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Colorado football vs UCF scouting report: Prediction and 3 keys for Week 5 game

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver LaJohntay Wester (10) celebrates after catching a pass to tie the game in the final seconds against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field.

Deion Sanders and a handful of Colorado football players will return to their home state this weekend.

The Buffaloes travel to UCF as massive (14-point) underdogs to the Knights. Both teams are looking for a 2-0 start in Big 12 play and a signature win.

Here are three keys and a prediction for Colorado’s game vs. UCF, which takes place at 1:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday:

Start fast

Colorado has trailed at halftime in three of its four games this season. The Buffs were able to dig themselves out of an early hole against North Dakota State and Baylor, but the Knights are too talented to start slow against.

In front of a sold-out UCF crowd, Colorado cannot afford to sleepwalk through the first quarter like it did against Nebraska and Colorado State. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur must script an opening series or two that establishes the run game and quickly gets quarterback Shedeur Sanders into the flow of the game.

An early deficit could lead to a blowout because of the Knights’ dominant rushing attack.

“We’re just trying to start fast,” Colorado safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig said Tuesday. “We’ve had a problem with that since I’ve been here, honestly, just coming out and starting fast from the jump. We had a pretty good start this week (vs. Baylor) coming out and getting a three-and-out so it’s just something you have to work at.

“We’re just trying to find different ways to start fast like when we come to practice, we make sure we’re ready to practice as soon as we hit the field, nobody is fiddling around with their helmet or shoulder pads. We’re just trying to start faster and it comes. It’s kind of like we want to make…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/colorado-football-vs-ucf-scouting-000036869.html

Author : The Coloradoan

Publish date : 2024-09-27 00:00:36

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

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