ORLANDO, Fla. — Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes have plenty to gain Saturday when they face UCF in a 1:30 p.m. (MT) game at FBC Mortgage Stadium (FOX).
The 3-1 Buffs (1-0 Big 12) could win their fourth game of the year, matching the most wins by a CU team in a full season since 2019 (the Buffs haven’t won more than five games in a season since 2016).
They could improve to 2-0 in Big 12 play, keeping them in a tie for the conference lead.
And, they could win their third game in a row, matching the longest win streak in the Coach Prime era.
But maybe most importantly, they can continue to prove they belong in the mix of Big 12 contenders by beating a team that is a healthy two-touchdown favorite.
The Knights (3-0,1-0) have no doubt put up some gaudy offensive numbers this year. They lead the nation in rushing yards per game (375.7), are third in total yards per game (570.7) and are 14th in scoring (47.5 per game).
But they have also faced just one FBS team. After big wins over New Hampshire (57-3) and Sam Houston (45-14), they came back from a 28-7 deficit two weeks ago to defeat TCU, 35-34.
Not that the Buffs don’t have their own impressive numbers. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is currently fifth in the nation in passing yards (335 per game), fourth in completions per game (27.5) and tied for seventh in the nation with 11 touchdown passes.
Meanwhile, CU’s defense has taken a solid step forward. The Buffs are giving up 23.5 points per game, are yielding 150.8 yards per game on the ground and have allowed opponents to convert just 35 percent of their third-down conversion tries (20-for-57).
So how do the Buffs collect their fourth win of the season in what will be hot — and possibly rainy — conditions?
Our weekly Fast Five:
1. Put the Knights behind the sticks. This means stopping the UCF run game, especially on first and second down.
The Knights lean heavily on running back RJ Harvey, a 5-foot-9, 220-pound powerhouse who runs through arm tackles. Harvey is averaging nearly 150 yards per game while averaging 7.6 yards per carry, and he’s coming off a 180-yard, two-touchdown performance against TCU. He’s scored eight touchdowns and can break big plays, with a 60-yard run to his credit this year.
The Knights have other running threats. Peny Boone and Myles Montgomery are both averaging nearly 7 yards per carry and 6-3, 247-pound quarterback KJ Jefferson is a threat as well, with 135 yards on 29 carries.
But Harvey is the main cog. If the Buffs can wrap him up at the line of scrimmage and limit the yards after contact, they’ll force the Knights to throw. Which brings us to …
2. Get pressure on Jefferson. The Buffs’ pass rush hasn’t been a powerhouse thus far, but Colorado does have five sacks, with Dayon Hayes notching a pair thus far.
But maybe just as important as sacking Jefferson will be making sure they keep him contained. He’s a threat to run if he escapes containment, which means CU’s secondary will have to provide solid man-to-man coverage while the Buffs send an extra man or two on occasion to harass Jefferson.
Jefferson can be forced into bad throws if he’s under pressure. He’s thrown just one interception but if Colorado can hurry him into some mistakes, they can limit long drives and give the CU offense a few more opportunities.
3. Limit explosive plays. Against Baylor, the Buffs gave up a 100-yard kick return for a score, touchdown passes of 30 and 24 yards and a touchdown run of 45 yards (on fourth-and-1).
Those are backbreaking plays CU can’t afford to continue to yield. Colorado’s red zone defense has been solid this year and the Buffs need to make sure they don’t give up any easy scores to fuel what will likely be a sold-out crowd.
4. Work on UCF’s secondary. The Knights are giving up nearly 240 yards per game in the air, including a 402-yard effort by TCU in which Horned Frogs receiver Jack Bech scorched the UCF secondary for nine catches for 200 yards.
The Knights’ pass rush hasn’t been impressive thus far, with just one sack — none against TCU. If the Buffs can provide QB Sanders with a solid pocket, that could translate into a big day for receivers Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., LaJohntay Wester and Will Sheppard.
5. Establish consistency. As Coach Prime said after the Baylor game, we’ve seen plenty of glimpses of what the Buffs are capable of accomplishing.
We’ve seen signs of a solid run game, capable of picking up the tough yards and extending drives. We’ve seen occasions of tough, hard-nosed defense. And, of course, we’ve seen plenty of signs of a passing game that is tough for anyone to contain when it’s clicking on all cylinders.
Now the Buffs have to convert those glimpses into long, steady stretches of consistent play.
If they do that, they’ll leave Florida with a very critical road victory.
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Story by Neill Woelk, Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.