Pat Shurmur On Hot Seat? Colorado Offensive Coordinator Receives Backlash After Loss

Without playmakers Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders to lean on, the Colorado Buffaloes' offense underwhelmed in Friday's 27-20 loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Colorado certainly showed a greater commitment to the ground game with running backs Micah Welch and Simeon Price finding some success alongside dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter, but the play-calling was often predictable, especially in key moments. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's reliance on inside runs and bubble screens drew considerable criticism during and after the game,

Pat Shurmur's Seat Temperature

It might be an overreaction to put Shurmur on the hot seat after only one game overseeing a new group of offensive players, but the temperature is rising. Colorado's wide receivers totaled only eight catches, and new tight end Zach Atkins wasn't implemented as expected.

"This is what has me really fired up tonight: You have nothing but time to prepare for this game and dial up some plays with an unlimited amount of playmakers, and you didn't do it,"DNVR's Ryan Koenigsberg said after the game. "You didn't do anything that made me say, 'There we go. That's getting Omarion (Miller) involved.'"

Miller is arguably Colorado's most talented wide receiver, but the junior totaled only one catch for 39 yards.

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If coach Deion Sanders does move on from Shurmur, Colorado has two other assistants worthy of calling plays in tight ends coach Brett Bartolone and recent hire Byron Leftwich. Bartolone was Sanders' offensive coordinator at Jackson State in 2022 and Leftwich was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator when they won Super Bowl LV with Tom Brady.

Jordan Seaton Chimes In

Left tackle Jordan Seaton believes that keeping things simple will lead to success on offense.

"We’re going to establish the run game," Seaton said. "I think people try to make football complicated. You run the ball, they stack the box, now you throw the ball. Once they do that, now they spread out. Now we running RPOs (run-pass option). We have a quarterback with legs, now we’re going to let him use his legs. So now we have to get to the point where we’re playing chess with teams."

Can Kaidon Salter's Legs Be Better Utilized?

Salter had 13 rushing attempts for 43 yards and a touchdown, although both he and "Coach Prime" admitted that there were missed opportunities to use his legs.

"I feel like I had those opportunities, but with me being a dual-threat quarterback, I keep my eyes down the field, and I feel like I had chances to throw the ball downfield and make some plays and execute moving the ball downfield," Salter said. "But most definitely, I feel like I could have used my legs better.”

At the same time, Salter struggled to throw on the run and was often hesitant to let his wide receivers make a play deep downfield. That isn't entirely on Shurmur, but the hope is that Colorado's second-year offensive coordinator can learn from what worked and what didn't on Friday.