After a close loss against then-No. 18 Kansas State, Colorado is looking to get back on track as it heads out to face Arizona on its own turf.

Travis Hunter (shoulder) and Jimmy Horn Jr. (knee) are expected to play according to head coach Deion Sanders, and both of their presences should be felt on Saturday as Arizona will be without key starters in the secondary. Cornerback Treydan Stukes is out for the season and safety Gunner Maldonado and defensive tackle Chubba Ma'ae will be out for this weekend’s matchup. However, cornerback Tacario Davis, who got banged up against No. 14 BYU, will be available against the Buffs.

Defensive coordinator Duane Akina said the secondary situation is “one of the biggest challenges” he has faced this season, and Akina and his defense might have to pull out all the stops against the No. 7 passing offense in FBS.

Here’s what CU Sports Report's Nikki Edwards and Troy Finnegan are monitoring ahead of Colorado-Arizona:

Troy: The Buffs’ biggest concern coming into this one is internal. Saturday’s loss to Kansas State is the kind of heartbreaker that can make or break a team’s season, and it’s imperative that Colorado responds in Tucson. A win in this one gets it to 5-2, keeps the train on the tracks and keeps it right in the thick of things in the Big 12 race.

Colorado was 4-2 last year when it took a terrible loss in the infamous Stanford game that ended up being a major inflection point in the season. This team has shown all year that it’s not last year’s team. The Buffs are more talented, they’re better coached, and they have loftier goals than they did in 2023, and Saturday is their chance to prove that this squad is still trending upwards.