Colorado University Athletics
Friday's Fast Five Keys For Buffs Vs. Cal
October 22, 2021 | Football, Neill Woelk
BERKELEY, Calif. — For the second week in a row, the Colorado Buffaloes face an opponent in similar circumstances:
A season that did not go as planned over the first half, a losing record and a sense of urgency to turn the tide in the second half.
But at least Karl Dorrell's Buffs (2-4 overall, 1-2 Pac-12) have a league victory in their pocket. Justin Wilcox's Bears (1-5, 0-3), who have endured a season's worth of bad luck in just six games, are still searching for their first Pac-12 win of the season.
The two teams meet Saturday at TFX Field in a 1:30 p.m. contest (Pac-12 Networks, KOA Radio).
The Buffs have a chance to win their second straight game, something they haven't done since last year's shortened season. Coming off their best performance of the season, a 34-0 win over Arizona — maybe the most-complete game in the Dorrell era — CU would love to roll up a little momentum.
But it won't come easy against the Bears, whose record isn't a true reflection of their abilities. Four of their five losses have come by seven points or less, including a 31-24 overtime loss at Washington and last week's 24-17 loss at Oregon, a game that saw Cal on the doorstep of the end zone when time expired.
So what must the Buffs do to keep the wind in their sails?
1. Get the ball to playmakers. While it took the offense most of three quarters last week to get untracked, the results were outstanding when quarterback Brendon Lewis and his cohorts finally found their rhythm.
The offense was particularly effective when Lewis put the ball in wide receiver Brenden Rice's hands, who had a 62-yard touchdown catch and a 31-yard reception to set up a field goal. Also coming up with big catches were Dimitri Stanley, Montana Lemonious-Craig and Chris Carpenter. Another Buff with big play potential is tight end Brady Russell, who owns CU's longest play of the year, a 65-yard reception against USC.
It is critical that the Buffs get their passing game in gear — preferably early. Cal's run defense is giving up just 133 yards per game on the ground, and it's a good bet the Bears will be stacking the box and forcing Colorado to throw.
If Lewis and Co. can put some big plays and points on the board early, it will open up the run game — something the Buffs need.
2. Limit explosive plays and keep QB Chase Garbers in check. Colorado's defense had a solid day in the explosive play area last week, with Arizona posting just two plays for more than 20 yards — and both of those went only 23 yards.
But the Bears have shown the ability to gain yards in chunks. Garbers, a four-year starter, has 31 completions and seven rushes for at least 15 yards. Wide receiver Trevon Clark is averaging 20.4 yards per catch, and two other Cal wideouts are averaging at least 15 yards per reception.
The Buffs have to force the Bears to work to move the sticks. Even better, they need to provide those momentum-changers that every defense loves …Â
3. Win the turnover battle. Colorado is doing a great job in taking care of the ball this season, having turned it over just five times — 10th-best in the nation.
But CU's defense has also produced just five takeaways, 119th in the nation.
Simple stat: the Buffs have won the turnover battle two times this season. They are 2-0 in those games.
4. Convert third downs. This hasn't been an area of consistency for Colorado this year. In fact, CU's 32.4 percent conversion rate (24-for-74) is 114th in the nation. When it comes to third-and-3 or longer, the percentage is even worse — just 22 percent (13-for-59).
Somehow, the Buffs need to figure out a way to convert a few more of those third-and-3 through third-and-6 situations.
Another simple stat: When the Buffs have converted at least six third-down tries in one game, they are 2-0. When that number is five or less, they are 0-4.
 If they can extend even a couple extra drives Saturday, they will be in the game down the stretch.
5. Play with the confidence they earned last week. The Buffs were feeling good after last week's win, and rightly so. They played well in all three phases of the game, and they broke open a tight 6-0 ballgame in the third quarter with a dominant effort down the stretch.
They have to make sure that confidence travels with them to Berkeley. CU is 0-4 all-time on the Bears' home field — and despite losing, Cal picked up a boost of confidence last week as well with a strong showing against Oregon.Â
This is a chance for the Buffs to take another nice step forward against a good team that has had some bad luck. CU's schedule down the stretch is no doubt daunting — but a win Saturday would be a big boost.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
