Colorado’s first real stumble of 2026 laid bare a few truths the Buffaloes can’t ignore.
The 41-7 loss to Northwestern wasn’t just a rough afternoon - it was a game that exposed how fragile some of Colorado’s best traits can be when they’re not sharp. After opening the season 2-1, the Buffaloes now head into Big 12 play with a clearer picture of what’s working, what isn’t, and what still needs fixing fast.
One of the biggest positives under offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has been the makeover of an offense that had struggled under Deion Sanders. Colorado has brought a tougher, more downhill identity, and fans have already seen how dangerous that can look. But against Northwestern on Sept. 19, that same aggression turned messy in a hurry.
Micah Welch lost the football at a pivotal moment after Northwestern punched it out, and the play swung momentum hard in the Wildcats’ favor. Welch had the ball a few inches away from his body as he ran into traffic, and the strip followed. Damian Henderson II also coughed it up in the first half as Northwestern pounced.
Rainy conditions always make life harder on an offense, but Colorado can’t hide behind that. The bigger takeaway is that this “Go-Go” attack can light up a defense or hand the other team extra possessions.
It’s an RPO scheme built to be aggressive, and Colorado is not likely to pull back from that approach. That means ball security has to be non-negotiable.
The defense, meanwhile, has made some strides off the edge. Lamont Lester Jr. has already moved past the 2025 best mark of 2.5 sacks set by Arden Walker and Keaten Wade, a sign the pass rush is getting more bite.
Still, the last two games have shown just how much work remains under new defensive coordinator Chris Marve. Weber State and Northwestern both leaned on the run and both cleared the 120-yard mark.
Colorado’s issues inside are part of the problem. New Mexico State transfer Ezra Christensen was denied eligibility at the start of the season amid his NCAA court case, and junior college transfer Malachi Brown tore his labrum and is done for the year.
Chauncey Gooden has given Colorado a new two-way presence, but if the left guard is asked to do too much, wear and tear could become a factor during Big 12 play. That’s why Marve and defensive tackles coach George Helow have to build out the depth behind him.
Linebacker is thin too. Gideon Lampron and Liona Lefau have carried that group, but there isn’t much proven depth behind them, and Colorado can’t afford to run those two into the ground.
On offense, the receiver room entered the season with plenty of buzz after Colorado landed 2025 NCAA receiving yardage leader Danny Scudero from San Jose State and added Texas transfer DeAndre Moore. But the production hasn’t matched the hype yet. Scudero has only 24 yards through three games, while Moore leads the team with 15 catches and 200 yards.
Scudero is still dealing with a foot injury from fall camp, and he clearly hasn’t fully bounced back. Colorado needs the healthy version of him soon if this passing game is going to open up the way it was supposed to.
Quarterback Julian Lewis has shown flashes when Colorado lets it fly, but that part of the offense never got going against Northwestern. Lewis threw two interceptions, and the Buffaloes’ attack again looked like a unit searching for whatever works from drive to drive, much like the ground game did against Georgia Tech.
The bottom line is simple: Colorado has seen enough to know where the pressure points are. The explosive upside is real, but so are the turnovers, the thin depth, and the uneven passing game. The next step has to come quickly.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Just Entered A Brutal Stretch Colorado Cant Afford
Colorados lopsided loss to Northwestern was more than a bad afternoon, it was a reminder that the margin for error has all but disappeared. At 2-1, the Buffaloes are still early in the season, but the defeat made the road to bowl eligibility noticeably tougher and put an immediate spotlight on a schedule that was already going to test them in a hurry.
Deion Sanders enters his fourth season facing a stretch Colorado cant really afford to botch, with several upcoming games looking like uphill fights and the Big 12 opener against Baylor looming as a pivotal one. The larger concern is not just one loss, but whether the program has closed enough ground to keep pace with a conference that appears stronger around it. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado's Next Game Could Reshape Several Buffaloes Roles
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The next game could sharpen those decisions even more, especially with so many roles still in flux. Lewis has already taken responsibility for his interceptions in the latest game, and how he responds will matter not just for him, but for the way Colorado weighs its options around the offense. For a team still trying to stabilize its pecking order, the coming week offers a chance to turn a few emerging trends into something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fans Need To See How Fast The Big 12 Race Is Taking Shape
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For a Colorado team trying to find its own place in the conference race, the pace matters as much as any single result. The scores from around the league showed just how quickly one weekend can alter the conversation, and with the standings already updated, the Buffaloes are getting an early look at how crowded and competitive this chase may become. [Read more 🡒]