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Scouting report CU Buffs vs. North Dakota State – Boulder Daily Camera

Vaseline August 29, 2024

Colorado receiver Travis Hunter celebrates his touchdown during a football game on Aug. 10, 2024, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado. (CU Athletics)

A scouting report from the Colorado Buffaloes and North Dakota State Bison ahead of Thursday’s game at Folsom Field in Boulder.

Colorado Buffaloes

Head coach: Deion Sanders, 2nd season (4-8, 31-14 career)

Season 2023: 4-8, 1-8 Pac-12

Rankings: N/R

5 Buffs to Keep an Eye on

Edge BJ Green: The Arizona State transfer makes his debut at CU after playing an all-conference season with the Sun Devils last year.

CB/WR Travis Hunter: He’s probably the best player in the country, he’s a starter on offense and defense and will be a focal point on both sides of the ball all night long. Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards last season, while also intercepting three passes on defense.

QB Shedeur Sanders: The Buffs’ leader enters his senior year hoping for a hot start. Set school records for passing yards (3,230) and completion percentage (69.3) last year.

S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig: Last year he emerged as one of CU’s more valuable players on defense (44 tackles, three interceptions) and now he’s one of its top leaders.

LB Trevor Woods: Former safety spent the entire offseason converting to linebacker and is expected to be one of the leaders on defense. Finished with 56 tackles and two interceptions last year.

North Dakota State Bison

Head coach: Tim Polasek, 1st season

Season 2023: 11-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley Conference; lost to Montana in FCS semifinals

Rankings: No. 2 in FCS Top 25 & Coaches polls

North Dakota quarterback Cam Miller (7) passes during the first half of the FCS Championship NCAA college football game against South Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

5 Bison to Keep an Eye on

THE Dylan Hendricks: Had a breakout season in 2023, earning first-team all-conference honors. He finished second on the team in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.5). He is the leading returner in both categories. He also had 40 tackles and three pass breakups.

LB Logan Kopp: Earned first-team all-conference honors last season. He was second on the team in tackles with 85. He also had 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, four pass breakups, three QB hurries and two forced fumbles.

QB Cam Miller: Back for a fifth season, Miller has started 38 consecutive games for the Bison. He is coming off the best year of his career, setting personal bests in completions (208), attempts (289), completion percentage (.720), passing yards (2,688), touchdown passes (19) and rushing yards (629). He also ran for 13 touchdowns and threw just four interceptions.

DT Eli Mostaert: The Preseason All-American recorded 37 tackles and four tackles for loss last season. He has 120 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and 13.5 sacks in his career.

Quarterback Cole Payton: Although he is NDSU’s backup quarterback, he is also one of the team’s leading rushers. Last year he threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, while also ranking third on the team with 615 rushing yards and tying Miller for the team lead with 13 rushing touchdowns.

When Colorado has the ball…

It all starts with Shedeur Sanders, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Sanders is an exceptional passer and he’s loaded with weapons at receiver, including a quartet of Jimmy Horn Jr., Travis Hunter, Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester who have combined for 604 catches in their college careers. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur wouldn’t call it a “plethora of riches” at the skill positions, but did say, “We really like the players we have and we’re going to try to use them the best we can.” All eyes, however, will be on the rebuilding offensive line, led by multiple transfers and five-star freshman Jordan Seaton. “A lot of confidence (in the offensive line),” Shurmur said. “I think those guys have worked extremely hard together. … I have a lot of confidence in all of these young men (on offense). I feel like they’re going to go out there and we’re going to put them in good positions, let them do the things they do.” NDSU, meanwhile, will counter with a defense that features three preseason All-Americans (Dylan Hendricks, Logan Kopp and Eli Mostaert), all of whom play in the front seven and could help the Bison maintain their own place in the trenches. A fourth All-American, safety Cole Wisniewski, is injured, which could leave the Bison secondary vulnerable.

When North Dakota State has the ball…

Like CU, the Bison are led by a veteran, experienced quarterback in Cam Miller. The senior was exceptional as a passer last year (2,688 yards, 19 TDs, 4 INT, 72.0 completion %) and a dangerous runner (629 yards, 13 TD). Miller is buoyed by a strong run game, albeit one that has been limited by a few injuries. “Running the ball is critical to our success,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said. Backup quarterback Cole Payton is a key cog in the run game, along with a stable of running backs. When NDSU gets to the air, it will look to receivers RaJa Nelson (31 catches for 388 yards in 2023) and Braylon Henderson (16 for 280), along with tight end Joe Stoffel (25 for 293). They’re also hoping Bryce Lance and Tyler Terhark — who have five career catches combined in 64 games played — can step up at the other receiver positions. Defensively, CU has built confidence in its depth on the defensive line and in the secondary. With NDSU’s strength in the run game, Polasek expects the Buffs to fill the box to stop the run, which could leave the Buffs’ cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage with receivers. CU believes in its talent at corner to do just that.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders during preseason football camp on Aug. 1, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)

Special teams

When the game comes down to the kicking units, it should be a fairly even battle between the Buffs and Bison. CU has one of the best punters in the Big 12 in Mark Vassett, who averaged 44.5 yards per punt last year and is a master at pinning opponents deep and turning the field. NDSU’s Kaedin Steindorf averaged 43.7 yards per punt last year. On the kicking end, the Buffs will rely on Alejandro Mata, who made 10 of 12 field goals last year, with a long of 47 yards. He said he’s recently extended his range and is “comfortable from 53-54 and down.” NDSU’s Griffin Crosa is one of the best kickers in the FCS, having made 42 of 50 field goals in his career and 203 of 205 extra points. He made 19 of 22 field goals last year. Like Mata, Crosa’s long field goal is 47 yards long.

Notables

• CU enters with a six-game losing streak and is looking for its first win since Oct. 7, 2023, at Arizona State. It’s been nearly a full year since the Buffs last won at Folsom Field, on Sept. 16, 2023, against Colorado State.

• Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders needs three more touchdown passes to reach 100 for his collegiate career. He threw 27 for CU last year and 70 in his two seasons at Jackson State.

• Travis Hunter needs 91 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career. He has caught 75 passes for 909 yards in his career.

• CU is 8-2 all-time against FCS opponents, including a current seven-game winning streak. This is the Buffs’ first game against an FCS team since beating Northern Colorado 35-7 in the 2021 season opener.

• The Buffs have a 31-20-2 record in all Thursday games, but this is the first Thursday game for the program since beating UCLA 20-10 on Nov. 3, 2016. Most of CU’s Thursday games (45 of 53) were played from 1891-1947, with most of those on Thanksgiving Day.

• Since 2016, CU is 7-1 in season openers, including a 45-42 win over TCU last year. This is just the fourth time since 2009 that the Buffs have played at Folsom Field in the season opener.

• NDSU is 9-4 all-time against FBS teams, including a six-game winning streak from 2010-16. The Bison have played just one FBS opponent since 2016, losing 31-28 to Arizona on Sept. 17, 2022.

• Bison head coach Tim Polasek has been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wyoming the past three seasons. Before that, he was the offensive line coach at Iowa for four years (2017-2020). He was a member of the NDSU staff for 10 of the 11 seasons (all but 2013) from 2006-16. He has coached running backs, tight ends and fullbacks and was the offensive coordinator at NDSU from 2014-16.

• Polasek is looking to become the fifth consecutive NDSU head coach to win in his debut. Over the last 60 years, NDSU head coaches are 8-3 in debut games.

• Since the start of the 2011 season, NDSU has gone 81-5 against non-conference opponents.

• NDSU receiver Bryce Lance, a junior expected to start Thursday, is the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance, who led NDSU to a national title in 2019.

Originally published: August 28, 2024 at 3:49 PM