Arizona Wildcats vs. Colorado Buffaloes Predictions: Insider Picks and Analysis
The Arizona Wildcats will have a packed house for homecoming when they host the Colorado Buffaloes at 1 p.m. mountain on Saturday as they continue Big 12 action at Arizona Stadium.
The Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 in Big 12) wouldn’t disappoint the home crowd, right?
Well, it’s been a disappointing couple of weeks for Arizona, which hasn’t scored more than 30 points in a game since the season opener. With losses in three of their last four games, the Wildcats are turning into one of the season’s true disappointments, relative to what was expected. All the midseason all-America selections of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan won’t change that.
The offense has been a mess, going all the way back to the victory over Northern Arizona in Week 2. Arizona needs to find what it does well and do it. But there’s some question about what this offense does best at the moment.
Colorado (4-2, 2-1) is coming off their first loss in Big 12 action and as long as the Buffs can avoid their second, they have a clear shot at reaching the league title game in Arlington in December. If you’re not into the Wildcats, this game has two of college football’s biggest stars — quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way stud Travis Hunter.
Here are the staff predictions for Saturday’s game.
Matthew Postins, Staff Writer
Colorado 31, Arizona 24
We've reached that point in the season where it boils down to which team you trust more. Right now I trust Colorado's offense to put up the points more than I trust Arizona to get the job done. I worry that the injuries the Wildcats are dealing with are simply too much for them to overcome. I don't expect the Buffs to run away with it, but I do expect them to win. I also expect Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu to have a huge game after missing all of last week’s game due to the targeting call in the first quarter.
Kenneth Teape, Staff Writer
Colorado 48, Arizona 41
The Arizona Wildcats are riding a two-game losing streak as they have been plagued by inconsistent performance. Heading into a big matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes, we are going to see a good old-fashioned shootout. But, it will be one that Arizona falls short in as Hunter will return to the lineup and be the difference.
