Buffs Ready For Visit From Wildcats

BOULDER — The Colorado Buffaloes started the week Sunday with a players-only team meeting.

They hope to finish the week Saturday with a win over the visiting Arizona Wildcats (7 p.m., Fox Sports 1).

Players-only meetings are seldom held when things are going well, and the Buffs' Sunday get-together was no exception. Coming in the wake of a disappointing 48-23 loss to Arizona State, the meeting was a forum for the Buffs to clear the air and make sure the locker room attitude wasn't ready to head south.

Early reaction was positive. Defensive end Derek McCartney said some of the things said “got some guys fired up.” Quarterback Sefo Liufau said the Buffs “came out with a better feeling and better understanding of what needs to be done.”

But the proof, as they say, will be in the pudding — or more specifically, the performance, as the Buffs take aim at ending a current two-game losing streak and a 13-game Pac-12 skid that stretches back to late in the 2013 season.

“A win, in our situation, is huge — especially a Pac-12 win,” head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “Any time you win, you make some mistakes in a game and you don't look at them as bad; when you lose, every mistake is magnified. … We definitely need to win football games.”

MacIntyre is apparently confident about the Buffs' chances to do exactly that. Friday night, he guaranteed a victory to a downtown Boulder homecoming parade and Buff Stampede crowd.

To fulfill MacIntyre's guarantee, the Buffs will have to slow down an Arizona offense that caught fire a week ago in a 44-7 win over Oregon State. Quarterback Anu Solomon — who hasn't thrown an interception in 145 attempts this year — threw for 276 yards in the win and the Wildcats ran for 368. On the ground, running back Nick Wilson has rushed for 683 yards and eight touchdowns this season, but his most important statistic may be this: when Wilson has rushed for at least 100 yards, Arizona is 8-0.

The Buffs will be depending on some new faces to help stop Solomon and Co., as Colorado will put its fifth starting inside linebacker on the field this week. CU's two original starters, Kenneth Olugbode and Addison Gillam, are both out with injuries, as is backup Ryan Severson. It means redshirt freshman Rick Gamboa, who has four career starts under his belt, and either Grant Watanabe or N.J. Falo — both true freshman — will be in the starting lineup.

The Wildcats spent the first four weeks of the season ranked in the nation's top 25, reaching as high as No. 16 before a 56-30 loss to UCLA knocked them out of the rankings. An ensuing 55-17 drubbing at the hands of Stanford had the 'Cats on the ropes, but they rebounded with a win over Oregon State and still have an eye on successfully defending their Pac-12 South title.

Defensively, the 'Cats have had their issues, giving up an average of 30.5 points and nearly 420 yards per game. But they have picked off six interceptions and they have 11 quarterback sacks.

The Buffs' biggest concern, though, is the issue that's plagued them all season — self-inflicted wounds. When the Buffs lose the turnover battle, they're 0-3 this year, which is the same record they have when quarterback Sefo Liufau throws an interception.

Conversely, the Wildcats are 4-0 this year when forcing even one opponent turnover.

“Anytime you turn the ball over it's a lot harder to win games,” Liufau said. “I have to do a better job of taking care of the football, so it gives us a better chance to win.”

Offensively, the Buffs will need better protection for Liufau, better accuracy from Liufau and a more consistent running game. Liufau has been sacked 13 times in the last two games, he's completed just 54 percent of his passes in those games and the Buffs have rushed for just 126 yards total in those two contests. The good news is that tackle Sam Kronshage, who missed last week's game with a concussion, should be back in the lineup.

Liufau is well aware of the criticism that's been coming his way this season.

“I think it's maybe down to fundamentals,” he said. “I think that just being able to sit there in the pocket and just deliver the ball; I think that I just have to do it, basically. It's as simple as that, just be able to hit your receivers and give them some time to get some yards after the catch.”

Still, Liufau did throw for 389 yards and a touchdown last week against Arizona State, the second-best yardage total in his career.

“For the most part there were some easy throws that I missed and there were a lot tougher throws that I made,” he said. “I think I just need to be more consistent in that aspect so that it gives us more of a chance to get the ball to our playmakers.”

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez owns a 3-0 record against the Buffs, with the average margin of victory 22.3 points. But Rodriguez said this is a different Colorado team than any the 'Cats have faced recently.

“They are more athletic on both sides of the ball,” Rodriguez said. “They play extremely hard and their staff does a good. They have won a couple games, but they've also been very close to beating some very good teams, especially at home. Our guys will understand that and we know what a challenge it is.”

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu