Buffs hope to put Tucson struggles behind them as they take on Arizona
By Sophia Damian
The Colorado Buffaloes (3-0, 2-0 PAC-12) are traveling down to Tucson this Saturday for a PAC-12 South matchup against the Arizona Wildcats (0-3, 0-3 PAC-12) where they will look to continue their hot start to this season on both sides of the ball.
Colorado has struggled the past three years when facing the Wildcats, largely in part due to the inability to stop quarterback Khalil Tate, both through the air and on the ground. But things this year are looking heavily in favor of the Buffs to get the win in the desert.
Sam Noyer, a program veteran but making his debut at quarterback this season, has been sparking a fire for the team with his consistency and commitment. His mobility and speed have helped create a dynamic running attack along with redshirt sophomore running back Jarek Broussard, who has recovered from not just one, but two torn ACLs. Senior linebacker Nate Landman has been leading the defense with 37 tackles through three games, securing him a spot as a semi-finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, as well as earning himself multiple PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Week awards.
Arizona has not been able to get things rolling after their season opener against Utah was cancelled due to COVID-19. It’ll be Sophomore QB Grant Gunnell’s first time taking the starting snaps against the Buffaloes, after watching Tate handle business the past few seasons. The Cats have fought hard in their first three games, but haven’t been able to secure a win yet. One of their losses was a heartbreaking 34-30 defeat at the hands of USC after leading late in the game. Coach Kevin Sumlin has made strides in cleaning up things, but they’re a fairly young team who has a lot to improve upon.
Colorado Head Coach Karl Dorrell is not marking this off as an easy win for the Buffs even though the records on paper might indicate that it won’t be close.
“I think Arizona is a much better team than their record indicates. It’s easy to fall into that trap looking at, ‘oh they’re 0-3.’ I know offensively they can be very explosive,” said Dorrell. “We have to do a great job of defending and a great job of producing plays offensively so that we can do the things that are conducive for our success.”
Defense will be a main focus for Dorrell and his staff, as the last three times these two teams have matched up, Arizona has put up a combined 122 points on the scoreboard.
Colorado is looking to improve to an impressive 4-0 start after their 20-10 win over San Diego State last weekend, which was scheduled quickly after the cancellation of the USC game due to positive COVID-19 cases within their football program. Kickoff is set for 5pm Mountain Time and will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1.
