The ASU football team’s tune-up games are over and conference play starts on Saturday when the Sun Devils travel to Boulder to face off against the Colorado Buffaloes.
Many picked the Buffaloes (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) to finish in last place in the conference, and the team hasn’t played well enough thus far to change any opinions.
Colorado dropped its first game of the season to in-state rival Colorado State and then beat UMass-Amherst in come-from-behind fashion. The UMass Minutemen have won just two games since moving to FCS before the 2012 season.
Sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau has been the best offensive performer for Colorado, throwing for 559 yards, five touchdowns and one interception through the team’s two games.
Liufau’s favorite receiver has been junior wide receiver Nelson Spruce. The Westlake Village, California native has 34 percent of the team’s receptions and has caught four of the five touchdowns thrown this year.
On the ground, sophomore running back Michael Adkins II and junior tailback Christian Powell have split the carries nearly evenly, with Powell having the slight edge yards.
While the offense has been able to move the ball relatively well, the defense has been allowing other teams to move the ball at a much higher rate. Colorado allowed a UMass offense that averaged just over 11 points per game last season to accumulate 38 points and almost 400 yards of total offense.
The weak point of the defense has been stopping the pass, allowing 254 yards per game through the air, compared to 119 yards per game running the ball, which bodes well for ASU’s potent passing attack led by redshirt senior quarterback Taylor Kelly.
The Sun Devils are well-equipped enough to attack Colorado’s offense, and if the defense plays as well as it has for most of the team’s first two games, ASU has a definite advantage.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger
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