In terms of overall defensive performances recently, Colorado has gotten better each week since the loss at UCLA in terms of total yardage allowed to opposing offenses. The Buffs gave up 426 yards to the Bruins, the first time in 2019 the lowest such amount of the season at that point, and since then, have allowed 372 yards to Stanford and just 238 to Washington.

While that defensive progress didn't show up on the scoreboard vs. UCLA, it most definitely did against the Cardinal and the Huskies.

For defensive coordinator Tyson Summers, recent defensive success has come from an enhanced ability to pressure enemy QBs as well as Colorado's defensive 11 finally getting enough collective experience together to begin figuring out how to turn in complete games of stout football.

“A lot of it is just cumulative reps," Summers said. "We’ve been trying for a long time to have a package that’s got some things that branch off of being really good at basics and fundamentals. We’ve been doing very similar schematic things for a long time now, so I think you’re finally starting to see guys be able to play faster, not have to think as much, so (that) now, we’re able to get to a place where you see them play with more fundamentals and understanding. They’re playing with confidence, and confidence is a huge part of playing on defense, just like playing with energy.”

As fans can surely attest, Colorado has been able to effectively bring the pressure on enemy QBs. CU's five sacks against the Huskies trailed only the six recorded vs. Nebraska in week two.

In particular, it's seemed like recently, Summers has dialed up CB blitzes, specifically on third down. Freshman STAR Mark Perry, whose 78.4 PFF grade led the Buffs. Perry played in only 21 snaps, but recorded four QBHs and two sacks.

In other words, Summers has figured out a way to utilize him effectively when he's still playing a lesser-snap defensive specialist kind of role.

“He’s obviously a guy who can run, and he’s a good blitzer," Summer said of him. "We’re trying to get as many different people and looks as we can to create some amount of confusion between the o-line and QB and right now, those guys are doing a good job. Mark’s doing a really good job. He had two sacks — probably should have had four.”

Mel Tucker continued on Perry's role in the defense and how Summers has been able to make him fit into the puzzle effectively.

“Mark Perry has a tremendous upside," Tucker said. "He is a young player (and is) is very diligent and coachable. He has gotten better as the season has gone on. When he has gotten opportunities, he has played well — he is improving. We have quite a few young players who are doing that. It is a credit to him and the coaches working with him and believing in our players — coaching does matter. When you have players that have potential, talent and ability, it is out job to get it out of them. That is what we work to do every single day.”

The way Summers put it, Perry has helped solidify a defensive game plan centered around getting more pressure on the QB that's been in the works for awhile now, but that's also taken some time to yield fruit. That's come in part via guys needing some time in-season to get to a level of comfortability with the defense in its first year of implementation.

“We came out of the first bye week and tried to come up with some new ideas to be able to help us on third downs," he said. "We (focused) a lot on both coverage and pressure. We spent a lot of time on it then and it just keeps growing and evolving. We’ve been running it even as early as probably Oregon and even (vs.) USC you saw it a lot on both second and third down, but I think it’s just a result of us trying to get better and having the same guys playing consistently now — we’re not having big roster changes here as of late — so they’re getting it and are having a lot of confidence in it.”

As junior safety Derrion Rakestraw put it, achieving a regular ability to pressure the QB has been a goal of Summers since day one.

"I have a lot of confidence in coach Summers," he said. "Everybody does. One of the first times I met him, and I went up to meet with him about learning the plays, he just told me that he likes to pressure. He was showing what me what the d-line does on some of the (blitzes), so that’s just what he loves to do. He loves scheming things up for people to be able to get pressure on the QB.”