Colorado can stamp a ticket to its first bowl game since 2007 with a victory over Stanford on Saturday. Here are Denver Post college football reporter Nick Kosmider’s five keys to victory for the Buffaloes.
1) Limit special teams blunders. The Buffs may have to resort to a close-your-eyes-and-pray strategy at this point when it comes to special teams. Inconsistent kickers. Blocked kicks and punts. Punts fumbled. Big returns yielded. There has been no shortage of woes on CU’s less than special teams. The question now: will they cost the Buffs a close game?
2) Don’t be blindsided by Love. CU is right to prepare for the full Christian McCaffrey arsenal. Should the former Valor Christian star play Saturday, he’s sure to present his fair share of problems. But McCaffrey’s backup, sophomore Bryce Love, is no slouch. Love, a high school state sprinting champion in North Carolina, ran for 129 yards in Stanford’s 17-10 victory at Notre Dame last week.
3) Resist the push. When Stanford’s defense is at its best, the unit is getting major push up front and disrupting the rhythm of an opponent’s offense. Given that everything in CU’s efficient offense is based on tempo and timing, getting pushed back before they go forward would present problems for the Buffs.
4) Follow the Liufau lead. Quarterback Sefo Liufau has faced plenty of adversity over the past year. A major foot injury. The courting of a possible replacement by his coaches. An ankle injury that cost him a quarter of his senior season. Despite all that, Liufau is playing the best football of his career because he is trusting himself and his teammates and they are following his lead. It’s a good formula to keep following.
5) Keep the pressure coming. CU’s pass rush has made major strides in the past few weeks, anchored by outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert. Stanford has a senior quarterback in Ryan Burns, but he threw just one pass in college prior to this season. This season he’s thrown four interceptions and has been sacked 16 times. Making it a long day for Burns with continued pressure, and the Buffs will have a good chance of extending the nation’s longest current takeaway streak.
