Colorado
Stanford
Buffs At UCLA: What You Need To Know
October 28, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
COLORADO BUFFALOES (4-3, 1-3)
at No. 23 UCLA BRUINS (5-2, 2-2)
PASADENA, Calif. — If you want to summarize the Colorado Buffaloes' season thus far with one statistic, try this one:
Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' Buffs are 2-2 when scoring at least 40 points.
It means the offense has been good enough to put points on the board on a consistent basis but that consistency hasn't found a home on the defensive side of the ball. As a result, the Buffs find themselves flirting with a .500 record with three losses in their last four games after opening the season with three straight wins.
But the Buffs can end that flirtation Saturday at the Rose Bowl in their nationally televised 5:30 p.m. (MT) meeting with No. 23 UCLA.
The Buffs haven't played since giving up a 29-0 halftime lead against Stanford and eventually losing a 46-43 double overtime decision two weeks ago. The Bruins played that same Stanford squad last week and made sure the Cardinal didn't deliver a repeat performance, delivering a 42-7 thumping.
Now, the Bruins are solid two-touchdown favorites — but the Buffs have had two weeks to address their problems. If they can put a 60-minute game together on both sides of the ball, there's no reason they can't be in this one in the fourth quarter.
Nuts and bolts for the contest:
KICKOFF: 5:44 p.m. (MT), Rose Bowl Stadium.
TV, RADIO: The game will be televised by ABC with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth and Holly Rowe on the sidelines. The radio broadcast will be carried by KOA (850 AM) with Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett upstairs and Bobby Pesavento on the sidelines. KOA's coverage begins at 3:30 p.m.
ON THE INTERNET: The game can be heard on the internet at CUBuffs.com. Live statistics will also be available at CUBuffs.com.
THE COACHES: Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders has a 4-3 record at Colorado in his first year as CU's head coach after three seasons at Jackson State, where he compiled a 27-6 record. Chip Kelly is in his sixth season at UCLA, where he has compiled a 32-31 record. He also served as the head coach at Oregon, where he was 46-7, and has a 5-2 all-time record against the Buffs.
THE SERIES: Colorado trails in the overall series, 13-5, including a 1-8 mark in Los Angeles. CU's only win on the Bruins' home field came in 2002, when Gary Barnett's Buffs beat the No. 20 Bruins, 31-17.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: The Buffs need a win to help their bowl eligibility hopes, and it would also give them their second road win over a ranked team this season. The Bruins can become bowl eligible with a win.
TEAM LEADERS: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders is second in the nation in passing yards per game (345.7) and leads the nation in completions per game (31.3). Xavier Weaver has 50 catches for 631 yards and four touchdowns and Jimmy Horn Jr. has 44 catches for 436 yards and four scores. Dylan Edwards leads the Buffs on the ground with 54 carries for 250 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, safety Shilo Sanders leads CU with 36 tackles (30 unassisted), along with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown. Outside linebacker Jordan Domineck leads CU with three sacks while Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig has a team-leading three interceptions.
The Bruins are expected to start Ethan Garbers at quarterback. Garbers took the reins last weekend and led UCLA over Stanford. He has thrown for 374 yards and three touchdowns this season.
UCLA leans heavily on a run game featuring Carson Steele and TJ Harden, who have combined to rush for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. The Bruins do have capable receivers in J. Michael Sturdivant (23 catches, 407 yards, 3 TDs) and Logan Loya (27-310, 3 TDs).
The Bruins have an outstanding defense that leads the nation in rush defense (68.6 yards per game) and is allowing just 14.9 points per game. DL Laiatu Latu has 10 tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks while DL Gabriel Murphy has 4.5 sacks. DB Alex Johnson has three interceptions.
KEY MATCHUP: Colorado's offensive line vs. UCLA defensive line. Colorado has to produce at least a threat of a run game and also give Sanders time in the pocket. If the Buffs can't do that, it could be a long afternoon for Colorado's offense.
UP NEXT: The Buffs return home next Saturday for an 8 p.m. game against Oregon State at Folsom Field (ESPN). The Beavers entered the weekend ranked No. 11 in the nation.
