Junior receiver Nelson Spruce looks for an opening among Wildcat defenders in the first quarter of play at Arizona Stadium on Nov. 8. (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)
Last game, no one gave Colorado a chance when they travelled to play No. 19 Arizona. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Buffs gave Arizona a scare and might have been able to steal a win, had it not been for quarterback Sefo Liufau’s fourth-quarter fumble. The hit left Liufau with a concussion.
Turnovers are nothing new to Liufau, who leads the Pac-12 in interceptions, and his four giveaways against Arizona sparked the biggest storyline coming into this week.
Head coach Mike MacIntyre announced last week that backup quarterback Jordan Gehrke is going to play in each of the final two games of the season. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said in an interview with the Daily Camera that a major reason for giving Gehrke a shot is because of Liufau’s turnovers. MacIntyre said Tuesday that Liufau’s health will be a factor in how much Gehrke plays. Liufau, who missed every practice of last week, also gave his take on the situation on Tuesday.
“Jordan brings a lot to the table, some things that I can’t even bring,” Liufau said. “Obviously he’s faster than me…it’s good for the team, it’s good for him. I think people are trying to make a bigger deal out of it than it is. Both of us are going to play…and I expect both of us to play at a high level.”
Regardless of who plays at quarterback, Colorado has bigger things to worry about this weekend when they travel to Oregon. Oregon is not only the toughest team Colorado will play this year; they’re one the toughest teams in the country.
For years Oregon has been the powerhouse of the Pac-12, and this season is no different. Led by quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Ducks are No. 2 in the country and the only remaining one-loss team in the Pac-12.
Under Chip Kelly, the Ducks blew teams away with their high-octane spread offense. Kelly may be gone, but his offensive scheme is still there. And they have the perfect quarterback to run it.
Mariota is debatably the frontrunner in the Heisman Trophy race, and for good reason. He’s throwing for 299 and rushing for 52 yards per game. He has 37 total touchdowns. But the most impressive aspect of his play is his ability to take care of the ball with only two interceptions on the year.
“Marcus Mariota is playing at a high, high caliber,” MacIntyre said. “I think in today’s college football, [Mariota] fits [the ideal quarterback] to a T.…Every time [Oregon] has lost, [Mariota] has been banged up somehow during the game…When he’s truly healthy and he can run and make plays, I don’t know if they’ve ever lost.”
Oregon’s running game, led by freshman Royce Freeman, is a problem for the Buffs as well. The Ducks run for 232 yards per game, and it is well documented that Colorado does not have a strong run defense. So how can Colorado hope to contain this Oregon offense? By keeping them off the field.
Stanford, who beat Oregon the past two seasons, showed that the only way to stop the Ducks is to dominate possession. This plays right into Colorado’s hands, as they lead the Pac-12 in time of possession. They have shown the ability to sustain long drives. To pull off the upset, Colorado will have to control the ball.
Oregon’s defense will be their Achilles’ heel. They are giving up 456 yards per game, second-to-last in the Pac-12. While they have given up yards this season, their secondary is extremely talented and poses a serious challenge for Colorado’s receivers.
“As a secondary, I think as a whole, they are probably the best group we’ve faced so far,” Colorado receiver Nelson Spruce said. “Their corners on the outside are really good players so I think it will be a really good test.”
One of the corners that Spruce was referring to is Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. At a glance, Olomu’s stats don’t jump off the page, but that’s just because teams avoid throwing to him the same way NFL teams avoid Richard Sherman. The pre- and mid-season All American is regarded as one of the nation’s top shutdown corners and is sure to be lined up against Spruce on Saturday.
With Spruce battling Olomu, Colorado may have to lean on their stable of running backs to keep the ball out of Oregon’s hands. The Buffs do not have a primary running back, and four of their backs have rushed for over 300 yards this year as a result. With Michael Adkins II doubtful for Saturday’s game, Colorado will look to Tony Jones, Philip Lindsay and Christian Powell to carry the load.
A first conference win for Colorado is going to be hard to find against the country’s second ranked team. They are 0-7 in the Pac-12 and 2-8 overall. But, their record does not tell the whole story. In every game this season, besides USC, the Buffs defied expectations. In games against teams like UCLA and Arizona State where no one thought they had a chance, Colorado played their best. While they have yet to come away with that coveted win, they have come out and competed.
This gives Colorado the belief that they can compete with any team, on any given Saturday — even Oregon.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t beat Oregon, or we couldn’t beat any team in country,” Liufau said. “Besides one game…we’ve been in every game. Even against Arizona State, when no one really thought we could stay with them. I definitely think we can beat Oregon, and the whole team has that mentality.”
The game will air on the Pac-12 Network and kicks off at 2:37 MST.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sean Kelly at Sean.D.Kelly@colorado.edu.
