Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Aim To Bounce Back Against Washington State
October 19, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
PULLMAN, Wash. — Just four weeks ago, Mel Tucker's Colorado Buffaloes bounced back from their first loss of the season by putting together what might have been their best overall effort of the year thus far, a 34-31 win at Arizona State.
Now with a two-game losing streak in hand, the Buffs (3-3 overall, 1-2 Pac-12) need a similar bounce-back effort Saturday when they face Washington State (3-3, 0-3) in a nationally televised game at Martin Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 5:02 p.m. (MT) on ESPNU with rainy, cold and windy conditions expected for most of the game.
Saturday's game actually pits two teams in need of a win to get their respective seasons back on track. While the Buffs have lost two in a row, Mike Leach's Cougars have dropped three straight, including a pair of games in which WSU let second-half leads slip away.
No doubt, eyes will be on both teams' defenses.
The Buffs are giving up 33.8 points per game this year, and that number goes up to 37.0 in Pac-12 contests. But the Cougars have struggled even more in conference contests, yielding an average of 47.0 points per game. That includes a 67-63 loss to UCLA in a game Washington State led 49-17 in the second half.
For the Buffs to get a win, they will have to reduce the mistakes that have plagued them the last two weeks. Tucker's team spent the week addressing those issues, ranging from penalties to missed tackles to missed assignments to missed opportunities in the red zone.
But despite the recent struggles, there was no sense of panic throughout the week. Rather, it was a measured approach that Tucker and his players believe will produce positive results Saturday.
"Our structure, foundation, the way we have put this thing together and how we coach our players, allows us to stay the course," Tucker said. "It is not a different message every day. It is a consistent message about how to get the job done and what we need to do to get the job done. We need to play mistake-free football, we need to win the turnover margin, we need to be able to run the ball and eliminate the explosive plays."
For the Buffs who were part of CU's last visit to Martin Stadium, the memories aren't fond, as CU dropped a 28-0 decision to the Cougars on another cold, rainy evening in 2017. Colorado quarterback Steven Montez — then a sophomore — was part of that game, enduring the worst start of his career, a 4-for-13, 21-yard night that resulted in him watching the entire second half from the bench.
"Last time, time the weather wasn't the best," Montez said earlier this week. "That shouldn't stop us, though. We need to fight through the weather, fight through whatever forces are going up against us, and do our best to go out there and get the job done … We're still going to go out there and play football, play tough, and play physical just like we always do."
The Buffs' goal Saturday will be to put together some long, sustained scoring drives and keep the WSU offense off the field. The Cougars' are running Mike Leach's Air Raid to near perfection, averaging a nation-leading 452.7 yards per game in the air, which has led to an average of 43.0 points per game.
"They really have it down to a science and they have a quarterback (Anthony Gordon) that can run it," Tucker said. "He knows how it works and he can put a lot of pressure on your defense."
Gordon's favorite target is junior wideout Easop Winston, a 5-11 speedster who has caught 42 passes for 496 yards and nine touchdowns. Washington State has eight players who have caught at least 16 passes.
But one of their big weapons isn't a wide receiver. Running back Max Borghi, a Colorado prep product, not only has 27 receptions for 271 yards and two scores, he also has 58 rushers for 407 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.
The Buffs will be trying to get an offense back on track that struggled in last week's 45-3 loss to Oregon. The Cougars no doubt pose an opportunity for CU's offense to cure those ills — according to Pro Football Focus, WSU leads the nation in missed tackles with 104.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado's secondary vs. WSU's wide receivers. The Cougars are second in the nation in yards after catch, one reason they have 60 pass completions of 15 yards or more. If the Buffs can limit those yards after catch, it will be a big step in keeping the WSU offense contained.
KEEP AN EYE ON: CU's offensive line. The Buffs struggled up front last week with seven false-start penalties. If they can fix those issues, they have a chance to hammer away at a Washington front seven that is giving up an average of 177 yards per game on the ground. If Colorado can establish a run game, the Buffs can control the tempo — and then land a few haymakers at key moments.
THE SERIES: The all-time series is tied 6-6, with WSU holding a 4-2 edge since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011. CU's last win over the Cougars came in 2016, when the Buffs took a 38-24 win in Boulder. Colorado's last win in Pullman came in 2012, when CU rallied for a 35-34 win
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Kickoff: 5:02 p.m. (Mountain), Martin Stadium (32,592).
Broadcast: ESPNU will televise the game with Roy Philpott and Kelly Stouffer in the booth and Lauren Sisler on the sidelines. KOA 850 will carry the radio broadcast with Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett in the booth and Jeff Campbell 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
