Colorado has cooled off since hot start, will try to turn things around against No. 16 Oregon State

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith understands all too well what's going on in Boulder. How it's a process to turn around a program.

How it can take some time for Deion Sanders to restore Colorado's program to full health.

Smith went 2-10 in his first season in charge of Oregon State in 2018. Now, he has the sixteenth-ranked Beavers (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12, No. 16 CFP ) bowl eligible for a third straight season. Smith sees what everyone sees with Sanders' squad — all the talent.

"They have been competitive throughout," said Smith, whose team faces Colorado (4-4, 1-4) on Saturday night at sold-out Folsom Field. "Dramatically different than, let’s face it, last year. This is a good football team.”

The stats through eight games illustrate the vast amount of progress the Buffaloes have made in the first season under Sanders. They're averaging 32.1 points a game, compared to 16.3 at this time a season ago. They’re gaining 408.6 yards on offense as opposed to 295.3. They’re 4-4 — selling out every game, even on the road — and not 1-7.

Just don’t ask the Buffaloes to paint too rosy a picture. Not right now. Not after starting 3-0 and dropping four of their last five.

The Buffaloes remain two wins shy of bowl eligibility with four games to go. They don’t figure to be favored in any of them, starting Saturday as Colorado enters as a 13 1/2-point underdog to the Beavers, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“Obviously, everyone knows it’s better than last year. But I mean, I don’t know if I’d say it’s successful,” said Colorado safety/linebacker Trevor Woods, who was around last season when the Buffaloes finished 1-11. “It’s an upgrade but it’s not where we want to be. ... But you don’t want to just look at everything as a failure.”

The Beavers have steadily found their stride since Smith — a former QB at the school — took over. They're 13-2 since last season against teams not ranked in the AP poll, according to Pac-12 research. But they did lose last weekend to an Arizona team that's unranked but gaining steam (and just so happens to be the Buffaloes' opponent on Nov. 11 in their final home game of the season).

“Every week in this conference, we’ve got another big-time opponent, tough place to play," Smith said. "This team’s playing at a high level, so we’ve got to have a great week.”

SHEDEUR’S STATS

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is climbing up the program’s record books. His 22 touchdown passes are tied for the second-most in a single season in team history, trailing only Sefo Liufau’s 28 TD tosses in 2014. Sanders has thrown for 2,637 yards and is on pace to eclipse Liufau’s single-season mark of 3,200 yards (2014).

All this despite being sacked 41 times this season.

“This guy is a tough, accurate, athletic, competitive quarterback that we’re facing,” Smith said of Sanders.

HUNTER’S PICKS

Count Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders among those amazed by the two interceptions two-way standout Travis Hunter made last weekend in a 28-16 loss at No. 20 UCLA. Hunter also had three catches.

Hunter is the only FBS player in the last five seasons to be involved in 200 or more snaps on both sides of the ball in the same season, according to league research. Sanders doesn’t think most fully understand the talent of Hunter.

“But they will,” he said.

MISSING ITEMS

The police in Pasadena, California, initiated an investigation after several Colorado players and staff members reported items missing from the locker room after their game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Sanders is taking inventory of the items that were reported missing. He’s also calling on the NCAA and the Rose Bowl to reimburse the players. Some of the items reportedly missing included jewelry and money.

“That’s a travesty," Sanders said. “I would expect the NCAA to do something about that.”

LOUD & CLEAR

Smith and the Beavers are bracing for the capacity crowd in Boulder to be rocking. There could be plenty of celebrities and athletes showing up on the Buffaloes' sideline, too.

“We’re expecting a raucous, tough crowd,” Smith said.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME?

Colorado has lost its last five conference home games dating to last year. Over the span, teams have scored at least 42 points on the Buffaloes.

Army (2-6) at No. 17 Air Force (8-0, No. 25 CFP), Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET. (CBS Sports Network)

Line: Air Force by 18 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Air Force leads 38-18-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

For Air Force, this is a chance to defend the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. The Falcons beat Navy 17-6 on Oct. 21 to take the first step in the annual round-robin competition between the service academies. All they have to do is beat Army at Empower Field at Mile High to wrap up their 22nd CIC title. Should the Black Knights win, they can earn the title by knocking off Navy on Dec. 9. At stake is not only a trophy but a trip to the White House to receive the memento from the President of the United States. Air Force is off to its best start since the 1985 team began 10-0.

KEY MATCHUP

Defensive lineman PJ Ramsey and the Air Force defense limited Colorado State to just 42 yards rushing in a 30-13 road win last weekend. The Black Knights average 190.6 yards per game on the ground. Army started four freshmen on offense in a 21-14 home loss to UMass last weekend. That included quarterback Champ Harris, running back Kanye Udoh, center Brady Small and receiver Tobi Olawole.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Army: Linebacker Leo Lowin, who was recently named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. It’s considered the “Academic Heisman.” Lowin has a team-leading 52 tackles this season, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The engineering management major also has a 3.92 GPA.

Air Force: Fullback Emmanuel Michel ran for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. The senior has now rushed for 100 or more yards five times in his career. His nine TD runs lead the team.

FACTS & FIGURES

Army has lost five straight since winning at UTSA on Sept. 15. ... The Falcons beat Army 13-7 last season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. ... Air Force is 22-4 at home against the Black Knights in the series, 14-12 at Army and 2-2-1 in neutral site games. ... It was announced last week that Army will join the American Athletic Conference starting next season. ... The Falcons have won 13 straight games dating to last season. The streak matches the school record set from 1984-85. ... Air Force boasts a 35-16 mark in Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games against Army dating to 1972.

High-powered offenses featuring elite QBs clash when No. 5 Washington heads to No. 24 USC

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Things to watch in the Pac-12 Conference this week:

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 5 Washington (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12, No. 5 CFP) at No. 24 Southern California (7-2, 5-1, No. 20 CFP), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

These are two of the higher-scoring teams in the nation with both boasting an elite QB. When all the points are scored — and there figures to be a lot of them — and all the TD passes are thrown between Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams — again, a lot — the winner will have the inside track to a spot in the Pac-12 championship game. The Huskies travel to the Coliseum for the first time since 2015. They face a Trojans team that's 16-0 under the combination of coach Lincoln Riley and Williams against unranked teams but 2-5 against teams in the AP poll, according to league research. The Huskies have won 15 straight games dating to last season.

BEST MATCHUP

No. 20 UCLA (6-2, 3-2, No. 19 CFP) at Arizona (5-3, 3-2), Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

The Wildcats are receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll after beating ranked teams in two straight games. It's the first time they've won consecutive games over ranked opponents since 2014. Wildcats' quarterback Noah Fifita pick up Pac-12 freshman of the week honors for the third time this season. He threw for 275 yards and three scores in a 27-24 win over No. 16 Oregon State. The Bruins are 0-2 this season in games played outside the state of California.

LONG SHOT

No. 16 Oregon State (6-2, 3-2, No. 16) at Colorado (4-4, 1-4), Saturday, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes will appear on ESPN or network television for a school-record eighth time this season. There's no telling which famous celebrities, singers or athletes may show up on the Colorado sideline. Sanders sure draws a crowd to Boulder, especially for night games. Five of the last eight games between these two teams in the Pac-12 era have been one-score games. The last two contests held in Boulder have gone to overtime, with the Beavers winning in 2018 (overcoming a 28-point deficit) and the Buffaloes in 2021 (two overtimes).

PLAYER TO WATCH

Oregon defensive back Tysheem Johnson had a two-interception performance in the Ducks' 35-6 win at No. 18 Utah. Johnson helped Oregon hold a ranked team to six points or less on the road for just the third time in program history — and first since 1989. He was named the league's defensive player of the week. No. 6 Oregon (7-1, 4-1, No. 6 CFP) hosts California (3-5, 1-4) on Saturday.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

No. 18 Utah (6-2, 3-2, No. 18 CFP) tries to keep their flickering hopes of defending their Pac-12 title afloat when the Utes host Arizona State (2-6, 1-4). ... The Huskies are 8-0 for the sixth time in program history. They also started with eight straight wins in 1923 (finished 10-1-1), 1984 (11-1), 1991 (12-0), 1992 (9-3) and 2016 (12-2). ... Washington State (4-4, 1-4) had to be pleased to see the calendar flip to November. The Cougars are a combined 1-7 in the month of October over the past two seasons. They have dropped four straight heading into their game against Stanford (2-6, 1-5). ... The Ducks lead the all-time series with California 42-41-2. ... Cal's 49 points scored against the Trojans are the most in school history in a game the team lost, according to Pac-12 research. ... Stanford has allowed 40 or more points in four consecutive games for the first time in program history.

No. 17 Air Force focuses on defending Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, staying unbeaten against Army

DENVER (AP) — Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has the 17th-ranked Falcons off to an 8-0 start for the first time since he was part of the 1985 squad as a freshman quarterback.

He sees distinct similarities between his team then and his team now.

“Both wore blue,” Calhoun cracked. “Both had lightning bolts on their helmets for most of their games.”

That '85 version of the Falcons started 10-0 and finished 12-1. This installment of the Falcons (8-0, No. 25 CFP ) isn’t looking at rankings or how they possibly could be the team from the Group of Five that earns a New Year’s Six bid.

They’re only concentrating on one thing: Hoisting the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for a second straight season. Air Force needs to beat Army (2-6) on Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver to win the annual round-robin competition between service academies. The Falcons knocked off Navy 17-6 on Oct. 21 to put themselves in a position to capture their 22nd CIC crown and earn another invitation to the White House to meet the president.

“Holding on to the CIC trophy is a big deal, because you’re just proving it wasn’t a fluke last year,” Air Force senior Jayden Goodwin said. "Meeting the president is also a big thing, because, obviously, we’re in the military and it’s kind of our job and now we’re meeting the commander in chief.”

This has been a magical ride for Air Force, which has won a program-tying 13 straight dating to last season. The Falcons are ranked higher than they’ve been in decades.

Not that any of this has really infiltrated their world. Senior offensive lineman Adam Karas has taken a break from his social media accounts for the season.

“My family and friends tell me that we’re doing pretty good on the rankings and stuff,” Karas said. “I trust them."

Army is trying to spoil Air Force’s unblemished season. The Black Knights have lost five straight heading into a game where they're an 18 1/2-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. But this provides plenty of motivation: A chance to steal the CIC title. Should they win, and beat Navy on Dec. 9, they would take the crown.

“Just close football games. It seems like every one of these academy games are like that,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. “I hope we can make it (close) this Saturday. They’re certainly a good football team. ... It’s just impressive what they’ve done so far.”

HOME SWEET HOME

The Falcons are taking their nation-leading ground game (300.4 yards per game) on the road as they make the approximately 60-mile trek to Empower Field, which is the home of the Denver Broncos. Karas grew up around Denver and is looking forward to playing in the stadium.

“Going to a lot of events as a kid in Denver, you always drive by it,” Karas said. “It’s really neat to be able to play there.”

CLOSE CALLS

The last five meetings between Army and Air Force have been one-score games, including a 13-7 win by the Falcons last season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

“I know the guys will be fired up — their players, our players,” Monken said. “That’s what makes it such a great rivalry.”

HALFTIME SPEECH

Air Force has outscored teams by a 131-36 margin after halftime this season.

“I do think what happens, at least for us at the Air Force Academy, is that there are things in practice you absolutely try to resemble, where guys align, certain route combinations,” Calhoun said. “But when you’re playing against guys that are quite a bit older, bigger, some guys that are extremely explosive in the open field, you need those early snaps to get a good sense ... you need to see that. That’s hard to produce in practice.”

FROSH START

Army started four freshmen on offense in a 21-14 home loss to UMass last weekend. That included quarterback Champ Harris, running back Kayne Udoh, center Brady Small and receiver Tobi Olawole. Small has started every game this season, while Harris and Udoh made their second straight starts.

ELITE COMPANY

The Falcons remain one of eight undefeated teams, joining Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Liberty, Washington, Georgia and James Madison. Air Force went 9-0-2 in 1958.

Army (2-6) at No. 17 Air Force (8-0, No. 25 CFP), Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET. (CBS Sports Network)

Line: Air Force by 18 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Air Force leads 38-18-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

For Air Force, this is a chance to defend the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. The Falcons beat Navy 17-6 on Oct. 21 to take the first step in the annual round-robin competition between the service academies. All they have to do is beat Army at Empower Field at Mile High to wrap up their 22nd CIC title. Should the Black Knights win, they can earn the title by knocking off Navy on Dec. 9. At stake is not only a trophy but a trip to the White House to receive the memento from the President of the United States. Air Force is off to its best start since the 1985 team began 10-0.

KEY MATCHUP

Defensive lineman PJ Ramsey and the Air Force defense limited Colorado State to just 42 yards rushing in a 30-13 road win last weekend. The Black Knights average 190.6 yards per game on the ground. Army started four freshmen on offense in a 21-14 home loss to UMass last weekend. That included quarterback Champ Harris, running back Kanye Udoh, center Brady Small and receiver Tobi Olawole.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Army: Linebacker Leo Lowin, who was recently named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. It’s considered the “Academic Heisman.” Lowin has a team-leading 52 tackles this season, along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The engineering management major also has a 3.92 GPA.

Air Force: Fullback Emmanuel Michel ran for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. The senior has now rushed for 100 or more yards five times in his career. His nine TD runs lead the team.

FACTS & FIGURES

Army has lost five straight since winning at UTSA on Sept. 15. ... The Falcons beat Army 13-7 last season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. ... Air Force is 22-4 at home against the Black Knights in the series, 14-12 at Army and 2-2-1 in neutral site games. ... It was announced last week that Army will join the American Athletic Conference starting next season. ... The Falcons have won 13 straight games dating to last season. The streak matches the school record set from 1984-85. ... Air Force boasts a 35-16 mark in Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games against Army dating to 1972.