Three Offensive Players to Watch for Arizona Wildcats vs. Colorado Buffaloes
The Arizona Wildcats need an offensive infusion as they prepare to host the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday at 1 p.m. mountain time at Arizona Stadium.
It's a homecoming game for the Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 in Big 12) and they would love nothing more than to put on a show for the locals and the alumni.
But lately, the Arizona offense has found the end zone elusive. Since their 61-point outburst against New Mexico in the season opener, Arizona has averaged 18.6 points in its last five games.
The most points the Wildcats scored in their last five games was the 23 they scored against Utah, as the defense held the Utes to 10 points.
Since then, the Wildcats’ offense just have given the defense enough support, to the point where the unit was simply overwhelmed against BYU on Saturday.
That will have to change against Colorado (4-2. 2-1), which boasts an explosive offense led by a pair of players who could finish the season as all-American or Heisman Trophy contenders.
Based on what Colorado coach Deion Sanders said on Tuesday, those stars should be ready to roll after they were banged up on Saturday.
Here are three offensive players to watch for each team.
Arizona
The Offensive Line
We tend not to get too broad in this space, but the offensive line simply has to be better. Injuries aside, quarterback Noah Fifita can't be hit more than a dozen times as he was against BYU. The Arizona run game has to be more productive and part of that is on the offensive line. Left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai, left guard Wendell Moe Jr., center Josh Baker, right guards Alexander Doost and Ryan Stewart, along with right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea have to be better as a unit for the Wildcats to be successful.
QB Noah Fifita
The offensive line isn't turning over the football. Fifita is and his decision-making is going to have to get better. He had four turnovers against BYU — three interceptions and a fumble. The fumble never should have happened. At least one of those interceptions could have been avoided. His numbers look gaudy, with 1,636 yards passing and eight touchdowns. But he now has more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes. Offensive line improvement is only going to get the Wildcats part of the way there. Fifita has to cut down on the mistakes.
WR Montana Lemonious-Craig
It's difficult to say who has emerged as the most consistent second option to potential all-American wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. It seems to change from week to week. Right now, Lemonious-Craig appears to be the hot hand. He caught his first touchdown of the season against BYU and he's caught eight passes in the last two games. Hopefully, that's positive momentum for a receiver that has been inconsistent. He caught six passes against Kansas State, but three combined in the other three games to start the season.
Colorado Buffaloes
WR Travis Hunter
There is no one else in college football like Hunter, and that's not being hyperbolic. He's college football's first Division I two-way star since Gordie Lockbaum at Holy Cross in the 1980s. He was a two-time Heisman finalist. Hunter, who also plays cornerback for the Buffaloes, is headed in that direction. Offensively he has caught 49 passes for 587 yards and six touchdowns. He has nearly twice as many catches as the second-most productive receiver on the team.
QB Shedeur Sanders
There's a lot of noise around Sanders. But the son of Coach Prime can clearly play. He's thrown for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. He's completed 72.6% of his passes. If you're thinking about the NFL, Sanders looks like a pro-style passer with the ability to slide out of the pocket. He’s been sacked 23 times, so the offensive line still isn't there yet in terms of pass protection. But Sanders has enough athleticism and enough pocket presence to make the most of a bad thing.
The Offensive Line
Well if we're going to call out the Arizona offensive line, we may as well call out the Colorado offensive line too. It’s a better unit than a year ago. But it is clearly struggling to protect the quarterback. Add in a running game that only averages 2.4 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns and the Buffaloes are one-dimensional. It’s time for right tackle Phillip Houston, right guard Kareem Harden, center Hank Zilinskas, left guard Tyler Brown, and left tackle Jordan Seaton to take a step forward in the back half of this season.
