Colorado vs Northern Colorado College 9/3/21 Football Picks, Odds, Predictions

The Colorado Buffaloes meet the Northern Colorado Bears Friday in week 1 college football action at Folsom Field. Northern Colorado will play its first game since November of 2019 and is coming off a 2-10 season. Colorado enters year two under coach Karl Dorrell after finishing 4-2 last season.

The Northern Colorado Bears averaged 20 points and 355.9 yards per game in the 2019 season. Northern Colorado allowed an average of 37.7 points and 507.6 yards per game in the 2019 season. Northern Colorado has to find a starting quarterback with Jacob Knipp and Conor Regan no longer on the roster. Jullen Ison should get more touches after 67 attempts in the backup role in 2019. Jaren Mitchell and Sam Flowers are a returning wide receiver duo that combined for 1,000 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Jerone Jackson returns after 105 tackles, Jace Bobo had two sacks and Brooks Talkington had one interception. Northern Colorado should be decent defensively from the start, but the offense has question marks, especially at quarterback. It’s also going to be interesting to see Northern Colorado as a whole, a team that hasn’t played a real game in quite some time.

The Colorado Buffaloes averaged 28.5 points and 413.8 yards per game last season. Colorado allowed an average of 31.7 points and 420.3 yards per game last season. Brendon Lewis will likely takeover at quarterback after 10 pass attempts last season. Jarek Broussard returns after leading the Buffaloes with nearly 900 rushing yards and five touchdowns while Dimitri Stanley and La’Vontae Shenault is a wide receiver duo that produced more than 500 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Nate Landman returns after leading Colorado with 53 tackles, Carson Wells had 6.5 sacks and Nigel Bethel Jr. had one interception. Colorado is in good shape with returning production and should be much better on the defensive side with a true camp before the season. The x-factor for the Buffaloes is finding a reliable replacement for Sam Noyer at the quarterback position.

The Northern Colorado Bears haven’t played since 2019 and that long layoff is sure to create some rust and potential sloppy lay early. Colorado has to find a reliable quarterback, but the Buffaloes more than held their own last year in a six game season and should be improved on the defensive side. Colorado has the playmakers on the offensive side of the ball to give Northern Colorado fits. Jarek Broussard is one of the best offensive players in the Pac-12. I’ll lay the points with the Colorado Buffaloes.