Colorado is back from its bye week staring straight at one of the toughest matchups on its schedule: a late-night home date with unbeaten No. 11 Utah.
The Buffaloes are 2-3, and Deion Sanders didn’t soften the view of what’s coming.
“ Probably the best team we’re going to face this season,” Sanders said.
For Colorado, the plan starts on offense, where Sanders wants to keep the game from turning into a pass-heavy scramble. The Buffs are looking for a controlled approach through the air, with the number of throws depending on how the night unfolds.
“We don’t want to throw the ball 40-some times. We want to keep the ball in between 17 and 24 pass attempts.”
That puts the spotlight back on the run game, and Sanders said the offensive line spent the bye week working to rediscover the level it showed earlier in the year.
“We can run the ball. We’ve proven that.”
Colorado’s defense has been active enough to create problems for opponents, with Sanders pointing out that the Buffs lead the Big 12 and rank fourth nationally with 8.8 tackles for loss per game. But disruption only goes so far if the team keeps handing out free yards.
“We got to stop that. We got to stop the mindless penalties. Just giving them extra opportunities especially off the field on the third down and we give them extra opportunities.”
Sanders also said some of Colorado’s recent late-game issues have made certain results look worse than they were. His message to the defense is to keep fighting when things start to go sideways and avoid letting a few mistakes snowball into a rough finish.
Utah brings another complication with its multiple-quarterback approach. Sanders said that style makes the Utes difficult to read because they can punish a defense as either a running or passing threat.
“Even if you’re backside and that play is going away, you have no idea if they’re going to stop, drop back and let it fly,” Sanders said.
Colorado used the bye week to work on situational football and special teams, and Sanders said keeping everyone aligned and motivated was part of the process too. He said the team’s effort has not slipped.
“These guys can tell you that they haven’t let up. They still believe. They still are working their butts off.”
Colorado hosts Utah Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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