Colorado State @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2011 ) Colorado State 14, Colorado 28

Colorado will have a new quarterback as it tries for its third straight victory over Colorado State on Saturday in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Jordan Webb, a transfer from Kansas, won the starting job and will lead the young Buffaloes into their second season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Webb was 4-15 in two seasons at Kansas with 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while completing 60.6 percent of his passes. Colorado finished in the bottom 15 in the nation in rushing yards, scoring and points allowed last season and allowed 42 or more points in six of its seven Pac-12 losses. The Buffaloes are looking for their first winning season since 2005. Jim McElwain makes his debut as Colorado State coach. He was Nick Saban's offensive coordinator at Alabama the past four seasons, and helped the Crimson Tide win two national championships during that span.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FX. LINE: Colorado -6.5

ABOUT COLORADO STATE (2011: 3-9, 1-6 MWC): The Rams were picked in the preseason media poll to finish eighth in the 10-team Mountain West Conference, and McElwain inherits a young team with only 14 seniors on its roster. While he doesn't have the talent he had to work with at Alabama, it shouldn't be long before he has Colorado State moving in the right direction. McElwain, who was the Oakland Raiders quarterback coach in 2006, will have sophomore Garrett Grayson calling the signals. He took over for the final three games last season, passing for 542 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 193 yards and one score. Grayson will have the luxury of handing off to junior running back Chris Nwoke, who rushed for 1,130 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011. He also caught 23 passes.

ABOUT COLORADO (2011: 3-10, 2-7 Pac-12): The Buffaloes, who were picked in the preseason media poll to finish last in the South Division, have eight seniors, tied for the fewest among FBS schools. Second-year coach Jon Embree also has only nine starters returning. Webb beat out returnee Nick Hirschman and Texas transfer Connor Wood, who was the spring game starter. The receiving corps is thin, though, with big-play Paul Richardson redshirting the season because of a knee injury. That leaves sophomores Tyler McCulloch and Keenan Canty (25 catches combined in 2011) as the most experienced receivers. Colorado will turn to 5-foot-7, 190-pound sophomore Tony Jones to try to revitalize the running game. Jones averaged 3.8 yards on 78 carries and scored four touchdowns - two receiving - last season. The Buffaloes won two of their final three games in 2011, including a 17-14 win over Utah in the finale.

EXTRA POINTS

1.The Buffaloes lead the series 61-20-2. The Rams last won 23-17 in 2009 at Folsom Field in Boulder. Colorado has won the last four meetings in Denver.

2. McElwain is the first of six new coaches Colorado will see this season.

3. The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: Colorado State 23-21