Colorado Football: 5 breakout candidates for spring game

The Colorado football team saw a lot of success in 2016. They won the Pac-12 South Division and lost in the Pac-12 Championship game.

The Colorado Buffaloes finished the season 17th in the AP Poll. Returning to the 10-4 team they were a season ago may be challenge in 2017 for the Buffaloes. It was Colorado’s first 10-win season since 2001 and first bowl appearance since 2007 back when they were members of the Big 12 Conference. But with some experience returning and a strong recruiting class, there’s a lot for head coach Mike MacIntyre to look forward to.

The Buffaloes finished 8-1 in the Pac-12 Conference last season. But they’ll lose eight starters on defense and lose their four-year starting quarterback Sefo Liufau. They will have to rebuild the defensive that allowed just 149.7 rushing yards (44th in the FBS) and 193.6 passing yards (20th in the FBS) per game last year.

The Colorado Buffaloes defense allowed just 21.7 points per game last season, 20th in the FBS. Replacing some key players will be a tough task, but with a lot of depth at those positions the Buffaloes could be back in the Pac-12 Championship Game in 2017.

The offense will have to replace quarterback Sefo Liufau as well but have a lot of experience in the receiving core returning. They’ll need to improve in the scoring department, however.

In 2016, they averaged 31.1 points per game, ranked 51st in the FBS. They lost their last two games by an average of 30.5 points, scoring just an average of 9.0 points on offense. Getting the offense up-to-par with the defense is key this spring. Here are five breakout players to watch as the Buffaloes’ annual Spring Game approaches.