Previewing Colorado Buffaloes vs. Arizona on Saturday

Betting Odds

The Colorado Buffaloes are 4.5-point underdogs against the Arizona Wildcats on FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline for Colorado is +155, and the point total is set at 53.5.

Colorado’s Offense Overcome Challenges

The Colorado Buffaloes offense is coming off their worst performance of the season, scoring seven points and totaling just 102 passing yards and 38 rushing yards. The Utah Utes’ defense heavily blitzed, shutting down the passing game early, and Colorado could never gain momentum running the ball.

After a tough performance, Colorado’s offense will have to find a way not only to drive down the field but also to stop the blitz, as opponents now know what to do to stop the Buffaloes.

Quarterback Kaidon Salter has the chance to show how he can bounce back from a tough game. This season, Salter totals 1,193 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also has 266 rushing yards and five touchdowns. 

The only player on the team with more rushing yards is running back Micah Welch, with 281, along with two touchdowns.

Wide receivers Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams lead the Buffaloes in receiving yards, but both were benched to start the Utah game. Miller did end up playing, totaling three receptions, but the two receivers will be players to watch against Arizona.

Miller leads the Buffaloes' offense with 430 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Williams has 370 yards and three touchdowns.

Colorado’s Defense To Regroup

The Colorado Buffaloes not only allowed 53 points in week 9, but allowed 43 in the first half alone. The defense needs to find a way to stop the run game after allowing 422 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Utah. The defense limited Utah quarterback Byrd Ficklin to just 10 completions, but for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Colorado’s leading tackler is Tawfiq Byard, who has 57 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, three passes defended, and one interception. He has been a crucial defensive player and will need to keep his momentum, potentially adding another interception to his stats.

Linebacker Jeremiah Brown has also been doing well this season, totaling 45 tackles and one sack. Defensive end Keaten Wade leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

After allowing 53 points in week 9, the Colorado Buffaloes need to have a big game against the Wildcats.

Arizona Seeks Second Conference Win

The Arizona Wildcats are coming off a bye week with a 4-3 record, going 1-3 in Big 12 conference play. Both teams are entering the game with just one conference win, seeking another to kick off the final month of the regular season.

The Wildcats are led by quarterback Noah Fifita, who is having a strong season despite Arizona’s conference record. Fifita totals 1,829 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions with a completion percentage of 66.0.

Fifita’s top target on the offense is wide receiver Javin Whatley. Whatley totals 32 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns. Another player to watch for is wide receiver Tre Spivey, who has just 223 receiving yards but leads the team with five touchdown receptions.

Colorado’s defense will be put to the test against Arizona’s run game. The Wildcats' leading rusher is running back Ismail Mahdi with 445 yards and one touchdown.

Arizona has two strong defensive backs in Genesis Smith and Dalton Johnson. Johnson leads the team with 52 total tackles, and Smith leads with seven passes defended. Salter will have to make smart decisions while passing the ball against the Wildcats.

Colorado vs. Arizona Prediction

The Colorado Buffaloes will keep it close, but will fall short, losing the game against the Arizona Wildcats, 23-19.

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