By: Terris Harris ll
Coach Prime and his Colorado Buffaloes are entering week 4 of America’s favorite pastime with their horns ablaze. Off to a surprising undefeated start, CU faces a stiff conference battle on the opposing turf of the no. 10 ranked Oregon Ducks.
The Buffs are coming into this game without their most prized possession, the star two-way player Travis Hunter, who is battling a lacerated liver. The injury will keep him out for three to four weeks, leaving his team with a stain as its competition begins to get stiffer.
Despite the injury, Colorado’s roster is stacked with talent. There are pieces that can make up for the unfortunate absence of Hunter, like elite pass-catchers Xavier Weaver (currently regarded by many as a top 25 receiver in the nation), Jimmy Horn Jr., Dylan Edwards out of the backfield, or tight end Mikey Harrison — a hero during the barnburner versus CSU. However, the lack of a potent rushing attack is a flaw that can hurt the Buffs if Oregon figures out how to completely smother it. Part of that issue is their subpar offensive line, a certain issue that needs to be addressed. Teams with skilled pass rushers are able to easily get past the CU blockers and apply quick pressure to quarterback Shedeur Sanders or any one of their committee running backs. We saw this in effect during the Buffs’ last two opponents in Nebraska and Colorado State.
Like we saw during Colorado’s show stopping season opener versus TCU, the Buffaloes have no problem turning games into shootouts. Honestly, given the current status of both teams’ somewhat injury-riddled rosters, that would probably be preferred by coaches and fans. Shedeur has no issue with shifting the pocket, and he has the weapons to accommodate for that skill. This game will surely be one for the ages, so we’ll see if Coach Prime and company can make this once in a lifetime run continue.
