Two Colorado defenders rank among Big 12's leading tacklers

The Colorado Buffaloes have two defenders near the top of the Big 12's total-tackles standings heading into their bye week, with Randon Fontenette and Gideon Lampron continuing to handle a significant workload in Chris Marve's defense.

Fontenette has 40 tackles, placing him second behind Iowa State's Sullivan Schlimgen, who has 46. Lampron has 38, sharing third place with Cincinnati's Antwan Peek Jr. Those rankings reflect season totals, with Fontenette averaging eight tackles per game and Lampron averaging 7.6 through five appearances.

Safety Randon Fontenette

Fontenette supplied an important defensive play on Texas Tech's opening possession after halftime Saturday, sacking Will Hammond for an 11-yard loss and forcing a punt while Colorado held a 7-3 lead. 

His production against Texas Tech also came with costly penalties during the Red Raiders' go-ahead touchdown drive. A pass-interference call and a personal foul extended the possession, underscoring the need for better discipline from one of Colorado's best defenders.

Fontenette's ability to finish plays has made him a consistent presence around the ball, and avoiding those penalties will give Colorado better value from him on defense.

LB Gideon Lampron

Lampron delivered one of Colorado's biggest stops in the second quarter, meeting Quinten Joyner for no gain on fourth-and-one at the CU 7-yard line. The turnover on downs preserved the Buffaloes' four-point lead.

He added a tackle for a 5-yard loss in the third quarter after a Colorado turnover gave Texas Tech possession at the Colorado 31-yard line. That disruption helped force the Red Raiders to settle for a field goal.

Lampron now has 5.5 tackles for loss, adding backfield production to his tackle total. With Tyler Martinez likely out for the season, Colorado will continue to rely on his experience as the linebacker rotation adjusts ahead of Utah.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Two Colorado defenders rank among Big 12's leading tacklers