Road Test in Tempe: Coach Prime Rolls With Richard Young Again Against Arizona State

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RF Sports Radio branded title card with Colorado Buffaloes logo: Colorado at ASU, Young starts

By Cam Sutton, RF Sports Radio Colorado voice

Buffs Nation, the skid-breaker now has to travel. Richard Young earned another start after 120 yards and two touchdowns in overtime against Kansas State, and Colorado takes that momentum to Arizona State on Saturday night in Tempe.

The facts

Colorado is 3-5 visiting Arizona State at 4-4, per Buffaloes Wire and FanDuel research into the matchup. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. Mountain / 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 at Mountain America Stadium, per Colorado athletics notes and On3's kickoff confirmation. FanDuel listed Arizona State as about a 3.5-point favorite with a total near 48.5.

Coach Prime has already publicly leaned into Young after the Kansas State win, saying sooner or later you have to declare he is in. That is the backfield plan entering Tempe. Preview keys from Buffaloes Wire emphasize pressuring freshman quarterback Jake Fette, containing weapons such as Reed Harris and Cardae Mack, running efficiently and avoiding turnovers. Colorado's road form and scoring defense remain the concern on paper.

This is not a soft landing after the emotional win over Kansas State. Arizona State at home in November is a physical Big 12 exam, and Colorado's margin for error on the road is thin.

Colorado's overtime win over Kansas State ended a skid and gave the offense a clear identity under Young. That matters in Tempe, where Arizona State will dare the Buffs to prove the run game travels. Preview coverage also flags Colorado's scoring defense as a soft spot on the road. The Buffs cannot spot ASU early explosives and expect Young to outscore a home crowd all night.

Special teams and hidden yardage will decide whether this stays a one-score game. Colorado has lived on the wrong side of those margins too often this season. Fix that, keep Young on schedule, and Tempe becomes winnable. Ignore it, and the Buffs will be explaining another close road loss by midnight.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: feed Young until Arizona State proves it can stop him. The Buffs finally found a run identity. Abandoning it in Tempe would be coaching malpractice.

The other side of the ball has to win first down. If Fette gets clean looks all night, Colorado will be chasing again. Opinion prediction: this is a one-score game either way, and the team that wins the turnover margin wins the night.

Prime's teams are always graded on swagger. Saturday needs answers more than vibes. Young is the answer until further notice.

What to watch next

Watch Young's early-down touches and Colorado's pressure rate on Fette. For Thursday's feed-Young column, read our Nov. 5 feed-Young column, and follow the Buffs on our Colorado Football page.

Radio question: can Richard Young travel, or does Arizona State's front end the Buffs' short run renaissance in Tempe?

Sources: Buffaloes Wire - Colorado vs Arizona State keys to a Buffs win; FanDuel Research - Colorado at Arizona State odds Nov 7; On3 - Kickoff time for Colorado at Arizona State set; Buffaloes Wire - Kickoff time, TV channel vs Arizona State.

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