Amidst Hurricane Helene hitting the southern shores of Florida, the Colorado Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) are traveling to Orlando to take on the Knights of the University of Central Florida (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) for their first away Big 12 game since their return.
It was an eventful week for the Buffs, as they managed to survive an upset at the hands of Baylor at home with a last-second miraculous game-tying Hail Mary. Colorado went on to win in overtime with a game-winning forced fumble from wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter at the one-yard line.
This game was played in inclement weather as it started pouring rain in Boulder during the fourth quarter. Inclement weather affected Colorado late, as seen with wide receiver Will Sheppard dropping the potential game-tying pass just one play before the Hail Mary.
Head coach Deion Sanders spoke about the weather before the Baylor game, clearly stating that the team was preparing as if it was not going to rain. Sanders bickered with a reporter who asked about his plans for the rain.
“I’m one of those good weathermen... 30% (chance of rain) is 70% (chance) it won’t. Let's do drills that say, ‘It won’t rain,'” Sanders said.
Coach Prime may not be taking the same chances regarding this game as he has changed his team's travel plans in preparation for their game at Central Florida.
“Our players like simplicity, and I do too, so I don’t want to take a risk and a chance… if we’re going to leave Thursday anyway, so the storm is supposed to hit Thursday,” Sanders said Tuesday. “So we don’t want to take that chance and the storm hits Thursday. Now we can’t get there until Friday evening and now it’s a rush, so we’re trying to get ahead of the curve and be smart with it. Our guys like consistency, so being settled and having a consistent plan in place works in our favor.”
The latest forecast predicts Hurricane Helene will have already passed Orlando by kickoff on Saturday, but chances of inclement weather still remain. No rain would work in Colorado’s favor as they are going up against one of the most powerful rushing attacks in the country. Colorado goes into the game as around a two-touchdown underdog depending on the sportsbook. This is not going to be an easy game for Colorado and it could worsen with the rain.
Rainy football calls for running the ball. This is something that plays to the Knights’ advantage as they have one of the most dynamic running attacks in the country, led by two elite running backs and dual-threat quarterback KJ Jefferson. They are the top team in the country in rushing yards with 1,127 and 13 touchdowns on the ground through three games, averaging over 375 rush yards per game. On the other hand, Colorado relies heavily on its passing game to score and keep games competitive, as they have only 275 rushing yards total through four games. The Buffs have to beware of the Knights’ front seven as well as they are ranked 21st in the country in pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
The key to this game for the Buffs lies in keeping up with UCF’s explosive offense. Colorado will need to be firing at all cylinders on offense to do this. They have the weapons and offensive capability to do so, as quarterback Shedeur Sanders has already surpassed the 1,300-passing-yard mark and has thrown for 11 touchdowns in the season, and Travis Hunter, who has now racked up over 100 receiving yards in each of the last five games.
However, they can’t escape Mother Nature. The volume of throws, depth of target, catch rate and completion percentage all drop significantly in light to moderate rain according to PFF. The Buffs might need to rely heavily on the run game this Saturday, and that plays to the Knights’ advantage.
This game has major implications in the race for a berth at the Big 12 title as both teams are going into the game 1-0 in conference play and look to further improve their chances by collecting another conference win. The game kicks off from Orlando at 1:30 p.m. MT on Fox.
Cover photo by Cristian Blanco/Sko Buffs Sports
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