Getting To Know USC’s Week 5 Opponent: Colorado Buffaloes

Folsom Field, Home Of The Colorado Buffaloes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Folsom Field, Home Of The Colorado Buffaloes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Getting To Know USC’s Week 5 Opponent: Colorado Buffaloes

The USC Trojans travel to the rocky mountains of Boulder, CO to take on the Buffaloes. Currently, Vegas has USC favored by 6 and a half points so it’s pegged to be a close game. After last week’s disappointing loss to Oregon State, Coach Donte Williams looks to bounce back against a struggling Colorado squad.

2020 Season In Review

During the Covid 2020-2021 season, teams only played 6 to 7 games and it was almost written off as a “pre-season”. The Colorado Buffaloes managed to place 2nd in the PAC 12 south right behind USC with a record of 4-2.

Head Coach Karl Dorrell took this young Buffalo squad that went 5-7 in 2019 and quickly turned things around. The only two losses Colorado had were against Texas, who were ranked 19th at the time, and a rival in the south division, Utah.

Coach Dorrell was seemingly an upgrade from Mel Tucker and ended the 2020 season with some positives and momentum going into next year.

Key Additions And Departures

Colorado didn’t have too many transfers this year, and they only lost a couple of players. Six transfers from power five schools transferred to Colorado. Former Oklahoma Sooner safety Robert Barnes is now rotating in at “WILL” linebacker and Notre Dame transfer, Jack Lamb, looks to be the starter at “SAM” linebacker position.

Tennessee transfer J.T Shrout is Red Shirting this year but will look to make an impact in the coming years and compete for starting quarterback.

Former Buffalo quarterback Sam Noyer, who had a really impressive 2020 season that helped them reach the Alamo Bowl against Texas, has transferred to Oregon State. Former running back Jaren Mangham transferred to South Florida and is currently starting. The last of the notable transfers would be now USC wideout K.D. Nixon who’s still trying to find his role on the team but really helps the depth in the wide receiver room.

2021 Outlook

This isn’t your typical Colorado team who’s battling for the top spot in the south. This team seems to be struggling this year offensively and defensively with a 1-3 record. Offensive Coordinator Darrin Chiaverini can’t seem to find any success passing the ball or running it frankly.

One of the strengths of this offense, if any, would be the backfield. The two-headed monster of Jarek Broussard and Alex Fontenot are what coordinators dream of.

However, with that talent neither has eclipsed 100 yards rushing or receiving. It’s one thing for players needing time to be comfortable with your scheme but it’s another when you can’t move the ball.

Freshman quarterback Brandon Lewis got the starting job and seems to be finding himself making mistakes often. Lewis’s high in passing yards this year was 102 and that was against Northern Colorado. In the other games, he had 89, 55, and 67. That’s terrible no matter if you’re Alabama or the University of Massachusetts. There doesn’t seem to be a number one receiver as it’s a wide receiver by committee, if you will, until somebody steps up.

Oddly enough, as bad as Colorado has been, a glimmer of hope had risen after they had tested 5th ranked Texas A&M and made them pull off a late comeback. Colorado lost that game 10-7 but there was a sliver of optimism considering how good that A&M squad is.

They’d go on to lose the next two against Minnesota and Arizona State. The rest of the Buffalos schedule is tough, however, games like Arizona and Washington should be ones they pull off.

History Against The Trojans

This will be the 15th meeting of these two teams with the Trojans leading the series 14-0. The last time these two teams met was in 2019 where the Trojans narrowly escaped with a win in a great game ending 35-31 in Colorado. USC isn’t particularly in a spot to say they’re the better team but with the talent on this Trojans roster, they should win this game. Last week was the same deal in regards to USC not taking any team lightly as you can see in the college football world today anybody can beat anybody.

Coach Donte Williams reassured the media after the Oregon Stae game that they’d keep working and will eventually turn the tides. Hopefully, come Saturday, the Trojans can do so.

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Folsom Field, Home Of The Colorado Buffaloes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Folsom Field, Home Of The Colorado Buffaloes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons