Injury Update
Colorado continues to get healthier – overall. Still, defensive back and wide receiver remain areas of concern. With UCLA’s penchant to run the ball instead of pass, and with Colorado likely wanting to establish the running game as well (the Bruins are 95th in the nation in rushing defense), the passing game may not play as great a role as it has the past few games.
On the mend:
Brian Lockridge – (Sr.) – defensive back – suffered a sprained ankle v. Washington State – listed as “day-to-day” for yet another week
Anthony Perkins – (Sr.) – safety – suffered an ankle sprain nine plays into the Oregon game – trying to get back, but is still listed as “questionable”
Logan Gray – (Sr.) – wide receiver – suffered a bruised leg in second half of the USC game – listed as “day-to-day” for the second week in a row
Kyle Washington – (Fr.) – safety – suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the USC game, did not return; held out of Arizona game – listed as “day-to-day”
Parker Orms – (So.) – cornerback – suffered a hamstring pull in the second half against Arizona – listed as “questionable”
Paul Richardson – (So.) – wide receiver – suffered a concussion in the second half against Arizona; still hampered by the knee injury which kept him out for much of October – listed as “day-to-day” for UCLA
Rodney Stewart – (Sr.) – running back – suffered an ankle sprain in the first half against Arizona, but then returned to rush for 181 yards and three touchdowns – listed as “probable”
Chidera Uzo-Diribe – (So.) – defensive end – suffered a shoulder sprain in the second half v. Arizona – listed as “probable”
Suspended indefinitely – violations of team rules:
Ayodeji Olatoye – (So.) – defensive back – did play in the first four games of the season (no tackles)
Liloa Nobriga – (So.) – linebacker – dressed for two home games and CSU game, but had not yet played a down
Out for the Season:
Jared Bell– (Soph.) – defensive back – Out since August with a torn ACL
Doug Rippy – (Jr.) – linebacker – suffered torn ligaments in his knee against Washington – surgery pending
Blake Behrens – (Sr.) – offensive lineman – chronic shoulder and bicep tendinitis have ended his career (though he did get in for two snaps v. Arizona)
Tony Poremba – (Sr.) – defensive lineman – suffered a concussion in practice on October 4th, one of many in his career
Will Harlos – (Fr.) – defensive back – hamstring and concussion injuries have ended his season
Sherrard Harrington – (Fr.) – defensive back – suffered a hip contusion during the summer, decision to red-shirt made in August
Malcolm Creer – (Fr.) – running back – suffered a torn ACL and MCL 15 carries into his career – surgery pending
Jack Harris – (Soph.) – offensive tackle – Out for the season with a broken ankle, surgery on September 22nd
Overall, Colorado has lost 99 games to date from player who figured to be in the two-deep roster, or just over 20 percent of the possible 484 (eleven games times 44 players). This total projects to be the second highest total of lost games since 1984.
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Colorado v. UCLA – Notes worth Noting
– Over the past two seasons, Colorado has played ten games on the road. In those ten games, the Buffs have given up an average of 43.7 points per game. Only one team, Missouri last season, has been held under 30 points (but it was not a memorable game, as the Buffs were shut out, 26-0). In the last two games, as close as the Buffs have been at the end was 17 points, in the 2011 season opening 34-17 loss to Hawai’i;
– Freshman cornerback Greg Henderson has already set a school record for snaps by a true freshman, with 702. The previous high was 597, by linebacker Jordon Dizon in 2004. Henderson’s 702 snaps are also a team high;
– UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria, nephew of former CU great Christian Fauria, was not on the initial Mackey Award Watch list, but was added at mid-season. Fauria has 22 catches for 307, both the second-highest totals on the team, with a team-leading four receiving touchdowns;
– Colorado rushed for 273 yards against Arizona, the first 200-yard rushing game for the Buffs this season. UCLA has rushed for over 200 yards four times in 2011, including 294 v. Cal and 220 v. Arizona State, the last two home games for the Bruins;
– Colorado has played 15 true freshmen this season; UCLA has had only one true freshman – tight end Raymond Nelson – take off his red-shirt in 2011.
Buff freshman kickers continue to set records
Colorado is starting two true freshmen at punter and kicker, a first in Colorado history. While punter Darragh O’Neill and kicker Will Oliver have stumbled a bit of late, but continue to play very well overall.
Darragh O’Neill had his worst game of the season against Arizona, with three punts for a 38.3 yards, with a fourth punt “blocked” by the backside of a fellow Buff for a loss of 13 yards. Still, of the 15 true and red-shirt freshmen punters nationally, O’Neill has the most punts this season (his 64 punts are 12 more than any other freshman), and his 42.8 yard average is just a fraction behind the 42.9 yard average of Brad Wing of No. 1 LSU.
Will Oliver missed his first extra point of the season in the wind against Arizona, but he has still hit on 27-28 this fall. Oliver has also hit on a school-record tying tenth field goal (tying Tom Field’s ten field goals in 1979). Oliver’s 57 points overall is the highest for a freshman kicker in school history, besting the 52 points scored by Mason Crosby in 2003.
Pac-12 Notes of Note
– Oregon can sew up the Pac-12 North title – and home-field advantage for the inaugural Pac-12 championship game – with a home win against USC, or a road win against Oregon State;
– The Pac-12 South is a little more complicated. UCLA and Arizona State are tied with 4-3 conference records, with Utah a game behind at 3-4 (USC is 5-2, but ineligible for the Pac-12 title game). UCLA, with a 5-5 overall record, controls its own destiny. Two wins against Colorado and USC gives the Bruins the title. If UCLA loses one game, Arizona State would win the title with two wins. Utah, meanwhile, needs help, but is not out of contention (espcially considering that Arizona State and UCLA have both played poorly of late).
– The easiest way to look at the Pac-12 South race: UCLA wins the Pac-12 South with a two-team tie with Arizona State; Arizona State wins with a three-team tie, or a two-team tie with Utah; while Utah only wins the trip to Eugene with a two-team tie with UCLA;
– Freshman quarterback Nick Montana will make the first start of his career for Washington this Saturday against Oregon State. Montana connected with freshman wide receiver Kasen Williams for his first career touchdown pass last weekend in relief of Keith Price;
– With its 31-6 win over UCLA, 6-4 Utah is bowl-eligible for the ninth consecutive season. The Utes have qualified for a bowl in all seven seasons under Kyle Whittingham, going 6-1;
– Washington State will take on Utah this weekend in Salt Lake City. The Cougars upset Arizona State last weekend for their second Pac-12 victory. The two league wins equal the total for the past three seasons combined, and the four wins overall are the best since the 2007 team finished 5-7;
– USC is 8-2, the 10th consecutive season the Trojans have posted at least eight victories;
– The Trojans take on Oregon in Eugene in what would have been a preview of the Pac-12 championship game. The most interesting matchup pits Oregon’s No. 5 rushing offense v. USC’s No. 8 rushing defense. Oregon is riding a 21-game home winning streak and a 19-game conference winning streak;
– Oregon has had 25 touchdown plays which have covered 25 yards or more (Colorado has five);
– In the Big Game between Stanford and Cal, the Cardinal leads the series, 56-44-11;
– Arizona, at 2-8, 1-7 in Pac-12 play, travels to Tempe to take on Arizona State. If the Wildcats fall to the Sun Devils, the Buffs will avoid finishing last alone in conference for the first time since 1915. If Arizona upsets Arizona State, Colorado will have to win at least one of its last two games to stay out of the Pac-12 South cellar.