The Buffs return home to Folsom Field for a Saturday night matchup with the Wyoming Cowboys, kicking off at 8:15 PM Mountain. After an ugly road loss to Houston, this week represents a chance to reset and an opportunity to show progress before things ramp up again in conference play.
This is a game Colorado should control, but last week’s performance left plenty to be desired and even more questions. The Buffs will need to make progress up front and find consistency at quarterback fast if they want
to have a chance of surviving the Big 12.
The Buffs
It’s no secret that Colorado’s offense underwhelmed against Houston. The receivers had a tough night, Ryan Staub couldn’t find rhythm, and the running game showed some room for improvement. The Buffs ran just a handful of designed rushing plays, and with no real ground threat, the offense felt predictable and out of sync.
That has to change this week. Colorado has capable backs in Micah Welch, Dallan Hayden, and Simeon Price. While both Price and Welch had their moments against Houston and Georgia Tech respectively, neither has emerged as the team’s clear best option. Whether it’s playcalling or execution, the Buffs need to pick up the pace on the ground and they need to do it early to control this game.
As for the quarterback situation, Staub showed flashes last week but looked uncomfortable under pressure. He’s still growing into the role, but Kaidon Salter might give this team a better shot to win right now. He’s more experienced, more dynamic, and simply looks more comfortable. With the offense still searching for an identity, Salter could be the piece that ties it together and gets everything back on track.
Defensively, it’s been a mixed bag. Colorado’s pass defense has been solid through three games. They’ve done an alright job in coverage and haven’t given up many explosive plays through the air. The run defense, however, remains a concern. The front seven has had trouble setting the tone, and mobile quarterbacks have found far too much success.
The edge rushers haven’t had many problems generating pressure, and safety Tawfiq Byard and linebacker Martavius French have stood out as bright spots in the run game. The defense made subtle progress last week, showing their proficiency stopping Houston’s redzone offense, but was often put in tough scenarios. The unit couldn’t get off the field, which wasn’t helped by CU’s offense completely stall out all night. This defense is better than they look, at least on paper, but they’ll have to piece it together.
The Cowboys
Wyoming enters this matchup at 2-1, fresh off a 31-6 loss to 20th ranked Utah and looking to build some momentum heading into conference play. The Cowboys haven’t been flashy, but they’ve played physical, low-scoring games and leaned heavily on their defense and run game to grind out results.
Offensively, quarterback Kaden Anderson has thrown for 535 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions on the season. He’s been serviceable but not explosive. Wyoming’s passing attack tends to rely on shorter, high-percentage throws and occasional deep shots, most often targeting Chris Durr Jr., who leads the team with 240 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 receptions. Durr is Anderson’s clear go-to guy and will be a primary focus for the Buffs’ secondary.
On the ground, Sam Scott leads the Cowboys with 203 rushing yards on 44 carries. He’s a physical runner who does most of his damage between the tackles. Wyoming’s offensive line has been solid, but this isn’t a group that’s likely to blow teams off the ball. They’ll try to wear you down with time of possession and force you to make mistakes.
Defensively, nose tackle Ben Florentine is their biggest disruptor up front, with 3 sacks already this season. Linebacker Evan Eller leads the team with 20 total tackles and has been active in run support and pass coverage. The Cowboys have given up points in bunches when put in bad positions, but when they can control the pace, their defense has shown an ability to limit explosive plays and force long drives.
This isn’t a team built to win shootouts, but if the game slows down into a slugfest, that’s Wyoming’s comfort zone. They’ll look to control the tempo, win the field position battle, and capitalize on mistakes.
Prediction
This matchup leans Colorado’s way across the board. Wyoming’s offense hasn’t shown it can consistently move the ball, and Colorado’s defense should be able to shut it down if the front seven holds up. The key will be limiting early rushing success and forcing Wyoming into obvious passing situations.
Offensively, the Buffs need to get something going on the ground to take pressure off the quarterback. Whether it’s Staub or Salter under center, they’ll need more help than they got last week going forward.
I think Colorado takes the lead early and keeps it. I think they find more success in the run game, and use it to open up the passing attack later on. I think this matchup could be somewhat low-scoring but, I’ll take the Buffs to cover and I like the under at this one.
Colorado 27
Wyoming 10
