Scouting the Opponent: Few bright spots emerge for struggling Colorado team

A one-loss Alabama team, and six undefeated schools, remain in front of the eighth-ranked Ducks with four games left in the regular season. A College Football Playoff birth is still alive for the leader of the Pac-12. The path to get there will be anything but easy.

Simply put, Dan Lanning will have to keep his team’s seven-game winning streak alive from here on out. None of the players, nor staff, had too much concern about their placement on Wednesday. They take pride in “playing Oregon” first before focusing on future opponents.

The next challenge will be away from Autzen Stadium for the second straight week. Colorado will host the No. 8-ranked Ducks in what is now the Buffs’ third home matchup against a team currently ranked inside the top 12.

Losses to TCU and UCLA are understandable for the struggling Buffaloes. The team went 3-6 last year and was not expected to gain much traction in 2022.

This season jumped off to an even worse start. Head coach Karl Dorrell was fired in early October after losing the first five games of the year. The Buffs got their first and only victory against Cal after an overtime touchdown was enough to give the Boulder crowd something worthy enough of storming the field.

Since their lone victory, Colorado has lost two straight games. Getting stops on defense has been the Buffs’ kryptonite this season. Oregon’s offense, on the other hand, can't be stopped. Colorado has failed to hold teams to less than 40 points in all but two games this year. Stopping Bo Nix and the top-10 scoring Ducks will be another tough ask for the interim coaching staff now led by offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.

Before Lanning’s side aims to make it eight straight wins, here’s what Colorado brings to the table.

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Coach: Mike Sanford Jr. (Interim, 1-2)

2022 stats/national ranking

Scoring offense: 16.2 PPG (126th)

Scoring defense: 39.12 PPG (129th)

Total offense: 295.2 YPG (123rd)

Total defense: 483.8 YPG (129th)

1. QB J.T. Shrout (No. 5): It’s been a season to forget for Colorado. Shortly after the coaching change, former starting quarterback Brendon Lewis entered the transfer portal. Shrout eventually took over the starting role and helped lead the Buffs to their only victory. Other than that, it hasn’t been a productive year for the sophomore. He has a QBR of 25.4 and a 5-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His starting role is not secured and the health of backup Owen McCown could switch up the depth chart on Saturday. Regardless, neither quarterback has done well this year in their limited playing time.

2. WR Jordyn Tyson (No. 16): One of the few bright spots for Colorado this season has been the production from true freshman Jordyn Tyson. He leads the team in receiving yards (333) and receiving touchdowns (3), with most of that production coming in the last two games. During the two-game losing streak, Tyson had 8 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown. Oregon’s defense looked good for a majority of the game last week but struggled to get stops late in the game. Tyson will be the main threat on the offensive side, as well as on special teams where he is used as a returner.

3. LB Josh Chandler-Semedo (No. 8): As bad as Colorado’s offense has been, its defense has been worse. The Buffs are close to the bottom of the nation in both points allowed and total defense. That side of the ball lost a lot of depth in the offseason, including defensive back Christian Gonzales who is now with the Ducks. One of the only difference makers that the Buffs were able to bring in is the West Virginia transfer Chandler-Semedo. The fifth-year transfer is tied for the team lead in tackles (67) and is the only player on Colorado with more than one sack (3).

4. RB Deion Smith (No. 20): The leading rusher for the Buffs may be a bit banged up but is expected to go against the Ducks on Saturday. Smith is in his third year with the team and has done well in his first season as a No. 1 back. Last week in the loss against Arizona State, he rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his career in what was his first game back from a two-week injury absence. He is listed as probable for Saturday and will look to continue his recent success against the best run-defending team in the Pac-12.

5. S Trevor Woods (No. 43): The other leader on the defensive side for Colorado is its other team leader in tackles. Woods has quickly taken over as the starter after being used sparingly during his freshman season. As well as making tackles, he is one of only three Buffs who have an interception this year. Nix has done well with limiting turnovers but uncharacteristically threw two interceptions last week.

What Colorado does well: Well, to be honest not a whole lot. The Buffs have not just been struggling, they have been really bad. The offense can sometimes look promising, however. Last week Colorado scored 34 points in the loss, which was its highest total so far. In the Buffs' lone win, 20 points were enough to claw out the victory. Oregon’s defense is good, but not great, and matches up well for this game.

Where Colorado is vulnerable: When a top-10 scoring team meets up with one of the worst scoring defenses in the nation, a lot of big plays should be expected. The Buffs allow teams to score nearly 40 points a game, and that's exactly what the Ducks have been doing during their win streak. Saturday should be more of the same with Kenny Dillingham's box of tricks giving no indications of running low.

Key stat: 237.2

Louisana Tech is the only team in the country that allows more rushing yards per game than Colorado. That total has a very good chance to go even higher after Saturday due to Oregon’s excellence in the category. Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington, and more have helped the Ducks average over 235 yards on the ground a game behind a dominant offensive line. Saturday will be no different.

Key matchup: Oregon vs Altitude

Colorado doesn’t have a very intimidating roster on paper, but the conditions of the game may play a factor. The last time Oregon made the Colorado road trip was in 2015. Only Gonzales, the Buffalo transfer, has experience in those high elevations. That effect on the players could be something to look out for.