Weber State (1-1, 1-1 Big Sky) at Colorado (1-0, 0-0 Big 12)
When/where: 1:30 p.m. MT Saturday/Folsom Field
TV/Radio: ESPN+/850 AM
: CU -34.5, 55.5 over/under
: 81 degrees, partly sunny
Series history: First meeting
Three storylines
JuJu’s momentum: CU QB Julian Lewis looked a little lost for the first three-plus quarters of last week’s 14-13 upset win at Georgia Tech.But the redshirt freshman quarterback turned it on in crunch time, leading an eight-play, 75-yard TD drive in 63 seconds to put the Buffs ahead in the waning moments. Lewis made several impressive throws on that drive, including a beautiful lofted pass to TE Charlie Williams that resulted in the go-ahead TD. Lewis should have plenty of opportunities to continue that momentum against Weber State.
CU’s special teams. Prior to Boo Carter saving the game in Atlanta with a blocked field goal on the final play, the Buffs’ special teams performance was downright awful. The examples of CU’s poor play in the game’s third phase were plentiful: Carter calling for a fair catch on a punt inside his own 5-yard line. Multiple miscues by the punting team, including a Damon Greaves punt that went only 21 yards. And there was Rahkeem Smith’s 100-yard kick return for a Georgia Tech TD. CU needs to use this tune-up game to get its special teams in order.
Two-way force in the trenches. Lineman Chauncey Gooden played a pivotal role in the season-opening win. The sophomore started at guard on offense, and then also played late in the game on defense to earn the by the Football Writers Association of America. Gooden plays on the interior defensive line in goal-line situations, and his performance on offense helped CU control the clock with a strong ground game against Georgia Tech. He’s the fourth two-way player under Deion Sanders at CU.
Predictions
Kyle Newman, sportswriter: CU 45, Weber State 17
Good for the Buffs in pulling off the upset in the season opener. But let’s be honest, Georgia Tech is not close to the team it was a season ago when it won nine games. Anything less than a total blowout on Saturday will not be a good sign for the Buffs, who will use this opportunity against an outmatched FCS opponent to get the pass game gelled. Julian Lewis effortlessly throws for four TDs, and the Wildcats get some points late against CU backups in a game that isnearly near as close as the score indicates.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: CU 36, Weber State 7
The Buffs went into Atlanta with a point to prove, and made that point in about the wildest way possible. Now they’ve got a game to iron out some things, especially on the passing front, before two road tests (at Northwestern, at Baylor) that’ll set the tone for 2026. Deion
Sanders can pick Saturday’s score — Weber’s just the fourth game in The Coach Prime Era in which the Buffs go in favored by 15 points or more at home. CU put up a mark of 2-0-1 against the spread in those other three tilts, so caveat emptor.
Troy Renck, sports columnist: CU 34, Weber State 10
This get-right game for quarterback Julian Lewis. He must show he can run the new offense and play with more competency in the passing game. His best pass was his last pass against Georgia Tech. He missed a battery of wide-open receivers, including on multiple deep routes. The run game was a revelation. But it will dim if Lewis cannot keep defenses honest. And on defense, Lamont Lester Jr. go eat. It was unclear if the Buffs had any NFL prospects, but Lester sure looks the part.
Nate Peterson, sports editor: CU 35, Weber State 14
Julian Lewis needs this one to iron out what went wrong against Georgia Tech. The Georgia native looked lost throwing the ball for most of the game before flipping a switch in crunch time to drive the Buffs 75 yards and get out of Atlanta with a win. Outside of the special teams gaffes, Colorado’s overhauled offensive and defensive units were a revelation in the opener. Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense ran it right down the Yellowjackets’ throat, while Chris Marve’s defense was stout up front and gave up just six points. The Buffs should overwhelm the FCS Wildcats from Weber State before a big game against the FBS Wildcats from Northwestern next week, but a 34.5-point spread feels like a stretch. We’ll see.
