Could These Hidden Flaws Cost Colorado Football an Upset Against Delaware?
When you glance at the Week 2 matchup, the Colorado Buffaloes seem poised for an easy stroll against the Delaware Blue Hens—who, by the way, are stepping onto the FBS stage with fresh ambitions and nothing to lose. On paper, it looks like a classic David-and-Goliath scenario, where the Buffaloes should crush the visitor’s spirits without breaking a sweat. But college football, as we all know, has a delicious habit of flipping the script when you least expect it. The nuances are there—Colorado’s quarterback carousel featuring both a battle-tested starter and a green freshman, a secondary cobbled together with transfers still finding their footing, and glaring cracks in run defense that could prove costly. Toss in the ever-present specter of turnovers and shaky tackling, and suddenly Delaware’s underdog role transforms into a genuine threat. So, before you write this one off as a foregone conclusion, I invite you to dig a little deeper—there are reasons to believe this game might not be a walk in the park for the Buffs at Folsom Field come Saturday.
- Colorado’s quarterback situation, with a starter and a true freshman, could lead to mistakes.
- Delaware’s passing offense may challenge Colorado’s secondary, which features new transfer players.
- The Buffaloes’ run defense, which struggled in their opener, could be a significant weakness.
- Turnovers and poor tackling by Colorado could give Delaware opportunities to score.
The Colorado Buffaloes enter Week 2 as heavy favorites against the Delaware Blue Hens, a team making the jump to a full-fledged FBS program.
If this were any other sport, you could pretty much close the book on this one. It’s obvious that Colorado will easily handle an underdog making the cross-country trip to play a level of competition that they rarely see, right? Well, not in college sports, especially college football, where chaos reigns supreme, the rules are made up, but the points matter.
Here are five reasons why Delaware could shock the college football world and upset Colorado at Folsom Field this Saturday.
If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you have none
This game should be the debut of much hyped true freshman Julian Lewis, and as excited as the Buffs are to see him, there’s a gigantic risk to putting that young a player in control of the offense. Turnovers and mistakes are bound to happen as Lewis navigates his way around the college game, and those might rear their ugly heads in this one.
Meanwhile, starter Kaidon Salter had a rollercoaster day in the opener, and it’s up to him to prove that the car carrying the team will rise after the low points. If Salter bottoms out, then the offense could be in huge trouble.
Failing grades before midterms
One thing can be gleaned from Delaware’s opener: they want to throw the ball a lot. Quarterback Nick Minicucci threw the ball 36 times for 251 yards and three touchdowns against in-state rivals Delaware State. The Blue Hens’ offense presents the first true test for the Colorado secondary. While DJ McKinney can be counted on to hold up, the Buffaloes’ other corners are transfers looking to make a name for themselves. An over-aggressive and mistake-prone day is exactly the one that the Blue Hens could take advantage of.
I’m afraid it’s as bad as it looks
So, what if Colorado’s run defense is just really that bad? Yes, you probably saw this one coming, but if that is the case, it’s time to press the panic button on the 2025 Colorado Buffaloes. Delaware did not run the ball well in their opener, and the Buffaloes should own the line of scrimmage. However, it was a Minicucci, a quarterback, who led the Blue Hens in rushing; if the Buffaloes’ woes continue against mobile signal callers (see last week against Haynes King), Delaware could shock the world.
Bitten by the turnover bug
The number one way that heavily favored teams lose games is by beating themselves, and turnovers are the best way to do that. Delaware proved they are capable of turning the ball over, snagging two interceptions last week against the Hornets. With rain in the forecast, it will only take one quality play from the Blue Hens’ defense to turn the tide of the game early.
Make a man miss
A major part of Colorado’s poor run defense was their lackluster tackling; giving any team more chances on a big play is never a good plan. The Blue Hens’ playmakers, wideouts Jake Thaw and Kyre Duplessis, can break out for chunk plays. If Colorado isn’t disciplined, especially in the screen game, Delaware’s safe game plan could break the game wide open.
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