Colorado
BYU
Fast Five: Keys For Buffs Vs. BYU In Alamo Bowl
December 27, 2024 | Football, Neill Woelk
SAN ANTONIO — It's been 20 years and five head coaches since the Colorado Buffaloes last won a bowl game.
Now, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and the Buffs (9-3) have an opportunity to turn the tide Saturday when they face off with fellow Big 12 member BYU (10-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl (5:30 p.m., ABC).
The two teams tied for the regular season conference lead, both finishing with 7-2 league records. Thanks to a quirk in the bowl selection process this year, the Alamo was afforded the opportunity to take two teams from the same conference, making perhaps the most appealing non-playoff matchup of this year's college bowl menu.
The Buffs are slight favorites, thanks in large part to the presence of the dynamic duo of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The two were the main reason Colorado led the Big 12 in passing this season, averaging more than 327 yards per game in the air.
(Fun fact: BYU has faced a Heisman winner three times in the year in which the player won the award. The Cougars are 0-3 in those games: Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1982; Chris Weinke, Florida State, 2000; Matt Leinart, USC, 2004).
But CU will face a stiff test from the Cougars, who led the Big 12 in scoring defense by giving up just 20.1 points per game.
In terms of recent games, the Buffs had the hotter hand down the stretch. CU won five of its last six, scoring at least 34 points in all five wins, including a 52-0 thrashing of Oklahoma State in the regular season finale.
The Cougars had a disappointing stretch run. After winning their first nine and putting themselves in position for a Big 12 title game berth, they dropped two in a row before ending with a 30-18 win over Houston.
Coach Prime has made it clear the Buffs are on a business trip. They've enjoyed the week's festivities, but are focused on getting CU a bowl win.
They will need to play well in all three phases to accomplish that goal.
Our weekly Fast Five:
1. Give Shedeur time to work. The Cougars don't have a particularly rugged pass rush, as they finished with just 16 sacks, tied for last in the league.
But they do have an opportunistic secondary, one that led the Big 12 with 20 interceptions, with at least one in every game.
Sanders has been good with the ball this year — but there were times when he tried to do too much, and he ended up with eight interceptions, five more than last season.
This could very well be the type of game where a key turnover proves to be the turning point. The Buffs need to make sure their quarterback isn't hurried in the pocket and has time to make his customary good decisions.
2. Keep BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff in the pocket. The Cougars' signal caller is a very capable passer. He threw for 2,796 yards and 20 touchdowns, and the Cougars offensive line gave up just 16 sacks.
But Retzlaff is also a dangerous runner, both on planned runs and when escaping from the pass rush. He is second on the team in rushing with 388 yards and a team-best six touchdowns — and his yardage total without accounting for sacks is 497.
This is where the CU pass rush — best in the Big 12 this year with 37 sacks — has to be alert. Colorado edge rushers, starting with BJ Green II and Arden Walker, have to get pressure, but they can't let Retzlaff get loose around the corner.
3. Win the special teams battle. The Cougars led the nation this year with three kick returns for touchdowns and another punt return for a score.
Meanwhile, the Buffs were last in the nation in kickoff return yards allowed, giving up 1,131 yards in kick returns to opponents.
Nothing takes the buzz out of a touchdown like giving up a score on the ensuing kickoff. CU can't afford to give up an easy touchdown or good field position to the Cougars after a score.
4. Establish a rushing threat. Everyone knows the Buffs have struggled to run the ball effectively. They were last in the league in rushing, averaging barely 70 yards per game.
But when they are at their best, they at least pose the threat to move the ball on the ground.
Figure this: Colorado finished with less than 50 yards rushing four times this year and lost three of those games. (The only win was the 52-0 victory over Oklahoma State when CU's receivers were running free in the secondary all day.)
The Buffs don't have to ground and pound the Cougars into submission. But if they can at least establish the threat of a run game, it will keep the Cougars defense honest.
5. Win the red zone. Colorado led the league in red zone defense this year (73.3 percent opponent scoring average) while also producing five turnovers with the opponent inside the CU 20. On offense, Colorado scored 32 red zone touchdowns (sixth best in the conference).
In what could very well be a close game, those red zone opportunities could make the difference.
