The Colorado Buffaloes host the Utah Utes this Saturday in their regular-season finale on a nationally televised game on FOX. This is a big game in a season full of them for Colorado.
When the year began, the experts thought that Colorado would finish last in the Pac-12 South. That wasn’t surprising when you look back at their performance over the last several seasons. It looks pretty foolish now, though.
With a victory over Utah, Colorado will have a 10-2 record and be headed to the Pac-12 Championship Game, with a puncher’s chance of making a New Year’s Bowl Game.
A Look at Utah
Utah is a very good football team, but they are coming off a terrible loss to Oregon. The Utes now have an 8-3 record, and their three losses have come by a combined total of 14 points. Even though they are 10.5-point underdogs to the Buffaloes according to the oddsmakers, you can count on them to keep this one close. Utah has won the last four games in the series, and that means you can expect Colorado’s seniors to be highly motivated to finally beat the Utes on Senior Day.
Key Matchups to Watch
Joe Williams vs. Colorado Rushing Defense
Williams quit the team early in the season, but then he came out of “retirement” five weeks later. Since his return, Williams has been scorching defenses. The senior running back rushed for a staggering 332 yards against UCLA. Colorado has been good against the run this year, limiting opponents to an average of 132 yards rushing per game. If they can slow down Williams, the Buffs have a great chance of picking up the victory.
Phillip Lindsay vs. Utah Rushing Defense
The Buffaloes have a pretty good running back of their own in Lindsay. He has rushed for 1,081 yards and scored 15 touchdowns this year. He is facing a stiff Utah rushing defense that gives up an average of 131.6 yards rushing per game, which ranks them 30th in the nation in that category. He will need to have a good game on Saturday to help Colorado control the clock and keep the potent Utah offense off the field.
Sefo Liufau vs. Utah Defense
Liufau has been a revelation this year. The dual-threat quarterback just had 453 total yards of offense last week in a 38-24 victory over Washington State, including a career-high 108 yards rushing and 345 yards passing. His performance earned him Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this year. Utah will have their hands full trying to slow him down, and they will most likely fail as nearly every other opponent has this year.
It is a great time to be a Buffs fan. They are in the top 10 for the first time in 14 years. They are going to go to a great bowl game and even have an outside shot of making the College Football Playoff. With a win over Utah, they will cap off a remarkable regular season in style.
