After a 29 - 27 win Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs, Colorado must now turn it's attention to the Missouri Tigers. The Buffs will travel to Columbia as a nine-point underdog this Saturday night (5:00 pm kickoff, Fox Sports Net). Missouri is 4-0 on the year and currently ranked 24th by the Associated Press. After surviving a scare against San Diego State at home, Missouri beat up Miami (OH) 51-13 two weeks ago to move to 4 - 0. Missouri will be entering the game on two weeks rest.
Plenty of teams have given the Buffs fits over the past few years but none more so than the Missouri Tigers.
Going back to 2007, Colorado has been outscored by the Tigers 149 - 27. They have been out-gained 1,497 to 571. Colorado has averaged close to three turnovers a game over that span and have lost the rushing battle 542 to 111.
That is domination.
The good news is this may be a different Colorado offense due to the running game it has developed. After struggling the first two weeks on the ground averaging only 90 per game, a different offense showed up against Hawaii and Georgia. Against the Warriors, the Buffs ran for 252 yards and against the Bulldogs, Colorado totaled 235 on the ground. Not many teams will have better output than that.
CU may also be different from years past based on the defensive production as well. The Buffs currently rank 18th in the nation against the rush and second in the Big 12. Many times they have been put in tough spots by the offense & special teams but have responded nicely. Improvement is needed in the "applying pressure on the quarterback" department but overall, this group has been solid.
The key question is can Colorado finally get a win on the road? We all know the numbers. The Buffs haven't won on the road since October 2007, some three years ago. Winning against an SEC team in Georgia was a step in the right direction. Going 3-1 (something all of us would have taken at the start of the season in a heart beat) is a step in the right direction. Fixing the poor special teams play and winning on the road would be a leap in the right direction.