Star reporter Michael Lev breaks down key matchups, strategy and starters for both ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Colorado for a Friday night battle in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, and offers a prediction.
Kevin Sumlin monitors his team during warmups before a game against Southern Utah this season.
Who:ÌýColorado Buffaloes (5-3, 2-3 Pac-12) at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats (4-5, 3-3)Ìý
Where:ÌýÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium
When:Ìý7:45 p.m. Friday
Watch:ÌýFox Sports 1
Listen:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:ÌýÌýon Twitter /ÌýÌýon Facebook
Figuring out a way to contain Khalil Tate has been a weeklong focal point for the CU defense. Landman is by far the Buffs’ leading tackler with 84, including 12 for losses and five for no gain. Landman will track Tate’s every move.
For reasons that have been well-chronicled, Tate isn’t the same player who rushed for a record 327 yards vs. Colorado last season, but he can be effective in other ways. He has matched last season’s 14 TD passes while cutting his INTs from nine to five.
The graduate transfer from Virginia Tech ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (97.2). McMillian has been a workhorse for CU, totaling 20 or more carries in four of the past five weeks. He has topped 100 yards five times in eight games.
Schooler ranks first in the Pac-12 and second nationally with 16 TFLs. He probably has a different takeaway from last year’s CU game: Phillip Lindsay rushed for 281 yards. Schooler and his teammates can’t let it happen again.
With McMillian running and the much-improved Steven Montez throwing, the Buffs are the only team in the Pac-12 to rank in the top five in rushing and passing. But the key to their attack is Laviska Shenault Jr., who, when healthy, might be the best player in the league. Shenault missed the past two games because of a toe injury and is considered day to day. The Wildcats must prepare as if he’s playing.
Shawn Poindexter (19) and Khalil Tate celebrate a touchdown during the Wildcats' upset over Oregon. Poindexter has 582 yards and six touchdowns, both team highs among ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ receivers.
The Wildcats have rediscovered their run game the past two weeks, and that’s the biggest reason they scored 30-plus points in each game. J.J. Taylor will be asked to carry a heavy load if Gary Brightwell (ankle) can’t play. If ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ can run effectively, look for Tate and his receivers to test a banged-up CU secondary with play-action passes. Senior wideouts Shawn Poindexter and Shun Brown have combined for 10 touchdowns.
Defensive tackle PJ Johnson, left, shown celebrating with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ teammate JB Brown, has a decision to make soon about his future.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ just thumped a ranked Oregon team in a performance that could signal a turning point for the program. Colorado just blew a 31-3 second-half lead at home against lowly Oregon State. So the Wildcats should roll, right? Not necessarily. The Buffs are in crisis mode and will play with a renewed sense of urgency. The Cats must prove they can handle success. It says here that they can — and will.
Offense
XWR 3 K.D. Nixon 5-8 185 So.Ìý
ZWR 18 Tony Brown 6-1 190 Jr.
LT 78 William Sherman 6-4 290 Fr.
LG 64 Aaron Haigler 6-7 295 Jr. Ìý
C 65 Colby Pursell 6-4 290 Fr.
RG 56 Tim Lynott Jr. 6-3 300 Jr. Ìý
RT 76 Frank Fillip 6-7 280 Fr.
HWR 14 Jay MacIntyre 5-10 185 Sr.Ìý Ìý
YWR Juwann Winfree 6-3 215 Sr.
QB 12 Steven Montez 6-5 230 Jr. Ìý
TB 34 Travon McMillian 6-0 210 Sr.
Defense
LDE 95 Israel Antwine 6-4 315 Fr.
NT 33 Javier Edwards 6-3 325 Sr.Ìý
RDE 34 Mustafa Johnson 6-2 290 So.
OLB 20 Drew Lewis 6-2 225 Sr. Ìý
ILB 53 Nate Landman 6-3 220 So.Ìý
ILB 32 Rick Gamboa 6-0 230 Sr. Ìý
BUFF 5 Davion Taylor 6-2 220 Jr.
LCB 4 Dante Wigley 6-1 195 Jr.
FS 7 Nick Fisher 6-0 190 Sr.Ìý Ìý
SS 3 Derrion Rakestraw 6-2 190 So.Ìý
RCB 8 Trey Udoffia 6-0 185 So.Ìý
Kevin Sumlin will look to replicate the success ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ had against Colorado a season ago.
Offense
WR 18 Cedric Peterson 5-11 193 Jr.
SLOT 6 Shun Brown 5-10 188 Sr.
LT 58 Layth Friekh 6-5 297 Sr.
RT 76 Cody Creason 6-4 294 Jr.
C 50 Josh McCauley 6-3 292 So.
RG 75 Michael Eletise 6-3 323 So.
RT 78 Donovan Laie 6-4 318 Fr.
SLOT 9 Tony Ellison 5-11 189 Sr.
WR 19 Shawn Poindexter 6-5 218 Sr.
RB 21 J.J. Taylor 5-6 184 So
QB 14 Khalil Tate 6-2 215 Jr.
Defense
DE 12 JB Brown 6-3 263 So.
NT 99 Dereck Boles 6-2 306 Sr.
DE 52 PJ Johnson 6-4 335 Jr.
STUD 49 Jalen Harris 6-4 230 Fr.
MLB 7 Colin Schooler 6-0 236 So.
WLB 1 Tony Fields II 6-1 230 So.
SPUR 31 Tristan Cooper 6-1 194 Jr.Ìý
BANDIT 6 D. Flannigan-Fowles 6-2 209 Sr.
BC 2 Lorenzo Burns 5-10 181 So.
FC 20 Azizi Hearn 6-1193 Fr.
FS 19Scottie Young Jr.5-11 195So.
Passing
Montez 182-267-4 Cmp-Att-Int, 2,053 Yds, 14 TDs, 89 Lg
MacIntyre 1-1-0 Cmp-Att-Int, 31 Yds, 0 TDs, 31 Lg
Rushing
McMillian 8 Games, 147 Car., 778 Yds, 5 TDs, 5.2 Avg
Montez 8 Games, 57 Car., 226 Yds, 4 TDs, 3.9 Avg
Evans 8 Games, 52 Car., 167 Yds, 2 TDs, 3.2 Avg
Bisharat 8 Games, 21 Car., 143 Yds, 0 TDs, 6.8 Avg
Shenault 6 Games, 15 Car., 87 Yds, 5 TDs, 5.8 Avg
Fontenot 8 Games, 11 Car., 43 Yds, 1 TD, 3.9 Avg
Receiving
Shenault 6 Games, 60 Rec., 780 Yds, 6 TDs, 13.0 Avg
Dixon 8 Games, 46 Rec., 560 Yds, 3 TDs, 12.2 Avg
Brown 8 Games, 27 Rec., 289 Yds, 0 TDs, 10.7 Avg
Defense
Landman 84 Tk, 3 Sk, 2 Int, 0 FR
Gamboa 57 Tk, 0 Sk, 1 Int, 0 FR
Johnson 56 Tk, 7.5 Sk, 0 Int, 1 FR
Worthington 43 Tk, 1 Sk, 1 Int, 0 FR
Taylor 38 Tk, 1 Sk, 0 Int, 2 FR
Passing
TateÌý114-211-5 Cmp-Att-Int, 1,604 Yds, 14 TDs, 75 Lg
Rodriguez 41-79-2 Cmp-Att-Int, 506 Yds, 3 TDs, 42 Lg
Rushing
Taylor 9 Games, 167 Car., 1,029 Yds, 6 TDs, 6.2 Avg
Brightwell 9 Games, 84 Car., 474 Yds, 2 TDs, 5.6 Avg
Tate 8 Games, 53 Car., 138 Yds, 2 TDs, 2.6 Avg
Marsical 9 Games, 16 Car., 76 Yds, 1 TD, 4.8 Avg
Smith 2 Games, 15 Car., 62 Yds, 1 TD, 4.1 Avg
Brown 9 Games, 2 Car., 40 Yds, 0 TDs, 20 Avg
Receiving
Poindexter 9 Games, 32 Rec., 582 Yds, 6 TDs, 18.1 Avg
Brown 9 Games, 46 Rec., 485 Yds, 4 TDs, 10.5 Avg
Ellison 9 Games, 21 Rec., 372 Yds, 2 TDs, 17.7 Avg
Defense
Schooler 92 Tk, 2 Sk, 2 Int, 1 FR
Fields 63 Tk, 1 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Wallace 52 Tk, 0 Sk, 1 Int, 0 FR
Flannigan-Fowles 39 Tk, 0 Sk, 0 Int, 0 FR
Burns 31 Tk, 1 Sk, 0 Int, 1 FR
Sports Reporter/Columnist
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