No. 12 Utah looks to play spoiler here. A win would prevent Colorado from claiming the Pac-12 South division title, while it should also help the Utes forget about their stunning loss to Oregon last weekend and cap off the regular season on a good note.
The Utes, who were in contention for the South title before the said upset, received a strong effort from quarterback Troy Williams against the Ducks. He converted 20 of his 30 passes for 235 yards and a 30-yard touchdown hurl to Evan Moeai. Williams, this season, has collected 14 scoring passes with only five picks.
RB Joe Williams, meanwhile, single-handedly carried Utah in the same game, rushing for 149 yards along with one TD on 23 carries.
Utah’s vaunted defensive line, however, was unexpectedly broken up by the Oregon offense, which managed to run for 251 yards and pass for 324 yards. DE Hunter Dimick, who recently set a new school record with 29 career sacks, will lead the defense against a Buffaloes squad that’s averaging 35.5 points and 478.3 offensive yards per game.
The Utes have beaten Colorado in the past four meetings, going 0-4 ATS in that stretch.
Colorado is a team with no evident weaknesses. It has an offense that can overwhelm opponents through the air and especially on the ground, where the 10th-ranked Buffaloes have relied on Philip Lindsay to do all the dirty work.
Lindsay was did just that in last week’s win over then-No. 22 Washington State, carrying the ball 31 times for 144 yards and two scores, marking his second-straight and fourth 100-yard effort of the season. The junior running back leads the Pac-12 with 15 running scores.
Quarterback Sefo Liufau, on the other hand, has been showcasing his versatility and efficiency all year long. He played mistake-free football in the win over the Cougars, completing 27 of his 41 passes for 345 yards and zero interceptions, while running for 108 yards on 23 rushes along with three scores.
The Buffaloes defense is also one of the best in the nation right now, yielding just 18.5 points per contest, including 10 or fewer points in five games this season.
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last five games and is undefeated across six home games (5-1 ATS) this season.
