Colorado’s first loss of 2026 came with plenty of warning signs and a few small bright spots. The Buffaloes were outclassed 41-7 by Northwestern on Saturday night, undone by turnovers, inconsistent offense and a defense that couldn’t slow down Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles.
Still, not everything went sideways for Colorado. The run game gave the offense a foundation, and wide receiver Joseph Williams delivered the night’s biggest play with a 50-yard touchdown catch from Julian Lewis in the third quarter. Those were the kinds of flashes Colorado can build on, even in a lopsided defeat.
The Buffaloes finished with 180 rushing yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry, with Micah Welch helping keep the offense afloat when the passing game sputtered. Colorado had moments when it could move the ball on the ground, but those gains didn’t turn into enough points. Against a Big Ten opponent on the road, the inability to finish drives proved costly.
Williams’ touchdown accounted for Colorado’s only score of the game. It came after the Buffaloes forced a turnover early in the second half and quickly cashed in, briefly giving them a chance to find some rhythm. Northwestern answered right away, and the momentum disappeared almost as fast as it arrived.
Lewis had a rougher night than he did in Colorado’s previous two games. After throwing for 366 yards and four touchdowns against Weber State, the sophomore went 19-of-29 for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
His second pick came late and gave Northwestern another chance to pad its lead. Lewis has already seen the range of the early-season quarterback roller coaster: he helped Colorado beat Georgia Tech, dominated Weber State and then ran into a wall against Northwestern.
The turnover battle told the story. Colorado gave the ball away four times, including three times in the first half, and those mistakes repeatedly handed Northwestern short fields.
Welch also lost a fumble in the first quarter. After protecting the football through the first two games, Colorado’s giveaways became the game’s defining problem.
Northwestern made the most of every extra chance. Chiles completed 17 of 22 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns while also adding two rushing scores. Colorado couldn’t contain the Wildcats’ explosive plays or get them off the field with any consistency, and the Buffaloes surrendered 429 total yards and 41 points.
After opening the season 2-0 with wins over Georgia Tech and Weber State, Colorado now heads into its Big 12 opener against Baylor in week 4 needing quick fixes on both sides of the ball.
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