Chip Kelly gives first impressions of Colorado

Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins get a rested Colorado team this weekend and the head coach was very impressed with the Buffaloes’ speed.

Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Xavier Weaver, Jimmy Horn Jr., Dylan Edwards, you name it. Colorado has talent and speed and UCLA’s defense has to be ready.

Kelly noted the Buffaloes’ defense is talented as well and really gets after it and based on his first impressions, he expects a fight.

“Outstanding speed,” Kelly said. “Especially on the offensive side of the ball. Edwards at running back and that trio of receivers, Weaver, Horn, and Hunter, they all can really run, they can all really go. I think Shedeur has a great grasp of that offense. Got a really good understanding of it. Does not put the ball in harm’s way. And he’s really really good with the football and they got a good scheme on the offensive side of the ball to get those guys going. 

“And then defensively, they got a bunch of guys that run around, get to football, so it’s a good football team that’s battle tested. They played a lot of games, played close games, a couple of overtime (games). Won against Colorado State. They lost a double overtime to Stanford, so you’ve seen them win really close football games and they compete and they play hard.”

Colorado comes off a bye week following an overtime loss to Stanford. Deion Sanders was not a fan of the timing and actually getting two weeks to prepare for UCLA.

“No, it’s not a good time for a bye week,” Sanders said. “I mean, if you’re having problems where you’re injured and you have quite a few injuries, it’s a good time for a bye week. When you’re like [we’re] playing, you don’t want a bye week. You want to work it out, you want to make it happen. I wish we could play again next week. I really do.”

Colorado’s defense has been gashed this season, despite Kelly saying the Buffaloes get after it. Sure, it’s an opportunistic defense, but they can be hit hard.

It remains to be seen if Ethan Garbers will start again at quarterback or if freshman Dante Moore will be reinserted into the lineup. The Buffaloes’ will have to be ready.

But as Kelly alluded to, good luck to the Bruins’ defense defending a bevy of playmakers for Colorado on Saturday.