COLORADO Buffaloes @ OREGON Ducks Preview

Autzen Stadium Photo Credit: Al Case Via Flickr

The Colorado Buffaloes (3-0 overall 0-0 Pac 12) will travel to Eugene, OR to take on the Oregon Ducks (3-0 overall 0-0 Pac 12) in the Pac 12 opener for each team. This will be the last game as conference foes for the Buffaloes and Ducks. Starting in 2024 Colorado will be a member of the Big 12 Conference and Oregon is moving to the Big Ten Conference. Oregon holds the series lead with a 15-9 record.

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

- 3:30 PM Eastern Time Kickoff on ABC

- Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer will be on the call for ABC with Katie George on the sideline.

- On the Colorado side the radio broadcast will be on AM 680. On the Oregon side, the radio broadcast will be on FM 95.3 and AM 1080.

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

This is the Pac-12 opener for both teams. For Colorado, a win in Coach Prime’s first season as head coach over a perennial power like Oregon will go a long way to silencing his critics. Since joining the Pac 12 for the 2011 season, Colorado has only defeated Oregon once, a 41-38 win in Eugene in 2016. However, this is not the same Colorado team Oregon has been pushing around nine of the last 10 games.

KEY PLAYERS -Colorado Buffalos

QB Shedeur Sanders – Colorado

WR Xavier Weaver – Colorado

Key players - Oregon Ducks

QB Bo Nix – Oregon

DB Tysheem Johnson – Oregon

KEY MATCHUPS:

Colorado wideouts Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. against the Oregon secondary. The Colorado passing game averages 418.0 yards per game. The trio of Sanders, Weaver, and Horn have blown away two Power Five defenses already. This will be the first true test for Oregon’s secondary as Portland State, Texas Tech and Hawaii have the potent pass attack that the Buffaloes have.

The Oregon offensive line against a poor Colorado defensive front. Oregon is averaging 587.0 yards per game on offense and is one of two teams in the country who have yet to commit a turnover. Penn State is the other. Colorado has only five sacks so far and is giving up 460.3 yards per game, 195.3 of those yards are on the ground. Look for Ducks running back Bucky Irving to have a big game.

PREDICTION:

While Colorado safety Shilo Sanders will be manning the defensive backfield, star cornerback Travis Hunter is out, which is a huge blow for an already leaky Buffaloes defense. Bo Nix and the Oregon offense have been very careful with the ball but that may change with Sanders on the prowl. The front seven for Colorado must put pressure on Nix or this will be a long day for the defense. The atmosphere will be awesome at Autzen Stadium, and I think with the defensive deficiencies of Colorado, Oregon will win this game walking away. Oregon 47 Colorado 23