Much like his mate in the special teams room, Alejandro Mata, Colorado punter Mark Vassett didn’t get off to the start he wanted this season.

Also like Mata, Vassett overcame that slow start and has been in a groove lately for the 21st-ranked Buffaloes (6-2, 4-1 Big 12), who visit Texas Tech on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas (2 p.m., Fox).

“I feel like I’ve been in a good groove the last four or five weeks,” Vassett said. “Just getting back to basics, getting back to work during practice, just doing as much as I can and just building that confidence back up.

“There’s probably two or three punts that I really wanted back (from early in the season), but yeah, the last month or so I’ve been in a good groove and, yeah, feeling really good.”

Vassett is averaging 43.93 yards per punt and has landed 14 of his 29 punts inside the 20-yard line. Early in the season, he struggled a bit with his consistency, but he’s been a weapon for the Buffs.

“I feel like I’m the best in the country at pinning the ball inside the 10 with those end-over-end punts,” he said. “That’s really natural and easy for me, but I’ve got to get more consistent with my spiral punting when we’re backed up. But I feel like I’ve been in a good groove with that the last month. That’s where I’ve got to improve, and feel like I have recently and just got to keep that going.”

In the past three games, Vassett has punted eight times with four of those pinning the opponent inside the 10-yard line and two more inside the 20.

Mata, meanwhile, started the year 2-for-4 on field goals but has made seven in a row since then.

“Mata’s been doing his thing,” said Vassett, who is the holder on Mata’s kicks. “He’s been working really hard at practice. I think we both kind of started the year not how we wanted to, but I feel like we both turned it around.”

Friendly rivalry

CU and Texas Tech both have a lot at stake this week, as both are in the race for the Big 12 title game.

Both head coaches, however, are looking forward to seeing each other because they have been friends for years. Tech’s Joey McGuire was a longtime high school coach in the Dallas area, including at Cedar Hill where he coached Deion Sanders Jr.

“Tremendous friend of mine,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “I love him. I loved him ever since he was at Cedar Hill. He was always upstanding and forthright.

“He keeps it 100, and I consider him a true friend and someone I could call and lean on to understand how this college thing works at some time. I’m sure he’s going to have those young men ready, and I can’t wait to see him and hug his neck. Usually, I don’t really get down like that with other coaches before the game, but I’m definitely gonna look him up to try to embrace him, because it’s gonna be fun. I’m just happy that I’m getting the opportunity to be on that stage with a man that I respected for quite some time.”

McGuire had the same sentiment, telling local media this week, “I’m excited to see a good friend. He has done a phenomenal job this year. There’s a lot of people that questioned if he could get that program turned around, and he has.”

Notable

Texas Tech is 7-2 in November in McGuire’s three seasons as head coach. CU, meanwhile, has lost nine consecutive November games, including going 0-4 in 2022 and 2023. … In 10 previous games against Texas Tech, CU has had just one 100-yard receiving effort, but it was a big one. Walter Stanley had 222 receiving yards against the Red Raiders on Sept. 12, 1981.