/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51093317/usa-today-9562692.0.jpg)
Oregon State is hitting the road again this weekend, and this time it’s to play against Colorado!
The Buffaloes win over Oregon in their Pac 12 debut caught plenty of people off guard last weekend. They were considered a dark horse this season and are certainly looking and acting like it. The Beavers ended up on the other side of the spectrum with a tough loss against Boise State. A rebuilding process does not happen overnight for any team, as is the situation for Oregon State currently. One thing both teams had in common last game day was the emergence of backup quarterbacks.
Colorado’s starting quarterback Sefo Liufau went down with an ankle injury against Michigan. He did not play against the Ducks and is considered a day-to-day until he is cleared by his team’s medical staff. Darell Garretson was not 100% after the 1st half against Boise State and did not play the second, possibly due to the sacks he endured at the hands of the Bronco’s defense. Whether it's the starting or backup quarterbacks that lead their teams this weekend is anybody’s guess at this point.
Colorado is dangerous at home and Oregon State will have to be firing on all cylinders every quarter of this game. The Beavers could find some success in a balanced offensive attack, where the Buffaloes have given up a total of 652 passing yards and 574 rushing yards this season to opponents. The biggest challenge in this game for Oregon State will be throwing a wrench in the gears of a fine-tuned Colorado offense that has been running circles around other defenses this year. Unpredictability is everything to those who can use it properly. If the Beavers can find ways to use that element to their advantage, they might prove to everyone that when it comes to a Pac 12 conference game, they too can be surprising.