Daniel Graham
Colorado's strong side of guard Andre Gurode, Victor Rogers and Daniel Graham is so good that it is a mismatch for anyone in college football.
Because college football players don't turn pro as early as college basketball players, you have players who are ready for the NFL but still playing college football. These three are too good for the players they are playing against. They are a mismatch for anyone they have played this year.
Rogers is an athletic offensive tackle. Gurode is a nasty football player. He's very motivated, runs well and handles his balance. He's an NFL guard playing college football.
At tight end, Graham is the complete package. He blocks like an offensive tackle and catches like a wide receiver. I have been a big Jeremy Shockey fan, but if I was starting an NFL team, I would take Graham. He's perfect for an NFL team.
And the strength doesn't end with the trio up front. Because Colorado utilizes motion, the Buffaloes can use fullback Brandon Drumm -- who is as good a blocking fullback as there is -- as a fourth blocker, which makes it almost unstoppable for a defense.
If Colorado played Nebraska again, the Buffaloes would beat the Huskers solidly.
It's going to distort Oregon's defense. The worst thing that Oregon does is stop the run. The Ducks don't have the strength or bulk to stop Colorado. They will have to gamble to stop the run with blitzes and stunts. It's going to leave the corners on islands all day, but they are going to have to outman them. It also leaves defenses vulnerable to counters, play-action passes and finesse plays, which Colorado does extremely well. While Bobby Pesavento is a good quarterback, the line is the reason he has been able to complete 70 percent of his passes. |
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Maurice Morris
Joey Harrington is going to give you what he is going to give you. He's like Derek Jeter -- he's going to show up, he's going to give you a good game and give good leadership.
But the key to Oregon's chances against Colorado is the running of Onterrio Smith (1,007 yards, 7 TDs) and Maurice Morris (960 yards, 8 TDs). They give the Ducks big-play capability with long runs. In order to beat Colorado, Oregon needs to score at least 28 points. Smith and Morris must rush for a combined 150 yards, at least, to have a chance.
The spread offense opens up the running game for Oregon, which Colorado doesn't defend well. Oregon needs to run the ball, otherwise CU can use gimmick defenses.
Smith and Morris have game-breaking ability. They are not extremely tall (Smith is 5-foot-11, Morris is 6-0), but they get behind their blockers and they are tough to see sometimes. They take holes and their speed allows them to break big plays.
Oregon also has multiple receivers. It makes it good for play-calling. They also have a very athletic tight end, Justin Peelle, who fits well into the offense. He usually gets matched up with a safety or linebacker, and causes matchup problems. I love Oregon's offense, but I am not sure if it will get the ball enough.
Colorado is underrated at linebacker because there is no one that sticks out. The key is that a couple of players need to penetrate and force the backs to get out of stride. Oregon's offensive line has a big advantage. The defensive line doesn't need to make the tackles, but it needs to cause disruption, so that the linebackers have time to adjust to the running back. If the backs are able to hit their holes, it's going to be tough on the linebackers.
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