“T.I.P.S.” for CU at Utah

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Colorado at Utah: “T.I.P.S.” for the Buffs trip to Salt Lake City

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In 2011, when Colorado and Utah left their previous conferences to help form the Pac-12, CU held a lead in the all-time series between the two schools  (30-24-3). When CU traveled to Salt Lake City that Thanksgiving weekend to renew the rivalry as Pac-12 foes, the game marked the first time the two teams had met since 1962.

CU upset Utah in the first game between the two teams as Pac-12 members, coming away with a 17-14 road win.

That was the highpoint for the Buffs in the Pac-12 version of the rivalry.

After that? It was pretty much all Utah, with the Utes winning 11 of the next 12 games between the two schools (the exception being the 2016 game in Boulder).

The teams played again in Boulder last fall, this time as members of the Big 12. CU won the first game in the new conference, taking down the Utes, 49-24, in Boulder last November.

Will the Utes retaliate by winning 11 of the next 12 games in the series?

Let’s find out …

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“T.I.P.S” for Colorado at Utah – Saturday, 8:15 p.m., MT, ESPN

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T – Talent

Buffs fans seemed justified this past off-season wondering why Utah was getting more hype about the prospects for their 2025 season than was CU.

Colorado was coming off of a 9-4 season, while Utah was trying to rebound from a 5-7 campaign. Yes, CU was replacing Shedeur Sanders with a quarterback from a Group of Five, but Utah was also counting on a new quarterback from a Group of Five school. And yet, Utah was routinely placed in the top half of the Big 12 in the preseason magazines, while Colorado was routinely placed in the bottom half.

Kaidon Salter was coming to CU from Liberty, where he had led the Flames to a Fiesta Bowl berth, while Utah was counting on Devon Dampier, who had 12 touchdown passes – and 12 interceptions – playing for the 5-7 New Mexico Lobos last season.

What did the pundits see that the stats didn’t show?

Plenty, as it turns out.

This season, Dampier is completing 68% of his passes (11% higher than last season), with 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Dampier also has more rushing yards than any Buff, with 80 carries for 442 yards (over five yards per carry), with five touchdowns. Other than against Cal Poly, which turned out to be an early season non-conference rout, Dampier has had at least ten carries in every game this fall.

Now … It may turn out that the Buffs don’t have to face Dampier, who was “beat up” after the BYU game. “Just check the availability report that comes out Wednesday,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said when asked about Dampier’s health. “We have to wait a few days to see how these guys are healing up from the game, and so that’s a distinct possibility, I can tell you that. But on Wednesday night, you’ll start getting the availability report and the likelihood of who’s playing [and] who’s not.”

That being said, even if Dampier can’t go, the Buffs still face the task of stopping Utah from running the ball down their throats. In addition to Dampier’s 442 yards rushing, Utah has two running backs who have also carried the ball for more yards than any Buff. Sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker has 60 carries for 358 yards and three touchdowns, while senior NaQuari Rogers has 72 carries for 300 yards and six touchdowns. (CU’s leading rusher is Micah Welch, with 60 carries for 277 yards and two touchdowns).

If the Buffs can force the Utes to throw the ball, the main threat is Ryan Davis, with 46 catches for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Oh, and Utah wouldn’t be Utah without a quality tight end. This season’s is Dallen Bentley, with 28 catches for 335 yards and three touchdowns.

So, if the Buffs will have trouble keeping the up with an offense which is ranked 22nd in the nation in total offense and 20th in scoring, can the Buffs outscore the Utes?

Don’t count on it.

Utah is 23rd in total defense, giving up only 306.1 yards per game, and 12th in scoring defense, giving up only 15.29 points per game.

If you’re just looking at the numbers, there are good reasons, on both sides of the ball, as to why Utah is a two-touchdown favorite.

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I – Intangibles

Building on the Iowa State game? … CU hasn’t won two games in a row all season, but the win over Iowa State was a big one. The 24-17 win over the 22nd-ranked Cyclones was the first over a ranked team since Coach Prime’s debut against No. 17 TCU in 2023.

The victory, coming before a bye week, certainly gave the Buffs and their fans reason for optimism going forward. Coach Prime said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday that the Buffs had put together a string of three straight strong practices.

Of course, most coaches will speak highly of their team’s spirit and work ethic. The Buff Nation, though, is hoping that the Iowa State result shows the college football world that the Buffs can compete with every other program in the Big 12 … and win.

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I remember you … For a change, the Buffs are going up against an opponent with positive short term memories.

Last November, with the Big Noon Kickoff crew in town, a crowd of 54,646 — fourth-largest in school history — watched the Buffs run out to a 49-24 win over Utah in Boulder. Shedeur Sanders threw for three touchdowns, Travis Hunter had an interception and a ridiculous five-yard touchdown run which covered about 50 yards, and a happy Folsom Field crowd sang Happy Birthday to Peggy on her 100 birthday.

Oh, and Dre’lon Miller, who hopefully will be back in action this week, had six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

A very pleasant afternoon in Boulder.

Utah’s Rice-Eccles stadium will be full and loud Saturday night. But, as opponents go, CU coaches can remind their players that this is a Utah team which they have played – and beaten – in the not too distant past.

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P – Preparation/Schedule

Bye Week Benefits … CU was one of the last teams in the nation to get their first bye week (the second comes just three games later). Byes are always welcome when it comes to healing up injured players, but the Buffs get an added benefit to having last weekend off.

While the Buffs and their coaches were sitting home watching other teams play, Utah was fully engages in its annual bloodbath against BYU. The “Holy War” may not be considered the most heated rivalry in the nation, but it’s not far from the top of the list.

The Utes hold a commanding lead in the all-time series (60-34-3), but the Cougars have won the last three games played between the two teams, including the 24-21 win in Provo last weekend. Thanks to a questionable penalty late in the 2024 game, resulting in a 22-21 BYU win in Salt Lake City, and a 26-17 win in Provo in 2021 … the Utes haven’t beaten the Cougars since 2019.

You think that having a three-game (and six-year) losing streak to your hated rival, a rival whose school is just 45 miles down the road from Salt Lake City, doesn’t bother the Utes and their fans?

Not only was the BYU/Utah game a physical one (perhaps knocking out Utah’s quarterback from the CU game), but it had to be a tough pill to swallow for the program as a whole. This might be Kyle Whittingham’s last season – think he wanted to go out on a three-game losing streak to the Cougars?

Now, will the hangover from the BYU game put Utah into a tailspin like Penn State went into after failing to beat Oregon at home? Perhaps not.

But Utah playing a tough game, both emotionally and physically, while the  Buffs rested up?

Clear advantage, Colorado.

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Injury reports … Every Wednesday, at 8:00 p.m., MT, the Big 12 “Player Availability Reports” are posted. Each team is required to reports on player in the following categories: “Out”; “Doubtful”; “Questionable”; and “Available”. The CU/Utah injury report can be found here Wednesday night.

For the TCU game, CU’s injury report was extensive, including eight of CU’s 16 scholarship defensive linemen being listed as “Questionable” or worse. In all, 17 Buffs were listed as “Out” for the game.

Last weekend, against Iowa State, CU was down to five defensive linemen missing the game. With a bye week to heal, one can only hope that CU’s injury situation will only continue to improve. Coach Prime at his press conference indicated that one of the running backs who missed the Iowa State game (Simeon Price and DeKalon Taylor have missed several games; Dre’lon Miller didn’t play last weekend) would be available this weekend.

Stay tuned …

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Let Down/Look Ahead Game? … While the Buffs, with a 3-4 record, can’t afford to look past anyone on their schedule as they look for six wins and a bowl bid, Utah, at 5-2, still has greater goals. If the Utes have any plans on playing for the Big 12 title, next weekend’s game against No. 21 Cincinnati (currently 6-1, 4-0 in Big 12 play) looms large.

Might the Ute players, coming off of a game against a ranked team, with another game against a ranked team coming up next weekend, be looking past the 3-4, 1-3 Buffs?

The Buff Nation can only hope …

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S – Statistics 

CU’s rushing defense remains offensive … Last season, Kent State was last in the nation in rushing defense, giving up 264.9 yards per game. Against Georgia Tech, the Colorado defense surrendered 320 yards rushing. That was good enough to rank CU 132nd out of 134 teams nationally after Week One.

With that huge total, it’s going to take some exceptional defensive line play to bring CU into even an average rush defense numbers by the end o f the season.

Giving up 236 rushing yards to Iowa State, even in a winning effort, didn’t help CU’s cause.

Below is CU’s game-by-game numbers, with the new season average, and the new season national ranking:

• Georgia Tech (320; 320.0; 132nd) … Delaware (84; 202.0; 121st) … Houston (209; 204.3, 123rd) … Wyoming (165; 194.5; 121st) … BYU (208; 197.2; 123rd) …TCU (94; 180.0; 113th) … Iowa State (236; 188.0; 116th)

With Utah bringing to town the No. 6 rushing offense in the nation to the game (245.0 yards per game), this is an ugly stat line to think about …

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Third downs … Iowa State opened the game against CU last weekend with the following drive chart: punt; punt; punt; punt; field goal; punt. With the Buff offense also struggling in the first half, it was the Buff defense which kept the team in the game long enough for the CU offense and special teams to win the game.

Colorado is a respectable 46th in the nation in third-down defense, giving up first downs only 35% of the time.

Meanwhile, Colorado is also a respectable 41st in the nation in third-down offense, converting first downs 44% of the time.

Other than turnovers, this would be the stat to watch Saturday night. If the Buffs can win the turnover battle … and the third down battle, they’ll have a fighting chance.

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Prediction … 

Last weekend, I went with my heart instead of my head, and predicted a CU win over No. 22 Iowa State.

Call it a hunch. Call it dumb luck … I’m just glad the Buffs won.

With Utah’s starting quarterback potentially not available for the game, the betting line has moved.

The Utes, faced with the chance of having to start a freshman at the most important position, has gone from 15.5-points all the way down to … 13.5-points.

Vegas is telling us that they don’t believe the Utes need Devon Dampier to beat the Buffs.

For CU to win, the Buffs need to force five first half punts out of the Utes, like they did against Iowa State … not likely.

For CU to win, the Buffs need to have their porous defense stop one of the best running teams in the country … not likely.

For CU to win, the Buffs need to force several turnovers to give their offense short fields … not likely.

The Buffs certainly can win this game … but you really have to squint to see it.

Prediction … Utah 31, Colorado 17

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2025 Predictions (5-2 Straight up; 5-2 Against the spread) …

• Colorado 27, Georgia Tech 23 … Actual: Georgia Tech 27, Colorado 20
• Colorado 38, Delaware 13 … Actual: Colorado 31, Delaware 7
• Colorado 24, Houston 20 … Actual: Houston 36, Colorado 20
• Colorado 27, Wyoming 13 … Actual: Colorado 37, Wyoming 20
• No. 25 BYU 24, Colorado 20 … Actual: No. 25 BYU 24, Colorado 21
• TCU 34, Colorado 21 … Actual: TCU 35, Colorado 21
• Colorado 28, No. 22 Iowa State 21 … Actual: Colorado 24, No. 22 Iowa State 17

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2024 Predictions … (Straight up: 10-3; Against the Spread: 10-3) …
2023 Predictions … (Straight up: 8-4; Against the Spread: 7-5) …
2022 Predictions … (Straight up: 10-2; Against the Spread: 9-3) …
2021 Predictions … (Straight up: 9-3; Against the Spread: 7-5) …

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This post, about the Utah game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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