Colorado University Athletics
Fast Five: Keys For Buffs vs Sun Devils
November 02, 2017 | Football, Neill Woelk
TEMPE, Ariz. — If Saturday's Colorado-Arizona State game follows form — at least the on-paper comparison of both teams — it will be a 60-minute affair that likely won't be decided until the fourth quarter.
The question is how the 5-4 Buffs (2-4 Pac-12) will react in such a contest when they square off against the Sun Devils (4-4, 3-2) in their 7 p.m. meeting (Pac-12 Networks).
The Buff have had two such games this year, both on the road. Colorado rallied from a deficit at Oregon State to take a late lead, then produced a defensive stop in the final minutes for a 36-33 win.
At UCLA, the Buffs twice pulled to within one of the Bruins in the second half, including with 6:43 remaining in the game, but couldn't come up with a defensive stop at the end in a 27-23 loss.
Saturday's game in Tempe could very well come down to another similar circumstance.
Keys for the Buffs if they are to produce their first-ever win in Tempe:
1. Get Steven Montez in rhythm early. In their 44-28 win over Cal last week, CU's quarterback hit some short passes early, then opened up the deep ball with terrific results.
The Buffs put together five consecutive scoring drives in the first half against Cal, with Montez completing seven straight passes for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns at one point in the stretch. It was a mix of short throws and deep balls, but the key was the consistency: Montez got in a rhythm, found open receivers and delivered the ball with authority.
If Colorado can establish that kind of tempo again Saturday, the Buffs will be in the game in the fourth quarter.
2. Keep ASU's defensive "disruptions" to a minimum. In the Sun Devils' most impressive win of the year, a 13-7 win over Washington, ASU sacked UW quarterback Jake Browning five times. Browning finished with just 139 yards passing and never solved a Sun Devil defense that kept him guessing all night long with a variety of coverages that at times included as many as eight men in coverage.
It means the Buffs' O-line will have to be steady against an ASU pass rush that still uses its fair share of blitzes and stunts to get to the quarterback as well as disrupt the run game. Along with frustrating Browning, ASU also got good penetration all night long against the run, holding UW's Myles Gaskin to just 67 yards rushing.
3. Force ASU's offense to throw. When the Buffs play well against the run, the result is usually good. Since the beginning of last year, Colorado is 9-1 when holding an opponent to less than 150 yards on the ground.
The Sun Devils aren't a power running team, but they do have a pair of good backs in Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage. If CU can stop the ASU run game and force the Sun Devils to put the game in quarterback Manny Wilkins' hands, it will be a step in the right direction. ASU has given up 31 sacks this year, and while Wilkins has been effective, he hasn't had a 300-yard game since Week 4.
4. Get Phillip Lindsay on a roll early. Pac-12 teams that have beaten the Sun Devils — Stanford and USC — did so by racking up big yards on the ground. Stanford rushed for 328 yards against ASU while USC piled up 341.
The Buffs need to get Lindsay some yards early and force the Sun Devils to load up the box — which will open up the passing lanes. If Arizona State stops Colorado's run game without some extra help, it will mean a long night in the passing game for Montez and Co. But get Lindsay going early and it will give CU's receivers a chance to break free in the secondary, especially if they can get into one-on-one situations with ASU's young cornerbacks.
5. Win the turnover battle. This won't be easy — the Sun Devils have turned the ball over just seven times all year (four interceptions, three fumbles), but have forced just 10.
The Buffs have at least one defensive takeaway in every game this year, and have been solid in holding onto the ball — CU has just two turnovers (both fumbles) in the last five games.
But in a game that could very well come down to the wire, the negative momentum of any kind of turnover will be magnified. The Buffs need to make sure they're generating that kind of momentum, not giving it up.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
