Three matchups to watch when Colorado plays Stanford

BOULDER – The 1-0 Colorado Buffaloes are on their way to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 1:30 p.m. MT.

Following an offensive explosion in Week 1 that was largely the result of spectacular starting debuts from quarterback Sam Noyer and running back Jarek Broussard, the Buffaloes will face a tougher task in Week 2.

Stanford’s front seven may not be what it once was, but it still has the potential to be one of the better units in the Pac-12. The explosiveness is lacking but the Cardinal defensive line is stout and strong, which could challenge Colorado.

The Buffs beat Stanford 16-13 in Boulder last year and this year’s contest could resemble that game more than the high-scoring affair Colorado found itself in versus UCLA on Saturday.

Here are three matchups to keep an eye on when Colorado and Stanford take the field:

Jalen Sami vs. Drew Dalman

As noted above, the biggest test for Colorado likely resides in the trenches.

Stanford built its dominance over the last decade through the trenches. Every year, it seems the Cardinal ranks near the top of the Pac-12 for both its offensive and defensive lines.

Even without left tackle Walker Little, who opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft, Stanford has plenty of elite talent up front. Right tackle Foster Sarell figures to be in the NFL a year from now, but it’s Drew Dalman that created the biggest problems for Oregon last week in Stanford’s opener.

The senior center was picked as the preseason first-team all-conference representative for his position and immediately lived up to the hype. In 14 rushing attempts against Oregon that were in the gap either to the right or the left of the center, Stanford averaged 10.7 yards per run, according to Pro Football Focus.

If Colorado is going to beat Stanford, it’s going to have to win in the trenches and that will start right in the middle of the line.

Saturday will be a test for the entire Colorado defensive line, but nose tackle Jalen Sami will be the one lining up across from Dalman more often than not and the 6-foot-6, 325-pounder could make a name for himself with a big performance.

Keep your eyes on the middle of the line when Stanford has the ball.

Simi Fehoko vs. Buffs DBs

While beating Stanford starts with winning in the trenches, a couple of big plays could change the shape of the game…

And Colorado’s defensive backs have been known to give up their fair share of big plays.

The Buffs manhandled UCLA in the first half of their Week 1 contest but some leaks in the defense emerged early in the second half. Touchdown passes of 26 and 52 yards, as well as a 65-yard touchdown scramble, gave the Bruins a chance to get back into the game.

While UCLA does have an explosive offense, they don’t have a deep threat like Simi Fehoko lining up at wide receiver.

Fehoko was second in FBS football last year with just over 24 yards per reception. Last week against Oregon, Fehoko provided 88 yards on three catches plus a couple of drawn penalties.

Fehoko stands 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds, which combines with his speed to make him one of the scariest players in the Pac-12. For a young Buffs secondary that is lacking size in a couple of spots, Stanford’s big-bodied receivers could cause trouble. Fehoko is at the top of the list.

Daniel Arias vs. Ethan Bonner

While Simi Fehoko could cause problems for the Colorado defense, there’s reason to believe the Buffs could pull off a couple of big plays of their own.

Let’s start with Ethan Bonner.

Bonner is a Stanford cornerback who made his first career start against Oregon and it didn’t go well.

The Ducks picked on Bonner all night and, according to Pro Football Focus, Bonner gave up five catches on five passes thrown his way. Additionally, Bonner was called for a pair of penalties.

The Oregon strategy seemed to be finding Bonner in single coverage and sending whoever was lined up across from him to the end zone. It worked every single time.

Colorado will likely try a similar strategy and they’ve got just the weapon to pull it off.

Daniel Arias has been the subject of much preseason praise. The wide receiver’s talent is obvious; he’s 6-foot-4, over 200 pounds and he can run, too. Fellow wide receiver K.D. Nixon called him “D.K. Metcalf Jr.” at one point in camp, comparing him to the NFL’s second-leading receiver.

Arias, a junior, didn’t live up to the hype immediately. He caught one long ball for a 38-yard gain but he also dropped a spectacular throw from Sam Noyer who wove the ball past three defenders.

Arias projects as an elite deep threat, like the one Fehoko has already become, and converting one big gain was a step in the right direction, considering it was his first career start.

That said, Arias will have some golden opportunities to produce on big-gainers on Saturday and the Buffs will stand a great chance of coming home with a win if Arias converts two or three of them.