At the same time, a Buffaloes defense that ranks dead last in among power-conference teams - the unit allows an average of 480.2 yards per game - creates pause in picking Colorado to win comfortably on the road. There's no debating that Colorado, even with Hunter sidelined, supersedes Arizona State in terms of star talent entering this matchup. Colorado's hype train may be built to survive shortcomings against ranked Ducks and Trojans squads, but losing to a struggling Arizona State team would do potentially irreparable damage going forward. Beyond that, key players such as two-way star Travis Hunter and safety Shilo Sanders have dealt with injuries, and the offensive line has struggled to protect quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The momentum has started to wane after the Buffaloes allowed 90 points combined in losses to Oregon and USC. Prime Time hype fading? Sanders and Buffaloes were the talk of college football - complete with a celebrity contingent of fans - after opening the season with three straight victories. Bourget did pass for 344 yards at Cal in Week 5, but finished with an interception and no touchdowns. Drew Pyne, Jaden Rashada and Trenton Bourget have all endured ailments of varying degrees early in the season, leaving the Sun Devils with razor-thin depth at a critical position. As if four straight losses and a narrow victory against an FCS opponent wasn't tough enough, Arizona State has also been decimated by injuries at quarterback. Days before the season began, the university announced a self-imposed bowl ban for the football team, stemming from alleged NCAA violations committed under ex-Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards. Get caught up on storylines, viewing information and some expert advice before Colorado and Arizona State close out the Pac-12 chapter of their series at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.Īdversity piling up for Sun Devils: Rebuilds don't happen overnight, but it's been a rough ride early for Dillingham's regime. Arizona State owns a 10-3 edge and has prevailed in each of the past two matchups, but the Buffaloes are favored this time around. Saturday will mark the 14th overall meeting in a series that has been played annually since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011. They'll look to stop the bleeding against an Arizona State team that has lost four in a row, including Pac-12 defeats against USC and Cal, after starting the Kenny Dillingham era with a victory against Southern Utah in Week 1. There remains an undeniable buzz for coach Deion Sanders and Colorado following a blistering 3-0 start, but the spotlight has dimmed somewhat after back-to-back losses. However, one team is guaranteed to finally bust into that win column as we approach the midway point of the season. Neither team has noted a conference victory this season after stumbling to 0-2 starts in conference play. While the anticipation of a new conference home means long-term optimism for both programs, the Buffaloes and Sun Devils still have a lot of work to do in 2023. Colorado and Arizona State will play one more game as Pac-12 foes in Week 6 before they depart for the greener pastures of the Big 12 in the 2024 college football season.
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