Colorado football notes: Buffs to face improved Arizona offense sparked by QB Jayden de Laura

Sep. 28—When Arizona's football team came to Boulder a year ago, the Wildcats were a mess at quarterback.

They had used three different starters in the first four weeks and lost one of them to a season-ending injury. A second QB suffered a season-ending injury in the 34-0 loss to Colorado.

A year later, it's the Buffs (0-4, 0-1 Pac-12) who have started three different quarterbacks while trying to spark the offense and the Wildcats are in good hands with Jayden de Laura steering the ship.

"Very confident quarterback, very experienced quarterback," CU head coach Karl Dorrell said of de Laura. "I think he's a big catalyst for their offense. He's a really good player."

CU visits the de Laura and the Wildcats on Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. (7:30 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).

Last year, de Laura was the Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year after throwing for 2,798 yards and 23 touchdowns for Washington State. He then transferred to Arizona, where he has helped transform the passing game of the Wildcats (2-2, 0-1).

"He's really given that offense the life and the confidence that you would want," Dorrell said. "He's an experienced player that knows how to read defenses, he can extend plays, he has really good vision, he can move the safeties with his eyes. He does really, really good veteran moves and things that are allowing for that offense to kind of hit on all cylinders. I would say the quarterback has really made a world of difference for them."

So far, de Laura has thrown for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns but he's also been intercepted six times.

The favorite target for de Laura has been another transfer, Jacob Cowing. The former UTEP star has 28 catches for 386 yards and six touchdowns — leading the Pac-12 in all three categories.

"(Cowing) is one of the best that we've seen so far," Dorrell said. "He's probably the most dangerous when the ball is in his hands and he's mid-play, so he has run-after-catch skills. We're really concerned about what he can do."

Led by de Laura and Cowing, Arizona is averaging 29.3 points, a big jump from a conference-worst 17.2 in 2021.

Preparing McCown

For CU, freshman Owen McCown will make his second start at quarterback.

According to Pro Football Focus, McCown was blitzed on 36.7 percent of his drop backs against UCLA — the most pressure thrown at a CU quarterback this season — and he was sacked five times.

Arizona has recorded only six sacks, but Dorrell expects the Wildcats to go after the inexperienced McCown.

"They're gonna make him prove that he can manage the offense, make good decisions," Dorrell said. "Does he have blitz answers? Does he know where to go with the football in those pressures if it's not max protection? They're going to challenge him and he knows that. Until he gets proven enough in this league about his qualities, that's part of a young quarterback, they're going to challenge him."

Another opportunity

True freshman punter Ashton Logan will miss his second consecutive game with an illness, which gives walk-on true freshman Trent Carrizosa another chance to prove himself.

Against UCLA on Saturday, Carrizosa averaged 46.2 yards on five punts and landed three inside the opponents' 20-yard line. The Buffs allowed only seven yards on punt returns, giving Carrizosa a net average of 44.8 yards.

"He's a talented kid that we're really fortunate to have," Dorrell said. "Obviously, he's a walk-on and we picked him up late in the summer. He's so appreciative to be here, but we're really appreciative to him because he's really a talented kid. We feel like we stumbled upon a really good player."

Logan has had mixed results this season, averaging 40.6 yards on 17 punts, with four landing inside the 20. Opponents have had 86 return yards, giving Logan a net average of 34.4 yards.

Notable

Running back Jayle Stacks (shoulder) and receiver Chase Penry (leg contusion) both missed the UCLA game, but Dorrell said both should be ready to go against Arizona. ... With McCown being left-handed, Dorrell said CU's receivers have to adjust to a different spin on the ball compared to the Buffs' other quarterbacks, who are right-handed. But, he said it shouldn't be a big deal because "they've been getting throws from him and right-handed quarterbacks, really all through camp." ... Receiver Daniel Arias was named as one of 156 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors top football scholar-athletes who have "combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership." CU's Jim Hansen won the award in the 1992.