Buffs hope Oliver is ready to go vs. Cal

BOULDER» It was unsettling for Colorado football fans when they watched Isaiah Oliver get helped off the field during the first half Saturday at Washington State.

The star cornerback, however, may not be out long.

On Monday, CU coach Mike MacIntyre said Oliver “was doing OK today. I think he’ll be able to play, but we’ll see. Hope he doesn’t have any setbacks.”

Oliver went down without contact during Washington State’s first touchdown Saturday. That left Tay Martin wide open for a 50-yard score down the middle of the field.

The Buffs have not indicated the specific injury for Oliver, but he was seen grabbing his lower right leg as trainers tended to him on the field.

Oliver wasn’t the only Buff to leave Saturday’s game with an injury.

Center Jonathan Huckins suffered a concussion late in the first half and did not return. He is going through concussion protocol, and if he’s unable to play, right guard Tim Lynott will move over to center, as he did for the second half Saturday. Lynott started two games at center earlier this season.

Reserve defensive lineman Timothy Coleman also left the game. Trainers worked on his left foot or ankle before he was carted to the locker room, and MacIntyre said he wasn’t sure if Coleman would play this week.

Stepping up.

Despite losing Oliver, their best cornerback, early in the game, the Buffs’ pass defense was solid against one of the top quarterbacks in the country, Luke Falk.

For the night, Falk completed just 50 percent of his throws (17-for-34) for 197 yards. Falk, who is nearing the Pac-12’s alltime passing record, has completed 70 percent of his career attempts.

“(CU’s secondary) disguised well,” MacIntyre said. “I thought we had (Falk) guessing a little bit more than he had. We did a few things a little bit different for disguising, and I thought they did a good job with that.”

The Buffs nearly had interceptions on four plays but could never hold on to the ball.

“If we had come up with four of them, it might have been a different football game,” MacIntyre said.

Trey Udoffia and Dante Wigley played well at corner against the Cougars.

“Both of those young men have kept improving,” MacIntyre said.