The Buffs are coming off of a bye week. Yet Colorado comes into the game on a four-game losing streak of their own, losing by an average score of College football is a game of emotion. For proof, one need look no further than the fact the Colorado — hapless Colorado — was within three minutes of defeating No. Either the Buffs or the Wildcats will leave Folsom Field Saturday afternoon with a bounce in their step, with a renewed sense of optimism that the second half of the season holds some hope for future Pac victories.
The other team will leave Folsom Field Saturday afternoon deflated, wondering — and correctly so — if there will be any victories the remainder of the season. When a team is struggling on offense, much of the criticism falls to the quarterback position sound familiar? The Wildcats have started three different quarterbacks this fall, with varying degrees of success.
Cruz started the first two games of the season losses to BYU and San Diego State , but freshman Will Plummer , who started against Northern Arizona, could also get a second chance to show his abilities should Cruz struggle. The Arizona rushing attack is led by sophomore Drake Anderson , who has yards and a touchdown this season. For my money, though, the player to watch is junior wide receiver Stanley Berryhill , who is the leading receiver 40 receptions for yards , but can also be effective as a rusher.
With Cruz a far less mobile quarterback than McCloud, look for the Wildcats to get the ball into the hands of Berryhill early and often.
The Arizona offense moved the ball effectively against UCLA to open the game, putting together drives going for 14 plays, 12 plays, and 15 plays … but netted only six points. The long drives kept the Wildcats in the game it was at halftime, with Arizona having a advantage in total yards at the break , but, like the CU offense, the Wildcats have had troubles getting into the end zone th in red zone offense; rd in scoring offense.
The Arizona defense has been fair, considering the game losing streak the program has endured. The Wildcats are 66th in total defense, giving up UCLA got to 34 points thanks to their rushing attack. Check out these numbers: 47 carries for yards a 7.
The Bruins had two rushers go for over yards, with yards for Brittain Brown and yards for Zach Charbonnet. Hmmm … so Brendon Lewis or Drew Carter will not have to win the game with their arms, so as long as the CU running game is clicking. And yet, despite an record this season, the Wildcats have been in every game but one.
Arizona went on the road to face No. Since then, the Buffs have gone three full games without ever having the better side of the scoreboard. There is also the factor that both teams — whether they would admit it or not — have had this game circled for some time. This is the battle for the basement of the Pac South, and both teams are counting on this game as a win. The winner of this game may not climb any higher than fifth in the South division, but the loser is almost certainly doomed to finish last.
Those are not exactly the bragging rights you are looking to be playing for at the outset of the season, but for CU and Arizona, it may be all that is left. CU has a way of making Arizona quarterbacks — even backup Arizona quarterbacks — look like Hall-of-Famers. A bye week is always welcome when your team is on a four-game losing streak. A chance to heal; a chance to regroup. Arizona, last weekend against UCLA, was coming off of a bye week, and the offense was, in fact, more productive than it had been.
If Arizona could have finished some of their drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, UCLA could have been in trouble. Buff fans will be looking for that type of production from the CU offense coming off of a bye. The players have had a chance to get healthy, the offensive line has had a chance to practice together, and the offensive coaching staff has had two weeks to design a game plan which can work against the Arizona defense.
While the Buffs are traveling to the Bay area to face a struggling Cal team p. The home game against the Huskies will be televised nationally on ESPN2 though the kickoff will be at p.
A chance for a big win at home before a nationwide audience? While CU is relegated, once again, to the afternoon game on the Pac Networks? It may be a small thing, considering that Arizona has to look at every game as an opportunity to break its losing streak. Stats to make you smile … As you might expect from an team carrying around the weight of 17 straight losses, the Arizona stats sheet leaves much to be desired.
Categories wherein the Wildcats are ranked th in the nation or lower include:. Stats to make you cringe … As you might expect from a team which has played poorly for the past three weeks in succession, the Colorado stats sheet leaves much to be desired. Categories wherein the Buffs are ranked th in the nation or lower include:. Stats to watch i. Witness the drive chart from the UCLA game.
The Wildcats had four drives of over ten plays with a fifth, going for nine plays, resulting in their only touchdown. Something has to give here … Taking advantage of opportunities … Arizona is th in red zone offense and th in red zone defense. Both teams struggle to score. The team which can convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns instead of field goals will win the game.
The Arizona game will likely be the last contest of the season in which Colorado is favored. Both Colorado and Arizona struggle to score on offense. The Buffs are averaging only On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats were showing signs of life behind quarterback Jordan McCloud, but he is now out of the season, replaced by a far less mobile Gunner Cruz. While Cruz was thrust into the UCLA game with no warmup, he was awful against the Bruins when the game was still in doubt.
And then there is this … if Cruz had the confidence of the coaching staff, he never would have been yanked in Game Two. With the Buffs a touchdown favorite that works out to a game. Anyone have confidence either team can reach 20 points this weekend? This post, about the Arizona game, from the Season , is filed under Article. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.
You can leave a comment. Lose this game, and the remaining confidence goes out the window for this season. Agreed-Same as I wrote below, lose this game and more will will be lost, not sure there is any coming back from a L here. So the only change I really want to see is Carter starting.
I would be excited about us going off the deep end and moving to a wishbone, or led school triple option, but that is a leap to far for Dorrell and that I can accept.
But trying out a back up qb that should not be a leap too far. Here is the issue though. This gives you favorable head count against zone and stretch plays. You line up 1 deep safety and there first read is still pass but they are filling hard to clean up gaps. You rush 4 and drop 7. This floods the zones and gives the quarterback a confusing read, makes him hold the ball a bit longer. The defense is easy to set. We have not beaten this set consistently this year becuase you cannot run stretch or zone into this defense effectively.
Sure you can crease them every once in a. While but not consistently. You have to crack this with passing. And you have to crack it with passing at 10 yards, which becuase the line is only holding up for about 3 seconds means you have to throw before the receiver is out of his break.
Lewis has done that like 2 times all year. Start Carter and see if he can. The strangest thing is, if you can crack this defense with a modicum of passing, the run game is going to open up wide again….. I literally think if Lewis can throw in 2. I wonder if they will even be noticeable.
I think not although he certainly does have input, at least he says he does. What has not changed is the predictability of Chevs play calling. And in in the last two games the two good teams had him totally figured out and shut him down.
Better players maybe. Better offensive scheme? Better adjustments at half time. Chev may have been a receiver coach on a spread offense but the total package of the spread offense was a void to him.
PS- this seems more like a Dorrell offense than a Chiaverini offense. Schematically, at least. Chev was may more spread based in his other stints. Fix it, fellas. Little tweaks I guess? Hiding nothing. Just giving you something to look forward to. Whoever you are. For 1 week, and 1 week only I will divert from a loss for the Buffs.
Must win, Buffs 20 Cats Is it gonna be 2 runs up the middle, then incomplete pass, then punt? He has a really good plan for that. Old fashion offense in the modern world. I do predict this: There will be minimal change in the scheme. There will be minimal change in the play calling There will be minimal change in the results. Even though it is th in the nation.
He blames it on the players, especially the qb. You heard him say it. I actually blame the qb as well. The average time Lewis holds the ball before throwing. What might the reasons for that. Just curious. There have to be many. The play design, route tree is easily defensed. Receivers do not run the routes crisply and correctly or the right routes.
I made a division 1 team. In practice, I was solid, I knew my reads I could execute them just fine. In the last scrimmage before the season started I got some time in real live reps. It was a blur. The reads were so much faster, everyone was moving at a pace that I literally could not process it. I distinctly remember the first play. I was playing middle linebacker, the tackle does that little sidestep where the guard blocks the guy over the tackle and the tackle pulls around to seal me off.
My feet literally did not move. Becuase I did not move I was I. Maximum undefined tracks was reached. Got more? Get unlimited. Go to My Music to start listening. Click here to upload more music. You can now include genre as a search term e. No Results Found. Rate this album. Edit your rating. Arizona Baby. Add to Wish List. Preview Album. Make Believe. By Arizona Baby. Devilish Minds. Walking Contradiction.
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