Stanford vs Colorado Odds

Frustration is the mindset of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. After a narrow escape against Arizona State, Sanders relayed his message about a Buffaloes squad that’s consistently marred by inefficiencies, penalties and a kicking game that’s not up to standard.

Colorado has played one of the toughest schedules in the nation: fourth in strength of schedule and top-30 in strength of record. If the Buffaloes have aspirations of making a bowl game, Friday night is a must-win against a Stanford team without a conference victory.

Head coach Troy Taylor had the Cardinal ready for a season opener against Hawaii. The new Offensive scheme was full of pre-snap motion, turning into misdirection and moving offensive lineman after the snap.

Opponents took notice of the film, though, as Stanford has now lost four straight, including a loss to Taylor’s old team in Sacramento State.

Now the Trees leave The Farm for the first time since Week 2, a drubbing provided by USC. The Cardinal will look to enter Boulder at full strength under center, desperately needing a victory in the inaugural season for Taylor.

Stanford entered the season with a season win total that fell from 3 to 2.5 before opening kick.

Colorado may represent the best chance to get a second win for Stanford, with Washington, UCLA, Notre Dame and a host of others remaining on the schedule.

Taylor has brought his Sacramento State offense to Palo Alto, running a heavy amount of two tight end sets.

More than 58% of snaps are a rushing attempt, as Taylor prefers an even distribution of inside zone, power- and man-run concepts in a heavy set.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels is set to start after being knocked out of the Oregon game. The second-year quarterback has struggled in crowded pockets, with a 46% adjusted completion percentage and five turnover-worthy plays.

While the offense has struggled to get inside the top 100 in any analytical category, the defense has been at the bottom of FBS in multiple statistics.

Stanford is the worst-ranked defense nationally in allowing points in opponent scoring opportunities. In 23 opponent drives beyond the 40-yard line, Stanford is allowing an average of 5.3 points per attempt.

The nickel formation strives to stop explosives, often moving from a three-man to a two-man front depending on the down and distance. Stanford has yet to force a fumble and also has recorded the fewest tackles for a loss in FBS.

If there’s an area that’s a positive, the Cardinal rank top-25 in limiting explosives in passing downs thanks to their leading tackler in cornerback Collin Wright.

There may be good news on the horizon for Colorado, as Travis Hunter is practicing with the team during Week 7 preparation. Hunter was third in targets offensively before suffering an injury against Colorado State, but his real impact came on the defensive side of the ball.

Lining up at cornerback, Hunter allowed just four catches on 12 targets while recording four pass breakups.

There have been improvements on defense as the season has progressed, as the Buffaloes rank in the top half of FBS teams in Line Yards and tackling.

Defensive coordinator Charles Kelly pivots between the 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 with the strongest coverage efficiency in quarters.

The offense has been in good hands with Shedeur Sanders, who has thrown 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Not only has Sanders contributed more than 2,000 passing yards, but the Jackson State transfer also has over 200 rushing yards with three touchdowns.

Wideout Xavier Weaver and slot Jimmy Horn Jr. lead the team in targets, complementing an offense that ranks 13th in Passing Downs Success Rate.

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Stanford and Colorado match up statistically:

The numbers haven’t been kind for Stanford or Colorado, two teams with a strength of schedule in the top 20 nationally.

While the defensive numbers are a product of playing high-octane offenses, it’s the offensive struggle to generate opportunities and score points that will be the primary driver on Friday.

Stanford is 126th in Offensive Quality Drives, a statistic that measures offensive possessions that end in a score, last at least 10 plays, are longer than three minutes or cover 50 yards.

Colorado has a similar struggle, ranking 89th in Quality Drives and 102nd in Offensive Finishing Drives.

These ranks often correlate with Offensive Momentum Killer, another statistic with a focus on 10-plus yard penalties, sacks, fumbles, missed field goals and failed fourth-down conversions.

Both Stanford and Colorado rank bottom-20 of all FBS teams in Offensive Momentum Killer, which will make Friday night a consistent offensive struggle.

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