1

Meeting between the Bears and Buffaloes since 1934, according to CU’s game notes. That came in a 41-21 Colorado win in 2017 when Steven Montez passed for 357 yards and four touchdowns and Phillip Lindsay rushed 26 times for 151 yards and a touchdown. Colorado leads the all-time series 10-2.

4

Former Colorado football players on the Northern Colorado roster. Defensive backs Uryan Hudson and Dustin Johnson join defensive linemen Austin Williams and Tava Finau as players who started their collegiate careers in Boulder before transferring to UNC. Williams left CU with the most playing time after playing 190 defensive snaps, recording five tackles, as a freshman in 2019.

4

The number of players on Colorado’s roster entering their final year of eligibility. With the NCAA giving all athletes a free year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s an influx in underclassmen on many rosters. Colorado has 69 freshman and 21 sophomores on the roster. Defensive Jeremiah Doss, linebacker Nate Landman and offensive lineman Kary Kutsch are traditional seniors, while tight end Matt Lynch came to Colorado as a graduate transfer from UCLA and will use his final year of eligibility this season.

21

Approximate months since Northern Colorado last played. The Bears, and the rest of the Big Sky Conference, did not play games during the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Northern Colorado’s last game was a 28-21 loss to Cal Poly on Nov. 23, 2019.

37.5

Points Colorado is favored to win by, according to Caesars Sportsbook. The last time Colorado won by more than 38 points came Oct. 1, 2016 in a 47-6 win over Oregon State.

72.7

Colorado’s winning percentage in 75 season-opening games in Boulder. The Buffaloes enter Friday’s game 54-20-1 in such games. The Buffaloes have won their opener in each of their last five seasons, dating back to 2015 when they lost their opener, 28-20, at Hawaii.