Deion Sanders’ Buffs are still waiting for that one game that can turn their fate this season. And BYU is their best shot, not just because they are ranked opponents but also because it’s their chance to solidify their playoff chances. On top of that, it’s Colorado’s perfect shot to take revenge for last year’s Alamo Bowl’s 36-14 blowout. Best part? They already have the advantage of a home game, and let’s not forget how crazy the crowd is at Folsom Field. That’s exactly what even BYU’s OC is stressing. For now, the Buffs already lead with an 8-4-1 series, and if the home advantage pans out, Aaron Roderick’s fear can turn real.
Playing on the road is going to be tough for BYU, and after coming in strong against teams like Stanford, Portland State, and East Carolina, this game will test their dominance in the league. But playing against a hostile crowd might be a tough nut to crack, and Aaron Roderick is pointing straight at it, talking to the media. “Have tons of respect for these guys. We know they’re a good team, and we got to go play at their place. It’s going to be hostile, and crowd noise will be a factor. So we have our work cut out for us. For sure, Bear’s a physical player, and he likes contact, so we have to be smart about managing that,” he said.
Look, the urgency makes sense. Deion Sanders’s presence grabs so many eyes in the game. And as per the Super West Sports X post, Colorado has the most TV viewers through 4 weeks, and that’s 10.63 million, whereas BYU sits at 1.83 million. It’s not just the TV views but also the number of people he attracts on the field. Their Week 4 game against Wyoming attracted 53,442 people to Folsom Field, their second-highest audience number in 17 years. So, now you know why Roderick is stressed about the hostile environment.
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But with that, there’s another concern too. Even though Bear Bechmeier got a taste of playing against a hostile environment at ECU, the Buffs are going to be even more intense and louder. Yet Roderick is sure Bear will step up. “You know, we’re mixing in a little bit of QB run when we feel like it can help us expose the defense, but we’re not going to be reckless about it either. Our scheme accounts for that. I mean, we have a lot of different pass protections, and we give people a lot of different varieties of looks and try to make it hard to get to our quarterback, and then we have a good run game, and those things both help the quarterback.”
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After an entire offseason stressing over the QB1 position, BYU turned to Bear Bachmeier, and this guy proved why he’s the perfect fit. Throughout the three weeks, he showed flashes of excellence, and in last week’s 34-13 win over ECU, Bear went 18 for 25 for 246 yards and a touchdown, which now makes his total yards 518, with four passing touchdowns and four rushing TDs. And even their OL with WR Chase Roberts, who has 11 catches for 185 yards and a TD, and RB LJ Martin, who rushed for over 100 yards in each game, backs him up perfectly.
So, here’s the bigger question: can BYU make an impact against Colorado?
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Does Colorado stand strong against BYU?
Colorado is off to a rough start this season with a 2-2 record. Their defense has been a problem since the start of the season, as they are one of the worst in the nation, allowing 194.5 yards per game. That puts them straight at no. 121 of 134 teams. Then their struggle to get off the field and special teams issues with consistency have cost them momentum.
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Now, here’s the problem: Deion Sanders’ team will face BYU’s run-heavy offense, which will straightaway exploit this weakness of Colorado’s defense. And they already have key weapons for it too. Their RB LJ Martin ranks 5th in the nation with 8.55 yards per carry and 9th with 114.0 yards per game. So, if Colorado’s defense doesn’t improve, Martin can be the guy making things even worse for them.
And let’s not forget the Cougars have already messed with Colorado’s defense last season by only giving up 14 points against them. For the Buffaloes to avoid another letdown, they’ll need sharper execution on both sides of the ball to keep BYU’s tough defense and powerful run game from taking control again.