Woelk: Fast Five Keys For Buffs Vs. USC

BOULDER — One team is giving up 27 points and 391 yards per game; the other is averaging just 13.8 points and 239 yards per game.

One team yielded 45 points last week; the other scored 13.

Something's gotta give … right?

The Colorado Buffaloes (1-3 overall, 0-1 Pac-12) hope so, and they would love to see the "giving" go in their direction Saturday when they play host to USC (2-2, 1-2) in a noon game at Folsom Field.

The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks with KOA carrying the radio broadcast.

Colorado, of course, is the team that has been hounded by offensive struggles this season. CU has scored more than one touchdown in a game just once, an opening 35-7 win over Northern Colorado, and while the run game has been relatively consistent (154 yards per game), the passing attack has surpassed the 100-yard mark only once (102 yards vs. UNC).

But the Trojans are experiencing their own set of woes, just on the other side of the ball. USC gave up 42 points in Week 2 in a loss to Stanford, then watched Oregon State smack its defense around to the tune of 45 points in another loss last weekend.

On the flip side, CU's defense has been respectable, keeping the Buffs within striking range for the majority of every game.

But the Trojans' offense has been productive (albeit a little careless with the ball). USC has scored at least 27 points in every contest, with a passing game that is averaging more than 300 yards per game.

So what do the Buffaloes need to do this weekend to get the scales to tilt in their favor?

Our weekly Fast Five:

1. Force some turnovers. One way to provide a jump-start for Colorado's offense would be to give them possession deep in the opponent's territory. Those kinds of momentum switches can provide an immediate boost.

But that's one thing the Buffs' defense hasn't been able to do recently. While the overall effort has been respectable, the defense hasn't produced a takeaway in the last two weeks.

That has to change, and the Trojans have the potential to offer the perfect opportunity. While QB Kedon Slovis has thrown for 842 yards and four touchdowns in basically three games (he missed most of one game with an injury), he's also thrown four interceptions — including three last week against the Beavers. USC has also fumbled the ball nine times and lost three.

That means the Buffs will likely have their opportunities. They just have to take advantage when opportunity knocks.

2. Run the ball. Yes, we know, the passing game is struggling. But last week against ASU, the few times the passing game showed some life came when Colorado's run game built a little momentum.

Again, USC should offer the Buffs a chance to keep the run game moving forward. The Trojans have been giving up 157 yards per game on the ground, including a whopping 322 to Oregon State in last weekend's 45-27 loss.

One promising sign last week for Colorado was the continued re-emergence of Buffs RB Alex Fontenot, who ran with authority. Fontenot carried 14 times for 65 yards while Jarek Broussard showed flashes of the form that made him the Pac-12's Offensive Player of the Year last season. Quarterback Brendon Lewis is also a threat, as he ran for 39 yards last week (a number that would have been closer to 60 had it not been for three sacks).

But it's more than just the backs. CU needs some consistency from an offensive line that has already reached patchwork status. In four games, the Buffs have had four different starting lines, with nine players having already started at least one game.

If CU can get some push up front early, the Buffs will have a chance to set the tempo in their favor.

3. Get QB Lewis comfortable. OK, this has become a weekly key — but it is something the Buffs desperately need to do.

Lewis had some brief moments last week, completing a couple big third-down passes (and getting victimized by drops a couple more times).

But CU has to find a way to create some early success for Lewis. More than anything, he needs a confidence boost. If he can get a dose early, he has the ability to bump his numbers up considerably.

4. Don't give up big plays. At the risk of jinxing the Buffs here, the defense has been very good in this department so far. Colorado has not allowed a play of longer than 39 yards this season (full disclosure: the Buffs' longest play from scrimmage has been just 35 yards).

But preventing those big plays will be critical against the Trojans. In their last meeting, a 35-31 loss to USC in Boulder in 2019, the Buffs saw a 10-point fourth-quarter lead disappear thanks to 44-yard and 37-yard touchdown passes from Slovis.

Those are the backbreakers the Buffs can't give up this time around.

5. Make history. Another statistic every Buffs fan has heard this week is USC's 14-0 all-time series edge. Over the years, the Buffs have lost in low-scoring affairs, offensive shootouts, close games and runaways — but they have yet to come out on top.

Coaches love to say last year doesn't matter. But in some instances, when history beckons, the record book is indeed important.

It's time for the Buffs to write a new chapter in that storyline.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

Players Mentioned

Jarek Broussard

Alex Fontenot

Brendon Lewis

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