BOULDER — NJ Falo woke up earlier this week with a laptop computer on his chest.
“I fell asleep watching film,” he said.
With injuries to Colorado’s top three linebackers, Falo is getting an opportunity to shine this week, and he’s taking no shortcuts in his preparation.
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CU (3-3, 0-2 Pac-12) will host Arizona (4-2, 1-2) on Saturday night as it looks to snap a 13-game conference losing streak and take a step toward coveted bowl game eligibility.
A key to CU snapping its conference losing streak is going to be slowing down the running game of the Wildcats, and to do that, they are relying on a raw group of linebackers.
“Reps, reps, reps,” CU coach Mike MacIntyre said when asked how he’s preparing his young linebackers.
Veteran starters Addison Gillam (knee) and Kenneth Olugbode (leg), both juniors, are out again this week. Another junior, Ryan Severson, got his first career start last week and injured his right ankle. He, too, will sit out this game.
That leaves redshirt freshman Rick Gamboa, who has started the past four games in Gillam’s place, as CU’s most seasoned inside linebacker. Falo and fellow true freshman Grant Watanabe — who has yet to play a snap this year — spent the week fighting for the other starting job, but both will play.
“I can’t really explain how excited I am,” said Falo, who has played 38 snaps on defense this season. “I’m really anxious. My main focus is really just to focus on my job, get my job done.”
Falo’s job will be to help the Buffs find a way to slow the Wildcats on the ground.
With 298.5 yards per game, Arizona is second in the Pac-12 in rushing and seventh nationally.
Sophomore Nick Wilson has led the way with 113.8 yards per game and eight rushing touchdowns. While Wilson may not play (he’s questionable with a foot injury), his backups have been pretty good, too. Jared Baker has averaged 7.1 yards per carry and Orlando Bradford has averaged 5.0 yards.
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The key to the whole offense, though, is sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon.
Solomon has thrown for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions.
“The thing that Anu does is he’s able to stay alive (during a play),” MacIntyre said. “He has a really great knack of staying live. He’s an excellent scrambler and can make plays.
“When you watch Anu play, it’s uncanny some of the things that he’s able to do, and you’re going, ‘How does he even get the ball away?’ “
Story lines for Arizona at Colorado on Saturday night
Saving Sefo.
Quarterback Sefo Liufau has been sacked 17 times this season behind a young offensive line that has been reshuffled because of injuries. Yes, Liufau has been making turnovers, but he’s had fumbles in the past two games while being sacked and he’s had to hurry his throws under pressure.
Get running game going.
Early in the season the running game was extremely productive, but it has struggled badly in CU’s Pac-12 Conference games. A more productive running game could hold the pass rush and give Liufau more time to throw.
Stop the spread.
Arizona’s Anu Solomon is a talented dual-threat quarterback running the spread, and the Buffs are missing their top three inside linebackers who will be replaced by underclassmen. Linemen and linebackers are going to have to read their keys and stay in their assignments. Solomon has a great ability to extend plays.
John Meyer, The Denver Post
Saturday’s area games
1 p.m. Cal Davis at Northern Colorado
1:30 p.m. Air Force at Colorado State, TV: CBSSN
2 p.m. Nevada at Wyoming
7 p.m. Arizona at Colorado, TV: FS1
