The clash of Colorado black and gold with Wyoming brown and gold just looks so beautiful on a football field.

The Buffaloes and Cowboys have met on the gridiron 26 times, with 20 meetings came between 1900 and 1947. They’ve played four times since 1975 and just once this century, in 2009.

It just feels right when two of the defining football teams along the Front Range face off.

Saturday night’s game (8:15 p.m. ESPN) is sold out and there should be plenty of fans wearing both colorways ahead an important game for both programs.

Here are five storylines to watch: 

Kaidon Salter’s second chance

All signs are pointing to Deion Sanders going back to Kaidon Salter. The veteran Liberty transfer started the first two games before being benched in favor of Ryan Staub last week at Houston. That decision backfired as the Buffs offense sputtered in the disappointing loss. Now, Salter appears set to receive a second chance and maybe his re-insertion into the lineup allows the CU offense to finally find an identity after weeks of searching for it.

The Buffs’ surprisingly bad defense

Speaking of disappointments in the Big 12 opener, the Buffs defense continues to look nothing like the unit that carried the team to wins at times last fall. They’re consistently getting beat off the line of scrimmage, allowing big pass plays downfield and generally looking like the less-physical team. This is as a prime opportunity to prove that’s not the case as the Pokes go into Folsom Field thinking they can push around these Buffs. 

Wyoming’s offensive game plan

On that note, expect a clear attempt to establish the run early and often by the Wyoming offense. The Cowboys have scored just 16 points in two games against FBS opponents and have a virtually non-existent passing game. They do, however, have a trio of running backs with over 100 yards already and each has proven capable of carrying the offense for a drive.

Involve the CU playmakers

Just three Buffs have over 100 receiving yards through three games. One of them is a running back, DeKalon Taylor. Taylor also leads the same with 10 receptions — the only player in double digits. It doesn’t help that quarterback has been a revolving door of inefficiency, but the broken passing game must be pieced back together, preferably before Big 12 play resumes. This week is a perfect time to get both Dre’lon and Omarion Miller the ball on a consistent basis to see if they can find a rhythm and lift the entire offense.

Impact freshmen

One of the positive storylines from the first few weeks is that Coach Prime and his staff seem to have hit on another freshman class. The Buffs have consistently gotten production from first-year players under Sanders. This year it’s in the form of a pair of edge rushers. Both Alexander McPherson and London Merritt came to Boulder from IMG Academy in the winter and with injuries up front to begin the season, they’ve both seized playing time at defensive end and have done enough to warrant more snaps going forward. 

King’s Prediction

Colorado 20, Wyoming 13

At times, this game will make you fall asleep — and that’s not because it’s going to kick off close to 8:30 p.m. These two offenses haven’t proven capable of moving the ball downfield consistently enough against quality competition. Barring a massive improvement from either offense, a few plays will decide this one and as the rosters suggest, the Buffs just have a little too much talent to avoid an upset.

King’s Player to Watch

Colorado: TE Zach Atkins, S Tawfiq Byard

After coming in from the Division II ranks and expecting to make a big impact, Atkins has had a relatively slow start to the season. That said, his best game was the season opener when Kaidon Salter played the entire game at quarterback. Atkins can be a real weapon for Salter on the run-pass-option (RPO) plays and could open up things for the entire offense. Defensively, Byard leads CU in tackles despite not starting any of the first three games. His performance at Houston proved he needs to be on the field as much as possible.

Wyoming: RB Samuel Harris, S Andrew Johnson
Even though most of it came in garbage time, Harris racked up over 100 yards from scrimmage last week against Utah and showed his big-play ability both as a runner and as a pass catcher out of the backfield. If the true freshman can get into the second level of the Buffs defense, he could cause havoc and wreck the game. On defense, Johnson has made plays at all three levels with a team-best 20 tackles to go with one sack, two passes defended and a fumble recovery.