Arizona Football (2-2, 0-1) resumes play on Saturday against the Colorado Buffaloes (3-2, 0-2), after having a slight break due to the bye week.
Arizona Football action is back, and after the bye week, hopefully the Wildcats are rejuvenated in trying to knock off Colorado in Boulder this Saturday.
Still plenty of football to be played this season, but if the Wildcats have any hope for a bowl game this season, this game is essentially a must win! Head coach Rich Rodriguez is particularly hopeful of his teams’ chances in the Pac-12, following the loss to Utah.
“Utah was a big game for us, and they got a leg up on us, but there’s a lot of football left,” Rodriguez said, “we said it before the season, that the league in particular and the Pac-12 South, that a lot of people were gonna beat up on each other, and there’s gonna be a lot of close battles. So our guys know it’s still out in front of them (winning the Pac-12 South), and that’s always our first goal.”
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At 2-2 (0-1), Arizona needs to get on track and quickly. This weekend however, will not be an easy match-up for the Wildcats, as they enter the early, seven-point underdogs to the Buffaloes.
Of note, Arizona has seemed to be playing better this season (more so on the defensive side of the ball), but it is the offense who seemingly hasn’t found their rhythm, other than the two relatively easy wins versus, NAU and UTEP.
Junior quarterback Brandon Dawkins is the presumed starter, and likely will be heading into Saturday’s game against the Buffaloes.
There has definitely been a lot of anxiousness amongst fans towards Rodriguez, as he continues to show faith in his embattled, and veteran starting QB.
However, the Wildcats will likely have another tough time in this one, as Colorado has a solid blend of seasoned, athletic, well-coached talent in Boulder, and Rodriguez is aware of that challenge.
“It’s gonna be an environment that our young guys are going to have grow up in, in a hurry.”
“They’re a very sound football team in all three phases. They’ve got good players, they’re well-coached and you gotta make plays to beat them, but you also gotta make sure you don’t give up a big mistake, or have a big, poor play that costs you a bit, because they’ll take advantage of it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s gonna be a tough environment, certainly they’ve got a great fan base that follows them, the stadiums right on top of you, so it’s gonna be an environment that our young guys are going to have grow up in, in a hurry.”
Know Thy Foe:
Team: Colorado Buffaloes (3-2, 0-2); last game Colorado lost to UCLA 27-23
Conference: Pac-12
2016 Record: 10-4 (8-1); lost to Oklahoma State 38-8 in the Alamo Bowl.
Last Meeting vs Arizona: Beat Arizona 49-24 in Tucson, AZ
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre 38-54 overall; 5th season with Colorado
Key Returners/ Starters: QB Steven Montez, RB Phillip Lindsay, highly-touted lineman, Jeromy Irwin receivers; Devin Ross, Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo and coaches son, Jay MacIntyre. Defensively; linebacker Drew Lewis, Rick Gamboa, defensive lineman Leo Jackson, and defensive back Isaiah Oliver among others.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, October 7th, 2017
Time: 5 PM MST
Where: Folsom Field (Boulder, CO)
Spread: -6.5 Colorado
Overall Series Record: 14-5 Colorado. The Buffaloes won the showdown between these two teams last year, marking the first time the Buffs have beaten Arizona in the Rich Rodriguez era.
Our Prediction: Utah 30 Arizona 24. I foresee this being another close game for the Wildcats, however, the Buffaloes are just too good. On the road, in a tough environment, playing at a high altitude could be a recipe Arizona doesn’t want.
Defensively, Colorado lost quite a few players from last years’ squad, but they are still quite solid across the board, and unless Arizona can put together a better offensive effort against a quality opponent, and more importantly, take care of the football, I just don’t see us pulling off the victory.
Listen to Rodriguez speak, as the team preps for Saturday’s game in Boulder.
Must Read: More on Arizona Football
At Zona Zealots, we hope Arizona comes out ready to play in this one, and hopefully the Wildcats can pull of the upset! Bear Down, Arizona!