This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The importance of beating Colorado, let's face it: It CAN be overstated.
Win or lose, it seems Utah is destined for the Sun Bowl or the Vegas Bowl, and win or lose, Utah will have exceeded the expectations of most outside observers.
On paper, it's the difference between seven and eight wins. Little more.
That said, Utah's coaches would love to finish above .500 during one of the nation's most trying conference slates, and they may still be smarting from the Buffs' cold denial of that achievement in 2011.
Plus, Colorado and Utah may be rivals in name only at this point, but the all three games played since the series resumed after a 49-year break have been decided by a touchdown or less.
Some in the program bristle at the notion that they have something to prove against 0-8 Colorado, but if they'd rather not be grouped with the South cellar dwellers, they can alter that perception with a convincing win Saturday against the 9-point underdog Buffs.
They do have at least that to prove.
Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • Kickoff is 11 a.m. at Folsom Field in Boulder, 1,079 more feet above sea level than Salt Lake City, and currently undergoing a partial facelift in a $143 million facilities upgrade. Watch on Pac-12 Networks or listen on ESPN 700 AM.
Opposing Coach • It's easy to see what might have made Mike MacIntyre attractive to Colorado. The onetime Georgia Tech defensive back went 1-11 in his first year at San Jose State, his first head coaching stop, and by Year Three the Spartans were ranked and bowl-bound. He hasn't been able to replicate that turnaround during his first two years in Boulder. Still, the Buffs are more competitive since his arrival: In 2011, the 1-11 Buffs scored an average of 17.8 points and conceded 46, and this year they may finish with just one more win, but they're scoring more than 10 points more per game (28) and conceding almost seven less (39.1). Before becoming a head coach, MacIntyre was a defensive coordinator at Duke and a defensive backs coach in the NFL with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
Utah Ties • Utah has no players from Colorado, but the Buffs roster features John Finch (sophomore fullback/long snapper, a Park City alum), Christian Shaver (freshman defensive end, Jordan) and Sam Bennion (freshman defensive end, Logan). Sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau knows Utah junior quarterback Jason Thompson from their days playing prep ball together in Washington. Buffaloes cornerback Jered Bell, out for the season with a knee injury, played on a powerhouse Colony High team with Utah junior wideout Kenneth Scott. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham attended Denver Broncos training camp in 1982 and played for the USFL's Denver Gold in 1983.
Pregame Quotable • The Rumble in the Rockies was, in the early portion of the week, a lot of rumbling about rivalries. MacIntyre said it is one. Whittingham said it's not. Utah defensive tackle Clint Shepard had one of the more brutally honest takes: "You know, Colorado — they're not really known for being one of the top dogs in the conference, and we want a rivalry with one of those top teams. I don't see it as a rivalry, and I don't really see it becoming a rivalry in the future."
Media Guide Nugget • In 60 meetings between the two teams, only Colorado, at No. 8 in 1961, has ever been ranked. On the slopes, though: Colorado has won 19 national championships, including 88 individual NCAA champions, while Utah has won 11, with 69 individual champs. Utah, which hasn't won the title since 2003, finished runners-up to Colorado in 2013 and 2011.
Telling Stat • Of 105 players attending Colorado's fall camp, 71 were underclassmen. They're the youngest team in the Pac-12. (Utah, for reference, had 65 underclassmen on its official fall camp roster of 105). Halfway through the season, Colorado had 32 underclassmen on its two-deep, including 13 freshmen and five true freshmen — third-most in the nation. This year's Buffaloes may have won only two games, but they have played most opponents tight, and the fledgling cast may become something to be reckoned with in future seasons.
Buffaloes Offensive Outlook • Coaches named Liufau as the starter earlier in the week after sophomore Jordan Gehrke earned the short-lived honor in Eugene. While Liufau has a touchdown pass in all 19 career games — the nation's fourth-longest streak — he also entered the Oregon game having thrown at least one interception in nine straight. Passing is what the Buffs do best, nonetheless, ranking 23rd in the nation with 280 yards per game. Junior wideout Nelson Spruce has 101 catches for 1,107 yards and 11 touchdowns and drew raves from Whittingham earlier in the week. According to Colorado's weekly release, Spruce has been thrown catchable balls 111 times, resulting in just six breakups and four drops. Colorado runs decently well, too, and Utah can expect to see a division of labor between Tony Jones, Phillip Lindsay and Christian Powell, who all have between 361 and 387 yards this season.
Buffaloes Defensive Outlook • Not good. Colorado doesn't do anything particularly well defensively: They're 106th in rushing defense (212 yards per game), 94th in passing defense (251 yards per game) and 118th in scoring defense (39.1 points per game). The Buffaloes aren't exactly stampeding into the backfield (just 20 sacks), nor are they making teams pay for their mistakes (just 11 turnovers forced). They will likely still be without standout free safety Chidobe Awuzie, who suffered a lacerated kidney in practice three weeks ago, at which point he was the team's leading tackler. Other solid performers include senior cornerback Greg Henderson, sophomore mike linebacker Addison Gillam (a captain) and junior defensive tackle Josh Tupou.
Buffaloes Special Teams Outlook • Colorado counters Utah's Australian punter with an Irishman, Darragh O'Neill, who is no slouch himself. The Buffs rank 21st in the country in net punting, a shade under 40 yards per kick. Senior place kicker Will Oliver, whose three points in 2011 were the difference in Colorado's upset of Utah, is the school's second all-time leader scorer and has hit 14 of 19 field goals this season. Lindsay is a capable kick returner, but the Buffs have otherwise been poor in punt coverage (106th, at 11.2 yards per return), kick coverage (74th, at 21.4 yards) and punt returns (78th, at 7.1 yards).
Required Reading
Injury Report • Whittingham put the chances of sophomore defensive end Hunter Dimick playing at 50 percent Wednesday. Junior linebacker Jason Whittingham may see more action after returning from an eight-game absence to play against Arizona — he revealed Wednesday that he'd had pins removed from his dislocated wrist earlier in the week. For Colorado, there is a "remote chance," according to the weekly release, that Awuzie will play, and leading rusher Michael Adkins underwent surgery on his knee Tuesday, ending his season.
Three Big Questions
1. Does Utah open up the playbook? • Against the conference elite, Utah tried to limit turnovers and slowed the pace, wearing opposing defenses down in the run game. It's a recipe for a close game. Utah likely doesn't want a close game against Colorado, though, so it will be interesting to see if Dave Christensen exploits the middle of the field more in the passing game.
2. Can Utah return to form against the run? • The Utes have conceded 249 yards per game on the ground over their last three games. Those opponents — Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona — are among the conference's best. Saturday, we'll learn if there's more to it than that.
3. Can Utah avoid an emotional letdown? • Whittingham said after last Saturday's trouncing that, for the first time, the Utes hadn't played at full tilt for four quarters. A team that has played with a chip on its shoulders will need to find that passion again, or risk losing to a home team that has more on the line.
— Matthew Piper
Twitter: @matthew_piper