The Keys for Arizona Football to beat the Colorado Buffaloes

After crashing back to reality following their humbling loss to Cal, Arizona Football returns to action against the Colorado Buffaloes.  

And just like that, we are now into week five of the 2022 Arizona Football season. After riding high following their win over North Dakota State, the Wildcats return to action following a humbling defeat at the hands of Cal.

As Arizona turns its focus to Colorado and their first Pac-12 home game of the season, the Wildcats have a great opportunity to earn yet another win.

The Wildcats are heavily favored against the Buffaloes, but as we have learned with this group, nothing is ever a given. Colorado has had its struggles, but they still have enough skilled players to earn the upset if the Cats are not careful.

Now isn’t the time for Arizona to get complacent as the Wildcats have a legitimate opportunity of being 3-2 after this weekend, but it is going to take another solid performance to do so.

And as Arizona Football enters this game against Colorado, if they are going to get the win, these are the keys to doing it!

Stop the Run

For another week, the Arizona defense was gashed. Against the Golden Bears, the Wildcats surrendered 354 yards rushing while giving up 49 points in their 49-31 loss.

Simply put, the Wildcats’ defense HAS to be better about stopping the run, and there’s no other way around it!

For this team to see any sort of modicum of success this season, then they have to be better about stopping the run, otherwise, it could be a long year.

If Arizona fails to slow down Colorado’s rushing attack on Saturday, then they run the risk of losing to the Buffaloes!

Arizona has to Tackle Better

Last week, the Wildcats struggled mightily against Cal. And while the defense had its moments early in the game on Saturday, overall, Arizona struggled when it came to tackling in the open field.

This time, Arizona wasn’t as fortunate as they were against North Dakota State, and the 17 missed tackles in the game were a big reason the Cats lost.

This is still one of the key areas that the Wildcats’ defense needs to improve in and quickly, otherwise, they may yet have another long day ahead of them.

No Silly Mistakes

Arizona did not do well in taking care of the football on Saturday. Against Cal, the Wildcats gave up the ball three times (two interceptions and one fumble).

If the Wildcats are going to beat the Buffaloes this weekend, then they need to play a cleaner game, especially when it comes to taking care of the football.

Should the Wildcats make silly mistakes as they did against the Golden Bears, then they run the risk of letting Colorado potentially hang around and perhaps even earning the upset.

Stick to the Offensive Strengths

In the first half against Cal on Saturday, the Wildcats were efficient on offense, scoring on four of their five drives, including three touchdowns. As a result, Arizona entered halftime with a 24-21 lead over Cal.

For whatever reason, unfortunately, the Wildcats seemed to abandon the offense that made them successful in the second half. As a result, the first two drives of the second half resulted in punts, and just like that, Cal was in front 35-24.

Against Colorado, Arizona cannot stray away from their offensive success, and they need to stick to their strengths if they are going to come away with the win.

Still looking to lock in your bets ahead of the Wildcats’ weekend action against Cal? Check out WynnBet or FanDuel for more betting options!