Pac 12 College Football Preview: Oregon State Beavers vs. Colorado Buffaloes

Sep 28, 2013; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion (4) hands the ball off to running back Terron Ward (28) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Buffaloes nearly pulled off a win on the road last weekend in Berkeley, falling to the California Golden Bears in a back-and-fourth game, 59-56 via overtime. This Saturday, the Buffaloes look to bounce back as they face a Oregon State Beavers team who lost their first game of the season last week, falling to the USC Trojans by the score of 35-10.

What: PAC-12 Football Preview: Oregon State Beavers (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) vs. Colorado Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2 Pac-12)
When: Saturday, October 4th
Where: Folsom Field (Boulder, Colorado)
Time: 4:00 PM EST, 2:00 PM MST
TV: Pac-12 Network

Buffaloes sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau went into full on beast mode last Saturday vs. California. The 6-foot-4, 230 pound quarterback completed 46-of-67 passes for 455 yards, connecting on 7 touchdowns with one interception. His favorite target, junior Nelson Spruce, also went into beast mode. Spruce went on to catch 19 balls from Liufau, resulting in 179 yards and three touchdown receptions.

The Buffs’ defense faces a tough task in Oregon State’s senior quarterback Sean Mannion. Mannion picked apart the Buffs’ secondary last season in Oregon State’s 44-17 victory over Colorado. In that very game, Mannion completed 27-of-52 passes for 414 yards, resulting in six touchdown passes to go along with a pick. So far this season, Mannion has completed 62.8% percent of his passes, collecting 1,026 yards through the air with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

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In last Saturday’s loss to Cal, Colorado lost a key player on the defensive side of the ball in Tedric Thompson. Colorado gave up 21 unanswered points at one point to begin the second half, giving up a total of 45 points in the second half and overtime combined. Thompson’s toughness at the safety position was missed, as the sophomore out of Valencia, California recorded an interception early on in the game.

In order to keep the game close and have a chance at defeating the Oregon State Beavers, Colorado’s defense must be better on third downs. Last week vs. California, Colorado led Cal convert 10-of-16 possessions on third down; not a recipe for success.

Just a reminder, kickoff between the Oregon State Beavers and Colorado Buffaloes is scheduled for 4:00 PM EST, 2:00 PM MST on the Pac-12 Network.