Friday's Fast Five: Keys For Buffs Vs. Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — At the risk of overstating the obvious, the Colorado Buffaloes will see a team on Saturday that has no apparent weakenesses.

It is, of course, exactly what you'd expect from the fourth-ranked team in the nation, which CU will see in the form of the Michigan Wolverines in Saturday's 1:30 p.m. game at Michigan Stadium (Big Ten Network, KOA radio).

The Buffs are a heavy underdog in the game, which is understandable. The Wolverines boast preseason All-Americans and have been tabbed as a team with playoff potential while the Buffs have yet to create much of a buzz anywhere outside of Boulder.

But the Buffs haven't shown even the slightest hint of being intimidated. Rather, they have exuded a quiet confidence throughout the week, approaching every practice with a business-like attitude and sharp attention to detail.

Five things they'll need to accomplish if they are indeed going to take care of business Saturday:

1. Don't let the game get away early. Coach Mike MacIntyre has said throughout the week he doesn't think his players will "wilt" in the moment, and we tend to agree. The Buffs have played in front of big crowds and in big stadiums before (Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Coliseum).

But they don't want to give the crowd something to feed on early. It doesn't mean they have to take their opening possession and drive down to score, but it does mean they need to pick up a couple first downs and get their feet under them.

Defensively, it's the same thing. They don't have to force a three-and-out right away, but they need to come up with some early stops and let the Wolverines know they're in for a game.

Do that and they'll get a little momentum and the confidence that goes with it.

2. Know where Jabrill Peppers is. The Buffs say they won't predicate their offensive game plan on one player, which is understandable. As MacIntyre said, "You start worrying about one guy, then that screws up everything else. You just have to run your offense and play football. Eventually, you'll make plays."

But you can also bet they'll be keeping an eye on Michigan's all-everything linebacker/safety. Peppers moves all over the field, is a terrific tackler in open space and will rush the passer from just about anywhere. In just two games, he already has 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries.

The Buffs will attempt to neutralize his impact with plenty of quick passes and an up-tempo pace, and they'll also no doubt try to keep Michigan's defense honest with their running game.

"You have to know where he's at, but with our tempo, we play so fast we're not always going to be looking specifically for him," said Buffs co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini. "We have to push the tempo of the game and allow our offense to do what we do."

3. Force the Wolverines to the air. On paper, this might sound crazy — Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight has been outstanding thus far, completing 35 of his 50 pass attempts for 457 yards seven touchdowns and one interception (thrown on Michigan's first snap of the year). The Wolverines also have a standout pair of wide receivers in Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh, as well as an All-American tight end, Jake Butt.

Still, the Buffs like their chances against that group with a CU secondary that could be one of the best around. If Colorado can stop the run and force Speight into obvious passing situations, it should be a situation of strength vs. strength.

The key will be if Colorado can get some pressure on Speight, both up the middle by pushing the pocket and from the edge. Speight doesn't have a ton of experience — his first career start came in Michigan's season opener — and the Buffs would at least like to see how he reacts under pressure.

4. Play fast, establish some offensive rhythm and utilize speed on the outside. Yes, there will be some three-and-outs. They happen, to everyone.

But what the Buffs can't afford to have is too many in a row. The key to any tempo offense is getting that opening first down of a possession. Once that happens, the rhythm sets in, defenses get back on their heels and the plays come faster and faster.

The Wolverines play what amounts to a nickel defense (4-2-5) as their base set. Yards after catch for CU's receivers will be especially important as Colorado tries to establish that rhythm with a short passing game while keeping pressure on quarterback Sefo Liufau to a mininum. The Buffs believe they have the speed at receiver to cause trouble in Michigan's secondary, and they'll test that theory early.

One other factor: CU has shown the ability to run several plays in a row without substitution, which also limits the defense from doing the same. If the Buffs can hit that kind of stride with their receivers getting even a small step on Michigan's defenders, they'll have some success offensively.

5. Prevent special teams breakdowns. This is, of course, the goal of every team in every game.

But it will especially important against the Wolverines, who blocked two field goal attempts and had two partially blocked punts in last week's 51-14 win over Central Florida, as well as a fumble recovery on a kickoff.

Thus far, the Buffs have been relatively mistake free on their special teams. They've had good kick coverage, solid punt coverage and good punt and field goal protection. Those areas will all be tested this week, and if the Buffs can keep prevent any breakdowns, it will go a long way into extending the game into one they have a chance to win.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

Players Mentioned

Sefo Liufau

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