Colorado vs. Washington State: Keys to the game

Buffs and Cougars meet for the final time as Pac-12 conference foes

Colorado (4-6) looks to get back to winning ways having lost four straight games as they head to Pullman, Washington to take on Washington State (4-6). The Cougars came out of the gate hot winning their first four games, but they have hit a wall having now lost six in a row.

Kickoff is set for Friday, 10:30pm ET, on FS1. Here are three keys to Colorado's success against WSU.

STOP THE PASSING GAME

For CU, it will be all about grounding the air game of Washington State. The Cougars come into this week ranked third in the nation, averaging 337.9 yards per game through the air. They're led by Cameron Ward, a transfer from Incarnate Word, who has been tremendous for WSU in his second season. On the year, Ward has thrown for 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Ward plays his game similar to Shedeur Sanders and does a great job not turning the ball over. The two are friends off the field and trained together this past off-season. Ward's main three targets have been Lincoln Victor with 73 receptions, Kyle Williams 53 receptions, and Josh Kelly with 47. Kelly has caught seven touchdowns on the season and Victor and Williams have four each. Nine different receivers have caught a touchdown on the season, so this will be a big challenge for CU’s secondary.

The good thing for the Buffs is that Ward has thrown an interception in back-to-back games, and CU will look to make it three in a row. The Buffs as a whole have ten interceptions on the season, but they have not had one since the UCLA game three weeks ago. CU needs to find a way to shut down a receiving core that is deep and force Ward to give the ball away. With players like Travis Hunter and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, who lead the team with three interceptions, it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Also, look for Omarion Cooper to have a big night in the secondary. The FSU transfer leads the team in pass breakups and has been close to getting that first pick of the season this could be his week.

The Cougars struggle mightily in stopping the pass as they rank 110th in the nation, allowing 249.0 yards per game. This is a game Sanders can really showcase his skills and get after the secondary of Washington State. Colorado comes in as the ninth-best passing team in the country, averaging 314.7 yards per game. Wazzo will try to take Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter out of the equation, so this could be a week that Jimmy Horn Jr. comes up big. 'J5' has been relatively quiet these past two weeks having only caught four balls in those two games. Michael Harrison is another guy that has seen his production go down since Pat Shurmur took over as play-caller. A large reason for that is he has been utilized more in pass protection. This would be a great week for Sanders to get Harrison involved with routes going up the seam.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE

This is on the list for every coach on every team and turnovers could be the big difference maker for both CU and Washington State. Both quarterbacks rarely throw an interception. Yes, Ward has thrown two in back-to-back games, but he only has five on the season. For Sanders it is only three. The last time Sanders threw an interception was over a month ago in the loss against Stanford. Both quarterbacks are going to put their teams in good situations, it will be on the defense to force the mistake. Jordan Domineck will need to find a way to get to Ward and force him to throw into tight coverage. For CU, they will need to find a way to contain edge rusher Brennan Jackson who has three sacks in the last two games and 6.5 on the season. If Jackson can get to Sanders, he will give the Cougars secondary a chance to come up with an interception.

Washington State has lost ten fumbles on the season. This will be a big day for CU to try and force the ball loose whether that is from a strip, punch, or a big hit. CU comes in tied for 14th in the nation with 14 fumble recoveries and it shows that a team has been very aggressive when it comes to trying to force a fumble. Shilo Sanders and Rodrick Ward have both shown that they can provide the big hits to jar balls loose. If CU can win the turnover battle, it gives them an even greater chance of getting a win in Pullman.

WIN THE RUN GAME

Whichever team does this will be the reason the game is won. CU and Washington are two of the worst running teams in the nation with CU ranked dead last in the nation averaging 69.0 yards per game and as a team that has yet to see a 100-yard rusher. CU needs to run the ball at least 25 times and try to establish some sort of semblance of a rushing attack. CU needs to have a back that has ten or more carries. 15 would be ideal, but CU cannot just simply abandon it like they have done in the past. Eat up the clock and establish a run to wear down the Cougars defense and get that 100-yard rusher for the first time this season.

Washington State is almost as bad as CU averaging 81.0 yards per game which puts them 128th in the nation. Like CU, Washington State struggles to give a back over 10 carries and relies mostly on the passing game. The Cougars have also yet to see a running back eclipse 100 yards in a game this season Nakia Watson leads the way with 70 carries on the season for 236 yards. However, last week Leo Pulalasi led the team with 11 carries for 66 yards. It was just the second game this season that Pulalasi has played in. Washington State, like CU, is looking for the bell cow.

A win and CU still have a chance at getting in a bowl game. It should be an air show between both teams and a game that CU must win.