Arizona at Colorado NCAA Football Game Picks 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Folsom Field

Grant Gunnell and the Arizona Wildcats travel to Folsom Field on Saturday where they'll take on the Colorado Buffaloes. The odds on this game have Colorado as 2.5-point favorites. The Wildcats are 1-2-0 ATS and 2-1-0 when betting on the total. The Buffaloes are 3-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 3-1-0 against the spread.

Key Arizona Wildcats Injuries

09/29/19 RB J.J. Taylor Ankle is questionable Saturday vs Colorado
09/29/19 QB Khalil Tate Hamstring is questionable Saturday vs Colorado

Key Colorado Buffaloes Injuries

09/29/19 LB Carson Wells Concussion is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/29/19 DB Chris Miller Sternum injured last game, is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/29/19 DB Delrick Abrams Jr. Shoulder is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/29/19 WR Laviska Shenault Jr. Undisclosed left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/29/19 DL Mustafa Johnson Knee injured last game, is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/29/19 S Mikial Onu Leg is questionable Saturday vs Arizona
09/19/19 RB Jarek Broussard Knee is out for season
09/17/19 DB Aaron Maddox Leg is out indefinitely
08/06/19 OL Jacob Moretti Knee is out for season

The last time they played, the Arizona Wildcats faced the UCLA Bruins and earned the win by a score of 20-17. Darrius Smith led the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 16 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for 35 yards via 6 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.8 yards per tote. Darrius Smith was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 99 yards on 5 catches. He notched an average of 19.8 yards per catch for that game. Running the show from under center for the Wildcats was Grant Gunnell who went 29/44 with 352 yards passing and completed 1 touchdown. He ended the game with no interceptions. The Arizona Wildcats ended up rushing 30 times and racked up 99 yards earning them an average of 3.3 yards per rushing attempt. For the game, the Wildcats got 21 1st downs and they had a total of 10 penalties for 74 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. In all, they finished with a total of 74 plays which gave them a total of 451 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona gave up 22 completions on 42 attempts for a total of 228 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.4%. Against the run, the Wildcats gave up 217 yards on 43 carries which gave the opponent an average of 5.0 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they allowed 445 yards and forced 1 turnover.

The Wildcats come into this game with a record of 3-1 this season. For total yards, they sit in 8th in the Pac-12 and 74th in the country with 1,758 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 37.8 points per game, putting them 26th in the country. As a team, they have an average of 230.8 rushing yards per contest which is 1st in the conference. The Wildcats have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 29.3 points per game ranking them 8th in the Pac-12. In discussing rushing yards, Arizona is allowing 83 yards per game which has them at 2nd in the Pac-12 and 15th in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4 yards per rush which has them at 6th in the conference and 66th in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 332 yards rushing through 4 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Wildcats have allowed 835 yards. Opponents are completing 60.9% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.4 yards per attempt.

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In their last outing, the Colorado Buffaloes played the Arizona State Sun Devils and earned the victory by a score of 34-31. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Buffaloes was Steven Montez who went 23/30 with 337 yards passing and threw 3 TD's. He ended the game without an interception. Alex Fontenot paced the team on the ground in the game. He had a long run of 16 yards and he tallied 1 TD in the game. He ran for a total of 89 yards via 25 carries which meant he averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Tony Brown led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 150 yards on 9 catches. He notched an average of 16.7 yards per reception in the game. The Colorado Buffaloes ended up running the ball 40 times and generated 138 yards which earned them an average of 3.5 yards per carry. In the game, they totaled 70 plays for a total of 475 yards. Overall, the Buffaloes racked up a total of 20 1st downs and they totaled 3 penalties for 30 yards telling us that this team was extremely focused in this game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Colorado conceded 24 completions on 39 throws totaling 345 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.5%. Against the run, the Buffaloes conceded 108 yards on 28 carries giving the other team an average of 3.9 yards per run allowed. For the game, they conceded 453 yards and forced 1 turnover.

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The Buffaloes step onto the field holding a record of 3-1. Colorado needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 143.8 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 85th in D-1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 575 rushing yards through 4 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Buffaloes average 434.8 yards per contest overall which has them at 44th in college football and 6th in the conference. The Buffaloes are conceding 30.8 points per contest which puts them at 11th in the conference and 101st in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in the nation. They are giving up 291 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Buffaloes currently sit at 12th in the Pac-12. In discussing points given up, they have allowed 123 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are allowing 176.8 yards per game ranking them 98th in D-1 and 11th in the Pac-12. For this year, they have conceded 707 rushing yards and 7.2 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Wildcats/Buffaloes college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Buffaloes -2.5

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