—
Friday Fast Facts – Washington Week
—
… Your weekly “T.I.P.S”, previews for this weekend’s games, discussing Talent, Intangibles, Preparation and Statistics, have been posted. The written preview and predictions for the CU/Washington game can be found here, while the CU at the Game Podcast preview for the game (which includes notes on ESPN Game Day coming to Bozeman) can be found here …
—
Big Picture …
— Later kickoff time than you think … Playing a night game on the west coast for the second weekend in a row, the Buffs have had to get used to sitting around in their hotel rooms on Saturdays. This weekend’s game against Washington is listed as a 7:00 p.m., MT, kickoff, but will actually kickoff at 7:14 p.m., MT … no explanation given as to why it will take so long to get to kickoff;
— Another long night for the Buffs … With this game selected for a nighttime kickoff? , all four of CU’s road games in league play will be night affairs. So far, the team arrived back at the Champions Center at 3:28 a.m. (Arizona), 3:24 a.m. (Oregon State) and 4:42 a.m. (USC). Not much fun, even for young bodies used to staying up late;
— No break for the hapless … With one of the worst teams in CU history, the Buffs nonetheless will be lining up against its third straight ranked team (and it will likely be four straight when the Buffs play Utah to end the 2022 season … and, if you are so inclined, likely five straight when the Buffs face TCU in Fort Worth to open the 2023 season). This is the 17th time in school history that the Buffs will play thee ranked opponents in a row; it last happened at the tail-end of the 2016 season (No. 20 Washington State, No. 21 Utah, No. 4 Washington in the Pac-12 title game). The previous time for three in a row on the regular season schedule was 2012;
— Not exactly road warriors … The Buffs are looking to snap a 11-game road losing streak and a six-game skein against ranked teams. CU’s last road win was against Arizona in 2020; CU’s last road win against a ranked team came was against Arizona State in 2019;
— Tough schedule … Not that there will be sympathy for the program, but this has been an historically tough schedule. CU’s 10 previous opponents are a combined 66-34 this season, with the two remaining foes currently 16-4;
— I remember it well … Colorado hasn’t won a game against Washington in Seattle since 1989, but overall, the Buffs have a 6-8-1 record in games played in the state of Washington;
— The ESPN Power Index gives Washington a 96.6% chance of winning, leaving CU with 3.4% chance at an upset. In CU’s last game, USC was given a 98.0% chance of winning;
— The game will be telecast nationally on the Pac-12 Networks (Saturday, 7:00 p.m., MT), with Ted Robinson on the play-by-play and Yogi Roth with the commentary. KOA radio will have Mark Johnson, in his 19th year, with the play-by-play, and former CU head coach Gary Barnett in his seventh year as the full-time analyst.
—
Statistically speaking …
— Any Good News for Buff fans? … Stats in which Washington is ranked 100th or worse nationally;
- The Huskies are 101st in rushing offense, which sounds good, until you note that Washington is No. 1 in the nation in passing offense;
- Washington is 120th in the nation in pass efficiency defense (whatever that actually is) … but CU is 128th;
- The Huskies are 125th in third down conversion defense and 103rd in tackles for loss;
- Washington is near the bottom in the nation in net punting (127th). Now, if the Buffs could just force some punts …
— How bad is the CU offense? … Colorado is ranked 107th or worse in every major category on offense (out of 131 teams nationally). The Buffs are 107th in rushing offense; 117th in passing offense; 124th in total offense; and 127th in scoring offense. For the Buff offense to climb even as high as 100th nationally in scoring next week, the Buffs would have to score 95 points against Washington;
— How bad is the CU defense? … The Buff defense has a long road back to respectability. The Buffs are back to being second-to-last in the nation in rushing defense (130th this week), and still remain in the bottom five in total defense (129th) and scoring defense (131st – dead last) … and the Buffs are going against a Washington team which is eighth nationally in total offense (498.2 yards/game) and 13th in the nation in scoring offense (38.4 points/game);
— Bar bet winner … What school record is wide receiver Daniel Arias about to set?
Daniel Arias already holds the school mark for most games played by a wide receiver, 51, and he’s threatening the school’s all-time record by a scrimmage player. He’s passed the most by any defensive player (50 by OLB Jimmie Gilbert and ILB Rick Gamboa) and the second-most on offense (TB Phillip Lindsay). He’s chasing TE Quinn Sypniewski, who played in 52 games over the 2000 through 2005 seasons. Arias has missed just one game in his CU career due to injury (against San Diego State in 2020). P Alex Kinney appeared in 54 games during his career that spanned the 2015-19 seasons as he holds the record for all positions.
—
CU Player Notes …
— Reliable Alex Fontenot … 17-of-21. That’s the career numbers for running back Alex Fontenot on 3rd- and 4th-&-1. In fact, he’s been a go-to guy on fourth down his entire career. In CU’s 52-29 loss at Oregon in 2021 he scored two touchdowns, one on a 2-yard reception and the other on a 1-yard run up the middle – both on fourth downs. Research revealed that he was the first player to score two touchdowns on fourth down in the same game in school history; WR Scotty McKnight scored two in 2008 (back-to-back against Iowa State and Oklahoma State); TE Tyson DeVree had three coming in back-to-back-to-back games in 2007.
— Jack Hestera makes history … Wide receiver Jack Hestera made some history against Southern California when he caught three passes for 39 yards. He was the first player who as a walk-on to lead the Buffs in receiving yards in a game since WR Scotty McKnight did it the first for games on the 2007 season (McKnight would be placed on scholarship after that season; due to a recruiting issue, he had be a walk-on that season). Otherwise, you really have to go back to Sept. 15, 1979, when sophomore running back Willie Beebe caught four passes for 47 yards against LSU in Boulder;
— Gaining Experience … During the first half of the season, CU has had 42 different players start at least one game (23 on offense; 19 on defense). That number ranks fifth in the nation, behind only New Mexico (49), Texas A&M (47), Northern Illinois (45) and SMU (45);
— Spreading it Around … A total of 19 CU players have caught a pass this fall, tying a school record, set in 1999, then matched in 2004.
—
Colorado & Washington …
— Washington has a 12-7-1 lead in the series, including a 5-3-1 advantage in games played in Seattle. After losing to Washington in Seattle in a game played back in 1915, the Buffs posted a 5-2-1 record against the Huskies in games played between 1953-96;
— The two teams have played three neutral site game, with all three games being played in the state of California. In 1985, Washington defeated CU, 20-17, in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim. Eleven years later, the Buffs defeated the Huskies, 33-21, in the 1996 Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Then, in 2016, the two teams met in Santa Clara for the Pac-12 championship, with No. 4 Washington defeating No. 9 Colorado, 41-10;
— The last win in Seattle … The quarterback for the Buffs the last time Colorado won a game in Seattle? Current CU running backs coach Darian Hagan. The week after the Buffs lost quarterback Sal Aunese, No. 5 Colorado defeated No. 21 Washington, 45-28 … Game story can be found here …
— In case you’ve forgotten … The Buffs are riding a two-game winning streak against the Huskies (see below), with a 20-14 win in 2019, and a 20-17 win in 2021 (no game in 2020). Now, if 20 points could only be enough to win in 2022 …
— Almost 1,000 … The distance between Boulder in Seattle is … 998 miles;
— Makes sense if you think about it … Seattle, at 47 36’22” north latitude, is as far north as CU has ever played a game.
—
The Last Time …
November 20, 2021 … Boulder … Colorado 20, Washington 17
Game Story … Colorado’s defense produced four takeaways and the offense came up with a game-clinching 90-yard touchdown drive Saturday as the Buffaloes claimed a 20-17 win over Washington at Folsom Field.
Washington dominated nearly every statistical category except one — turnovers. CU’s defense collected two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, including a 92-yard scoop-and-score by linebacker Jack Lamb in the first quarter that gave CU a 10-0 lead. Colorado also turned a Robert Barnes fumble recovery into a field goal in the fourth quarter, then drove for the game-clinching touchdown following a Nikko Reed interception.
The Buffaloes were outgained 426-183 and allowed the Huskies to convert 14 of 21 third-down tries while converting just 2-of-14 of their own. On the day, Washington gained more on third downs (188) than Colorado did all day (183).
Quarterback Brendon Lewis hit on 14-of-25 passes for 112 yards, and contributed 30 yards on the ground, including the game-winning two-yard touchdown run with four minutes remaining. CU’s leading rusher was Jarek Broussard, who had all of 43 yards on 12 carries, with 26 of those yards coming on the Buffs’ game-winning drive.
“It was a hard-fought win,” head coach Karl Dorrell said. “I’m very proud of his team. They’re starting to develop that competitiveness, that drive to just fight for 60 minutes. It’s definitely something our program’s going to build on. It’s really going to be part of who we are, that’s our fabric, is being fighters. We have to continue to build this program the way that it used to be. We’re going to get it back to that level.”
… Continue reading story here …
—
Essay for the Game … “Write Your Good Times in Stone”… can be found here …
—
The Last Time Before That …
November 23, 2019 … Colorado 20, Washington 14
— Game Story … On senior night in Folsom, quarterback Steve Montez threw for a touchdown and led a long final drive from the shadow of his own end zone to run out the clock as Colorado beat Washington 20-14.
Alex Fontenot added 105 yards rushing and a touchdown on 24 carries, springing free for a couple of first down runs on the Buffaloes’ last drive, which ran off the final 5:09. It began at the Buffaloes one-yard and ended with Montez taking a knee at the Huskies 18 to run out the final seconds. The victory for Colorado (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) snapped a nine-game losing streak to Washington (6-5, 3-5).
… Continue reading game story here …
–
Essay for the Game … “Senior Moments ” … can be read here …
—
Colorado and Washington … historical
Colorado and Washington are two western programs who have enjoyed national recognition and success, with the Huskies have a slight edge over the Buffs in several all-time categories.
According to Winsipedia …
— Washington has 757 all-time wins (18th all-time); Colorado has 719 all-time wins (29th all-time);
— Washington has 315 all-time NFL draft picks (17th all-time); Colorado has 276 all-time NFL draft picks (25th all-time); and
— Washington has 28 all-time first-round NFL draft picks (22nd all-time); Colorado has 24 all-time first round NFL draft picks (28th all-time);
Meanwhile …
— Colorado has 31 consensus All-Americans (24th all-time); Washington has 23 consensus All-Americans (32nd all-time);
— Colorado has 26 conference championships (11th all-time); Washington has 17 conference championships (25th all-time); and
— Colorado has a Heisman trophy winner, while Washington, surprisingly enough, has never had a player so honored. (In case you were wondering … CU, USC, and UCLA are the only Pac-12 members of the 24-member club of teams with both a national championship and a Heisman trophy. Washington has a national championship but no Heisman winners, while Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State have Heisman winners but no national titles).
—
Pac-12 Notes …
— A total of six Pac-12 teams made the Top 25 in the third College Football Playoff standings, more than any other conference: No. 7 USC; No. 10 Utah; No. 12 Oregon; No. 16 UCLA; No. 17 Washington; and No. 23 Oregon State;
— The Pac-12 has seven bowl-eligible teams: Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, and Washington State. Only Arizona, at 4-6, still has a chance at qualifying. CU, Arizona State, Cal and Stanford have all been eliminated from bowl possibilities;
From VegasInsider.com …
Pac-12 lines …
- Washington State at Arizona … 12:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Arizona is a 4.5-point home underdog (up from 4.0 points on Sunday)
- Oregon State at Arizona State … 12:15 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … Arizona State is a 7.5-point home underdog
- Stanford at Cal … 3:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Cal is a 5.5-point home favorite
- No. 7 USC at No. 16 UCLA … 6:00 p.m., MT, Fox … UCLA is a 2.5-point home underdog (down from 5.5 points on Sunday)
- Colorado at No. 15 Washington … 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Washington is a 31.5-point home favorite (up from 30.5 points on Sunday)
- No. 10 Utah at No. 12 Oregon … 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Oregon is a 3.0-point home favorite (up from 2.5-points on Sunday)
–
—–