Buffs Report: CU Opens Preparations For Utah

BOULDER — With two straight wins under their belts and bowl eligibility on the line, Mel Tucker's Colorado Buffaloes returned to work Monday with all eyes focused on Saturday's regular season finale at Utah.

The Buffs (5-6 overall, 3-5 Pac-12) know exactly what they will see in the 5:30 p.m. nationally televised matchup (ABC) against the sixth-ranked Utes (10-1, 7-1).

"Big, strong, physical football team," was Tucker's succinct assessment. "Very well coached. They play with a lot of confidence. They have a lot of good players on both sides of the ball. Special teams are solid. They really don't have weaknesses overall as a team."

But if the last two games are any indication, the Buffs shouldn't be fazed. Colorado has won two in a row against teams — Stanford and Washington — traditionally regarded as among the Pac-12's more physical programs.

Kyle Whittingham's Utes will be CU's third game in a row against one of those teams.

"When you look at our league, and people talk about the Pac-12 and talk about who are the most physical teams in the Pac-12, Utah is the first team that comes up," Tucker said. "That's a tremendous challenge for us. We're going to prepare and we're going to be ready for that."

This will be the third year in a row the Buffs have entered the last week of the regular season with bowl eligibility on the line. Two years ago, they dropped a 34-13 decision at Utah. Last season, it was a 33-21 decision at Cal, a game played in the wake of the dismissal of head coach Mike MacIntyre.

But the last two seasons also saw the Buffs stumbling into the season finale. Last year, they were reeling in the throes of a six-game losing streak. Two years ago, they had lost two in a row and three of the last four.

This November, however, is a different story. The Buffs will enter the regular season finale with some momentum and confidence after putting together their best overall back-to-back performances of the season.

"Really good to get back on the field," Tucker said after Monday morning's workout. "Very focused and energized coming out of our game. We have a lot of confidence right now in terms of what we're doing and how we go about our business. We know that preparation is key and guys are just really dialed in today. I'm excited and energized for our football team. Had the opportunity to come out and make some corrections and also build on some of the things we did well."

CU's defensive performance the last two weeks is a very big reason for the Buffs' confidence level. Colorado has given up just 13.5 points per game in the last two while recording seven quarterback sacks, seven more quarterback hurries and allowing just 79.5 yards per game on the ground.

"The past couple weeks (coaches) have been saying go back to the basics," linebacker Nate Landman said. "That's what we're doing a great job of, going back to the basics, trusting what they've been teaching us. Doing our job and not trying to do too much. The chemistry of our defense is clicking and it's coming together, and it's showing out on the field."

The Buffs will need their defense to be at its best against the Utes, who boast one of the nation's more dynamic combinations in running back Zack Moss and quarterback Tyler Huntley. Moss leads the Pac-12 in rushing, averaging 115.8 yards per game while Huntley leads the conference in passing efficiency (187.6) and completion percentage (75.0).

"It's a huge challenge but it's one that we love," Landman said. "We consider ourselves a physical defense and a physical team. Playing the last two games, Stanford and Washington, are considered some of the toughest and most physical teams in the Pac. Now Utah, who's in that same category. We've put together a couple good games the last two weeks and we want to continue building on that. Those physical games, we kind of embrace and look forward to those."

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS: The Buffs have been outstanding on third-down defense over the last couple of weeks, holding Stanford and Washington to a combined 9-for-27 (33.3 percent).

Over the first nine games, the Buffs were allowing opponents to convert nearly 50 percent of their tries.

"Coach (Tyson) Summers has done a great job, along with all of our other coaches on defense," Tucker said. "In terms of our third-down packages, we've always wanted to attack protections and we're doing that and we have sound coverage behind it. Being solid on first and second down, getting them to third down, gives us a chance to get off the field."

KINNEY HONORED: Buffs senior punter Alex Kinney was named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after his effort against Washington.

Kinney punted four times for a 45.8-yard average. He landed three kicks inside the Washington 15-yard line, including a 62-yarder that rolled out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

BIG PLAY FROM A BIG MAN: While Kinney had a great night on special teams, the Buffs received another big play from defensive lineman Jalen Sami, who came up with what might have been a game-saving tackle.

On CU's last punt of the evening, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Sami corralled UW returner Aaron Fuller at the CU 37-yard line after a 52-yard return. Had Sami not made the tackle, Fuller likely would have scored and helped the Huskies to a 21-14 lead.

Instead, the Buffs defense forced a UW punt after getting a sack on third down and the Colorado offense then ran out the clock for the win.

The play was important enough that Tucker showed it to the entire defense to start Monday's meetings.

"I told the team, usually on plays like that, that's a touchdown," Tucker said. "You never see a guy that big in that situation in the open field make a tackle on a skill guy like that. That was possibly a game-saving tackle. That was a special teams play. It was complementary football. The defense was able to go out and get a stop and that's what it's all about."

Sami's first duty on punt teams is as a member of the "shield," the three players lined up in the backfield as the last line of protection for the punter.

But after the kick is away, he can release. It's why he was still on CU's side of the field when Fuller had crossed midfield and was threatening to go all the way to the end zone.

"Relentless effort. just practicing every day doing punt coverage drills, just really working technique," Sami said. "They needed me then so I had to perform and make the play."

Sami gave some credit to Kinney, who tied up two blockers and freed Sami to get to Fuller.

Still, he had to make a play on a much smaller — and faster — player.

"It was kind of nerve-wracking, but I just tried to contain him," Sami said. "As soon as he started coming further, I said I had to run and make a play."

BROADCAST TEAM: Saturday's ABC crew will consist of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay and Molly McGrath.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu