After a wild season opener last Thursday, Colorado returns to Folsom Field on Saturday for its first home game of the season against Weber State at 1:30 p.m. MT. With the Buffaloes facing an FCS opponent and being five touchdown favorites, they’ll hope to handle the Wildcats with a little less drama this time around.
Here’s what fans should expect to see from the Buffs:
Run the Ball
Let’s start with what the Buffs did well last week, which was running the ball in just about any fashion and with every back at their disposal. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion showed his relentless dedication to the run game for the entirety of the game against Georgia Tech, as five different running backs got involved and tallied 183 total yards. Fans should expect a similar approach this week, with the Buffs looking to establish the run game and breakdown the defense early in the game.
That approach should work well against a Weber State defense that has struggled to stop the run. The Wildcats allowed 29 points in their opener against Northern Colorado, then gave up 47 points and 368 rushing yards against Southern Utah. That bodes pretty well for the Buffs.
Expect Colorado to run at Weber State early and often, using a committee of backs to get it done. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Buffs go over 300 rushing yards, with the 400 yard mark in the realm of possibility if they really get rolling. This game against the Wildcats could easily end up being Colorado’s biggest rushing performance in a single game during the Deion Sanders era.
Get JuJu Reps
Establishing the run shouldn’t mean forgetting about the passing game. Starting quarterback JuJu Lewis needs more reps with his receivers and more opportunities to get comfortable standing in the pocket, delivering the ball in a live game.
Once the run game gets going, look for Colorado to work on growing that connection. There were great opportunities last week in the passing game that didn’t turn into completions and this is a perfect chance to get the timing right before the schedule gets tougher. Expect JuJu to get meaningful playing time, even if Colorado builds a comfortable lead. If the game gets out of hand and the Buffs build a 3+ touchdown lead, we’ll probably get our first look at Isaac Wilson and Kaneal Sweetwyne in black and gold.
Test Out Depth
Ideally, the Buffs build a big enough lead in the first half that the second half can feel a little more like a scrimmage. If that happens, they can try some new guys, throw in some new play concepts and give players who might not get many opportunities in conference play a chance to show what they can do. That’s a big piece of these tuneup games. Teams want to understand who they have on the roster, what they’re good at and who they can trust as the season moves along.
Head coach Deion Sanders pointed out this week that Weber State’s players will also be trying to show they belong at this level, potentially putting themselves on the radar of bigger programs. There should be plenty of guys on both sidelines looking to make the most of their opportunities.
Players to Watch
Fans should keep an eye on the entire running back group, as they’ll probably all touch the ball and any of them could break off a big run. We may have one or even two guys finish with 100 rushing yards when it’s all said and done. In the passing game, expect JuJu to look for DeAndre Moore Jr. and Joseph Williams over the top. If Danny Scudero is healthy enough to play, look for him to get opportunities at all three levels, from the short passing game to deeper throws.
Defensively, anybody and everybody who touches the field will have an opportunity to make plays early, but in these lopsided FBS vs. FCS games, you often see the FCS teams sort of “sit on their hands” to avoid too dramatic of a blowout. Weber State may opt against throwing the ball for the most part, so the defensive line and linebackers should have the best chances to make plays.
Prediction
This one should get ugly quick. After their showing last weekend in Atlanta, this Buffs team is looking to build on the momentum ahead of a tough against at Northwestern next weekend. With the wind at their backs, I’m picking Colorado to win this one by a final score 45 to 6.
I expect the Buffs to establish the run, build a comfortable lead and get plenty of backups involved as the game moves along. That would be a phenomenal first home game, a chance for some guys to put up numbers, and an opportunity to learn more about this team.
