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FACTS & STATS: Site: Folsom Field (53,613) -- Boulder, Colorado. Television: FCS-Pacific. Home Record: WSU 2-0, Colorado 0-1. Away Record: WSU 0-1, Colorado 0-2. Neutral Record: WSU 0-0, Colorado 1-0. Conference Record: WSU 0-0, Colorado 0-0. Series Record: Colorado leads, 4-2.

GAME NOTES: Colorado will take part in its first-ever Pac-12 contest when the Buffaloes host the Washington State Cougars this Saturday afternoon at Folsom Field.

The Cougars managed to open their season with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2005. The team did so in convincing fashion by clobbering Idaho State and UNLV by a combined score of 123-28. However, Washington State could not carry over the momentum into its third game and was crushed by San Diego State on the road, 42-24. Coming off a week of rest, the Cougars will look to get back into the win column and open league play with a victory for the first time since 2006.

It is safe to assume coach John Embree wanted his tenure at Colorado to get off on a better note, but instead his team is just 1-3 in four games. The lone win came against rival Colorado State, but that is the lone bright spot thus far for the Buffs. Colorado was dismantled on the road by Hawaii and Ohio State and suffered a slim loss at home to California. Now the Buffs will get a taste of Pac-12 life because after this matchup the team will be on the road against Stanford and Washington.

The Buffaloes own a 4-2 edge in the all-time series, but this will be the first meeting since 2004. In that last matchup Colorado narrowly defeated the Cougars by a 20-12 margin.

The Cougars opened the year with Jeff Tuel under center, but early in the first game the quarterback suffered a collarbone injury and had to be replaced. Losing a starting quarterback is never a good thing for a team, but the Cougars have not only persevered without Tuel, they have flourished.

Behind the play of Marshall Lobbestael, the Cougar offense is averaging 49.0 ppg, which is amazing since the team hadn't posted more than 20.0 ppg over the previous three seasons.

That success is largely due to Lobbestael's play, as the signal caller has thrown for 959 yards and 10 touchdowns. Lobbestael has not done it all on his own though, as coach Paul Wulff also possesses a solid ground attack that is averaging 159.7 yards per matchup.

Unfortunately the ground game was bottled up against San Diego State, as the team finished with just 51 yards on 1.8 yards per attempt. With the running game hitting a wall, Lobbestael had to do everything he could to keep WSU in the matchup.

The quarterback threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, but was intercepted twice and sacked six times. Marquess Wilson had a game to remember for the Cougars, as the wideout finished with 236 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. Wilson has been the best option for Washington State thus far, as the wideout is leading the team in receptions (15), yards (429) and touchdowns (four).

The defense for coach Wulff allowed just 28 points through the first two games, but fell apart against San Diego State. The Cougars were ripped to shreds by San Diego State's ground game, allowing 227 yards and four scores on 5.7 yards per attempt.

Despite the poor effort, the Cougars are still limiting the opposition to just 116.0 ypg, which is significantly better than the previous three seasons in which the team surrendered well over 200.0 yards per contest.

The defense also had trouble against the pass in the loss, allowing nearly 300 yards and two scores. This could become a problem area for coach Wulff's defense because the front line is not getting much pressure. In the loss, Washington State did not record a sack and has only seven thus far. If Washington State is unable to get pressure this Saturday the defense could be in trouble because Colorado possesses a dangerous passing attack.

That passing attack is being led by Tyler Hansen, who has been sensational through four games. Even though the team only has one victory the blame does not fall on the shoulders of Hansen, who has thrown for 1,150 yards and nine touchdowns against just one interception.

Running back Rodney Stewart is leading the team with 23 receptions, but Paul Richardson has proven to be Hansen's go-to guy down the field. Richardson already has four touchdowns for Colorado and that comes along with 398 yards on 22 catches.

Stewart might be successful catching the ball out of the backfield, but running it has been a different story. So far Stewart only has 278 yards rushing and has yet to score on the ground.

Colorado's inability to run the ball was evident in the team's loss to Ohio State, as the Buffs finished with just 76 yards. With the ground game hitting a wall once again, the team's chances at a win fell in the lap of Hansen. The quarterback threw for 238 yards and two scores, but that wasn't nearly enough to get Colorado the victory because the defense was unable to stop Ohio State.

The Buffs were gashed for 226 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry. That lack of success against the run will not lead to many wins for coach Embree, or his team.

The Cougars took a major step backwards in their last game, but they have had an extra week to prepare for this matchup and should be ready to roll. Colorado is home, but the team has some holes defensively. Expect Lobbestael and company to exploit those weaknesses.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Washington State 31, Colorado 24