Nov. 28th – San Diego State – Survive and Advance

The Colorado defense dominated the entire game, forcing seven three-and-outs (and one four-and-out), holding San Diego State to 155 yards of total offense in a 20-10 win in Boulder. In a non-conference game put together 48 hours earlier after CU’s Pac-12 game against USC was canceled, the Buffs scored on their first drive of the game and then made it stand up, getting the Buffs to 3-0 in Karl Dorrell’s first season.

Running back Jarek Broussard had 32 carries for 124 yards (including a number of runs for losses in the fourth quarter as the Buff offense tried to take the air out of the ball. Quarterback Sam Noyer went 17-for-29 for 138 yards and a touchdown, but a mistake – a pick-six in the second quarter – gave the Aztecs their only touchdown of the game. The Buffs were held to 272 yards of total offense themselves, in a contest which featured 16 punts … eight by each team.

The defense, led by All-Pac-12 linebacker Nate Landman (who had 11 tackles and three sacks, earning him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors), held the San Diego State offense to four-of-17 on third down attempts, posting four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

“A good win for us as a team, a difficult win”, said Karl Dorrell. “One of those wins you are hoping that you’re able to do what we did today”.

For the third time in the past 40 years, the Buffs won an “ugly” game by the score of 20-10 … The first two such wins propelled CU to new heights. Will the 20-10 victory over San Diego State be the game which (finally) allows the Buffs to become a player in the Pac-12? …

**Kickoff delayed until 3:37** … **Video – Karl Dorrell Previews San Diego State** – Dorrell: “We ended up putting together a really good plan, we think … Now we’ve got to go out there and execute” … Aztec Scouting Report: CU Keys to beating San Diego State …

Oregon State scores late to shock No. 9 Oregon, 41-38 … Iowa’s HC has hilarious response to Scott Frost’s whining … Rivals rates the 65 Power Conference teams (CU just outside top 25) … With two more opt-outs, Arizona down to around 70 available scholarship players …

The Buffs are on short notice, facing a team with a defense ranked the past two seasons in the top ten in both total defense and scoring defense … It won’t be as easy as some are projecting, but if the Buffs take care of the ball, they can take care of business …

Who came off the bench to lead the Buffs to victory in the only other game v. SDSU? … In what historical category does San Diego State lead CU? … Name the only other three teams CU has played Thanksgiving weekend since 1996 … CU’s tight end casting call …

This just in: CU has never defeated USC … But the Buffs, a double-digit underdog to the 19th-ranked Trojans, have reasons for believing in an upset … The Buffs have had two weeks to prepare for the Trojans, while USC will be facing (for the first time this season) a team which has already played a game this fall …

Stuart and Brad take a fond look back at the win over Stanford before discussing the status of the Pac-12 and its non-conference replacement policy … Then, of course, it’s on to an in depth look at the matchup issues the Buffs will face against the Trojans, and our predictions for the game …