Friday's Fast Five: Keys For Buffs Vs. Huskies
November 22, 2019 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — With two games remaining and needing two wins to become bowl eligible, the Colorado Buffaloes' path to the postseason has no room for another detour.
The math is simple: Mel Tucker's Buffs (4-6 overall, 2-5 Pac-12) need a win Saturday against Washington (6-4, 3-4) at Folsom Field to keep those hopes alive.Â
History isn't on Colorado's side. The Buffs have lost nine in a row to the Huskies, including seven straight since becoming a member of the Pac-12 in 2011.
But Saturday presents a solid opportunity for CU to end that skid. The Buffs are coming off one of their better all-around performances of the season, a 16-13 win over Stanford, as well as a much-needed bye week that provided a little extra rest and recovery.
Washington, meanwhile, has had its share of struggles this season, with just two wins in its last five games.
What must the Buffs do in their evening matchup to keep their postseason hopes alive?
1. Force the Huskies to the air. Washington's passing numbers aren't bad. The Huskies are averaging 249 yards per game.
But the results haven't been good when UW quarterback Jacob Eason is the focal point of the offense. Washington is just 1-4 against FBS opponents this year when Eason has at least 30 pass attempts. The only win in the bunch is a 19-7 victory over Oregon State, when the big difference was Washington's defense keeping the Beavers in check.
In order to put the burden on Eason, the Buffs will have to bottle up UW running back Salvon Ahmed, who has rushed for 886 yards on 153 carries (5.8 per attempt) and nine touchdowns. If the Buffs can keep Ahmed in check, force the Huskies into passing situations and pressure Eason into some mistakes, it will be a big first step in keeping the UW offense off the field.
2. Establish the run game early. While CU's opening drive touchdown against Stanford proved to be Colorado's only trip to end zone all day, it nevertheless set the tone. The Buffs pounded the ball on the ground, stayed out of third-and-long situations and gave themselves some much-needed early momentum. CU finished with 172 yards rushing against Stanford, including 95 from Alex Fontenot, and that's a recipe they need to brew up again Saturday.Â
Washington's run defense has been decent, giving up just 132.7 yards per game on the ground this season. But Stanford hit UW with 189 yards on the ground in a 23-13 win, Oregon ran for 154 in a 35-31 win and Cal totaled 192 yards rushing in a 20-19 win.
Colorado needs to put up those kinds of numbers and manufacture some long, sustained scoring drives that will allow them to control the tempo of the game.
3. Win the turnover battle. No doubt, this one is always important, and it's been a huge key for the Buffs this year. When they stay even or win the turnover battle, it has usually been a good sign.
Colorado has taken good care of the ball this season, losing just two fumbles — second fewest in the Pac-12 — while throwing 11 interceptions. The Huskies, meanwhile, have lost five fumbles and thrown seven interceptions.
But UW's Eason isn't above mistakes, especially when he's under pressure. Four of his seven interceptions have come over the last two games, with a pick-six in both games. If the Buffs can come up with that kind of momentum-turning moment — say an interception from Derrion Rakestraw or Mikial Onu — it will go a long way in forcing Washington out of its comfort zone and give the home crowd a boost.
4. Control the clock and win third downs. When the Huskies dropped a 23-13 decision to Stanford in early October, the Cardinal had an overwhelming edge in time of possession, holding the ball for 39 minutes to Washington's 21.
Stanford managed the feat by running the ball with success (see No. 2) and winning the third down battle on both sides of the ball. Stanford converted six of 14 tries in the game while holding UW to just 2-for-12.
That allowed Stanford to control the tempo all afternoon and force the Huskies into a game they didn't want to play. Eason finished just 16-for-36 for 206 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Cardinal also sacked Eason twice and had six quarterback hurries.
5. Limit explosive plays and win field position. CU's defense had a solid day two weeks ago against Stanford in this category. The Buffs did give up on long touchdown pass, but otherwise they kept the Cardinal's playmakers in check for most of the game. Colorado made Stanford grind out long drives and then played great red zone defense. The result was the Cardinal collecting just one field goal in two trips inside the 20-yard line.
The Buffs need to do the same against Washington. If Colorado can prevent big plays and force the Huskies into a field position battle, the Buffs will be in the game down the stretch — and that's when they can play their altitude card.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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