Miracles don’t last long in college football. Colorado has no time to bask in the glory of its fairytale finish on Saturday against Baylor, as the Buffs are already off to Orlando to take on undefeated UCF in one of the biggest Big 12 matchups of the weekend.
CU will have plenty to overcome on Saturday, including bad weather from Hurricane Helene that is making its way towards Florida. The storm changed the Buffs’ travel plans, as they flew out to Orlando on Wednesday to beat the bad weather.
You have to imagine UCF head coach Gus Malzahn won't mind if Saturday brings inclement weather. The Knights like to pound the rock, and rain and wind will make it more difficult for Shedeur Sanders and the explosive Buffs passing game to create big plays down the field.
Colorado is getting some reinforcements back this week after Deion Sanders said defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo (shoulder) and running back Dallan Hayden (ankle) should both be ready to go. He left the door open for the return of Shilo Sanders (forearm) as well, but his status is unclear.
Let’s take a look at the elite UCF running game, as well as everything else the Knights bring to the table.
Who: Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) at UCF (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Where: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL
When: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1:30 p.m. MST
TV: FOX
UCF at a glance
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn (104-54 in 12+ college seasons, 4th at UCF)
2023 record: 6-7 (3-6 Big 12)
Total offense: 570.7 yards per game (3rd in FBS)
Total defense: 302.7 yards allowed per game (43rd)
Scoring offense: 45.7 points per game (14th)
Scoring defense: 17.0 points allowed per game (T-36th)
When Colorado has the ball
This is the side of the ball that could really be affected by the rain and wind if it’s really howling during the game. The Buffs played in the rain last week and it generated mixed results in the passing game. Shedeur Sanders had some accuracy issues over the middle, but still put out a solid performance overall.
The lack of pass protection made it very difficult for Sanders last week, which should ease up on Saturday. The Colorado pass protection against the UCF pass rush pits arguably the teams’ biggest weaknesses against each other. The Buffs have allowed 16 sacks this season, tied for the most in the FBS, but the Knights have only gotten home once in three games. It is the only team in college football with less than two sacks.
