No. 21 Buffs Set To Host Balanced Sun Devils
October 06, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Despite a 4-0 record and a No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press national poll, the Colorado Buffaloes are still an unknown in the eyes of many.
But, as Yahoo Sports college football columnist Pat Forde wrote earlier this week, "The next three weeks will reveal what's real."
Forde is talking about a three game stretch that will see the Buffs play host to Arizona State on Saturday (2 p.m., Pac-12 Networks), then hit the road the next two weeks for back-to-back games against the preseason picks to win their respective divisions, USC and Washington.
It is indeed a daunting stretch.
But as far as Mike MacIntyre's Buffs are concerned, the only game that matters today is the matchup with the 3-2 Sun Devils (1-1 Pac-12). The Buffs know if they can secure a win against Arizona State, they will not only still be the only remaining unbeaten team in the Pac-12, they will own a 2-0 conference mark and be in command of the Pac-12 South standings.
The rest can wait.
The Sun Devils present Colorado's toughest test to date, on both sides of the ball. Herm Edwards' squad has a balanced offense that begins with veteran quarterback Manny Wilkins, and a physical, attacking defense that is among the nation's leaders in tackles for loss. They have an outstanding running back in sophomore Eno Benjamin, who last week became the first Sun Devil in history to rush for more than 300 yards, an outstanding receiver in N'Keal Harry, and one of the league's best freshmen in linebacker Merlin Robertson, who has 30 tackles and three sacks.
They are also just a few plays away from a 5-0 record, with both of their losses — to Washington and San Diego State — decided by one score.
"They have an experienced quarterback, they have an excellent running back and they have a great wide receiver on offense," MacIntyre said. "On defense they're powerful up front, really athletic in the linebacking corps, and in their kicking game, their kicker and punter are exceptional. It's going to be an absolute tough contest. It will be a physical battle for us to be successful, no doubt."
But the Sun Devils are also 0-2 on the road this year, and the Buffs hope to use their altitude advantage to stretch that 0-3.
One source of motivation for the Buffs this week has been the Sun Devils' 41-30 win in Tempe last season. Colorado had a 10-point lead at several different junctures, and as late as early in the fourth quarter — but could never land a knockout blow. ASU outscored Colorado 24-3 down the stretch, and did so by running at the heart of CU's defense.
They expect ASU to want to do the same this year.
"We know their running back is very talented," CU linebacker Drew Lewis said. "He's a big body running back that we're going to have to wrap up. He runs through tackles. Their quarterback is very athletic. I remember from last year there were a couple of plays where he got away from me in the pocket. I'm not going to forget that. It's imperative that we play our roles and play up field shoulder and stay in our gaps. They are very talented, but I think we have a good idea of what to expect."
The Buffs also know what to expect from the Sun Devils on defense. ASU has produced seven defensive takeaways this season and has allowed just one opponent to throw for more than 300 yards.
"They're going to bring pressure, they're going to mix up their front and they're going to bring those 'backers," said Buffs quarterback Steven Montez. "But that's alright, because I think Coach Adams (co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Klayton Adams) is doing a great job, sorting it all out, knowing what we're going to see and what pressures we're going to get."
While the Buffs have made headlines with their passing game — Montez leads the nation in completion percentage while wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. is tops in receiving yards per game and receptions per game — they would also like to establish a run game early. Opponents have run for at least 170 yards in each of ASU's last three games.
"We have to be able to run the ball on them and they know that," MacIntyre said. "If they get you in a totally one-dimensional passing game, that is when they feast on you. They have all of the different things they do. We have to be able to run the football and make some plays there to be able to allow us to throw it."
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado center Colby Pursell vs. ASU nose tackle Renell Wren. The 6-6, 304-pound Wren anchors a defensive line that can wreak havoc. Wren has just 13 tackles, but 3.5 of them are for loss. Even more importantly, he can clog up a run lane, leaving an opening for one of ASU's outstanding linebackers. If Pursell and his cohorts establish themselves early against the Sun Devils' line, it will give Colorado a chance to run the ball — and then open up the pass game.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Colorado's defensive line. A year ago, the Buffs were gashed up front, leading to 381 yards on the ground for the Sun Devils. If the Colorado line can hold its own this year, the Buffs have the linebackers to keep ASU's run game in check.
THE SERIES: The Sun Devils hold an 8-1 edge in the all-time series, with Colorado's only win a 40-16 victory in Boulder in 2016.
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Kickoff: 2:10 p.m., Folsom Field (50,183).
Broadcast: The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network with Roxy Bernstein (play by play), Anthony Herron (color) and Lewis Johnson (sidelines). The radio broadcast will be carried by AM 850 KOA with Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett in the booth and Andy LIndahl on the sidelines.
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
