Friday's Fast Five: Keys For Buffs Vs. Utah
November 25, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Last week, folks were calling the Colorado-Washington State game the biggest at Folsom Field in more than a decade.
That designation lasted a week.
Now, Saturday's much-anticipated 5:30 matchup with Utah is the latest big game at Folsom and it includes a script twist: while the 9-2 Buffs (7-1 Pac-12) will be playing for a Pac-12 South title and a chance to play in the conference championship game, the 8-3 Utes (5-3) have been relegated to the role of spoiler.
It's a role they'll likely embrace, especially given the fact that it was Colorado who ruined Utah's chances of a division title in 2011 with a win in the regular season finale.
The Utes are coming off a disappointing 30-28 loss to Oregon at home, a game that crushed their hopes of winning their first division title.
But the Buffs have not underestimated the Utes. They spent the week preparing for a well-coached team that boasts a solid defense, a capable offense — and one that will quite likely come to Boulder with a chip on its shoulder. The Utes can't win the division, but they can improve the quality of their bowl bid and keep alive the possibility of a 10-win season.
What the Buff must do to win clinch a 10-win season for themselves and claim their first division title since 2005:
1. Stop the run, stop the run, stop the run. After coming back from an early season "retirement," Utah running back Joe Williams has put together five outstanding games. After rushing for just 75 yards in his first two games, he's run for 1,013 in the five since his return. He had an eye-popping 342 yards and four touchdowns against UCLA, and his lowest total since his return was his 23-carry, 149-yard effort in the loss to Oregon.
Williams isn't fancy, but he does have a good blend of speed and power. The Buffs' big men up front — Josh Tupou, Samson Kafovalu and Jordan Carrell — will need to make sure they occupy the Utes' offensive line and give CU's linebackers a chance to make the play.
2. Balanced offense. The Buffs' balance was in full display in last Saturday's 38-24 win over Washington State.
Led by the one-two rushing punch of running back Phillip Lindsay (31 carries, 144 yards, two touchdowns) and quarterback Sefo Liufau (23 carries, 108 yards, three touchdowns), the Buffs fan for 258 yards against the Pac-12's leading rush defense. Liufau also completed 27 of 41 passes to seven different receivers for 345 yards. It's the kind of balance that gives defensive coordinators nightmares because there's no one point to attack.
That's a credit to co-offensive coordinators Brian Lindgren and Darrin Chiaverini, who have continued to tweak CU's offense as the season has evolved. They've made it harder to stop the Buffs and the addition of Liufau as a running threat has made it an even more difficult offense to contain.
Continue to show that kind of balance and the Buffs will be hard to stop.
3. Win the third-down battle. Last week, the Buffs held the Cougars — who led the Pac-12 with more than a 50-percent success rate on third down — to a 4-for-15 afternoon (27 percent).
The Buffs, meanwhile, were an outstanding 13-for-21.
Colorado is now third in the conference in offensive third-down conversions and (85-for-181, 47 percent) and second in third-down defense, allowing opponents to successfully convert just 51 of 168 tries (30.4 percent).
It's what leads to a solid edge in time of possession, which means the difference between keeping a defense fresh and having them tired in the final quarter. If the Buffs can prevent Utah from extending drives and keep the Utes defense on the field, it will play directly into their hands.
4. Own the second half. After the Washington State game, CU defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt said he "couldn't be prouder" of his defense's effort in the second half against Washington. A Cougars team that had scored 246 points in the second half this season — 145 in the fourth quarter — scored just seven points after intermission and none in the final period.
The Buffs have given up just 92 points in the second half all season — 8.36 points per game. It's when they have forced some of their most important turnovers, including a game-winning interception at Oregon, a fourth-quarter fumble recovery at Stanford and a fourth-quarter fumble recovery and interception against Washington State.
Utah, meanwhile, has been a second-half offensive team. The Utes have scored 180 of their 340 points in the second half, including 100 in the final period.
Offensively, Colorado has been a much stronger team in the first half, at least statistically, scoring 243 of its 390 points in the first half. But part of that disparity can be attributed to some big early leads that have resulted in the Buffs letting up on the gas late in games. When they've needed to score in the second half, they've usually managed to do so, overcoming first-half deficits to collect wins vs. UCLA and Washington State.
If the Buffs can continue that kind of second-half work, both offensively and defensively, they'll be in good shape.
5. Prevent special teams breakdowns. The Utes are known for having one of the best-prepared special teams units in the nation.
The Buffs can't allow that to make the difference in the game. It means good coverage teams and taking special care against fake punts, onside kicks, etc.
The Utes have nothing of substance to lose in the game. Whittingham loves to get an edge and find momentum with unexpected plays, and if he has the chance in this game, he'll likely take the gamble.
This is a series in which mistakes have been magnified. Even though they've lost four in a row to the Utes, the Buffs have played well in those games, only to see a key mistake doom them in the end.
Utah is known for its physical, punishing brand of football. The Utes thrive on forcing mistakes, then taking advantage.
Teams that have success against them are teams that don't shoot themselves in the foot. If the Buffs play solid, error-free football in all three phases, they will have a very good chance of playing a week later in Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., for a conference title.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu.
