On Friday at 7:00 PM PT on ESPN & KNBR 1050 AM, Stanford football will head to Boulder to battle Colorado. Stanford comes in at 1-4 overall and 0-3 in the Pac-12 while Colorado comes in at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Stanford fell to #9 Oregon 42-6 on Saturday, September 30th at home. Stanford is coming off a bye week having not played last week.
RECAP: Stanford battles hard in loss to #9 Oregon
On Colorado: The Buffaloes have had an interesting season so far, shocking TCU on the road to open up the season and following that up with home wins over Nebraska and Colorado State (double overtime). They lost to USC 48-41 at home and also lost at Oregon by the same 42-6 score that Stanford had. Last week, they went on the road and defeated Arizona State 27-24.
While there has been a ton of hype around Deion Sanders and the way he has injected life into the Colorado program, they’re a very beatable team. They could easily be 2-4 right now had they not escaped with wins over Colorado State and Arizona State. Still, they find ways to win close games and play with a lot of swagger.
The Buffs are led by junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who has thrown 2,020 yards, 16 touchdown passes, and only two interceptions on a 72.7 completion percentage. Sanders has been sacked a lot this year, 31 times to be exact, resulting in an average of -1.0 yards per carry.
Sanders’ favorite receiving targets are wide receiver Xavier Weaver (43 receptions, 507 yards, & 2 touchdowns), wide receiver Jimmy Horn, Jr. (39 receptions, 376 yards, & 4 touchdowns), and tight end Michael Harrison (26 receptions, 215 yards, & 4 touchdowns). All three of those guys have been fantastic.
In the backfield, freshman Dylan Edwards (47 carries, 217 yards, & 1 touchdown) and sophomore Anthony Hankerson (48 carries, 214 yards, & 1 touchdown) operate as one guy, forming a really nice one-two punch. When those guys get the ball, good things happen.
On defense, cornerback Omarion Cooper, safety Shilo Sanders, linebacker Juwan Mitchell, and safety Trevor Woods each have 30+ tackles. Outside linebacker Jordan Domineck leads the team in tackles for loss with 6.5 including 2.0 sacks, so he’s been great in the pass rush.
As for special teams, Alejandro Mata is 4-4 on his field goals this season, so he’s been really solid. Three of those kicks are in the 40-49 yard range.
One other guy to mention is two-way player Travis Hunter, who plays both wide receiver and cornerback. Hunter has missed the last three games but should be a go on Friday against Stanford. He’s one who can make plays on both ends, so having him back is a huge boost for the Buffs. He’s a gifted athlete, hence his ability to play both positions.
Keys to the game: The first thing Stanford needs to do is get after the quarterback. Sheduer Sanders has been sacked a ton this season, which indicates the offensive line isn’t great. Stanford has the potential to be effective in the pass rush with guys like David Bailey, Lance Keneley, and Scotty Edwards. If they can get after Sanders, that more than anything will boost their chances.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is get Benjamin Yurosek going. He’s had a quiet season and that can’t continue in a game like this. This is a game Stanford has to feel like they can win and yet I’m not sure they can feel good about their odds if Yurosek is quiet. Getting Yurosek going in the offense has to be a top priority.
Third, Stanford needs to win the turnover battle. If Stanford takes good care of the ball, limits turnovers on their end, and in turn is able to find ways to get an interception or force a strip sack, they’ll have the edge in this one. Red zone play is going to be crucial in this regard as Stanford has thrown some picks in that part of the field.
Finally, Stanford needs to embrace the environment. Colorado plays in an electric environment that a lot of teams have had fun playing in. Stanford needs to embrace the atmosphere, have fun, and play loose. If they do, I like their chances to win.
Prediction: I think Stanford has a real shot in this game. Colorado has been up and down and they feel like an enigma still. Nobody should be shocked if Stanford wins. Especially if they follow through on my keys to the game. That said, I gotta give the edge to Colorado in this one. They’re at home and I think "Coach Prime" will have his guys ready to go. Colorado 34 Stanford 27 is how I see this one playing out.
Bonus pregame content:
READ: Troy Taylor, Jaxson Moi, and Casey Filkins look ahead to Colorado
READ: Stanford Depth Chart: Colorado
VIDEO: Stanford LB Tristan Sinclair is excited for Friday night lights
VIDEO: Josh Karty hopes to kick it deep in the Colorado stratosphere
VIDEO: Stanford TE coach Nate Byham looks ahead to Colorado
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