Colorado @ Washington State preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2011 ) Washington State 31, Colorado 27

Washington State is seeking its first three-game winning streak in six years and Colorado attempts to move on from a humiliating loss to Fresno State when the teams open Pac-12 play on Saturday. New Cougars coach Mike Leach is laying the foundation for his progressive offense but a light schedule (Eastern Washington and Nevada-Las Vegas the past two weeks) is the prime factor for Washington State’s above-.500 start. Colorado was rocked 69-14 by Fresno State last week as second-year coach Jon Embree and his staff was powerless to stop the assault. The annihilation came on the heels of a loss to FCS Sacramento State the previous Saturday.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, FX. LINE: Washington State –18.5.

ABOUT COLORADO (0-3, 0-0 Pac-12): The Buffaloes experienced one of the worst shellackings in school history and it came against a non-BCS program breaking in a new head coach. Fresno State led 35-0 after one quarter and 55-7 at halftime. Colorado gave up 516 yards in the first half, including a 94-yard touchdown run and a 97-yard touchdown pass. Colorado is allowing an average of 40.3 points and 479.7 yards per game. The offense is also struggling – averaging 19.7 points and 289.7 yards – under Kansas transfer Jordan Webb, who has passed for 442 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12): Leach hadn’t chosen a starting quarterback as of midweek but it will be no surprise if sophomore Connor Halliday is the pick after he passed for 378 yards and four touchdowns in the win over UNLV on Sept. 14. Senior Jeff Tuel injured his right knee the previous week against Eastern Washington and threw two touchdowns in his two starts. Junior receiver Marquess Wilson (13 receptions, 218 yards) is experiencing a slow start during the adjustment stage to Leach’s offense but needs just 93 receiving yards to pass Jason Hill (2,704 from 2003-06) for second place on the school’s career receiving yardage list. Senior linebacker Travis Long has four sacks and stands 10th in school history with 15 career sacks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Colorado leads the series 4-3 but Washington State won last year’s meeting, 31-27.

2. Wilson has eight career receiving touchdowns of 50 or more yards, one of which was the game-winning 63-yard score with 1:10 left in the 2011 contest against Colorado.

3. The Buffaloes are averaging just 4.26 yards per offensive play while giving up a whopping 7.0 per play on defense.

PREDICTION: Washington State 41, Colorado 24.