After a 28-20 loss to Hawai’i last week, the Buffaloes will look to regain their composure and earn their first win of the season. Last season against UMass, quarterback Sefo Liufau did well against the Minutemen defense. He tossed three touchdowns and threw for 318 yards. He will look to repeat his performance from last year.
Wide receiver Nelson Spruce will also aim to have a performance reflective of last year. Spruce befuddled the UMass defense, catching 10 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
The Buffs also hope to run the ball effectively. Last week in Hawai’i, running back Michael Adkins II ran for 90 yards and scored two touchdowns in the losing effort. The Buffs’ backfield will look to overcome a Minutemen defense that collectively held all Colorado rushers to only 3.3 yards a carry last year.
To win, Colorado will have to overcome an opponent that is out for revenge. The Minutemen will look to play a tough game as they did last year.
Last year, the Minutemen had success passing against the Buffs’ defense. Returning senior quarterback Blake Frohnapfel threw three touchdowns and passed for 267 yards last season versus the Buffaloes.
Frohnapfel will look to utilize his main weapon from 2014: senior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe. Sharpe had 83 receiving yards last year against the Buffs, and caught 85 passes overall for 1,281 yards in 2014.
The matchup will feature a Buffs team trying to bounce back after a tough loss to Hawai’i last week. The Minutemen are hoping to avenge a 41-38 comeback win by the Buffs last year at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. They will travel to Boulder for their first game after an unusual bye in week one.
The Colorado Buffaloes will take on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen at noon this Saturday at Folsom Field in Boulder.
The home opener will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks, and will be the 1,200th game in Colorado football history.
Contact CU Independent football beat writer Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungry_Hippo.
