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Colorado’s achilles heel all season long has been stopping the run. It led to their downfall on Saturday night in Tempe, and doomed them in games against Washington, Arizona, and Washington State as well.

Unfortunately for the Buffs, their schedule doesn’t get easier at this point. One of the best running backs in the entire country in Ronald Jones leads the USC Trojans into Boulder in front of two other talented backs - freshman sensation Stephen Carr, and junior Ace’Cedric Ware.

After a bye week, CU travels to Salt Lake City to face talented running back Zach Moss, and dual-threat quarterback Tyler Huntley.

If Colorado doesn’t improve their run stopping ability, it will be very difficult for them to win either of their last two games. To improve their rush defense, the Buffs must get better at wrapping up the ball carrier right away, as missed tackles have been the root of this season long issue.

“We’ve got to tackle better, we were there a lot of times and missed tackles,” CU head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “They had a tremendous amount of yards gained after missed tackles. We’re right there, and [Richard] just ran over us. On two long runs, there were two people who missed face up on him. We work on tackling all the time, and they have to make those tackles.”

CU will need to improve their tackling ability overnight as Jones is among the best in the country at making guys miss.

After having their homecoming game two weeks ago, Colorado is having senior day for their final bout at Folsom Field this season.

The ceremony will mean a lot to the team as they’re graduating several players who have been impactful both on and off the field.

If the team wasn’t fired up before, then they should be now. All of this goes without saying emotions will be at an alltime high for the Buffs.

“Senior day is always an emotional day,” MacIntyre said. “It’s the last time the guys play at Folsom Field and their families are all here, and they’re able to reminisce the whole week. It definitely is a special, special day for the team, the seniors and their families.

MacIntyre also talked about the lasting impact this game usually has on players throughout their life.

“I’ll never forget my senior game,” MacIntyre said with a smile. “My last time out there with Georgia Tech, so it’s something you’ll always remember.”

Between several tough defeats, senior day, and a Top 25 ranked USC team that Colorado has never beaten coming to Boulder this week, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for the Buffs. Even if the team hasn’t reached their personal goals, they still have the opportunity to attain bowl eligibility for the second straight season - a feat that would be remarkable for a problem that’s been in the ashes for so long.

In his post-practice press conference, the Lindsay talked about how it isn’t all about outside expectations, but closing out the season effectively.

“There’s a lot of emotion going around,” Lindsay said. “We haven’t had the season we’ve wanted to -it has been up and down, but that’s how the Pac-12 has been all season. For us, it’s all about finishing.”

Lindsay also talked about how being winless against the Trojans could give the team a little more juice on Saturday.

“[Being winless against USC] makes you mad and want to play for each other,” Lindsay said. “Just come out with a all around great game, and in order for us to do that we need to be firing on all cylinders in practice the whole week.”

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After practice, MacIntyre had high praise for the signal caller, talking about his attractive skillset.

“He’s athletic, and he can make all the throws,” MacIntyre said. “The thing that I like about him is he’s able to stay on his feet and extend plays really well, but he can also drop back and make any throw in the pocket which I think NFL scouts like the best.”

With a banged up Isaiah Oliver, corners who have been inconsistent, and a lackluster pass rush, the Buffs will have their hands full when the Trojans come to town Saturday. They defense is going to need to step up and play a great game if they want any chance of winning this one.

-Offensive lineman Tim Lynott suffered a torn achilles in the game against ASU and is set to undergo surgery sometime this week. He’s out for the remainder of this season as well as spring ball. He’s expected to ready in time for fall camp next year.

-There’s still a chance that buff backer Ryan Moeller will return sometime this season from an injury suffered last Saturday, although the nature of the injury hasn’t been disclosed.

-Quarterback Steven Montez played well enough for the team to win against the Sun Devils, per MacIntyre.

-MacIntyre explained the team’s decision to punt on 4th & 14 from the team’s on 45. He felt it was too far of a distance to try and convert the fourth down in their own territory with five and a half minutes left to play. Had it been 4th and under 10 yards to gain, he likely would’ve went for it.

-MacIntyre described Southern California as “the best recruiting spot in the entire country.” He feels this is why USC is able to recruit, produce, and retain so many talented players.

-Despite outside speculation that the Buffs should’ve beat Arizona State, Lindsay talked about this game as a team loss from the core: “In the Pac-12, you can’t play three quarters and expect to win a game.”