.
“He’s a joy to coach. He challenges me at times, but I love it,” Bell said.
“Iron sharpens iron. He wants to be the best.
I want to be the best.”
Bell also described Fontenette as “his own worst critic at times,” and said part of coaching him is reminding him “next play, next play.” He added that he dealt with the same mindset as a player.
That same theme carried over when Bell talked about the defense as a whole.
“This game is made of imperfect people, but we expect a great outcome,” he said.
Mitchell, who posted 11 tackles and recovered a fumble at Northwestern, arrived from New Mexico State with linebacker Tyler Martinez. He was around last season when an injury ended Martinez’s year, and this season he saw Martinez earn one of head coach Deion Sanders’ “Dawg” patches, a “D” on the jersey, before the Northwestern game. Mitchell said, “Hopefully I can get one of them patches,”
At cornerback, Jason Stokes Jr. is taking advantage of his chance. The Utah transfer broke up three passes against Weber State after Boo Carter moved inside to the nickel, then logged a career-high 53 snaps at Northwestern.
On Wednesday, Stokes said he appreciated Sanders for “putting me in this position to be able to shine.” He faced Colorado while at Utah last season, but said that wasn’t what drove his move.
What mattered, he said, was the idea of joining a new team trying to build a championship program “with players who want to play.”
Baylor’s pass-heavy offense gives Colorado a clear test, and Stokes sees it that way.
“It’s going to be an excellent challenge for us to see where we are and to see how much we’ve improved since we first got here,” Stokes said. “And how much confidence and trust we have in each other and ourselves.”
Bell also had praise for true freshman Braylon Edwards from Duncanville, Texas, who sits next to him every day and absorbs everything “like a sponge.”
“The world could be his.”
Bell addressed Sanders’ announcement that a few players are no longer with the team, saying, “I’m fully behind Coach Prime,” and adding, “It’s his decision.” Mitchell said the players who remain are “coming together as a family.”
And when Bell was asked what leadership should look like in a secondary, his answer came with the kind of blunt edge that fits the job: have the hard conversations, hold teammates accountable, and start with yourself.
“You’ve got to check yourself first,” Bell said. “Make sure your yard is cut before you cut somebody else’s.”
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