Colorado @ Oregon State preview
Reser Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2014 ) Oregon State 36, Colorado 31
Two struggling Pac-12 programs riding three-game losing streaks clash in Corvallis on Saturday night as Oregon State hosts Colorado. The Beavers and Buffaloes are the only Pac-12 teams yet to notch a conference win and are a combined 7-35 in Pac-12 play since the start of the 2013 season.
Colorado has had a particularly tough go, winning only four of their 39 conference games since jumping from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 in 2011. The Buffs have lost 14 straight Pac-12 contests since a 41-24 win over California on Nov. 16, 2013. “It all goes back truly to technique, and X’s and O’s and blocking and tackling, and making plays and not making plays,” Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “So those are the type of things that you have to execute and do under pressure. We have to do a good job of coaching it, and the young men have to do a good job of playing in those situations.” Like Colorado, Oregon State got off to a 2-1 start — the Buffs actually took it a win farther to 3-1 — but neither team has won since the calendar flipped to October.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Oregon State -2
ABOUT COLORADO (3-4, 0-3 Pac-12): With Sefo Liufau throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Shay Fields catching eight passes for a career-high 168 yards and both TDs, the Buffs threw a scare into Arizona last week in a 38-31 home loss. But Fields suffered an ankle injury late in the contest and already has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest. Colorado, however, will regain the services of linebacker Kenneth Olugbode, who is averaging 7.8 tackles per game.
ABOUT OREGON STATE (2-4, 0-3): Following their 2-1 nonconference start, Pac-12 play has been a struggle for the Beavers, who have been outscored by Stanford, Arizona and Washington State by a combined 76 points. In last week’s 52-31 loss at Washington State, freshman quarterback Seth Collins threw for 176 yards and a TD and rushed for a game-high 124 yards and another score to notch his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. Defensively, middle linebacker Rommel Mageo leads the team with 47 total tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oregon State holds a 5-2 lead in the series and won both of the Pac-12 meetings, including a 36-31 win last season in Boulder.
2. Collins is on pace to rush for 972 yards this season and could threaten the Pac-12 single-season quarterback rushing record of 986 yards set by Washington’s Jake Locker in 2007.
3. It has been a defensive struggle for both teams in Pac-12 play so far with Colorado allowing an average of 42.3 points and 548 yards and the Beavers surrendering 46 points and 550.7 yards.
PREDICTION: Colorado 36, Oregon State 33