Lampron Has 99 Tackles, Houston Has Weigman, and Colorado Has a Friday Night Chance to Change the Conversation

By Cam Sutton, RF Sports Radio Colorado voice

Buffs fans, every conversation about Colorado right now is about Deion Sanders' future. Friday night at Folsom Field is a chance to talk about something else for a few hours, and the best thing to talk about is a linebacker who keeps showing up while the losses pile up.

The facts

Colorado (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) hosts CFP No. 14 Houston (7-2, 4-2) at 9:15 p.m. CT Friday on ESPN, per Houston Athletics. It is the first meeting between the schools in Boulder. Colorado has lost six of its last seven, including 20-10 at Arizona State, and is 2-2 at home, per Field Level Media via CBS Sports and Houston's game notes. Sanders is 19-27 at Colorado, and reports say the school would owe more than $25 million if it moved on after this season, per FLM.

Linebacker Gideon Lampron had a career-best 18 tackles at Arizona State and leads the team with 99 stops, including 16 for loss, per FLM. "I literally don't care if we're not winning games. It doesn't matter. I came here to win games," Lampron said. He and Lamont Lester Jr. have five sacks each, per Houston's notes.

Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has thrown for 2,280 yards and 22 touchdowns with two interceptions in 257 attempts and leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns, per FLM. Re'Shaun Sanford II ran for a career-best 126 yards against Cincinnati. Houston averages 203.5 rushing yards a game to Colorado's 140, and its quarterbacks have thrown nine more touchdowns and eight fewer interceptions than Colorado's, per Houston Athletics. Colorado's Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson have combined for 2,145 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. "You want to be relevant," Houston coach Willie Fritz said.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: this game comes down to the interception column. Colorado's quarterbacks have 10. Weigman has two. You do not beat a ranked team at night with that kind of gap unless the defense steals possessions back.

That is why Lampron matters so much. He is the kind of player you build a defense around, and he said exactly what you want to hear. The question is whether the rest of the roster plays like him.

And the run game has to show up. If Houston runs for 200 and Colorado runs for 140, the math is simple.

Prediction stays: Houston 27, Colorado 21. The Buffs compete, but Weigman makes the late play.

What to watch next

Watch the quarterback decision between Lewis and Wilson, Houston's ground game, and Lampron's tackle count. For Sanders taking the blame, read our Nov. 11 look at Sanders and Marion, and follow the Buffs on our Colorado Football page.

Radio question: should Colorado ride Julian Lewis the rest of the way, no matter the results?

Sources: CBS Sports / FLM - No. 14 Houston looks to stay in CFP hunt at Colorado; Houston Athletics - Preview: No. 14 Houston faces Colorado on Friday night; Colorado Athletics - Coach Prime weekly press conference.