Oregon Ducks corner Christian Gonzalez could probably see the writing on the wall.
He was Colorado’s best defender in the last two seasons, including as a true freshman in 2020 where the Buffaloes finished 4-2 in the pandemic-shortened season.
But in 2021, the Buffs dipped to 4-8 and now as they enter the game his Saturday against Oregon, the team in Boulder is 1-7 and is on their second head coach.
Now Gonzalez is a Duck and although he’s going back to Folsom Field, he says he’s preparing as if this was just another week in the season.
“It’s a normal week,” Gonzalez said. “I’m just preparing as if it’s another game. Obviously, I’m going back to where I came from, but it’s the same thing I’ve done week in and week out.”
What he’s been doing week in and week out is locking down the opponent’s best receiver. In 2022, Gonzalez has 32 tackles and one interception. Those numbers might not look overly impressive, but Pac-12 quarterbacks tend to stay away from Gonzalez’s side of the field.
This week, Colorado’s leading receiver, Jordyn Tyson, will be the unfortunate one who will see Gonzalez covering him.
“They have a good receiving group. They have some play-makers and they’re going to try to get the ball to who they want to get it to,” Gonzalez said.
Tyson, a true freshman, leads the Buffaloes with 333 receiving yards and nearly 20 yards per catch to go along with his three touchdowns. Colorado can also go to Daniel Arias, who has 19 catches for 309 yards and a score.
Compared to other receivers in the league, those numbers are not overwhelming. The Buffaloes are 1-7 for a reason. But they are capable of making big plays and when that does happen, Gonzalez says you need to forget about it and go to the next snap.
“That’s the nature of this (cornerback) position. You have to move on when you get beat and move on when you make a good play,” he said. “You can’t harp on the little plays. It’s a next-play mentality.”
Oregon expects the big plays to outnumber the times its top corner actually gets beat, especially this week in Boulder.
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