One injury report can change the outcome. After starting as underdogs against Kansas State, the Colorado Buffaloes are now slight favorites after Kansas State announced that quarterback Avery Johnson will not play and that their backup is doubtful.
Still, this game is no slam dunk for Colorado. They have not won a Big 12 game since October of last year against Iowa State. Their offense stalled in the second half against Oklahoma State, and the defense gave up a season-high 57 points. However, Kansas State's defense has allowed an average of 29.5 points in its last four games, all against Big 12 opponents.
If the Buffaloes finally get their first conference win in over a year, they must do these five things right.
Play a complete 60 minutes
In the past two games, Colorado
has played completely differently in the first and second halves. Against Utah, they were flat offensively in the first half, but they nearly came back and made the second half very competitive. The next week against Oklahoma State, they went back and forth on offense in the first half but never scored in the second. Football games are 60 minutes, and Colorado hasn't played a complete game all season. To pull off this win, they need to play 60 minutes of football instead of showing up for one half.
Stop the turnovers
One of the keys to the game every week is protecting the ball and not turning it over. Yet they keep turning it over. That is one reason they looked so different in the second half against Oklahoma State. They didn't turn the ball over in the first half and were competitive, but they committed three turnovers in the second half and ultimately got blown out by 33 points. If they could get out of their own way, they could win.
Run the ball efficiently
Colorado was most successful this season when they could run the ball. They had over 180 rushing yards in each of their first three games, but they've had only one game over 100 rushing yards since. The Buffaloes also averaged a dismal 1.9 rushing yards per attempt against Oklahoma State, their season-low, and it was the third time they have averaged under 2.5 yards per carry. So Colorado doesn't just need to run the ball, but needs to do it efficiently. Averaging 4 to 4.5 yards per carry would suffice.
Slow down Kansas State's run game
Especially with a potential third- or fourth-string backup in the game for Kansas State, Colorado needs to make them one-dimensional. The Wildcats will want to establish the run game to take pressure off whoever is at quarterback, and the Buffaloes cannot let that happen. They have struggled against the run this season, allowing over 180 rushing yards in three of the last five games. But this is the game where Colorado needs its defensive line to step up, as it did in the season opener against Georgia Tech.
Continue to feed Joseph Williams
Colorado may need to run the ball, but they also need to push the ball downfield. Their best receiving threat is Joseph Williams, who caught 135 yards against Oklahoma State, his third 100-yard game of the season. Williams is a security blanket for quarterback Isaac Wilson, and getting the ball to him will help the Buffaloes' offense stay on the field and score.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Five keys to a Colorado win over Kansas State in Week 9
