LOS ANGELES: Deion Sanders and Colorado stay a field workplace attraction, regardless that they’re reeling on the sector.
Sanders brings his Buffaloes squad into a offered out Rose Bowl on Saturday for a matchup against Twenty third-ranked UCLA. Not solely will Colorado (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) play to a packed home for the eighth straight sport, it is going to be on nationwide tv for the fifth time this season with the sport on ABC.
Both are program data. Colorado joins Georgia, Iowa, Notre Dame and Tennessee as the one groups to play in entrance of capability crowds in each sport this season.
However, the Buffaloes have dropped three of their final 4. This may even be their first sport since they blew a 29-point halftime lead and misplaced 46-43 in double additional time to Stanford on Oct. 13.
“I don’t think we needed to get away and needed rest. I want to keep on going. I want to keep on moving. I want to keep on progressing,” Sanders mentioned about coming again after a bye week. “I know where I feel like we should be, record-wise, and I know what we can accomplish. I just want to put it all together one game and give it to you and display it.”
Colorado wants two extra wins to get bowl eligible, however all 5 of its remaining opponents have profitable data and three are ranked.
UCLA (5-2, 2-2) bought again on monitor final Saturday with a 42-7 win at Stanford. The Bruins are permitting solely 14.9 factors per sport, their finest scoring protection via seven video games since 1988, after they allowed 14.1 factors per sport.
The Bruins are tied for tenth within the nation with 24 sacks. Linebacker Laiatu Latu is tenth nationally with 6 1/2 sacks.
Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is second nationally in passing yards per sport (345.7) regardless of being one of many nation’s most-hit quarterbacks. The Buffaloes have allowed 35 sacks, tied for second-most within the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“I don’t think people really appreciate, but I would say the best quarterbacks are probably the toughest quarterbacks. The guys that can stand in there, even though there’s a rush coming, and still deliver the ball where it’s supposed to be and not putting it in harm’s way. And he does that a ton,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly mentioned. “He’s the key, so how he goes is how that offense goes. So that’s what our attention is this week is we need to try to disrupt the timing of the routes and then we really need to get pressure on the quarterback.”
WHO STARTS FOR UCLA?
With the exception of the Sept. 2 opener against Coastal Carolina, Kelly has not named a beginning quarterback. Ethan Garbers bought his second begin final week and handed for 240 yards and two touchdowns.
Freshman Dante Moore had began 5 straight video games, however was restricted in observe final week. Moore had additionally thrown a Pick-6 in three straight video games and has accomplished solely 51.8% of his passes on the season.
(*23*)Kelly additionally has Collin Schlee, who has established himself as a change-of-pace choice due to his operating skill. Schlee transferred from Kent State, the place his coach was Sean Lewis, who’s Colorado’s offensive coordinator.
“Well, you prepare for the team. You’re not preparing for the individual,” Sanders mentioned. “For us, it’s daunting, because you would prepare for someone like Shedeur and the plethora of receivers that we have. With them, you prepare more for their coach. I’m a Chip Kelly fan. I really am. I love what he’s brought to college football. I love what he’s brought to football period.”
HUNTER’S WORKLOAD
Travis Hunter missed three video games after he lacerated his liver however performed a Colorado-record 149 snaps from scrimmage and 160 general against Stanford.
The two-way star had a profession excessive in receptions (13) and yards (140) against the Cardinal in addition to two receiving touchdowns and 5 tackles. In 4 video games this season he’s second on the Buffaloes in receiving yards per sport (88.3) and has an interception.
ON THE RUN
UCLA is second within the Pac-12 and ninth nationally in speeding offense, averaging 215 yards per sport. It is averaging 42.7 speeding makes an attempt per sport however have been over 50 in three straight video games.
Carson Steele has run for a minimum of 75 yards up to now 4 video games, and tied a profession excessive with three speeding TDs final week.
CLEAN IT UP
Colorado is tied with New Mexico in penalties, averaging 9.9 per sport. Sanders mentioned the teaching employees did a deep dive on penalties throughout the bye week, particularly after having 17 for 127 yards against Stanford.
“We have addressed all of that and adjusted individuals that are consistently being penalized. We’ve addressed it tremendously, and you should see a tremendous improvement,” Sanders mentioned.
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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham, and freelance writers Monica Costello and Dan Greenspan contributed to this report.
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AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
