Beat reporters Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star and Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera break down the Wildcats-Buffaloes matchup – and ponder where the rival programs are headed.
The Buffaloes defeated the Wildcats 34-0 last October. CU has gone 2-8 since, including 0-4 this season. The Buffs have been outscored 173-47. Third-year coach Karl Dorrell’s job security is shaky at best.
People are also reading… Howell: That is a loaded question because there are so many reasons they are in this spot. First off, the losses of talent in the offseason have impacted this team more than Karl Dorrell may have anticipated. In addition to graduation, six of their best players from a year ago are playing at other schools. And CU didn’t replace those guys with experienced transfers. In a lot of cases, they have freshmen or inexperienced youth filling the gaps.
De Laura has been a huge upgrade, without question. He hasn't been flawless — six picks are too many through four games — but he has brought playmaking ability that was lacking for most of last year. He's athletic and aggressive, and he can really do damage in the intermediate areas. Howell: Yeah, I think there are. You really have to be a glass-half-full type of person to find them, but CU does have some good, young talent, and they are starting to utilize that more lately. In addition to McCown, they’ve got some young talent at receiver , running back , tight end and on defense. If that young group can play well and the veterans can play to their capability, CU can win this game. But they’ve got to have a lot of things click, and we just haven’t seen it yet.
The fans remain patient. The honeymoon period ended when Arizona lost to NAU last year —the last time the Wildcats were favored. But most knowledgeable fans realize this is a long-term project, and it feels like Arizona might be slightly ahead of pace. Howell: It’s hard to believe that about 21 months ago Dorrell was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, and now he’s fighting for his job. I do think it’s possible this is his final game with the Buffaloes if it turns out as ugly as we’ve seen to this point. Maybe even with a close loss. It would be a bit tougher to fire him if the Buffs win. But, considering next week is a bye, the timing sets up to where this is a very critical game for Dorrell if he’s going to remain the coach at Colorado.
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