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Fresh off a rout of Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, Colorado faces Football Championship Subdivision foe Idaho State in its home opener on Saturday. It’s the final tuneup before the Buffs travel to face Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on Sept. 17.

Here are five keys for the Buffs against Idaho State:

Stay healthy.聽Safety Tedric Thompson experienced whiplash after hitting the turf in the second half against CSU, but he passed through concussion protocol and is expected to play. The Buffs need to get past the Bengals without major injuries to prepare for Michigan at full strength.

Protect the ball. If there was a downside to CU’s dominant victory, it was a lack of ball security. The Buffs fumbled three times, losing two. Quarterback Sefo Liufau twice fumbled the ball, including one he lost while diving for extra yardage in the fourth quarter. The Buffs must create a habit of taking care of the ball. They’ll have little margin for error once Pac-12 play starts.

Stop the run. Though the Buffs’ defense appears to be much improved, there is still work to be done defending the run. CU did an admirable job in this facet against the Rams, but the Buffs must prove they can consistently put up a wall against the rush.

Identify depth. If all goes according to plan, the Buffs should enjoy a large lead in the second half. That should give them another opportunity to evaluate some players deeper on the depth chart who could make an impact this season.

Finish drives. When you score 44 points, critiques of the offense can sound like nit-picking, but CU players felt they should have finished with touchdowns on the three drives that ended in short Diego Gonzalez field goals. The Buffs figure to have ample time to work on their red-zone offense Saturday.

Prediction: CU 48, Idaho State 14