COLORADO

Run the football: If the Buffaloes can't establish a running game, it will put too much pressure on quarterback Tyler Hansen and the defense. That's happened too many times before, leading to losses -- 29 yards rushing against Colorado State, 42 vs. Texas, 60 vs. Kansas State and minus 14 vs. Missouri.

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Start fast: Missouri scored 21 points last week in the first quarter and it could have been more. "We have to try to get out the gate a little quicker," CU head coach Dan Hawkins said. "We got a few things up our sleeve that we're going to try."

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Prevent big plays: Colorado has allowed only 773 yards on 434 plays, but on the other 102 plays, it has allowed 2,282 yards.

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Don't get behind the chains: Colorado is averaging only 3.5 yards on first downs, the program's lowest in 20 years.

TEXAS A&M

Have third-down success: A&M is fourth in the nation in third-down conversions (52.5 percent), but CU has allowed visitors at Folsom Field to convert only 17 of 65 (26.2 percent).

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Crack the red zone: Colorado has allowed only one red-zone score in 17 attempts at home. A&M is 10 of 11 in the last two games, failing to score once by taking a trio of knees inside the 5 to end the Iowa State game.

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Pressure Hansen: Colorado sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen was sacked eight times last week, once for a safety. He had three fumbles and threw an interception. A&M has the nation's top sack leader in Von Miller (13.5).

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Get on the perimeter: A&M will have a huge edge if the game is played outside the hash marks. Colorado has only 24 offensive plays of 20 or more yards, while A&M has 41.

-- Robert Cessna