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Friday Fast Facts – Colorado Homecoming Edition
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Trivia question of the week I: What Joel Klatt stat will Steven Montez surpass this Saturday against Oregon State?
Trivia question of the week II: What is the connection between Oregon State and legendary CU coach Dal Ward?
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Pac-12 lines and television schedule …
… Colorado the biggest favorite in the conference …
From 5 Dimes … Pac-12 Week nine schedule:
UCLA … a 10.0-point underdog at home to Utah … Friday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … UCLA leads the series, 11-5 … Last, Utah 48-17 (2017)
Colorado … a 23.5-point favorite at home against Oregon State … Saturday, 1:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Series tied, 5-5 … Last, Colorado 36-33 (2017)
Stanford … a 3.5-point favorite at home against Washington State … Saturday, 5:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Stanford leads series, 40-27-1 … Last, Washington State 24-21 (2017)
USC … a 6.5-point favorite at home against Arizona State … Saturday, 1:30 p.m., MT, ABC/ESPN2 … USC leads series, 21-12 … Last, USC 48-17 (2017)
California … a 10.5-point underdog at home against Washington … Saturday, 4:30 p.m., MT, FS1 … Washington leads series, 54-39-4 … Last, Washington 38-7 (2017)
Arizona … a 9.0-point underdog at home against Oregon … Saturday, 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Oregon leads series, 26-16 … Last, Oregon 48-28 (2017)
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Big Picture
— Colorado is 63-35-5 all-time in Homecoming games, winning the last two (Arizona State, 40-16, in 2016; Cal, 44-28 in 2017);
— The naming of Folsom Field (previously Colorado Stadium) was announced at a Homecoming game … in 1946. The Buffs went on to defeat New Mexico that afternoon, 14-13, before a crowd of 17,000;
— Colorado is 705-503-36 all-time (.581). The Buffs are 25th in all-time victories;
— Oregon State is 536-599-50 all-time. With its next loss, the Beavers will become the 15th team in NCAA history with 600 all-time losses (in case you’re wondering, Indiana is at the bottom of the list …(482-676-44);
— The last time CU played Oregon State in Boulder, the result was a 47-6 Buff win – the largest margin of victory for CU in a conference game since joining the Pac-12. You have to go back to 1992, a 54-7 win over Kansas State, to find a larger margin of victory for CU in a conference game;
— Colorado and Oregon State have split their ten all-time games, with the Buffs winning the past three. The ten total games is the second-lowest total for any Pac-12 “rivalry” (Utah and Stanford have only met nine times);
— In three road games this season, Oregon State has been out-scored, 166-90, or an average score of 53-30;
— The last time Oregon State won a road game, it was in Boulder, in 2014 (a run of 22-straight losses in road games).
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Statistically speaking
— Colorado has just six turnovers this season, tied for 5th-fewest in the nation. The Buffs have lost only one fumble so far this season. Only Mississippi State, with none, has had fewer fumbles;
— Oregon State freshman running back Jermar Jefferson, with 254 yards rushing against Arizona State, and 238 yards rushing against Southern Utah, has two of the eight 200-yard rushing games nationally this season, and two of the top four rushing games in OSU history;
— Colorado is 122nd in the nation in tackles for loss allowed (8.3/game). Not to be outdone, Oregon State is 127th in the nation in tackles for loss allowed (9.0/game). While the Buff defense is pretty good at accumulating tackles for loss (6.7/game – 39th nationally), the Oregon State defense is not good at picking up tackles for loss (3.4/game – 125th nationally);
— While tackles for loss represents the only statistic where CU is ranked 100th or worse, there are at least 15 categories in which Oregon State is ranked 100th or worse, including: rushing defense (127th); passing defense (108th); total defense (128th); scoring defense (127th); third down conversion defense (129th); quarterback sacks allowed (129th); and turnovers gained (119th).
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Colorado and Oregon State … historical
Oregon State is not just having a tough time of it this year. The Beavers are historically the worst team in the Pac-12, one of only two teams in the conference (Washington State being the other) with an all-time record below .500 (536-599-50, .473).
Of the 12 categories tracked by Winsipedia, the Beavers lead the Buffs in exactly one … bowl record. Oregon State has a winning record all-time in bowl games (9-6), while Colorado has a losing record (12-17).
Some other categories:
— All-time wins … Colorado – 705, 25th all-time … Oregon State – 536, 83rd
— Conference championships … Colorado – 26, 10th all-time … Oregon State – 5, 90th
— Weeks in the Associated Press poll … Colorado – 304, 26th all-time … Oregon State – 95, 65th
— First round NFL draft picks … Colorado – 24, 27th all-time … Oregon State – 6, 66th
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Colorado and Oregon State – head-to-head
— Oregon State and Colorado are tied in the all-time series, 5-5, with CU leading the series, 3-2, in games played as members of the Pac-12.
— The series dates back to 1931, when Oregon State handled Colorado, 16-0, in a game played in Portland. The second match between the two schools was also played in Portland, with the Beavers coming away with a 41-6 victory in 1963. When the Buffs got a rematch the following year in Boulder, Oregon State made it 3-0 in the series, with a 14-7 victory.
— Colorado got Oregon State at home twice in the 1980’s, posting a 38-14 victory in 1983 (“Here we go, CU! Here we go!“) and a 28-21 win in 1988 (“Eric Bieniemy goes for 211 yards and three scores“).
— Since the Buffs joined the Pac-12, the teams have played four times, with Oregon State winning the first two (44-17 in 2013; 36-31 in 2014). The Buffs finally broke through with a 17-13 win in Corvallis in 2015 (“We’re No. 1(1)!“) before posting a lopsided 47-6 win in Boulder in 2016 (“A let down? Not so much“).
— Last season, the Buffs made it three straight against the Beavers, with a come-from-behind 36-33 win in Corvallis (“Less Worse“).
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Player Notes
— Quarterback Steven Montez remains highly ranked nationally in a number of categories: completion percentage (11th – .693); passing efficiency (38th – 147.0); and total offense (33rd – 270.6 yards/game);
— Wide receiver Laviska Shenault leads the nation in receiving yards per game (130.0) and receptions per game (10.0). Shenault is also 5th in the nation in scoring (11.0 points/game); and is 9th in the nation in all-purpose yards (144.5 yards/game);
— Defensive end Mustafa Johnson is tied for 26th in the nation in sacks per game (.79);
— Running back Travon McMillian is sixth in the Pac-12 (33rd in the nation) in rushing yards per game (92.3 yards/game);
— Defensive back Ronnie Blackmon is first in the Pac-12 (24th in the nation) in punt return average (9.5 yards/return).
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Pac-12 Notes
— With its convincing 41-28 win over USC, the Utah Utes swept the Pac-12 Player-of-the-Week honors – QB Tyler Huntley; LB Chase Hansen; K Matt Gay. No team in the Pac-12 had ever swept the weekly honors. The last Pac-10 team to do it was Oregon State, in October, 2006.
— Five teams from the Pac-12 were ranked in the latest Associated Press poll … No. 14 Washington State … No. 15 Washington … No. 19 Oregon … No. 23 Utah … and No. 24 Stanford. For the first time all season, no Pac-12 teams were listed under the “others receiving votes”.
— With Utah joining the rankings this week, nine Pac-12 teams have now been ranked at one time or another this season. Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon State are the three teams who have not cracked the polls so far this season;
— Washington has now appeared in 41 consecutive AP polls, including 29 weeks in the top ten;
— Pac-12 teams are just 15-11 at home in conference games … Four of the Pac-12’s ranked teams are on the road this weekend;
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Trivia question answer I: Steven Montez has started 19 straight games, tying him with Joel Klatt, who started 19 straight games in 2004-05. The CU record for consecutive games started is held by Gale Weidner (31 – 1959-61), followed by Kordell Stewart (25 – 1992-94) and Bill Solomon (22 – 1978-79)
Trivia question answer II: Dal Ward, who coached Colorado from 1948-59 (compiling a record of 63-41-6) was an Oregon State graduate (1927).
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