The Colorado-Stanford matchup could be the Buffs' get-back game they've needed after a pair of losses and a narrow win at Arizona State last week.
While both programs are in the first year of a significant rebuild, Colorado (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) has been able to enjoy some of the early steps forward while Stanford (1-4, 0-3) has mostly just struggled.
The Cardinal have lost four straight since opening the season with a win at Hawaii, and that stretch has included 56-10 drubbing from USC, a 30-23 loss to FCS foe Sacramento State, a close 21-20 loss to Arizona and a 42-6 defeat from Oregon.
With two-way star Travis Hunter likely back in the mix and the Buffs coming in as 12-point favorites at Folsom Field this Friday, this is Colorado's best chance to assert itself again.
Our CU Sports Report staff debates the key storylines and makes predictions in the weekly Roundtable ...
If Travis Hunter returns, how much do you think he’ll be utilized?
Nicolette Edwards: There’s a “tremendous chance,” according to coach Deion Sanders, that Hunter will make his return after suffering a lacerated liver and missing three games, and from the videos from practice, it looks like he is operating at full capacity.
From linebackers coach Andre’ Hart’s statements on Wednesday, it seems like Hunter does indeed have the green light to play on Friday.
“I just love seeing him out there,” Hart said. “The fact that his feet are on the grass and he's running around communicating, he's gonna be ready to go. He's a dog. He's a competitor. He's been wanting to play since last week.
“Seeing him out there catching balls … I think, two plays in practice, last practice, he caught like two picks and a touchdown. I'm sleeping good at night. I can't wait to see him play, come Friday, when we play.”
With the coaches’ confidence on Hunter's return, I could see Hunter having the start at cornerback while also getting some targets at wide receiver. Hunter has been eager to get back on the field and contribute as much as he can, but I’d imagine the coaches wouldn’t want to overwork him to where it could compromise his overall recovery.
If or when Hunter gets back between the hashes on Friday, he’ll be active on both sides of the ball to help get Colorado off on the right foot and potentially not allow a touchdown on the first drive, which CU’s defense has done the last three games. Up against an opponent like Stanford, the Buffs have a good opportunity to distance themselves early and get Hunter off the field at both positions and let others gain more experience.
Troy Finnegan: Deion Sanders has said that he wants Hunter to be an asset, not a liability whenever he returns, so I’m sure that if he’s back, he will get his usual workload on both sides of the ball. However, even though he’s practicing, it wouldn’t shock me if Sanders held him out one more week to give him two more full weeks off with the bye on the horizon.
I do wonder if the Buffs cut Hunter’s workload back just a hair on offense, because they are just so deep at receiver. The emergence of Omarion Miller along with Jimmy Horn Jr., Xavier Weaver, and Javon Antonio give CU four reliable options, so they don’t need Hunter’s output on that end as much. Of course, he’s still arguably the best of the bunch, so I would still expect him to see some reps.
Defensively, not only is Hunter arguably the best corner in the nation, but Colorado’s depth is extremely young at that spot. While Cormani McClain and Carter Stoutmire have had their moments of brilliance, they’re still prone to freshman mistakes here and there. So if Hunter is active, I expect him to be on the field a ton and to look like his usual self.
