CU hopes to stop Tigers’ high-powered offense
The Colorado Buffaloes will look to keep the momentum they gained last week against Texas Tech when the No. 9 Missouri Tigers visit Boulder on Saturday.
Missouri enters the showdown second in the Big 12 North behind the surprising Kansas Jayhawks. Coming into Saturday’s match-up, the Tigers have lost 4 straight games at Folsom Field, dating back to 1997.
The Buffs’ defense will face a big test, as Missouri boasts the nation’s eighth ranked offense.
“They got a great quarterback. They got plenty of weapons to throw it to. You can’t stop one guy,” Head Coach Dan Hawkins said. “They got a great system, and [Missouri quarterback] Chase Daniel does a great job of getting the ball to the right guy.”
Even with Mizzou’s potent offense, talks this week have revolved around the confident Buffs’ defense. Senior linebacker and Butkus Award hopeful Jordon Dizon is third in the nation in tackles, averaging 12.2 per game, while Terrence Wheatley was last week’s National Defensive Player of the Week and is a Thorpe Nagurski Award candidate, which is given to the top defense back in the country.
The defensive unit gained a great deal of confidence last week after holding Texas Tech’s fourth ranked offense to only 26 points.
“If you can shut down a team like Texas Tech, come out with a victory, and take them out of their game, you know you got to be doing something right,” Wheatley said. “It definitely sets a benchmark for what you can and can not do.”
After knocking off then No. 3 ranked Oklahoma on Sept. 29, the Buffs look to take down their second top 10 opponent this season. After last week, the Buffs have the 22nd toughest schedule in the country. Additionally, CU leads the country in fourth-down attempts. Hawkins believes that this helps give his players a certain edge that is needed to win football games.
“In the long haul, it pays dividends on and off the field,” Hawkins said. “It’s not about the score. It’s about a different approach to life and a different approach to football.”
Last week, quarterback Cody Hawkins tied a school record by throwing a touchdown pass in 9 consecutive games. Hawkins looks to keep that streak alive, as the Buffs must win one of their final three games in order to become bowl eligible.
“Everyone knows the deal about going to a bowl, but you just want to focus on one victory at a time,” Wheatley said. “You just want to win out, take it game by game, and whatever happens, happens.”
