Colorado’s Nelson Spruce makes a catch and outruns Hawai’i’s Dee Maggitt (23) in for a touchdown during a game against Hawai’i at Folsom Field in Boulder on Sept. 20, 2014. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)
Here is my weekly “five things to watch,” this time for Saturday’s (11 a.m., Pac-12 Network) Colorado vs. Washington game:
* Washington QB Cyler Miles — The sophomore from Centennial, Colo., who played high school football at Mullen, returns to his home state and will have family and friends in the stands. Sometimes that emotion elevates an athlete’s performance, other times it becomes a distraction or he “tries too hard” and forces things.
* Battle between wideout Nelson Spruce and cornerback Marcus Peters — Colorado’s Spruce (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) already has 77 receptions this season, and his 11 receiving TDs ranks second nationally (to 12 by CSU’s Rashard Higgins). Peters (6-1, 190) leads the Huskies with three interceptions and is considered a sure-fire NFL prospect.
* Will the early kickoff affect the Huskies? The 11 a.m. kickoff in Boulder translates to 10 a.m. Pacific Time and to the body clock of the Huskies. An early kickoff (noon local, 11 a.m. Pacific) last week against UCLA certainly did not impact the Bruins, who jumped to a 17-0 lead.
* Can Colorado avoid turnovers? That could be a key to the game because Washington has converted 16 takeaways this season into 10 touchdowns and a field goal, for 73 points.
* Can the Buffs protect QB Sefo Liufau? Washington enters the game with 34 sacks. That ranks second nationally to Utah’s 35. On the other hand, Colorado ranks first among Pac-12 teams in fewest sacks allowed (12).
