Colorado @ Massachusetts preview

Colorado must overcome a season-opening setback to its in-state rival and a trip across the country when it visits Massachusetts on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The Buffaloes lost 31-17 to Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, a contest which exposed a young defense that yielded 266 rushing yards - 185 in the second half. "We’ll keep playing hard and we’ll keep fighting,'' second-year Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre told cubuffs.com. That’s all you can do. It’s one game.”

The Buffaloes were 0-5 on the road while being outscored 226-77 in 2013 and are 2-31 away from home since 2008. The Minutemen, who scored the fewest points among FBS teams (11.7 per game) in 2013, appear to remain offensively challenged after recording 202 yards - 24 in the first half - in their season-opening 30-7 loss to Boston College after trailing 6-0 at halftime. Massachusetts struggled to back-to-back 1-11 seasons in the Mid-American Conference since becoming an FBS member in 2012.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Colorado -17

ABOUT COLORADO (0-1): The Buffaloes have high hopes for sophomore quarterback Sefo Liufau, who was 24-of-39 for 241 yards and two touchdowns against Colorado State while taking ownership of Colorado's inconsistent play on offense. "... We had good drives, it was just a matter of finishing them, and we didn’t do that (Friday),'' Liufau told cubuffs.com. "We can’t blame the defense or special teams - you put all that on the offense. That goes on me." Junior wide receiver Nelson Spruce, who has the unenviable task of replacing Paul Richardson (second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks), caught seven passes for 104 yards and both touchdowns.

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (0-1): The Minutemen's offensive woes start at the top as quarterback Blake Frohnapfel, a 6-6, 229-pound senior transfer from Marshall, was 9-of-22 for 147 yards against BC - with a 77-yard touchdown pass to Tajae Sharpe. Massachusetts' defense, led by senior linebacker Stanley Andre (111 tackles in 2013), must shore up against the run as the Eagles churned out 338 yards on the ground. The Minutemen are coached by Mark Whipple, who led Massachusetts to the 1998 Division I-AA championship before becoming quarterbacks coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and having a hand in the development of Ben Roethlisberger.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Massachusetts, which plays a Pac-12 team for the first time, has scored seven or fewer points in 12 of its 25 FBS games.

2. Colorado, which is 9-21 all-time in the Eastern Time Zone, makes its first trip to the Northeast since 1977, when it defeated Army 31-0

3. Massachusetts plays three of its six home games at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.

PREDICTION: Colorado 31, Massachusetts 14