UCLA Football: An early preview of the Colorado Buffaloes

Continuing our look at UCLA Football’s 2017 schedule, Go Joe Bruin previews the Bruins’ first conference home game of the season as they take on the Colorado Buffaloes.

After the UCLA Football team opens Pac-12 play on the road in Palo Alto against Stanford, the schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Bruins return home for a clash with the upstart Colorado Buffaloes.

After five abysmal seasons in the Pac-12 in which Colorado failed to win more than four games, the Buffaloes surprised many last season by winning 10 games for the first time since 2001 and taking home the Pac-12 South crown.

Last season, the Bruins dropped a tough matchup in Boulder by a score of 20-10. The Bruins will be locked and loaded and looking for revenge when the Buffaloes romp into the Rose Bowl next season.

What: UCLA Bruins vs. Colorado Buffaloes

Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA

When: Saturday, Sept. 30

The Buffaloes lose a lot from last season, but still will be no cakewalk for a Bruins team that finished 4-8 last season. The Buffaloes will start with three cupcakes before taking on Washington in Boulder the week before their showdown with UCLA. Coming off a tough battle with the Huskies could prove to be beneficial for UCLA as they look to take down the Buffaloes.

Here’s a preview of the 2017 matchup:

Colorado Offense:

Colorado had a middle of the road offense in 2016, but the way their defense played last year, that was all that was needed.

Though, the biggest loss for the Colorado Football team comes on the offensive side of the ball. The Buffaloes had to say goodbye to four-year starter Sefo Liufau. Liufau never put up gaudy numbers, but he was the straw that stirred the Buffaloes’ offense.

December 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Steven Montez (12) during the second quarter in the Pac-12 championship against the Washington Huskies at Levi’s Stadium. The Huskies defeated the Buffaloes 41-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Redshirt sophomore Steven Montez is the favorite to replace Liufau. He appeared in nine games last season, including three starts when Liufau was injured. He went 2-1 as a starter including wins against Oregon and Oregon State.

Colorado returns nine starters total from the offensive side of the ball, including all of its leading pass catchers from a season ago, which should help to ease the transition of Montez to full time starter.

One player that could give the Bruins trouble is running back Phillip Lindsay, who returns for his senior season after rushing for 1,252 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. With Eddie Vanderdoes gone to the NFL, the Bruins will need to find a new man in the middle to slow Lindsay down.

If Montez can produce consistently, and Lindsay is his former self, the Buffaloes offense shouldn’t see much of a drop off and could be even better in 2017.

Colorado 2016 Offensive Stats

Total Offense: 437.1 (6th in Pac-12)

Passing Offense: 254.5 (8th)

Rushing Offense: 182.6 (8th)

Scoring Offense: 31.1 (7th)

Colorado Defense:

Colorado’s strength in 2016 was their defense. They wielded a group that ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense last season, but they have a lot to replace, including their defensive coordinator, Jim Leavitt, who left to take a significant pay increase with the University of Oregon.

The Buffs hired D.J. Eliot as their defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, after spending the past four years in the same position at the University of Kentucky. Eliot will employ the same 3-4 defensive set that Leavitt used during his successful turnaround of the Buffs defense, so there shouldn’t be too much turnover in how the defense looks next season.

But there are more problems for the Colorado defense, including having to replace their entire defensive line from a season ago. They also have three members of the secondary that need replacing. With these losses, it will be interesting to see if Colorado can keep pace with their stellar defense from 2016.

One positive for the Colorado defense is that last season’s second leading tackler linebacker Rick Gamboa, who had 76 tackles last year, and 78 in his freshman season, will be returning for his junior campaign. Gamboa is a huge key into how successful the Buffaloes D will be in 2017. If he can increase his production from 2016 and become the quarterback of the Colorado Defense, the Buffs should be in good hands in 2017.

With UCLA’s offense struggling in 2016, it will be helpful for the Bruins to face an inexperienced defense early on in the conference season. Hopefully Josh Rosen and the rest of the Bruins offense can take advantage of a young defense.

Colorado 2016 Defensive Stats

Total Defense: 342.5 (2nd in Pac-12)

Passing Defense: 193.6 (2nd)

Rushing Defense: 148.9 (6th)

Scoring Defense: 21.7 (3rd)

Next: An early preview of the Stanford Cardinal

Final Analysis

The 2017 installment of UCLA vs. Colorado should be a doozy. It’s a classic matchup of strength vs. strength as Colorado’s offense should be its strength whereas UCLA’s strength will be their defense. UCLA should be able to take down the Buffs if Rosen and the offense can put up big numbers against an inexperienced Colorado D. After watching last year, though, that’s a gigantic IF.