Colorado faces ASU in matchup of skidding Pac-12 teams

Field Level Media|published: Wed 4th October, 24:28 2023

Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) attempts to scramble from USC Trojans defensive lineman Anthony Lucas (6) during the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. credits: John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports

Teams with first-year coaches who are on losing streaks will meet Saturday when Arizona State hosts Colorado in a Pac-12 Conference game in Tempe, Ariz.

The Sun Devils (1-4, 0-2) have lost four consecutive games under Kenny Dillingham, who is in his first year as a head coach after serving as offensive coordinator at Oregon, Florida State, Auburn and Memphis the previous five years.

The Buffaloes (3-2, 0-2) have dropped two straight under Deion Sanders, who was the coach at Jackson State for three years before coming to Colorado. The Buffaloes have lost to Oregon, 42-6, and USC, 48-41, to start the Pac-12 season, after reaching No. 19 in the AP poll.

The Buffaloes enter the Arizona State game with some momentum, however, as they cut USC's lead to 48-41 with 1:43 remaining last week after trailing 34-7 in the second quarter.

"If you can't see what's coming with CU football, you've lost your mind," Sanders said. "You're just a flat-out hater. If you can't see what's going on and what's going to transpire over the next several months, something's wrong with you."

His son, Shedeur Sanders, finished with 371 yards passing, completing 30 of 45 passes. He threw for four touchdowns and ran for one.

True freshman Omarion Miller had seven catches for 196 yards and a touchdown for the Buffaloes, who outgained the eighth-ranked Trojans 564-498.

Arizona State is coming off a 24-21 loss at Cal last week. The Sun Devils were only 2 of 15 in third-down conversions.

With Sun Devils quarterbacks Jaden Rashada and Drew Pyne out indefinitely with injuries, Trenton Bourguet played the entire game and completed 26 of 41 passes for 344 yards without a touchdown.

Arizona State was held to 68 yards rushing — 59 of them on 24 carries by Cameron Skattebo.

"When you can't run the ball and hit explosive runs like that when you're more consistent, you've got to find more explosives," Dillingham said.

The coach said he became familiar with Shedeur Sanders when he was at Auburn and he recruited the quarterback out of high school.

"I was super impressed. Seeing him put it together in college doesn't shock me. He's an older version of what that 17-year-old was. Cerebral, smart, has great poise about himself."

—Field Level Media