After dodging tortillas in Lubbock, head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs sit in second place in the conference standings and possess a clear path to the Big 12 Championship.
The Buffs' (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) last three regular season opponents all have losing records and are among the bottom five teams in the Big 12 standings. Before seeing Kansas (3-6, 2-4) and Oklahoma State (3-7, 0-7), the Buffs will face off against the Utes (4-5, 1-5) on Saturday. Utah has dealt with a fair share of quarterback troubles again this year with veteran quarterback Cam Rising and Brandon Rose both suffering season-ending injuries this fall. Head coach Kyle Whittingham named freshman quarterback Issac Wilson the starter against the Buffs, but reports surfaced Friday that he could also end up missing Saturday's game.
Despite Utah’s record, the Utes almost beat undefeated BYU last weekend in Salt Lake. Utah’s athletic director Mark Harlan shared his opinions after the game regarding a late holding call that proved costly, and Utah is coming in looking to avenge what Harlan perceives was taken from the Utes last week.
Colorado has not claimed a win against Utah since Nov. 26, 2016, and this is the Buffs’ best chance to finally secure a win and continue their pursuit toward the Big 12 Championship considering the adversity Utah has faced this season with injured personnel.
The CU Sports Report tandem of. Troy Finnegan and Nikki Edwards discuss what they are watching ahead of this Week 12 matchup.
What is Colorado's biggest concern heading into this matchup?
Troy: The biggest concern for the Buffs in this one is the line of scrimmage. That’s where Utah usually wants to win, and that will be their best avenue to winning after all of the injuries that the Utes have sustained.
Colorado has greatly improved up front, so it should be able to handle itself. However, the Buffs will have a hard time moving the offense if they can’t run run the ball and can’t protect Shedeur Sanders. On the other side, the Utes will want to get Micah Bernard going early and often. Colorado must not allow that to happen.
