Entering his senior season, Steven Montez currently holds 34 University of Colorado football records — before he even takes the field at Mile High on August 30 to face Colorado State. For reference, last year versus the Rams, Montez was 22-of-25 with four touchdowns while he threw for 338 yards.
Across the board, national media outlets seem to collectively agree on one thing: Colorado finishing dead last in the Pac-12 South. If you had any worries regarding those expectations penetrating into the locker room, don't.
"I think we have a whole lot of confidence in the new offense and coaching staff we have — we have a whole lot of confidence in the players we have," Montez said. "These media outlets come up and pick us last and to be honest, do we even really look at it or read it? Absolutely not? We’re focused on what we need to do and what we think this team can do. As long as we’ve got confidence in ourselves, that’s really all that matters.”
For Colorado, 2019 may very well be a mirror to what transpired in 2016 — a team few perceived to be capable of knocking down Pac-12 competition while across the board exceeding expectations.
For Montez, who comes off a 19-touchdown, 2,849-yard campaign in 2018, leading a more efficient offense in 2019 is at the top of the list in terms of priorities. Last season, the Buffs were consistently outplayed in the final 15 minutes of games. In the fourth quarter, opponents outscored CU at nearly a 2:1 ratio — Colorado managed just 29 fourth-quarter points while enemy offenses tallied 73.
“Without going too much into what we’re going to do before we do it, obviously the goal is to score a bunch of points, and I think we’ll also have to control the tempo of the game and dictate the pace of how we play on offense, which will in turn help our defense," he said. "Those are the two main things — controlling the pace of the game and scoring points."
Ensuring that the defense is as fresh and rested as possible while also making the most of opportunities offensively will be critical points of emphasis for Colorado in 2019.
To aid in those endeavors will be tight ends, of which Mel Tucker and Co.'s intention to feature them more prominently in the offense has been the subject of much coverage. Last year, Brady Russell was CU's leading TE — he had five receptions in total.
Schematically, Montez said that the addition of TEs on the field wasn't something that requires much thought. In fact, to him, it's a benefit.
"It’s another target," he said. "If anything, it’s easier to throw to tight ends because they’re a lot larger than receivers so they’re bigger targets which means their catch radius is a lot wider.”
In addition to tight end serving as a new offensive weapon for Colorado, Montez said that the position group he most expects to turn heads in 2019 is the offensive line.
"They’re looking really tough and nasty — they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with."
Stay tuned for Part II of CUSportsNation's interview with Steven Montez, where he details working with Jay Johnson and his relationship with the receiving core.
