Colorado heads into Saturday night with a short injury list that could still shape the biggest question on its game day report: what happens in the secondary.
The Buffaloes are 3-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play, and they’ll try to sort through those issues on the road against Arizona State, a 4-4 team that has had its own problems with inconsistency and turnovers at quarterback. Colorado’s biggest concern is the addition of defensive back Naeten Mitchell to the injury report, a development that could put more pressure on a Buffaloes secondary already dealing with uncertainty.
Wide receiver Danny Scudero will miss another week, while defensive lineman Dylan Manuel is listed as a game time decision. Colorado’s defensive line will also be without Vili Taufatofua and Sam Gadie, both of whom were confirmed out in the game day update.
The Buffaloes’ offense has already gone through a shift this season. Julian Lewis opened the year as the starting quarterback and threw for 733 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in 3.5 games. Since then, Isaac Wilson has taken over and has 1,164 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
With Micah Welch sidelined, Colorado is expected to lean again on running backs Richard Young and JaQuail Smith.
Arizona State has its own quarterback rotation to manage. Cutter Boley leads the Sun Devils with 1,360 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, but Mikey Keene and Jake Fette have also seen action. On the ground, Arizona State typically turns to Cardae Mack and Kyson Brown, though running back Jason Brown Jr. is a game time decision.
Colorado also has several other players listed on the update: Kaleb Mathis, Braylon Edwards, Lyrick Rawls, Wade Helton, Uriah Neloms and Harry Hassmann.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists Arizona State as a 3-point favorite, with Colorado at +136 on the moneyline. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. MT on ESPN2.
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Arizona State Could Catch Colorado At A Very Good Time
Arizona State may be catching Colorado at an awkward moment, with the Buffaloes heading into Week 10 still dealing with a trimmed-down injury picture. Colorado said most of the players who had been considered hopeful for the matchup are now ruled out, leaving the roster thinner than it looked earlier in the week and putting extra pressure on the available depth.
There is at least some stability at a couple of spots, with cornerback Cree Thomas and center Sean Kinney listed as probable. But the bigger concern is the long list of unavailable contributors, especially on defense, where the absences could force Colorado to shuffle things again just as the schedule tightens and every conference game starts to carry more weight. [Read more 🡒]
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Blount Jr. is still deep in the early stages of his recruitment, but Colorado has clearly made him a priority in the class. With offers already coming in from several major programs, the race for his commitment figures to stay active for a while, and the Buffaloes will need to keep building that relationship as his profile grows. For now, hes one of the more intriguing long-range names on Colorados radar, especially because his game suggests there may be more than one way to use him once he gets to campus. [Read more 🡒]