Saturday’s regional college football

Huskies at Buffaloes

Kickoff: 10 a.m., Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado

Records: UW (5-3, 1-3 Pac-12); Colorado (2-6, 0-5)

TV/Radio: Pac-12 Wash./590-AM

Overview: Colorado’s passing game is a concern for UW’s defense, as Buffs QB Sefo Liufau has thrown for 2,276 yards (17th in the country, though he only throws for 6.2 yards per attempt) with 23 TDs and 11 INTs. The Huskies will have their hands full with WR Nelson Spruce, who leads the Pac-12 in receptions with 77. … This should be a game in which the Huskies can run the ball, based on Colorado’s weak run defense (they allow 192.5 yards rushing per game, and 5.6 yards per carry). If UW is a little healthier at the tailback position with Dwayne Washington and Lavon Coleman, the Huskies should be able to make headway on the ground and keep their defense off the field.

Tacoma News Tribune

Vandals at Red Wolves

Kickoff: 2 p.m., Kibbie Dome, Moscow

Records: Idaho (1-6, 1-4 Sun Belt), Arkansas State (4-3, 2-1)

Online/radio: ESPN3/1080 and 1280-AM

Overview: Having finally broken into the win column, the Vandals are stalking bigger game: a program-establishing win. Idaho hasn’t beaten an FBS team with a winning record since the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, and ASU – one of the Sun Belt’s pre-season favorites – would be a pretty good trophy. Quarterbacks Matt Linehan and Chad Chalich – coach Paul Petrino again maintains he’ll probably play both – will have to be clicking against the Sun Belt’s top passing efficiency defense, led by linebacker Qushaun Lee and tackle Dexter Blackmon. ASU quarterback Fredi Knighten, just a freshman, is second in the SBC behind Linehan in passing yardage and has thrown just four picks. That’ll be a challenge for the Idaho secondary, still thin at the safety spot as Jordan Grabski’s ankle issues continue.

John Blanchette

Bruins at Pirates

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m., Pine Bowl

Records: Whitworth (5-3, 3-2 Northwest Conference); George Fox (0-6, 0-4)

Radio: 1230-AM

Overview: A win today would guarantee a winning conference record for Rod Sandberg’s first season as coach of the Whitworth Pirates. The game will be the first meeting between the Pirates and the Bruins, who are playing their first season of football and are seeking their first win. But George Fox will have to do it on Whitworth’s senior day against a team that is leading the conference, and fourth in all of Division III, with 362.8 passing yards per game. In fact, the offense has also generated the second most first downs (204) in the nation. The Pirates also lead the conference in passing touchdowns with 32. The Pirates are coming off a 62-30 drubbing of Puget Sound in which Danny Welstad tied a school record with a 97-yard interception return for a TD.

Thomas Clouse