The last time the Washington State Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes were scheduled to meet was back in 2001. That game was canceled due to a national tragedy and I don’t think anybody will disagree with that decision, but things have changed for both of these teams in the last two years. This game will be much different than that game would have played out. Coaches, players, and strengths have all changed.
In 2001, unranked Colorado was heading into Pullman at 2-1 after an opening loss to Fresno State. They were picking up steam but still had a lot of questions to be answered. Quarterback Bobby Pesavento and running back Chris Brown eventually answered those questions for the 2001 Buffs. They won the Big XII Championship that year and a BCS berth in the Fiesta Bowl. The Buffs were less than a tenth of a point away from earning a berth in the national championship Rose Bowl that year, but were edged out by Nebraska. Washington State was also ranked in the top 10 and many CU faithful wished those teams could have played in Pullman because a win for the Buffs would have given them that little push they needed to play for the national title. Possibly an opportunity lost for the Buffs.
In 2001, Jason Gesser was making a run for Heisman. And the Cougars were poised to win the Pac-10. A victory over Colorado that year might have given WSU the added confidence it needed to win over Oregon at home. In the end, The Cougars finished the season at 10-2 after a victory over Purdue in the Sun Bowl.
Both teams would have loved to have played in 2001. It would have been great national coverage and could have provided the boost they both needed in 2001. The importance of this game may emerge as the season sets forth and these teams set course for conference championships. Both teams are undefeated coming into this game and both are flying high after impressive wins against non-conference foes. Unfortunately, the Cougars suffered a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame last week but the Cougars looked to be a stronger team than the Buffs did last week against UCLA. Neither Notre Dame or UCLA are teams to be laughed about. Kudos to both athletic departments for adding some beef to their pre-season schedules.
Heading into this game, both teams have gotten out the beginning season jitters and are beginning to settle down into some real football and the trends we are seeing are not the trends we had expected. The passing Cougars are running well, and the dominant Buffalo runners have taken a back seat to quarterback Joel Klatt and his bevy of open targets.
Jonathan Smith and Jermaine Green are running up and down the field for the Cougars. His powerful legs have been quiet a sight. This is a shift for a traditional passing team. I think this is good for the Buffs, because their powerful front four have been matching up well against running teams – and as long as the Buffs aren’t making arm tackles they shouldn’t let many yards through the middle. They held UCLA to only 38 yards on the ground but things have changed now that star senior defensive lineman Marques Harris is out for the season with a broken leg. So Matt Kegel will have to work the secondary with his arm, and to be quite honest, he should be able to do this. The much heralded CU secondary has just not been as tight as necessary in these first few games. The Buffs are apt to blow coverages and if Kegel can find the open man, his receivers may have big days.
On the other side of the ball, Klatt is showing that you don’t need a scholarship in order to play football with the big boys. His big targets – receivers Derek McCoy, D.J. Hackett and John Donahoe – have been open this year for Klatt and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. It looks like they have taken to new WR coach Ted Gilmore and are not looking back. And now that we have a consistent passing game going, look for offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to open up the playbook to get the running backs involved in a few non-traditional plays. Look for Karl Paymah and Jason David to be exhausted from chasing Buffalo receivers up and down the field.
On special teams, Jeremy Bloom will be salivating after watching the films of the Cougars punt and kick coverage teams. He is just waiting to light up the field on a few returns. In 2002, he averaged 16.8 yards per punt return, which was good enough for 5th in the country. With Bloom as the return man field position always seems to be an advantage for the Buffaloes.
I think this should be a great match-up. It could be back and forth all day. I think both teams will be able to move the ball, but I think the big play will rule the day. Look for the Buffs to win 35-24.
This pregame report was originally written by Buffs.tv and posted on Cougzone.com [