ASU vs. Colorado Scouting Report: Buffs QB Connor Wood

Sep 28, 2013; Corvallis, OR, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Connor Wood (5) throws the ball in the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY SportsAmong all the players on head coach Mike MacIntyre’s Colorado team, quarterback Connor Wood may best exemplify the current outlook and aspirations of the Buffalo program.

According to the offensive staff in Boulder, Woods is a scrappy competitor and fast learner. A transfer to CU from the University of Texas, he possesses good size (6’4”, 225), arm strength and confidence—important traits for a QB on a squad facing a long road of rebuilding.

Last year, Wood struggled in a largely backup role for a one-win team. He often entered games when Colorado trailed by sizeable margin, and he went 21-of-42 for 265 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions on the season. His best games came against Stanford and Arizona, when he completed 4-of-7 passes in both games; he threw for 66 yards against the Cardinal and for 90 versus the Wildcats.

Wood was one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the early stages the 2013 campaign. On Saturday, however, the junior signal caller completed just 11 of 33 passes for 205 yards and two interceptions in a 57-16 loss to Oregon at Folsom Field.

The trouncing at the hands of the Ducks followed a 44-17 loss to Oregon State on Sept. 28, when Wood completed just 14 of 34 passes for 146 yards, two interceptions and two touchdowns.

Wood has had his promising moments, too. Through the first two games of the season, he completed 68.3 percent of his passes (56 of 82) for 741 yards and six touchdowns. He was among the top ten quarterbacks in the country in yards per game.

Wood completed 33 of 46 passes for 400 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Colorado State in the season opener and showed that he can get the deep ball.

As a prep start at Second Baptist in Houston, Texas, Wood earned All-America honors from most of the recruiting services, including SuperPrep and PrepStar. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football ranked him as the third best quarterback in the state, while Rivals pegged him as he sixth best pro-style quarterback in the nation and ESPNU the No. 14 overall QB nationally.