California freshman quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws the ball during a game against Washington on Oct. 26, 2013, at Husky Stadium in Seattle. The Buffs will look to stop the talented freshman, who has thrown for over 3,000 yards this season, which is fifth among all Division I-A quarterbacks. (Photo Courtesy of Michael Tao/Daily Californian)
It’s not often that a game between a 1-9 team and a 3-6 team is described as “big,” but that’s exactly the expectation for this Saturday’s matchup between the University of California Golden Bears and the University of Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder.
Although Buffs Head Coach Mike MacIntyre has repeatedly said he and the team view every game the same, there’s no question this one is a bit different.
Hosting a struggling Cal team, whose only win came against an FCS school, provides an excellent opportunity for the Buffs to get their first conference win in the MacIntyre era.
“Cal offensively is not putting up a lot of points, but they’re moving the ball,” MacIntyre said at a press conference Tuesday. “Their quarterback is throwing the ball well. He can make all the throws.”
In fact, Cal is passing the ball so well that they are ranked No. 8 overall in the country in passing offense with nearly 350 yards per game. But they have struggled to convert in the red zone.
At practice, the Buffs have been working on tackling after missing 37 tackles last week against Washington. Considering the speed and talent of Cal’s offense, especially its strong wide-receiving core, Colorado can ill afford to miss even close to the same amount of tackles this week.
Junior wide receiver Paul Richardson should be able to play Saturday after sitting out most of the second half against Washington with a minor ankle injury.
Cal is in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and has been giving up 44 points per game this season. Saturday’s home game is one of the few games the Buffs have been favored to win this season.
Despite the favorable odds, Coach MacIntyre reiterated that it will still be a tough game.
“Every game we play is going to be a battle one way or the other,” MacIntyre said. ”They’re definitely good enough to whip us good. We’ve got to go play.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Grayson O’Roark at Grayson.oroark@colorado.edu.
