Buffs Prepare For Key Friday Matchup With Utes

BOULDER — Colorado coach Karl Dorrell made it clear Monday morning what is first and foremost on his mind.

Hint: It's not the 4-0 Buffaloes' debut in the national polls this week (CU is No. 21 in the AP and No. 22 in the coaches poll). Neither is it any hypothetical "what-if" situation that involves the Buffs, 4-0 USC and a possible shuffling of the Pac-12 title game format that would allow the two to face off if they both win this weekend (something the conference has strongly suggested it will not do).

What is occupying Dorrell's waking moments — and those of every other coach, player and football staffer in the Champions Center — is the same thing that has been CU's focus each and every week this season.

The next game.

In this case, it is a very important Friday home matchup with Utah at Folsom Field (7:30 p.m., FS1). A win would keep the Buffs at least in contention for a Pac-12 South title — USC squares off against rival UCLA on Saturday — and also be another big step in developing the foundation Dorrell is building in his first year at the CU helm. Colorado has already clinched a winning record this year, the first for the Buffs since 2016 and only the second since 2005.

"If we win our game, that's the best thing we can do for ourselves," Dorrell said. "I know there's chatter about other things and about matchups and stuff like that. Right now we are scheduled to play Utah and it has been on our schedule from the very beginning. We are preparing for that. We have to take care of Utah."

It is by no means an easy assignment. While the Utes are just 1-2 this season, they showed last week that they may be finally hitting their stride with a 30-24 win over Oregon State.

Kyle Whittingham's team had its first two games of the year canceled in early November because of covid issues. The Utes then dropped decisions to USC (33-17) and Washington (24-21 after leading 21-0 at halftime) before finally getting into the win column last weekend.

But in all three games they have shown an offense capable of putting points on the board and a defense that is a "typical" Utah defense — tough on third downs (first in the Pac-12), tough against the run (first in the Pac-12, allowing just 104.7 yards per game) and opportunistic (six takeaways in three games, including five interceptions).

"I know that team will probably be one of the best teams, if not the best team, that we will face so far this season on Friday night," Dorrell said. "We have to be ready to play."

Victories by Colorado and Southern California would leave two unbeaten teams in the Pac-12 South, with USC winning the tiebreaker by virtue of having one more conference victory (five for USC vs. four for Colorado).

Of course, having one less league game is not the Buffaloes' fault. One week after Colorado had a scheduled matchup with Arizona State canceled because of ASU covid issues, the Trojans then canceled their Nov. 28 game with CU because of covid problems in their program.

The Buffs did manage to schedule San Diego State on short notice that week — and collect a win in the process — but it was not a league game. That could end up being the difference in the tiebreaker.

But as Dorrell noted, none of that matters if Colorado doesn't get a win over the Utes, something the Buffs haven't done since 2016. Utah has won three in a row against CU, by an average of more than 24 points per game.

"We have to take care of this week," Dorrell said. "We know that's going to be a tough task. Utah is a really good team and we are a really good team. We have to play better. This is going to be a great test for us on Friday night."

If the Buffs can take care of business Friday, then — and only then — will Dorrell take the time to concern himself with the next weekend's game. The current Pac-12 format calls for the two division champions to meet Dec. 18 in the title game, with the other teams to play cross-division contests one day later.

"I have to go by what we have done with the opportunities we have had," he said. "We have to control this week and not really think about what is going on a week from now. All of that would be for naught if we don't play well this week. We have to take care of this week."

WORK ON PASSING GAME: After averaging 258 yards passing in the first two games of the season, CU's numbers have dropped in that area. Over the last two games, Colorado has thrown for just 230 total yards (115 per game) while quarterback Sam Noyer has thrown one touchdown pass and three interceptions.

The saving grace, of course, has been running back Jarek Broussard and the Colorado run game. Broussard had 301 yards as CU rushed for 407 in last weekend's 24-13 win over Arizona, and he had 124 the week before in a 20-10 victory over SDSU.

Dorrell wants to get some of that early balance back, especially with Utah's outstanding run defense on the immediate horizon.

"We're trying to eliminate a lot of those issues," Dorrell said. "I do believe our passing game is a really good passing game. I think it has been a little bit off these last couple of weeks. Sam had a couple of mistakes in the game last week that he hasn't had before. It is just really refocusing our attention on the things that got us through those first couple of games."

But Dorrell also noted that the passing game doesn't rest solely on the arm of the quarterback.

"The passing game is usually about rhythm, timing, being in the right displacement, reading coverages and the conversions that coverages make you do — all of those things," he said. "It's not just the quarterback. It's the receivers, tight ends, backs, protection. We are working on those things and working on being able to get to where it was the first couple weeks of the year."

RED HOT IN THE RED ZONE: Colorado's offense has been among the nation's best this year when reaching inside an opponent's 20-yard line.

In four games, CU has hit the red zone 18 times and produced 17 scores, including 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, two passing). That's the best percentage in the Pac-12 and 10th-best in the nation.

Meanwhile, Colorado's defense has not allowed a red zone score in the last two games. The Buffs had two big red zone stops in the win over Arizona, halting one Wildcats drive with an end zone interception, then stopping another on downs.

DEFENSIVE STOPPERS: After a review of coaches' film, CU linebacker Nate Landman now leads the team in tackles (54), sacks (four) and third-down stops (12).

Safety Derrion Rakestraw and Carson Wells are next on the tackles list with 27 each, with Wells also having a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss (3.5 sacks), a team-high five quarterback pressures and six third down stops.

CONFERENCE LEADERS: CU leads the Pac-12 in rushing offense (245.5 yards per game), is second in total offense (432.0 per game) and second as well in scoring defense (24.2 points per game). Colorado's 48 points against UCLA in a 48-42 win is also the highest total by any Pac-12 team this year.

Individually, Broussard leads the league in rushing with 183.2 yards per game, while Dimitri Stanley is tops in punt returns, averaging 8.3 per attempt.

O-LINE UPDATE: Dorrell confirmed that junior guard Chance Lytle, who suffered a lower-leg injury in the win over Arizona, is out for the year. But Dorrell also said junior Colby Pursell, who has been out since Week 2, could return this week, and the Buffs are also getting more information on whether guard/center Kary Kutsch (covid issues) might also be able to return this week.

Meanwhile, Dorrell said sophomore Kanan Ray, who stepped in for Lytle (and also played some tight end), had a solid game, as did sophomore center Joshua Jynes, who got his first career start against Arizona.

FIRST IN CU HISTORY: With Colorado's entry into the national polls this week, Dorrell became the first coach in Buffaloes history to open his first season with an unranked team and get them into the top 25.

Of the 22 new head coaches in the nation this year, only two (Shawn Clark, Appalachian State) and Jimmy Lake (Washington) have managed the same feat.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu