Colorado Buffaloes at Utah Utes
Rice-Eccles Stadium – Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday, November 25, 2011, 3:30 pm Eastern, TV: Fox Sports Net
Opening Line: Utah -19 1/2
Current Line: Utah -21
Opening Total: 48 1/2
Current Total: 48 1/2
Opening Money Line: Utah -1375 / Colorado +900
Current Money Line: Utah -1450 / Colorado +950
New Pac 12 rivals Colorado and Utah meet for the first time in 50 years Friday afternoon. Colorado leads the series 30-24-3 and the two will meet every year for the foreseeable future in a game the two schools are calling “Rumble in the Rockies.” Utah is 7-4 this season under coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes are 4-4 in conference, and can win the Pac 12 South division if they beat 2-10 Colorado and UCLA and Arizona St both lose this week. Utah has won 4 straight games since a 3-4 start to become bowl eligible. Colorado is led by first year coach Jon Embree and has struggled in their entry into the Pac 12 with a 1-7 conference record. The Buffaloes have lost 23 straight road games coming into the Utah game.
Colorado was an 11 point underdog last week at UCLA on the college football betting line. The Bruins were up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter before Colorado finally scored. The Buffaloes missed the extra point and didn’t score for the rest of the game. UCLA cruised to a 45-6 win. Colorado had 229 total yards including 142 passing yards and 15 first downs. Buffalo quarterback Tyler Hansen threw for 127 yards with a touchdown and 3 interceptions. Running back Rodney Stewart had 21 carries for 77 yards and 7 catches for 36 yards. Toney Clemons had 3 catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. UCLA had 553 yards including 328 rushing yards. The Bruins had 9 penalties for 102 yards and a turnover in the win.
Colorado is averaging 344.1 total yards a game including 235.4 passing yards a game. The rushing attack is one one the worst in the country averaging 108.7 yards a game. They are averaging 20 points a game. Colorado has allowed 30 sacks and has 14 turnovers. The Buffaloes are 70/190 on third and fourth down conversions, and they are 25/33 scoring in the red zone with 20 touchdowns. On defense, Colorado is allowing 453.1 yards a game including 261.2 passing yards and 191.8 rushing yards. The Buffaloes are giving up 38.4 points a game. Colorado ranks near the bottom of the country in all four categories. Colorado has forced 17 turnovers and 26 sacks. Buffalo opponents are 75/157 on third and fourth down conversions, and 52/54 scoring in the red zone with 42 touchdowns. Colorado is averaging 8 penalties for 67 yards a game. Opponents have also blocked 6 Colorado kicks this season. The Buffaloes have one defensive touchdown this season.
Hansen is 209/376 passing (55.6% completi0n) with 2,619 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interception along with 74 carries for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Rodney Stewart has 179 carries for 819 yards, with 4 touchdowns. He is also the team’s second leading receiver with 43 catches for 561 yards. Stewart has over 1,600 all-purpose yards. He even has a touchdown pass to Hansen. Tony Jones has 66 carries 225 yards, and 2 touchdowns, along with 25 catches, 160 yards and 2 touchdowns. Clemons has 39 catches, 578 yards and 8 touchdowns. Receiver Paul Richardson has 34 catches for 510 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Four other Colorado receivers have a touchdown catch. Kyle Cefalo only has 9 catches but has 2 touchdowns. Kicker Will Oliver is 27/29 on extra points this season and is 10/15 on field goals with a long of 52 yards. Colorado has 14 players listed as questionable or out including 8 members of the secondary, and 3 other defensive players.
Utah was a 3.5 point favorite on the road last week at Washington St. Neither team scored in the first quarter. The two teams were tied at 7 at halftime and at 10 at the end of the third quarter. The total was 50 and the under looked pretty good until the teams each scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. Utah had 10 point leads at 2 two separate times times in the fourth quarter but Washington St came back to tie it up at 27 on a 17 yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. Washington St got the ball first and threw an interception on their possession in overtime, their 5th turnover of the day. Utah kicker Coleman Peterson kicked a 38 yard field goal to win it for the Utes 30-27. Utah has 11 penalties for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Utes had 358 total yards including 186 rushing yards. Utah quarterback Jon Hays threw for 123 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Punter Sean Sellwood threw a 49 yard touchdown pass on a fake punt late in the second quarter. Running back John White IV had 42 carries for 186 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Receiver DeVonte Christopher had 5 catches for 83 yards. Luke Matthews had 2 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars had 399 total yards including 337 passing yards.
Utah is averaging 311.9 total yards a game including 141.5 rushing yards and 170.4 passing yards. The Utes are scoring 25.5 points a game. Utah has 21 turnovers and has allowed 27 sacks. Utah is 56/161 on third and fourth down conversions, and 28/35 scoring in the red zone with 17 touchdowns. The Utes are giving up 341.5 yards a game including 97.3 rushing yards and 244.2 passing yards. Utah is allowing 19.9 points a game. The Utes have forced 30 turnovers and 28 sacks this season. Utah opponents are 71/192 on third and fourth down conversions, and 23/31 scoring in the red zone with 15 touchdowns. Utah has 4 defensive/special teams touchdowns, but has allowed 5 this season.
Hays is 87/158 passing (55.1% completion) for 1,081 yards, 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, since taking over at quarterback for Jordan Wynn who is out for the season with shoulder surgery. White IV has 280 carries, 1,377 yards, and 14 touchdowns, along with 11 catches, 51 yards, and 2 touchdowns. No one else has more than 13 carries, except for Hays who has 49 carries for negative yards. Christopher has 34 catches, 533 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Dres Anderson has 22 catches, 341 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Dallin Rogers has 22 catches, 160 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He is out for the season with a knee injury. Luke Matthews has 12 catches, 187 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kicker Coleman Petersen is 32/33 on extra points and 17/21 on field goals with a long of 48 yards. Utah has 9 players including Wynn that are out indefinitely or for the season.
Utah is 5-6 against the spread this season and the total is 4-7 in those games. Colorado is 3-9 against the spread and the total is 6-6 this season. The Buffaloes are 7-19 ATS as a road underdog of 10.5 points or more, 6-20 on the road against teams with winning home records, and on the road, 5-17 in conference, 1-4 after scoring 20 points or less, 5-23 as a road underdog, 1-5 after allowing 40 points or more, 1-6 after a straight up loss, and after failing to cover, 1-7 as an underdog, 1-8 after a straight up loss of 20 points or more, and overall, 1-11 as an underdog of 10.5 points or more, 0-7 against teams with winning records, and 0-6 on turf. The Utes are 10-2 ATS against teams with losing records, 4-1 on Friday, 35-13-3 as a favorite of 10.5 points or more, including 20-6-3 at home, 7-3-1 as a home favorite, 15-7 in November, 2-5 at home, 2-7 on turf, and 2-8 after a straight up win.
Colorado hasn’t won on the road since 2007. I don’t see that changing this week against Utah. Neither team is that great on offense, so I don’t see a lot of points being scored in this contest. Utah should win but I think 21 points might be too many.
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