Buffs Take Aim At Fourth Pac-12 Win
October 21, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
STANFORD, Calif. — Not since Colorado began Pac-12 play in 2011 have the Buffaloes been seen as a team that could physically go toe-to-toe with the Stanford Cardinal.
Not until this year.
But now the Buffs have grown up. When the two teams square off Saturday at Stanford Stadium (1 p.m., Pac-12 Networks), it will be in a game that's being called a virtual tossup.
The upstart Buffs (5-2 overall, 3-1 Pac-12) will be aiming to maintain their spot atop the Pac-12 South standings, which they shared with Utah heading into Saturday's games. A win would send them into their bye week with a head of steam and their dreams of playing in the Pac-12 title game very much enhanced.
The Cardinal (4-2, 2-2) will be looking for its sixth straight win over Colorado — including the last three in Pac-12 play by a combined score of 138-17 — while also aiming to turn its Pac-12 fortunes back in the right direction after two losses in its last two conference games.
"We are a tougher, physical team than we have been," CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. "That's been a process. It did not just happen this year. Every year we've gotten a little better at it. It all came into fruition this year with the maturity of the team and the guys that have played and understand it."
It's a process that has no doubt caught the eye of the rest of the Pac-12. Already with more conference wins than CU has compiled in any season since joining the league, the Buffs no doubt have the full attention of opposing coaches.
"They took multiple teams to the fourth quarter last year, but just couldn't seem to finish the game," said Stanford coach David Shaw, whose Cardinal took a 42-10 win in Boulder a year ago. "This year, they're playing confident, making plays and winning games."
Up until this year, that's a description that would have fit one of Shaw's teams. But the the Cardinal has uncharacteristically struggled this season, especially on offense. Running back Christian McCaffrey, a Heisman Trophy runner-up a year ago, has been banged up the last two weeks. He did not play in last week's 17-10 Stanford win over Notre Dame, and while the Buffs expect him to play today, the Cardinal have kept his progress under tight wraps this week.
But even with McCaffrey in the lineup the Cardinal haven't been the same team that seemingly scored at will a year ago. Stanford hasn't scored more than 17 points in its last three games and has scored just one offensive touchdown in each of its last four games.
If you're looking for a comparative statistic, try this: in six games, the Cardinal hasn't scored more than 27 points in any game. In seven games, the Buffs have scored at least 28 six times.
MacIntyre's Buffs, however, aren't buying the line that the Cardinal are down. They spent the week preparing as if McCaffrey will be in the lineup while reminding themselves that the Cardinal did dominate USC, a team that beat the Buffs just two weeks ago.
They also reviewed film of last year's game, when the Cardinal simply wore the Buffs down at Folsom Field.
"They're a good football team," said defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt. "They can run the ball, pass the ball. They're well-coached. They line up and come right at you. We'll have to be at our best."
The Buffs know that to be successful against the Cardinal they will have to win the battle up front on both sides of the ball. It's a place Stanford has traditionally been dominant, but Colorado players and coaches believe they've finally caught up in terms of physical presence in the trenches.
"We have to be more physical than we were last year," MacIntyre said. "We are a more physical team now, we're mentally tough. We have to go in there and do that and go toe-to-toe with them. We have to surpass what they do to be able to win the football game. That's a big challenge for us."
A year ago, the Buffs struggled to muster any kind of consistent offense against the Cardinal. CU quarterback Sefo Liufau finished as the Buffs' leading rusher (7 carries for 43 yards) and had just a 10-for-18 day in the air for 125 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
This year, Liufau is much more confident about CU's ability to match up and statistics bear that out. While Stanford been solid against the run (yielding just 125.7 yards per game), the Cardinal have also been giving up more than 240 yards per game through the air.
"I think we'll go out there and test Stanford's physicality," Liufau said. "I don't think it's like it was in past year where we couldn't rely on our toughness up front. We've got a great front on offense and we've got a great front on defense and we feel that we match up well with these guys. And it just comes down to each play. … So we'll be ready to test their toughness and I'm sure they'll test our toughness as well."
Overall, Stanford's scoring defense has been solid, giving up just 22 points per game. But it's been an up-and-down affair. The Cardinal gave up more than 40 points in back to back games— a 44-6 loss to Washington and a 42-16 loss to Washington State — but has also had solid games in wins against USC (27-10), UCLA (22-13) and Notre Dame (17-10).
"I don't think it's going to be a blow out in either direction," Liufau said. "I think it's two very good teams going against each other. And that's when it comes down to a couple of plays here or there that make a difference in the game."
BROADCAST: The Pac-12 Network crew will include Greg Wolf (play-by-play), Glenn Parker (color) and Jill Savage (sideline). KOA radio will broadcast the game with Mark Johnson on play-by-play, Gary Barnett providing color commentary and former Buffs quarterback Bobby Pesavento reporting from the sidelines.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
