Three Storylines to Watch for Arizona vs Colorado
In this story:
The hope is that Arizona's second bye week came at the perfect time, following a pair of stinging losses to good teams within the Big 12.
The Wildcats are 4-3 and in the hunt for a return to bowl season. This week, they get a Colorado team that was just squashed by rival Utah, 53-7. The Buffaloes haven't been consistent on either side of the ball this season, but don't overlook them just yet.
Coach Deion Sanders still has faith in the Colorado offense, which features some interesting playmakers. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter can be a threat on the ground, although the Buffaloes might play two quarterbacks this week. Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams are reliable targets for him downfield.
Yet, the Wildcats' defense has been among the nation's best, but struggled the past two weeks against the pass. In a game that could get chilly as the night moves along, Arizona could be forced to stop the deep ball late in the game.
Brent Brennan needs a road win badly, and this is a good opportunity for him and the Wildcats. Here are three things to watch as Arizona tries to pick up a win in Boulder this weekend.
1) Can the Wildcats stop the run?
Arizona's own run game could use some help, but the most pressing concern defensively the past few weeks has been stopping opposing rushing games. More specifically, the quarterback rushing attacks from BYU and Houston shredded the Wildcats.
The Wildcats allowed 189 yards and three touchdowns in those two games from the opposing signal callers. Salter enjoys running out of structure and forcing the second level of the defense to follow him.
Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales could deploy a spy all night long assigned to Salter to contain the rushing possibilities, which might be wise. Max Harris and Taye Brown are both likely candidates, or they could use Riley Wilson's athleticism and drop him off the edge to confuse Salter.
The Buffaloes haven't run the ball well this season from the backfield, so the Wildcats should really only be concerned about Salter. If they can stop him, the Colorado offense can become one-dimensional, which is easier to prepare for.
2) Will Arizona come after Kaidon Salter?
If the offense does become one-dimensional and Salter is dropping back often and taking chances, it'll be interesting to see how Gonzales approaches the coverage.
Colorado has a propensity to go empty and run a bunch of routes, usually forcing the defense into a nickel or dime package with an extra defensive back. It could be a good idea to go with that look, but try to catch the Buffaloes off guard with a corner blitz.
Sanders expressed concern about his offensive line after last week's loss to Utah, in which the Buffaloes surrendered seven sacks and were under constant pressure. Arizona doesn't quite have the effective pass rushers that the Utes have, but they could send more blitzes, which is something Sanders is worried about.
Arizona only has 14 sacks this season, but Colorado has let their quarterback hit the grass 21 times. If the Wildcats attack the offensive line in Boulder, they could silence the crowd and put Colorado behind the chains.
3) Can Noah Fifita weather the storm on the road?
Fifita has been the least of Arizona's concerns this season, bouncing back from a tough 2024 campaign. This year, he has thrown for 1,829 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He's currently in the hunt for the school's career passing touchdown record, six shy of the mark held by Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles.
Despite the advantages Arizona should have in this game, Folsom Field has not been a welcoming environment to visitors, and the Wildcats have played well away from Tucson.
Arizona is 0-2 this season on the road and 1-7 under Brennan in such situations. A night game will likely be cold and moving the ball could become more of a physical problem than initially presumed.
Colorado is middle of the pack defending the pass in the Big 12, allowing 210.4 yards per game. Fifita has seen better secondaries this season, but Colorado has shown up against some of the better quarterbacks in the conference. They held down BYU's Bear Bachmeier in a narrow loss and held Iowa State's Rocco Becht to 205 passing yards and an interception in an upset.
This is a spot where Fifita simply needs to keep the team composed and in control of the game. He doesn't have to be super aggressive this week if Arizona can find something on the ground. Colorado's two home losses however have both come against top-10 teams in the country by a combined 10 points. It's on Fifita to help Arizona overcome their road demons.
Please be sure to share your thoughts on Arizona's trip to Colorado this week. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.
Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
Follow loganabrown