Colorado University Athletics
Fast Five Keys For Buffs Vs. Stanford
October 12, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After last week's narrow 27-24 win at Arizona State, Colorado's Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders vowed to address the Buffaloes' recent tendency of starting slow and having to come from behind.
The 4-2 Buffs (1-2 Pac-12) will get their chance Friday night to show whether they've made any strides in that department when they play host to Stanford (1-4, 0-3) in an 8 p.m. matchup at Folsom Field (ESPN).
In six games this year, the Buffs have been outscored 121-72 in the first half. But they have still managed to win four of those six games, thanks in large part to a 74-35 edge in fourth-quarter scoring. CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders has engineered three fourth-quarter comebacks to lead the Buffs to wins.
But Coach Prime and his staff aren't exactly keen on the thought of continuing to fall behind, then having to come back every week. That's not a recipe for success in the long haul.
So how do the Buffs change that tendency?
Our weekly Fast Five Keys for Colorado:
1. Get QB Sanders in a groove early. Colorado's quarterback has been fantastic in the fourth quarter this year — in fact, he leads the nation in passing yards (669) and touchdowns (seven) in the final period.
But it's not the same story in the first quarter, when he has amassed just 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Buffs need to take that fourth quarter script, flip it to the first period and get Colorado's offense in rhythm right away.
2. Disrupt Stanford's quarterback early. This is an interesting one because the Buffs aren't sure who the Cardinal will start at quarterback. Stanford coach Troy Taylor has alternated this year between Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson — sometimes even in the same series.
Daniels was the starter in the first four games before the Cardinal turned to Lamson in a 42-6 loss to Oregon. Daniels has slightly better passing numbers (48-for-80, 561 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions) but Lamson is a more mobile quarterback and has rushed for 128 yards despite being sacked four times against Oregon.
Either way, the Buffs need to get to the Stanford quarterback early and disrupt his game. The Cardinal have given up 13 sacks this season. Colorado needs to bump that number up, force some mistakes and create those momentum-shifting moments.
3. Run the ball. Want to get the offense in rhythm early? Run the ball and force the Cardinal to respect the rushing attack.
Colorado is still 127th in the nation in rushing yards, averaging less than 80 per game. It's one reason Sanders has been sacked 30 times this year. Opposing defenses stop the run, force CU into second-and-long and third-and-long situations, then unleash the pass rush.
The Buffs have to find a way to move the ball consistently on the ground, use a little clock — and then let the passing game take over. Until CU can establish that ground game with Anthony Hankerson and Dylan Edwards, they will continue to put their quarterback in harm's way.
4. Eliminate the silly mistakes. Colorado's unforced errors — particularly avoidable penalties — have helped keep opponents in the game.
Against a team hungry for a win, those types of mistakes can cause a momentum shift that builds confidence and keeps the opponent in the game.
The Buffs need to make sure they don't give Stanford any false hope. Eliminate the mistakes, make Stanford work for every yard and don't prematurely end drives with penalties.
If the Buffs do that, they will be in control in the fourth quarter instead of having to come from behind.
5. Be prepared for the Cardinal's best shot. Stanford has had two weeks to get ready for the Buffs. That's a decided advantage for the Cardinal, as they have had ample time to dissect film and try to pinpoint weaknesses in Colorado's game.
What the Buffs also know is that everyone wants to beat Colorado. CU has been in the national news since the season began and the noise hasn't subsided. Every opponent knows that beating the Buffs will immediately earn them a little national attention.
That's the price of success. The Buffs are squarely on everyone's radar and they have to be ready for everyone's best shot.
So far, the Buffs have shown they can deal with that kind of notoriety. But Friday night would be a good time to prove they can put the pedal to the metal early — and keep their foot on the gas for 60 minutes.
