For the first time since the Backyard Brawl on September 13th, West Virginia added a number to the win column with a road win against No. 22 Houston on November 1. For a team that was struggling mightily, it was an impressive win and the Mountaineers’ first road win against a ranked opponent since 2018. After five consecutive losses to begin conference play, this Saturday, WVU will have an opportunity to create a new streak, this time a winning one, when Deion Sanders and Colorado visit Morgantown. Let’s get familiar with the Colorado Buffaloes.
Colorado Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5)
Deion Sanders’ Colorado team no longer has dynamic two-way star and Heisman Trophy Winner Trais Hunter, nor do they have impressive quarterback Shedeur Sanders – and it shows. Coming in with the same record as the Mountaineers, it is safe to say that the Buffs have had their fair share of struggles this season as well.
How They Got Here
Colorado picked up non-conference wins over Delaware and Wyoming while dropping the season opener to Georgia Tech in a 27-20 game in Boulder.
In their 1-5 start to Big 12 play, Colorado has losses to Houston, BYU, TCU, Utah, and Arizona, with their lone win coming at home versus a ranked Iowa State team. To say that they are reeling since that win is an understatement. In the last two games alone, Colorado has been outscored 105-24. They lost on the road at Utah 53-7, and 52-17 last week at home against Arizona.
Numbers to Know For Colorado
215.8
Colorado’s defense is giving up 215.8 yards per game on the ground. That is by far the most yards allowed in the Big 12 this season and the third most of any school in the country. The next closest is Baylor, giving up over 177 yards per game on the ground. In the aforementioned blowout loss to Utah, the Utes ran the ball 51 times for 422 yards and 4 touchdowns. They averaged 8.3 yards per carry and had explosive runs of 63, 58, and 56 yards.
130
While the defense struggles to defend against the run, the offense struggles to produce in the running game. They are averaging 130 yards per game on the ground, only ahead of Oklahoma State and TCU in that department in the Big 12. They have yet to have a player eclipse the 100-yard mark in a single game this season.
5
In the 52-17 loss to Arizona last Saturday, Colorado turned the ball over 5 times with 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. Keep an eye on the Buff quarterback situation. As a team, Colorado has thrown 10 interceptions this season. While Liberty transfer Kaidon Slater has received the majority of the playing time, Sophomore Ryan Staub and freshman Julian Lewis have each seen playing time in Big 12 play.
31
A problem that West Virginia fans are all too familiar with is the performance of the offensive line. Colorado’s O-Line has struggled immensely over the last two weeks, allowing 10 total sacks and 31 tackles-for-loss. Opposing defenses have been able to get into the backfield and disrupt plays before they get started. West Virginia will look to continue that trend on Saturday afternoon.