Massachusetts @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2014 ) Colorado 41, Massachusetts 38

It is hard to call a Week 2 game a must-win situation, but Colorado's contest versus visiting Massachusetts on Saturday could be one after the Buffaloes had trouble in paradise, losing 28-20 to Hawaii in their season opener. Las Vegas oddsmakers expected Colorado to defeat the Rainbow Warriors, and the Buffaloes are heavily favored this week, but it's tough to count on a team which has won 10 games combined over the last four years despite quarterback Sefo Liufau's positive thoughts.

“I think the team’s confidence is pretty high,” Liufau, who was 23-of-40 for 158 yards and an interception without a touchdown against Hawaii, told cubuffs.com. “But you definitely want a win this week and get yourselves back on track.” The Minutemen should be a welcome sight for the Buffaloes, who prevailed in the only previous meeting 41-38 last season in Foxboro, Mass., behind three touchdown passes from Liufau. Massachusetts begins its fourth season in FBS and is 5-31 since making the move from the FCS' Colonial Athletic Association, and was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference's East Division. Nothing has come easy for the Buffaloes, though, as they have lost nine straight - one shy of the school record - since a 21-12 victory over the Rainbow Warriors during their two-win 2014 season.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Mountain. LINE: Colorado -12.5

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (2014: 3-9): The Minutemen have already made great strides on offense under coach Mark Whipple, who begins his second season in his second stint at UMass following a run from 1998-2003 which included a Division I-AA (now FCS) national title in 1998. The Minutemen are led by 6-6, 238-pound graduate student quarterback Blake Frohnapfel, who threw 23 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions in 2014 when UMass scored 45 offensive touchdowns compared to 14 in 2013 and 17 in 2012. The Minutemen, though, must improve a defense which allowed 33 points per game last season and have a chance to do so behind senior linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, who led the conference in tackles with 11.9 per game as an All-MAC performer in 2014.

ABOUT COLORADO (0-1): While the passing game didn't click against Hawaii, the rushing attack showed promise behind Michael Adkins II. The 5-10, 195-pound junior rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and was clearly the primary back after senior Christian Powell appeared to fall out of favor with coach Mike MacIntyre when he fumbled on his fifth carry and didn't touch the ball again. The Buffaloes got a spark from redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jase Franke, who recorded five tackles in only 23 snaps and a sack that caused a fumble near the Hawaii goal line which a Rainbow Warrior lineman barely carried out of the end zone.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Liufau threw a touchdown pass in all 20 career games prior to Hawaii.

2. Massachusetts senior WR Tajae Sharpe (85 catches, 15.1 average, seven TDs) has caught at least one pass in all 35 career games - the third-longest streak in the nation behind Arizona State's D.J. Foster (41) and Toledo's Alonzo Russell (38).

3. This is the 1,200th game in Colorado football history (681-482-36) dating back to 1890.

PREDICTION: Massachusetts 34, Colorado 31