No. 21 Buffs Head To USC In Search Of Win, Respect

LOS ANGELES — Earlier this week, Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre was asked about the process of earning respect around the Pac-12 as his Buffaloes continue to travel the road back to relevancy.

MacIntyre's response went squarely to the heart of the subject.

"How many times has Colorado played USC? Ten. How many times have they beat them? Zero," MacIntyre said. "We have to earn our respect, there's no doubt about it. It's fun to do something that's never been done. Hopefully we can do that."

Indeed, despite a 4-1 overall record, a 2-0 mark in the Pac-12 and a No. 21 national ranking, there are still more questions than answers about the Buff this season. They'll have the opportunity to provide another answer Saturday when they meet the Trojans (2-3, 1-2) in a 2 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network and broadcast by KOA radio.

MacIntyre's math is correct. The Buffs and Trojans have met 10 times in their history, and each time the Buffs have come up short. The list includes five games at the Coliseum, as well as five games since 2011, CU's first year of competing in the Pac-12.

Only a handful of the games between the two teams have been close. In their first four meetings as Pac-12 brethren, the Buffs lost by an average of more than 28 points per game.

But Colorado closed the gap a year ago. CU jumped out to a 17-3 lead in Boulder before the Trojans scored 24 unanswered points and hung on for a 27-24 win.

Now the Buffs believe they have the chance to take the next step.

"You always want to do something that's never been done in school history," wide receiver Shay Fields said. "So that aspect adds a little bit of fire for us. But we're still going to take it as a regular game, too."

The Buffs will see a revamped Trojans team, one that opened the season with three losses in its first four games before rebounding with a convincing 41-20 win over previously unbeaten Arizona State last week. Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Darnold, inserted into the starting lineup two weeks ago, is 1-1 as a starter as USC has retooled its offensive scheme to fit his skills.

"He's an athlete making plays," MacIntyre said. "They changed their entire offense in the past two weeks. They're moving the ball and getting the ball to their playmakers. Their offensive line is huge and big and athletic."

The Trojans do indeed have plenty of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, beginning with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (26-320, five TDs) and continuing with running back Justin Davis (61-384, two TDs).

"They've got players everywhere," CU defensive coordinator JIm Leavitt said. "It's a big, big challenge for us."

The Buffs will no doubt try to put pressure on Darnold, and they'll likely do it from a variety of spots. Buffs outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert is coming off maybe the best game of his career — two sacks in a 47-6 win over Oregon State — but he'll have to get past a massive offensive line to get to Darnold. One break in the Buffs' favor could be the health of USC's 6-9, 360-pound preseason All-American Zach Banner, who is doubtful for the game because of a sprained ankle.

As for Smith-Schuster, the Buffs will likely put that responsibility in the hands of cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Ahkello Witherspoon and Isaiah Oliver.

"He's going to make some plays, we've just got to make sure he doesn't get too many big plays," MacIntyre said. "We've got to be able to handle that and understand that they're going to make some plays, because they've got some good football players and so do we. We can't let him run wild on us."

Offensively, the Buffs will be attempt to accomplish what they've done successfully every week thus far this season: get the ball to their playmakers. In CU's case, that means wide receivers Devin Ross, Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo and Jay MacIntyre, each of whom has caught at least 12 passes this season.

The question, though, is who will be throwing the ball to CU's wideouts. Buffs senior Sefo Liufau — who saw his season end against USC last season when he suffered a Lisfranc foot injury — hasn't played since early in the second half of CU's loss at Michigan in Week 3. His injured ankle, however, has made steady progress and he expressed a belief earlier in the week that he would be ready to play against the Trojans.

But also at the ready for the Buffs is Steven Montez, who has been a more-than-able substitute for Liufau. The redshirt freshman has led the Buffs to back-to-back wins over Oregon and Oregon State.

It's resulted in MacIntyre answering questions daily about how he'll handle the situation. But MacIntyre has refused to tip his hand, saying it would once again be a game-time decision.

The Buffs definitely have the attention of the Trojans, who find themselves in the rare position of looking up at Colorado in the Pac-12 South standings.

"Their skill level across the board is excellent on the offensive side of the football," USC head coach Clay Helton said.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu