Colorado handed out its latest weekly honors to three standouts across soccer, football and volleyball, with Joseph Williams, Ana Burilovic and Leyba earning CU Athletes of the Week recognition for Sept. 21-27.
Leyba kept the Buffaloes rolling in their Big 12 opener, helping Colorado beat West Virginia at Prentup Field on Sept. 24 for the team’s fifth straight win. She finished with a team-high five shots, putting four on target, and in the process climbed to 128 career shots on goal.
That pushed her into sole possession of second place on Colorado’s all-time list, and she now sits three points shy of the record. Her game-winning goal was the 39th of her career, tying Taylor Kornieck for third most in program history, and she needs one more to move into sole possession of that spot.
The goal also gave her 85 career points, which moved her into fourth on Colorado’s all-time list.
Williams delivered one of the most complete games of his Colorado career at Baylor on Sept. 26.
He caught 11 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, and he also completed a pass for 49 yards. It was his sixth career 100-yard receiving performance, his third as a Buffalo and his second in the last three games.
His 11 catches tied for ninth-most in CU history, while the 49-yard completion ranked as the third-longest ever by a Colorado wide receiver. Williams became the third player in school history to top 100 receiving yards and complete a pass in the same game, and only the second to do it with 10 or more catches.
He’s piled up 20 receptions for 38 yards and four touchdowns over the last three weeks.
Burilovic powered Colorado through a five-set battle with Arizona at the CU Events Center on Sept. 27.
She posted a season-high 28 kills, 68 attacks and 32 points, while adding 13 digs for her third double-double of the season and the 13th of her career. She also served up four aces, including three in a row that helped swing momentum and push Colorado to the win after the Buffaloes dropped the previous two sets.
In Other News...
Colorado Suddenly Faces A Linebacker Problem Deion Sanders Must Solve
Colorados linebacker room took a hit in Week 4 when Tyler Martinez went down with a lower-leg injury against Baylor, and Deion Sanders said the injury could end his season. The timing matters for a Buffaloes defense that has already had to adjust on the fly, with Gage Goldberg stepping into a larger role and leaning on the presence of veterans Liona Lefau and Gideon Lampron around him.
For Sanders, the immediate challenge is keeping that group steady if Martinez cannot return, while also trying to preserve some long-term value from a difficult setback. He said he hopes Martinez can secure eligibility for next season, leaving a lingering offseason question even as Colorado tries to sort out its present-day linebacker rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces A Brutal Test Amid A Growing QB Dilemma
Texas Techs trip to Boulder comes with plenty of confidence after Joey McGuires program has quietly become far more dangerous away from home, winning seven of its last eight road games. That includes a recent victory at Oregon State, and it gives the Red Raiders a solid backdrop as they head into a matchup with Colorado, a team that is still sorting through injuries and trying to steady itself under Deion Sanders.
Both sides are coming off the usual mix of wins, losses and coaching concerns, but the Buffaloes bigger issue is the uncertainty at quarterback and the ripple effect that can have on everything else. Sanders has already been asked about player availability and the need for improvement, and with Texas Tech showing it can travel well, Colorado does not have the luxury of time to let those questions linger much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads Into Brutal Stretch With One Huge QB Question
With Colorado staring at a demanding run of games, the focus around the Buffaloes has shifted to the quarterback battle and how the offense will sort itself out. Wide receiver Joseph Williams has seen enough from both Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson to believe the room is in good hands, pointing to the traits they share and the poise they bring to the huddle.
Williams also made clear the locker room is prepared to rally around whichever quarterback gets the nod. For a team headed into a tough stretch, that kind of buy-in matters just as much as the depth chart, and it gives Colorado a chance to keep building even as the competition at the game's most important position remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]