Colorado University Athletics
Friday Fast Five: Keys For Buffs Vs. Ducks
September 22, 2023 | Football, Neill Woelk
EUGENE, Ore. — Now it gets serious.
After an outstanding 3-0 start to the season in non-conference play, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' 19th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes head to Oregon on Saturday for a meeting with the No. 10 Ducks. The Pac-12 opener will be Colorado's fourth straight game on national network television (ABC, 1:30 p.m.) as the nation continues to be entranced by the turnaround Sanders has orchestrated in Boulder.
Oregon will almost certainly provide the Buffs with their biggest test yet. Dan Lanning's 3-0 Ducks have a potent offense, one that is averaging 58 points per game under the direction of quarterback Bo Nix, and a defense that leads the Pac-12 in passing yards allowed (158.7 per game).
But the Buffs have their own gaudy statistics. Led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, CU has the nation's second-ranked pass offense (418 yards per game) and a defense tied for first in the nation in takeaways (10), with Trevor Woods and Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig both owning a pair of interceptions.
Colorado is a substantial underdog — the Ducks are three-touchdown favorites — but the Buffs are no strangers to being in that position. CU opened the season as a three-score underdog to TCU, then proceeded to beat the Horned Frogs' on their home field, 45-42.
So what must the Buffs do to replicate that effort?
Glad you asked. Our weekly Fast Five:
1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. As we mentioned earlier, the Buffs are among the best in the nation at creating turnovers. Even more impressive is their timing in that department — of those 10 takeaways, six have come with the opponent inside the Colorado 25-yard line, ending potential scoring drives each time.
The Ducks, though, have yet to give the ball away this season.
The Buffs need to end that streak and create one of those momentum-changing moments that will quiet the Autzen Stadium crowd. While the Ducks haven't lost a fumble this year, they have put the ball on the ground three times and Nix is by no means impervious to interceptions.
If the Buffs can come up with a couple of those game-changing plays Saturday, they can put themselves in the driver's seat heading down the stretch.
2. Quick start by the offense. The Buffs have managed to overcome slow starts in each of their last two games, including last weekend's win over CSU. Colorado managed just one offensive touchdown in the first three quarters against the Rams before finally catching fire in the fourth quarter.
Colorado can't afford to tempt fate in the same way against the Ducks. The Buffs need to get on the board early and ensure if the game turns into a shootout, they are in position to have a chance to win it in crunch time.
3. Give Shedeur Sanders time to work. The Ducks have recorded six quarterback sacks this year and have the ability to bring pressure from a variety of angles. Colorado has given up 16 sacks this year.
The Buffs need to give their quarterback time to work against an Oregon secondary that might have a few holes. One reason Colorado's offense has started slowly the last couple of weeks is that the opponents have managed to bring pressure and prematurely end drives.
This would be a good week to protect Sanders, give him time to work against the Ducks and get the Buffs on the board early.
4. Run the ball. Earlier this week, Coach Prime said he wasn't worried about the Buffs' lack of rushing yards — as long as the offense continued to move the ball successfully.
"I don't care what the ratio to run-pass is," Sanders said. "I care about the ratio on the scoreboard."
The Buffs have run for just 183 yards this season (a number skewed by lost yardage on sacks) but they do have four rushing touchdowns and 15 first downs.
Sooner or later, however, teams are likely going to force the Buffs to run. They will need the ability to run clock and the ball — and that occasion might just come this weekend.
5. Win the red zone. While the Buffs have scored on all 13 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line, they have had to settle for field goals five times.
This game has the potential to be a high-scoring shootout and every opportunity to get to the end zone will be critical. The Buffs need to do their best not to settle for field goals — and at the same time, force the Ducks to take three instead of seven a couple of times.
