Three questions ahead of Colorado’s game against SDSU

BOULDER – Well, here we are…

Colorado was supposed to be playing the USC Trojans on Saturday, fighting for a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

But the Trojans got sick and now the Buffs will play host to the San Diego State Trojans of the Mountain West Conference. The game matters, but it matters a whole lot less than the USC game would have. A win could be enough to get the Buffs into next week’s Top 25 rankings; a loss would… be disappointing.

I guess we should count ourselves lucky, since Colorado just as easily could have been stuck without an opponent for a second-straight week. It sure doesn’t feel lucky, though.

Anyways, here’s what I’m wondering heading into Saturday’s 3 p.m. kickoff at Folsom Field, which will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network:

What even is San Diego State?

This is a question that the Colorado coaching staff has likely been spending late nights asking themselves.

Earlier in the week, head coach Karl Dorrell told reporters that his staff had been focusing on USC exclusively and hadn’t peeked at SDSU, despite rumors that playing the Aztecs was the Buffs’ contingency plan.

Meanwhile, the Aztecs had started looking at Colorado on Tuesday.

Advantage: San Diego State.

For those who haven’t followed the Aztecs closely over the last few years, here’s what you might have missed:

They’ve won double-digit games in four of their last five seasons and they made appearances in the AP Top 25 Poll in three of those seasons. Their defense has been one of the best in the country, statistically, in that time and their running game has done enough to get the job done. In the last decade, 19 San Diego State players have been drafted to the NFL.

So, while the Aztecs may not have the brand that the Trojans do, San Diego State is still a strong program that shouldn’t be counted out.

But, Colorado is a 3.5-point favorite over the Aztecs and Vegas has had a tendency to undervalue the Buffs so far this season.  (The Buffs were 6.5-point underdogs against UCLA, 9.5-point underdogs against Stanford and 13.5-point underdogs against USC.)

The Buffs don’t have much of a history with SDSU; Craig Ochs and Chris Brown dropped the Aztecs 34-14 in the two teams’ only meeting.

Who will win in the trenches?

More often than not, this question will decide who wins the game.

Colorado has been dominant up front in each of its first two games. The offensive line has created running lanes, helping running back Jarek Broussard set a team record with 308 rushing yards in his first two games as a Buffalo. The defensive line has been stout against the run and has generated pressure, though it could stand to produce more sacks.

The question is what those groups will look like against San Diego State.

It’d be easy to dismiss the Aztecs, since they play in a Group of Five conference and the Buffs’ groups have been tested by two Power 5 teams already – including Stanford, which is traditionally one of college football’s best at developing the big guys up front – but San Diego State’s success this season and in the recent past should create pause.

To make matters more complicated, there are very few non-conference matchups this season, so we can only grade the Aztecs based on what they’ve done against other Mountain West teams.

What we do know is that when the Aztecs have the ball, they want to run. We also know that when they run, they often alternate between straight shots up the middle and outside zone runs and tosses; the ball-carrier is either going into the A gaps or out wide. So far, they’ve had success and they’ve parlayed that success into a potent play-action game, especially now that dual-threat junior Lucas Johnson has taken over quarterback duties. In fact, over half of SDSU’s passing attack has included a fake to the running back.

Defensively, the Aztecs have been vicious up front. They’ve buried opposing quarterbacks in the pocket and have done well to close down running lanes. Of their three starting defensive linemen, two were named preseason first-team all-Mountain West selections.

Colorado has been one of the best in the Pac-12, in terms of winning in the trenches. San Diego State could provide the toughest test to date.

What will Colorado get out of its tight ends?

Brady Russell won’t be back this week. Matt Lynch won’t be either.

Jared Poplawski tore his ACL and is still working his way back, though Dorrell said earlier this week that he’s been practicing. That said, he still doesn’t sound ready to play. Louis Passarello is behind Poplawski in his recovery from his injury.

So, who does that leave?

C.J. Schmanski.

Colorado will rely on its fifth-string tight end this week, and that could be the case going forward. The offense is likely to demand less from the position this week, though the Buffs’ “next man up” mantra could mean that Schmanski and the crew could be asked to play the same role that Russell and Lynch had filled. Offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini told reporters on Wednesday that he’d “see what they can do” and go from there.

New tight ends coach Taylor Embree helped Russell break out for 79 yards in the season-opener but, unless he’s a miracle worker, it’s going to be tough to get production out of what’s left of his tight ends room.

Hopefully Taylor Embree is a miracle worker.