Buffs Aim To Keep Momentum Going At Arizona State

TEMPE, Ariz. — One week ago, the Colorado Buffaloes put together the type of performance they had been striving to produce all season: a game in which the offense, defense and special teams all played well for the majority of the game.

Now, seven days after that 44-28 win over Cal, the Buffs aim to take that show on the road when they pay a visit to Sun Devil Stadium for a 7 p.m. Saturday matchup with Arizona State (Pac-12 Networks).

There is plenty at stake for both teams. The 5-4 Buffs (2-4 Pac-12) need one more win to become bowl eligible for the second season in a row — something that hasn't been done in Boulder since the 2004 and '05 Buffs went to back-to-back bowl games. The 4-4 Sun Devils (3-2 Pac-12), meanwhile, are still in the hunt for at least a share of the Pac-12 South title, and would also like to move one step closer to bowl eligibility.

"We know what we're capable of doing," CU linebacker and team captain Rick Gamboa said. "We can win any game we play as long as we come out and focus on our side of the ball, whether it's offense, defense or special teams. As long as everyone is communicating and working together, all three phases are working together, we feel we have a chance to win."

For the Buffs, it is their second of four "gold games," a designation head coach Mike MacIntyre has given to the final four games of the regular season.

"It's just to realize those game are important," MacIntyre said. "We want to try to keep improving each week, be the best team we can be each week."

The Buffs will need to be at their best to defeat the Sun Devils, who have won two of their last three, including a 13-7 upset of then-unbeaten Washington three weeks ago. ASU stumbled last week in a 48-17 loss to Southern Cal, but has overall displayed a much-improved defense in Pac-12 play.

"They're better than they were when we played them last year," MacIntyre said. "Their quarterback (Manny Wilkins) is healthy and on defense they're making you earn it a lot more. They've got good talent, especially up front. They're big and athletic and their secondary is playing really well."

In back-to-back wins over Washington and Utah, the Sun Devils were indeed impressive on defense. ASU held Washington to just 230 yards offense, then forced four turnovers (all interceptions) while holding Utah to just 265 yards offense in a 30-10 win.

But the Sun Devils have also proven to be susceptible to the run, giving up huge chunks of yardage on the ground in losses to San Diego State, Stanford and USC.

The Buffs would love to keep the offensive momentum going from last weekend's win over Cal. CU quarterback Steven Montez had his best game of the year, throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Phillip Lindsay ran for 161 of Colorado's 200 yards on the ground.

Equally importantly, the Buffs finally stretched the field in a big way. Montez had a 65-yard touchdown throw to Shay Fields — CU's longest pass of the season — as well as a 58-yard completion to Laviska Shenault Jr.

That performance, Fields said, served as a reminder to the Buffs as to what they are capable of accomplishing.

"We know what we can do," Fields said. "It's just a matter of coming down to execution. We did that the best we have all year. We've just to keep it going."

Defensively, the Buffs will be tasked with first stopping an ASU run game that features a solid one-two punch in Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage; then containing Wilkins, an efficient passer.

The Sun Devils' offense, though, has struggled in recent weeks. After putting up big numbers early in the season, ASU has averaged just 21 points per game over the last four.

"We just want to keep this momentum going," Gamboa said. "We know what we're capable of doing and I think that sense of urgency is there, especially for the seniors. They don't have too many games left, only three guaranteed. We want to help them get to that bowl game and that urgency is increasing more and more as we get closer to Saturday."

ASU STORYLINE: After back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2013-14, the Sun Devils have gone just 6-7 and 5-7 over the last two seasons, leading to some unrest among the fan base with head coach Todd Graham. Earlier this week, Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic wrote: "The Sun Devils are at a fork in the road. A win could lead to a successful season. A loss could lead to a coaching change."

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS: Not only was Colorado 11-for-17 on third-down conversions last week against Cal (after going 1-for-17 the previous week at Washington State, the Buffs were also 4-for-5 on third-and-9 or longer. The Buffs converted a third-and-9, a third-and-11 and two third-and-17s.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado's offensive line vs. ASU's defensive line. The Buffs need to win the battle up front, both in pass protection and in the run game. If Colorado can give Montez time to throw and keep Phillip Lindsay moving downhill, the Buffs will control the tempo of the game.

KEEP AN EYE ON: ASU linebacker Christian Sam. He's a disruptive force, with six tackles for loss this year, including 2.5 sacks.

THE SERIES: ASU owns a 7-1 all-time edge in the series, including a 4-0 mark in Tempe. The Buffs, however, won the last encounter, 40-16 last season in Boulder.

NUTS AND BOLTS:

Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. (MDT), Sun Devil Stadium.

Broadcast: The game will be televised nationally by the Pac-12 Networks with Roxy Bernstein, Anthony Herron and Lewis Johnson. The radio broadcast will be carried by AM 850 KOA with Mark Johnson, Gary Barnett and Bobby Pesavento.

In-game live blog, stats: A live in-game blog as well as continually updated statistics will be available on www.CUBuffs.com

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu