Game Day Primer / Sun, Oct 18
AWAY TEAM
5–0
HOME TEAM
2–3
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01 / Why this game matters
Colorado kept Texas Tech close for three quarters before losing 29–7. Now unbeaten Utah brings running back , with consecutive 170-yard games and an offense that has scored at least 31 every week. The Buffaloes need more than another promising start: they need possessions that end safely, giving the defense a chance to make its early work count.
02 / Know these people
Wayshawn Parker / The runner who makes the first opening dangerous
Utah · Running Back (RB)
He has rushed for more than 170 yards in each of Utah’s last two games. Watch his first change of direction after receiving the handoff. If Colorado closes the original lane but misses when he cuts, good initial positioning can still become a long gain.
Santana Hopper / The defender who can interrupt a play before it develops
Colorado · Defensive Lineman (DL)
He made 10 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, against Texas Tech. Find him near the line before the snap. If he gets into the backfield before the handoff settles, Utah’s runner has to solve a problem before reaching the space the play was designed to use.
03 / Watch for this
When meets a defender near the line, keep watching his feet. If he has to stop and restart, Colorado has bought time for help. If he keeps moving forward while turning his shoulders through contact, the next defender may be tackling a runner who still has speed.
04 / Sound smart
followed 174 rushing yards at Iowa State with 171 against Kansas.
The central storyline
Colorado kept Texas Tech close for three quarters before losing 29–7. Now unbeaten Utah brings running back , with consecutive 170-yard games and an offense that has scored at least 31 every week. The Buffaloes need more than another promising start: they need possessions that end safely, giving the defense a chance to make its early work count.
A read on both sides
Utah
Team vibe
Utah averages 42.8 points scored and 13.0 allowed across five wins. The 66-point opener raises the scoring average, but the Utes have still reached 31 in every game and won each by at least 14. That consistency gives the offense room to work without treating every stalled drive as an emergency. Colorado’s task is to change that rhythm by forcing Utah to earn multiple difficult downs in the same possession.
Colorado
Team vibe
Colorado averages 18.6 points scored and 25.4 allowed. Its 52-point win over Weber State is the offensive outlier; the other four games produced 41 points combined. The Buffaloes did keep Texas Tech behind them at halftime, so the latest loss was not simply a game that escaped immediately. The issue is sustaining enough offense, and protecting the ball well enough, for that competitive stretch to reach the final minutes.
Current storylines
Teach Me What to Notice
On screen
Look for: The Colorado defender arriving behind the first collision on a Utah running play.
If you see it: He stays balanced and closes the remaining lane instead of charging past the runner.
Here's what it means: The first defender has help. Even if the runner escapes one tackle, he must immediately solve another rather than accelerate into open field.
The central storyline
Colorado kept Texas Tech close for three quarters before losing 29–7. Now unbeaten Utah brings running back , with consecutive 170-yard games and an offense that has scored at least 31 every week. The Buffaloes need more than another promising start: they need possessions that end safely, giving the defense a chance to make its early work count.
A read on both sides
Utah
Team vibe
Utah averages 42.8 points scored and 13.0 allowed across five wins. The 66-point opener raises the scoring average, but the Utes have still reached 31 in every game and won each by at least 14. That consistency gives the offense room to work without treating every stalled drive as an emergency. Colorado’s task is to change that rhythm by forcing Utah to earn multiple difficult downs in the same possession.
Colorado
Team vibe
Colorado averages 18.6 points scored and 25.4 allowed. Its 52-point win over Weber State is the offensive outlier; the other four games produced 41 points combined. The Buffaloes did keep Texas Tech behind them at halftime, so the latest loss was not simply a game that escaped immediately. The issue is sustaining enough offense, and protecting the ball well enough, for that competitive stretch to reach the final minutes.
Current storylines
Teach Me What to Notice
On screen
Look for: The Colorado defender arriving behind the first collision on a Utah running play.
If you see it: He stays balanced and closes the remaining lane instead of charging past the runner.
Here's what it means: The first defender has help. Even if the runner escapes one tackle, he must immediately solve another rather than accelerate into open field.
Players & Coaches
Players & Coaches
Utah · Running Back (RB)
He has rushed for more than 170 yards in each of Utah’s last two games. Watch his first change of direction after receiving the handoff. If Colorado closes the original lane but misses when he cuts, good initial positioning can still become a long gain.
Players & Coaches
Colorado · Defensive Lineman (DL)
He made 10 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, against Texas Tech. Find him near the line before the snap. If he gets into the backfield before the handoff settles, Utah’s runner has to solve a problem before reaching the space the play was designed to use.
Players & Coaches
Colorado · Wide Receiver (WR)
He caught 11 passes at Baylor and 10 against Texas Tech. Watch where his catches finish relative to the first-down line. A high reception total helps most when it keeps possessions alive, rather than leaving Colorado with repeated difficult decisions on the next down.
The Stakes
Utah can keep an unbeaten season and conference record intact. Colorado can end a three-game losing streak and earn its first Big 12 win. Those are different ambitions for the same night, but both depend on repeated execution rather than the emotional lift of one early touchdown or defensive stop.
Why it matters
Quarterback Devon Dampier has completed 71.8 percent of his passes with 12 passing touchdowns. If Colorado pulls another defender close to the line to help against , watch the space that defender leaves behind. The tradeoff is whether the extra body stops the run without giving the passer an easy target.
Why it matters
’ recent volume gives Colorado an obvious receiver to follow. Notice whether a short catch lets the offense stay on schedule or merely retrieves yards lost on the previous play. The same completion can help or hurt the next decision depending on the down and distance.
Conversation Starters
Conversation Starters
Colorado was in the Texas Tech game much longer than 29–7 suggests. It needs the offense to protect that defensive effort.
Conversation Starters
I’m watching the defender behind the first tackle on . Closing the first lane may not finish the play.
Conversation Starters
keeps catching passes, but Colorado needs those catches to extend drives and produce more than one score.