After losing their past three games, the Colorado Buffaloes have a chance to get back in the win column and get their first Big 12 win of the season with a victory over No. 11 Utah.
The odds aren't in Colorado's favor, especially given how their offense has performed during this losing streak. But if they have any chance of pulling off this upset, they will have to contain the Utes' top running back, Wayshawn Parker.
How Wayshawn Parker can change this game
For an example of how Wayshawn Parker can change a football game, look at Utah's win over Kansas last week. The Jayhawks stayed competitive with the Utes until Parker's 90-yard touchdown run put Kansas out of reach. He finished with 171 rushing yards, averaging 10.7 yards per carry, and two rushing touchdowns.
This suggests that even
if the Buffaloes can keep the game competitive well into the fourth quarter, Parker can run away with it and put it out of reach for Colorado, as he did against Kansas. He averages 7.6 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns, showing he makes big plays despite only 66 carries.
How Colorado slows Parker down
Colorado started the season well, allowing only 51 rushing yards in the season opener. However, in two of the past three games, they have allowed over 180 rushing yards. So, the first step for the Buffaloes to slow Parker down is to return to the basics that worked in the season opener. Colorado needs solid tackling, strong gap integrity, and to dominate the line of scrimmage.
They also need to win their one-on-one matchups defensively. That way, they can put more defenders in the box to stop the run. This will also make Utah's offense more one-dimensional. This is easier said than done, since no one has figured out how to completely slow this offense. They have put up over 30 points in every game this season and have topped 40 points in three games.
Prediction
With how Colorado's run defense has struggled, I'm not confident they can contain Parker or the rest of Utah's offense. This is also because the defense spends so much time on the field. The CU offense can't put points on the board, and it has scored only 29 points in its three losses combined.
Allowing explosive plays has also been a problem for Colorado. So Parker will likely have at least one explosive play and probably find the end zone at least once. Colorado will need its best defensive performance of the year to contain Parker and win.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado must contain Utah RB Wayshawn Parker to pull off upset
