Colorado looked nothing like a team still searching for its footing in Week 2. Once the Buffaloes jumped on Weber State with touchdowns on their first three offensive snaps, the game was effectively on cruise control, and Colorado rolled to a 52-21 win.
That didn’t mean everything was spotless. The offense was electric, the defense was uneven, and special teams brought its own set of headaches. But when the dust settled, Colorado still walked away with a strong overall report card and a few clear takeaways before next week’s meeting with Northwestern, which beat South Dakota State in its season opener.
The biggest story of the day was Julian Lewis. After a rocky opening week, he came out blazing and looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 this week.
Lewis hit a 66-yard touchdown on Colorado’s first offensive snap, then followed it with a 63-yard strike two plays later. By the end of the afternoon, he had piled up a career-high 366 passing yards, averaged 15.9 yards per attempt and threw four touchdowns.
He still hasn’t thrown an interception in his college career, which only adds to how clean the performance was.
Colorado’s ground game also delivered another strong showing, even if it played more of a supporting role than it did in Week 1. Micah Welch helped the Buffaloes produce their first 100-yard rusher in the Deion Sanders era, and the offense finished with 180 rushing yards at 4.7 yards per carry. It was the second time in this young season Colorado has reached at least 180 rushing yards, a good sign for an offense that clearly has balance to lean on.
The wide receivers made the biggest splash in the passing game. Colorado’s receivers accounted for four touchdowns, with Joseph Williams scoring twice and DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ernest Campbell each adding a score.
Williams and Moore both finished over 100 receiving yards, giving the Buffaloes something they had only done twice before and not since 2018: two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher in the same game. Moore’s touchdown came on a deep ball, while Williams’ first score came after he turned the catch into extra yardage.
The tight ends didn’t factor much as pass-catchers, but the overall skill talent was impossible to miss.
Up front, the offensive line again opened lanes in the run game better than it protected the quarterback. Colorado’s run blocking helped the offense keep rolling, but Lewis was sacked three times, including once that led to a turnover in Colorado territory. It didn’t change the outcome in a 31-point win, though it’s the kind of thing that can become a problem in tighter games.
Defensively, Colorado was better against the run than the pass, but not by a huge margin. The Buffaloes gave up 127 rushing yards, which is still well below what they allowed on average last season, but the tackling was shaky at times and four different Weber State rushers broke off runs of at least 10 yards.
The pass defense was the more frustrating part. Everyone knew who Weber State wanted to feature, and Noah Kjar still found room to work.
He caught seven passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard catch that set up a second-quarter score. Colorado did get one big defensive moment from Randon Fontenette, who came down with an interception.
Special teams had its moments, but also enough issues to keep the grade from climbing higher. Elliot Arnold drilled a 52-yard field goal, though he also missed from 47 yards.
Boo Carter muffed a punt late in the first half and finished with just six yards on two punt returns. On the other side of the specialist ledger, Damon Greaves stood out with three punts averaging 51 yards, including a long of 57.
The penalties were another problem that can’t be ignored. Colorado was flagged 13 times for 107 yards, a sharp jump from the six penalties for 60 yards in the opener. That kind of self-inflicted damage is hard to survive against better opponents, and it’s something the coaching staff will need to clean up before Northwestern.
Even with the rough edges, the offense is carrying the load for this team right now. Colorado’s defense still has work to do, especially in coverage, and special teams remain a concern. But Deion Sanders has an offense that looks dangerous every time it takes the field, and one that can keep Colorado in the mix all season long.
In Other News...
Colorado Depth Chart Battle Is Starting To Get Real Fast
Colorados home opener gave the Buffaloes plenty to sort through, and not all of it was about the final score. The offense spread production around in a way that highlighted just how much competition is already baked into this roster, with two receivers and a running back all topping 100 yards. Joseph Williams stood out in particular, piling up 123 yards and two touchdowns while Elliott Arnold calmly drilled a 52-yard field goal on his first college attempt.
Multiple quarterbacks also saw the field, and freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne even added a rushing touchdown in relief, a reminder that the depth chart is not going to settle itself anytime soon. The other side of that coin was hard to ignore, though, because Colorado also finished with 13 penalties for 107 yards, leaving coaches with a clear list of things to clean up even as the internal battles for snaps start to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados 2027 QB Plan Just Got More Complicated
Colorados quarterback outlook for the 2027 class got a little more crowded when Cameron Pooley of Mater Dei High School verbally committed after a recent trip to Boulder for a home game. The Buffaloes extended a scholarship offer through director of player personnel Darrien Darden-Box, and Pooleys decision gives the staff an early piece to build around as it maps out the position for that recruiting cycle.
Even with Pooley in the fold, the picture around 2027 is still far from settled. Colorados quarterback room for that class remains thin, and the staff is also weighing four-star recruit Andre Adams as part of its broader plan, which suggests the Buffaloes may not be done reshaping the position just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado's Fast Start Set Up A Much Bigger Test For Deion
Colorados 2-0 start has given Deion Sanders and his staff plenty to like, beginning with Julian Lewis first 300-yard game and a defense that has looked sharper under coordinator Chris Marve. The offense has also shown signs of settling in under coach Marion, with the changes helping key players like Micah Welch become more effective and giving the Buffaloes a more balanced look than they had at times last season.
Still, the early surge has done more to raise the stakes than answer every question. The defense has shown some vulnerability, and the schedule is about to bring a very different level of resistance, the kind that will show whether this fast start is a sign of real growth or just a strong opening act. [Read more 🡒]