A full transformation of Colorado’s kicking game is almost complete, as fans are mere weeks away from witnessing what CU’s coaching staff has cooked up to address the woes of years prior. Over the last two seasons, saying the kicking game has left much to be desired would be an understatement. Touchbacks have been an […]
A full transformation of Colorado’s kicking game is almost complete, as fans are mere weeks away from witnessing what CU’s coaching staff has cooked up to address the woes of years prior.
Over the last two seasons, saying the kicking game has left much to be desired would be an understatement. Touchbacks have been an extreme rarity for the Buffs. CU has given up multiple kickoff and punt return touchdowns and streaky field goal kicking has come in waves.
Since he arrived in Boulder, Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has been adamant that CU’s special teams unit needs an upgrade.
“Sometimes, guys don’t take special teams serious,” said Sanders after Colorado’s game against Baylor in 2024. “At halftime, I told them, ‘Why do you think they call it special teams? You’re supposed to be special when you run down there and do it.’ We’ve got to get the ball in the end zone kicking off. We got to do that.”
This season, things are shaping up to be a bit different.
Alejandro Mata and his extremely accurate place-kicking leg are still around, automatically making nearly anything within short range. However, kickoffs and long-range field goals have been a glaring weakness for the Buffs.
Enter Buck Buchanan, a senior transfer from Louisiana Tech with a nuclear weapon for a right leg. Saying Buchanan has a powerful leg would be an understatement, as the kicker from Longview, Texas, wowed fans with a 60-yard field goal in CU’s spring game.
So far, Sanders and assistant coach Michael Pollock have a plan on how they’ll fully utilize both Mata and Buchanan: Mata will handle the extra points and shorter field goals, while Buchanan will be the dedicated kickoff guy and fill in for longer field goals that border on the edge of Mata’s range. Pollock says that this newfound versitility will be key to the Buffs’ success on special teams in 2025.
“Anytime you’ve got [a kicker] that’s real consistent from a certain range, and you’ve got one that can give you a shot from way back, that gives you a lot of flexibility and that’s a good feeling,” Pollock said. “[Mata and Buchanan] both know their role. They know what they bring to the table and what we’re expecting out of them, so they’re really focusing on what role we’re giving them to play.”
To Mata, having Buchanan in town has lit a new fire underneath him to increase his accuracy and maximum range. After practice on Tuesday, Mata told media members that he’s zeroed in on improving his leg power this offseason and can now make field goals from as far as 55 yards out.
“I’ve always [wanted to improve] my distance,” Mata said. “I’ve always known that I have NFL-type accuracy, and if I get a couple 50-yarders this season like I plan to, then hopefully my dream comes true of making the NFL.”
Mata credits his newfound power to new strength coach Andreu Swasey, who came to Boulder this offseason from the University of Miami. Mata says he’s been working hard with Swasey to get his body ready for his final push to the NFL.
“[My improved power and accuracy] has just been due to Coach Swasey, to be honest,” Mata said. “He’s been running us like a track team. It’s easy to lose weight that way. I’ve just been stretching by myself, getting more flexible and more explosive. That’s how I’ve been growing.”
With Mata’s improved power, Pollock is still working out the specific parameters of where Mata’s range ends to put in Buchanan. Colorado’s staff has been paying extremely close attention to Mata and Buchanan in practice, observing who performs best from where.
“What we’re doing right now is we are charting every kick [Mata and Buchanan] make and miss, and we have a chart from what distance,” Pollock said.
Pollock and Colorado’s staff have around two weeks to iron out any kinks in their new game plan when it comes to the kicking unit, as Georgia Tech comes to Folsom Field on August 29 for a week one matchup with the Buffs. Until then, Colorado fans can rest easy knowing that the coaching staff is confident in their personnel this season.
Category: General Sports
