The University of Arizona football team (3-3, 1-2 in Big 12) will play the University of Colorado Boulder at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 19 at 1:00 p.m. This matchup will feature three projected top 10 picks: Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. This will be the second time McMillan and Hunter face off against each other, the first being last year when Arizona defeated Colorado 34-31.
Colorado this year
The University of Colorado Boulder football team, under second-year head coach Deion Sanders, is 4-2 this year. Although they have two losses, the team has improved after posting a 4-8 record last year. The Buffaloes started with a 31-26 win over North Dakota State University before losing to the University of Nebraska.
In their third game, they defeated Colorado State 28-9. This was quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ best game as he threw for 310 yards and 4 touchdowns, including two to Hunter, who also grabbed an interception. The Buffs then beat the University of Central Florida and followed that game up with a 31-28 heartbreaking loss to No. 17 Kansas State.
Despite having two losses, Shedeur Sanders continues to impress, leading the offense with over 2,000 passing yards and 19 touchdowns through six games. Hunter, recovering from an early-season injury, remains a pivotal asset on both sides of the ball. Hunter has 49 receptions and 587 receiving yards, along with 6 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter has been just as good, forcing one fumble and snagging two interceptions.
Arizona this year
After picking up a huge win against Utah, the Wildcats have lost two straight games. Two weeks ago, they lost at home against Texas Tech University, 28-22. They followed that up with a blowout loss on the road against No. 14 BYU.
Arizona’s offense, which had big expectations coming into the year, has not performed as well as expected. Arizona’s offense lacks a balanced attack, relying heavily on quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver McMillan. Fifita currently ranks 11th in the country in total pass attempts. McMillan, who accounts for 30% of the team’s total receptions, has been the team’s only legitimate threat. Fifita leads the Big 12 in interceptions as well with nine, which is more than he threw all of last season.
Keys to success
Arizona needs to make their offense more efficient if they want to revive their season. Arizona should attack Colorado’s weakness on the defensive end, which is their run defense. As a team, Arizona ranks 98th in rush attempts per game, although averaging a solid 5.09 yards per carry. Arizona should look to establish the run early and allow their offense a chance to string together first downs. This will open up the passing game and relieve pressure off of Fifita.
On the defensive side of the ball, pressuring Shedeur Sanders and not letting him escape the pocket will be the key to stopping the Buff’s offense. If Shedeur Sanders has time to throw, Hunter along with the other wide receivers could have a field day against an Arizona defense that gave up 41 points last weekend.
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