Colorado got its blowout over Weber State, but the bigger takeaway from Week 2 was how three Buffaloes turned that performance into conference recognition.
Edge rusher Toby Anene, safety Jah Jah Boyd and wide receiver Joseph Williams all landed on the Big 12’s Team of the Week after playing major roles in the win. With a difficult stretch coming next, Colorado suddenly has a few more proven pieces to lean on.
Anene’s day stood out even in a game where the Buffs had plenty going on. He was active against both the run and freshman quarterback Nate Dahle, finishing with a sack, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Colorado pulled him midway through the third quarter so the backups could get work, but by then he had already made his mark.
That effort comes on the heels of another strong week. Through two games, Anene owns a Pro Football Focus grade of 88.3, and he’s helping change the conversation around a defensive line that entered the season with plenty of questions about depth and proven production.
Boyd was just as important on the back end. He led Colorado with eight total tackles, including five solo stops, and added a forced fumble while bouncing between nickel and strong safety. After Makari Vickers struggled for the second straight week, Boyd’s role only grew more important.
“Jah Jah is the kind of kid that plays with passion, practices with passion. He plays hard, practices hard.
Sometimes he goes a little too far, but you could count on him to give everything he has,” Sanders said postgame. “He's very emotional, but he plays with that, and I love that about him.
I don't want him to change a thing.”
Boyd had already shown flashes in Colorado’s Week 1 game against Georgia Tech and during the spring game, and this latest outing may have pushed him into a starting spot.
Williams gave the Buffaloes the kind of vertical punch that changes how a defense has to play. He finished with four catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 30.8 yards per grab, and his deep-ball production helped Julian Lewis earn Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors.
“My brother ‘Eight-ball,’ he’s truly a specimen out there,” Lewis said postgame. “I think Jo’s size really helps our wide receiver room because we have a lot of smaller guys.
So people have to really worry about that deep game. He makes people have to back up, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Since returning from injury during fall camp, Williams has kept delivering. Even with all the receiver talent Colorado added through the transfer portal, he’s still making himself impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Colorado At Northwestern Has Turned Into An Unexpected Ticket Story
Colorados trip to Northwestern has taken on an odd little life of its own before the Buffaloes even get to the field. The game will be played at Martin Stadium, a compact venue that holds just 12,023 fans, and that limited seating has pushed resale prices well beyond what usually comes with a nonconference road game. Add in the pull of Deion Sanders and the result is a ticket market that has turned this matchup into one of the more expensive gets on the calendar.
Northwestern is also using the occasion as a farewell to Martin Stadium, which will host its final football game before the new Ryan Field opens. For Colorado, the setting adds another layer to a road trip already drawing attention beyond the usual xs and os, with ticket demand reflecting both the novelty of the venue and the curiosity surrounding Sanders team. What happens on the field still matters most, but the lead-up has made clear this one is about more than just a September date. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fans Have A Real Reason To Watch This Big 12 Shakeup
Week 2 of the 2026 college football season delivered the kind of league-wide shakeup that can ripple all the way through the Big 12 race. Oklahoma States upset of a top-10 Oregon team grabbed the biggest headline, but it was far from the only result that mattered, with BYU, Utah, Houston and Kansas State also coming away with wins as the conference settled into an early-season rhythm.
For Colorado fans, the larger takeaway is the changing shape of the league around them. Updated Big 12 power rankings now have to account for both the surprise results and the teams that handled business, which gives a clearer picture of where the Buffaloes fit in a conference that already looks unsettled. Every week like this adds a little more intrigue, and a little more reason to keep an eye on how the standings could move from here. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado's Offense Just Gave Buffs Fans A Very Different Reason To Believe
Colorados home opener brought a much-needed jolt of optimism, and it came from a version of the Buffs that looked far more balanced than the one fans had grown used to seeing. Julian Lewis was at the center of it, throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing score of his own, and Micah Welch gave the ground game a real pulse with 106 rushing yards in a 52-21 win over Weber State.
For a program that has spent so much time searching for something sustainable on offense, Welchs breakthrough stood out almost as much as Lewis arm talent. It was also the first 100-yard rushing game under Deion Sanders, a marker that matters because it hints at a more complete attack taking shape around the quarterback. The defense looked better too, but there are still fixes to make in pass coverage, which means this group has at least one more layer to prove before the early momentum starts to feel permanent. [Read more 🡒]