Colorado University Athletics
Saturday, November 8
Morgantown, W.Va.
10 a.m.
Colorado
3-7 , 1-6
22
at
29
West Virginia
4-6 , 2-5
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Colorado
0
9
7
6
22
West Virginia
9
10
3
7
29
Photo by: Derek Marckel
CU Comeback Falls Short at WVU
November 08, 2025 | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.V. — The Colorado Buffaloes went into Milan Puskar Stadium looking to snap their two-game skid on Saturday, but West Virginia had other plans. The Mountaineers led by as many as 13 and despite Colorado's best efforts, didn't allow CU to mount a comeback in the 29-22 loss.
WVU (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) opened a 9-0 lead in the first quarter and led by 10 at halftime, but the Buffs outscored the Mountaineers 13-10 in the second half, coming up just short.
"This is not who we are," head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders expressed after the loss. "We're better than this. They [fans] deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this. I feel like we have players that are so much better than the production that we're putting out. It starts with me. I feel like we have the nucleus inside the locker room, that we should be getting it done. I don't think we've played a team that's athletically and physically better than us. I really don't."
True freshman quarterback Julian Lewis was impressive under center in his first career start. He finished 22-of-35 for 299 yards and two scores, becoming the ninth true freshman to start a game at QB for CU and the fifth since 2000. The 299 yards in the air are the second-highest of the season for the Buffs.
"It felt good out there," Lewis exclaimed. "The offense was dominating, executing on the run and pass. The O-line was blocking well up front. It was going exactly how I expected and wanted.
"It felt amazing playing football again," Lewis continued. "But of course, it hurts to lose. We have to play better."
Lewis spared the ball to eight different receivers on the day, with a pair of Millers leading the way. Omarion Miller made six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, marking his third career 100-yard receiving effort. Dre'Lon Miller hauled in four receptions for 37 yards and Joseph Williams snagged three balls for 64 yards and one touchdown.
D. Miller and Dallan Hayden each had a team-high 10 carries, combining for 76 yards. Colorado, playing without standout offensive lineman Jordan Seaton up front, finished with 350 total yards on offense, its most since totaling 395 in its win over Iowa State.
"Guys stepped up," Lewis noted. "Guys stepped up this week that didn't expect to play. I'm grateful that they did their thing. I just got to do better next time."
Jeremiah Brown led the Buffs' defense with 11 total tackles. The CU defense bounced back from allowing three straight offenses to gain over 400 total yards, holding West Virginia to 369 yards on Saturday. The Buffs forced three turnovers on the day, matching the most since the season-opener against Georgia Tech.
West Virginia, also starting a true freshman at QB in Scotty Fox Jr., threw for 202 yards and one TD. Diore Hubbard led the Mountaineers with 16 rushes for 64 yards. WVU had 53 total carries for 167 yards.
"We just need to get better," defensive back Tawfiq Byard commented. "The TCU loss was disappointing one, and coming back against BYU the week before. We just have to get better and continue to preach the little things. We have to finish games like this. We had it 22-19, defense has to get off the field and get the ball back for our offense."
The loss drops the Buffs to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12.
"I wish we didn't have a bye [next week]," Coach Prime added. "I want to keep working. We'll probably work them [the team] until Thursday and then let them go. I want to see them study more. Prepare more because you've got to make some decisions. They have to make some decisions in the offseason. From here on out, it's really roster and coach management, understanding what we're going to do going forward. But I promise you, there's going to be some changes."
How it Happened
Colorado won the coin toss and elected to take the ball at the start. The Buffs' offense was shutout in the first quarter, managing only 10 total yards on 17 offensive snaps. The CU defense did its part in the opening 15 minutes, forcing two punts and a fumble in the Mountaineers' first three possessions.
The Mountaineers got on the board first on special teams, blocking a punt out of the endzone late in the first quarter, and then got its first offensive points on the ensuing drive with Curtis Jones capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard rush to give WVU a 9-0 lead.
CU's offense flipped the switch in the second quarter, gaining more yards on the first play, a 43-yard toss from Lewis to O. Miller, than the entire first quarter.
Keaton Wade got a stop for the CU defense on WVU's first play of the quarter, forcing the Mountaineers back five yards, and the defense forced a three-and-out, giving the ball back to Lewis and the offense with 11:05 to go in the half.
The Buffs demonstrated their ability to move the ball with four plays of 10 yards or more during the 13-play, 70-yard drive, which consumed a little over five minutes. Alejandro Mata put the stamp on the drive with the Buffs' first points, drilling a 23-yard field goal to cut the WVU lead to 9-3.
WVU took the ball down the field in six plays for its next score, pushing its lead to 16-3 with 3:21 left on the clock and the Buffs responded with a 24 yard rush from Hayden and a 22 yard completion from Lewis to Miller in the lead up to Lewis' first passing score of the day, hitting Josheph Williams on a crossing route in the endzone. Mata's extra point attempt missed for the first time in 105 attempts, keeping WVU ahead 16-9.
West Virginia closed the half with a 41-yard field goal from Kade Hensley, taking the 19-9 lead at the break.
Lewis finished the half 11-for-18 passing with 149 yards. The Buffs outgained WVU 180-114 yards in the second quarter, averaging 8.2 yards per play compared to its 0.6 per play in the first quarter. Colorado had 10 of its 11 first-half first downs in the second quarter.
WVU had the opening possession of the second half and went 3-and-out in just 42 seconds, giving the ball back to CU following the punt on its own 32-yard line.
Colorado's first drive of the half showed promise, moving the ball in six plays down to the WVU 35-yard line, but the Mountaineers punched the ball out of O. Miller's hands on the backend of a 19-yard reception, with WVU returning the ball seven yards to its own 42.
The CU defense, not to be outdone, forced back-to-back interceptions on WVU's next two possessions. The first by Preston Hodge and the second by John Slaughter, with the latter giving the Buffs the ball back on the WVU 20 with 8:06 to go in the quarter.
"We want to create turnovers," Byard stated. "We haven't done a great job of that this year. All week we were doing pursuit drills, getting to the ball, and that played a part in today."
Two plays later, Lewis hit a streaking O. Miller who made a leaping grab in coverage for a 23-yard touchdown. Mata's extra point hit off the upright and in, to bring Colorado back within three, 19-16.
A 3rd down sack by Arden Walker forced the Mountaineers to kick another field goal, a 37-yarder, to go back up by six, 22-16, at the end of a 15-play, 56-yard drive that ate up almost six minutes.
A 42-yard rope from Lewis to Joseph and a WVU unsportsmanlike penalty got CU down to the Mountaineers' 23-yard line before the expiration of the quarter. Mata made good on a 35-yard field goal to cut the deficit in half, 22-19, with 14:51 to play.
West Virginia turned to its ground game to get back into the endzone, following punts from each side. The Mountaineers took the ball over with 9:48 to play from its own 43 and went 57 yards in 10 plays with zero passing attempts, eating up 5:33 on the clock when Jones went in for his second score of the day, pushing the WVU lead back to 10 at 29-19.
Lewis and the Buffs, needing points, went down the field with poise, getting into field goal range with the help of a 32-yard pitch-and-catch to D. Miller down to the WVU 27. Lewis was sacked on the final play before the two-minute timeout, pushing CU back to the WVU 36.
With two minutes to play, Lewis scrambled to his right and hit his tight end Zach Atkins to get back to a manageable 3rd and 9. Lewis scrambled again and found D. Miller for eight yards to bring up 4th-and-1, which Miller converted on a 1-yard rush up the middle, getting down to the WVU 18. Following CU's first timeout of the half, Matta converted a 38-yard field goal with 1:16 to play, getting the Buffs back within seven, 29-22.
Colorado attempted the onside kick, but the Mountaineers recovered and were able to run out the remaining 1:15 on the clock.
Up Next
Colorado heads into its second bye week and returns to action on Nov. 22, hosting Arizona State.
WVU (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) opened a 9-0 lead in the first quarter and led by 10 at halftime, but the Buffs outscored the Mountaineers 13-10 in the second half, coming up just short.
"This is not who we are," head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders expressed after the loss. "We're better than this. They [fans] deserve better than this. I want better than this. I feel like I coach better than this. I feel like we have players that are so much better than the production that we're putting out. It starts with me. I feel like we have the nucleus inside the locker room, that we should be getting it done. I don't think we've played a team that's athletically and physically better than us. I really don't."
True freshman quarterback Julian Lewis was impressive under center in his first career start. He finished 22-of-35 for 299 yards and two scores, becoming the ninth true freshman to start a game at QB for CU and the fifth since 2000. The 299 yards in the air are the second-highest of the season for the Buffs.
"It felt good out there," Lewis exclaimed. "The offense was dominating, executing on the run and pass. The O-line was blocking well up front. It was going exactly how I expected and wanted.
"It felt amazing playing football again," Lewis continued. "But of course, it hurts to lose. We have to play better."
Lewis spared the ball to eight different receivers on the day, with a pair of Millers leading the way. Omarion Miller made six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, marking his third career 100-yard receiving effort. Dre'Lon Miller hauled in four receptions for 37 yards and Joseph Williams snagged three balls for 64 yards and one touchdown.
D. Miller and Dallan Hayden each had a team-high 10 carries, combining for 76 yards. Colorado, playing without standout offensive lineman Jordan Seaton up front, finished with 350 total yards on offense, its most since totaling 395 in its win over Iowa State.
"Guys stepped up," Lewis noted. "Guys stepped up this week that didn't expect to play. I'm grateful that they did their thing. I just got to do better next time."
Jeremiah Brown led the Buffs' defense with 11 total tackles. The CU defense bounced back from allowing three straight offenses to gain over 400 total yards, holding West Virginia to 369 yards on Saturday. The Buffs forced three turnovers on the day, matching the most since the season-opener against Georgia Tech.
West Virginia, also starting a true freshman at QB in Scotty Fox Jr., threw for 202 yards and one TD. Diore Hubbard led the Mountaineers with 16 rushes for 64 yards. WVU had 53 total carries for 167 yards.
"We just need to get better," defensive back Tawfiq Byard commented. "The TCU loss was disappointing one, and coming back against BYU the week before. We just have to get better and continue to preach the little things. We have to finish games like this. We had it 22-19, defense has to get off the field and get the ball back for our offense."
The loss drops the Buffs to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12.
"I wish we didn't have a bye [next week]," Coach Prime added. "I want to keep working. We'll probably work them [the team] until Thursday and then let them go. I want to see them study more. Prepare more because you've got to make some decisions. They have to make some decisions in the offseason. From here on out, it's really roster and coach management, understanding what we're going to do going forward. But I promise you, there's going to be some changes."
How it Happened
Colorado won the coin toss and elected to take the ball at the start. The Buffs' offense was shutout in the first quarter, managing only 10 total yards on 17 offensive snaps. The CU defense did its part in the opening 15 minutes, forcing two punts and a fumble in the Mountaineers' first three possessions.
The Mountaineers got on the board first on special teams, blocking a punt out of the endzone late in the first quarter, and then got its first offensive points on the ensuing drive with Curtis Jones capping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard rush to give WVU a 9-0 lead.
CU's offense flipped the switch in the second quarter, gaining more yards on the first play, a 43-yard toss from Lewis to O. Miller, than the entire first quarter.
Keaton Wade got a stop for the CU defense on WVU's first play of the quarter, forcing the Mountaineers back five yards, and the defense forced a three-and-out, giving the ball back to Lewis and the offense with 11:05 to go in the half.
The Buffs demonstrated their ability to move the ball with four plays of 10 yards or more during the 13-play, 70-yard drive, which consumed a little over five minutes. Alejandro Mata put the stamp on the drive with the Buffs' first points, drilling a 23-yard field goal to cut the WVU lead to 9-3.
WVU took the ball down the field in six plays for its next score, pushing its lead to 16-3 with 3:21 left on the clock and the Buffs responded with a 24 yard rush from Hayden and a 22 yard completion from Lewis to Miller in the lead up to Lewis' first passing score of the day, hitting Josheph Williams on a crossing route in the endzone. Mata's extra point attempt missed for the first time in 105 attempts, keeping WVU ahead 16-9.
West Virginia closed the half with a 41-yard field goal from Kade Hensley, taking the 19-9 lead at the break.
Lewis finished the half 11-for-18 passing with 149 yards. The Buffs outgained WVU 180-114 yards in the second quarter, averaging 8.2 yards per play compared to its 0.6 per play in the first quarter. Colorado had 10 of its 11 first-half first downs in the second quarter.
WVU had the opening possession of the second half and went 3-and-out in just 42 seconds, giving the ball back to CU following the punt on its own 32-yard line.
Colorado's first drive of the half showed promise, moving the ball in six plays down to the WVU 35-yard line, but the Mountaineers punched the ball out of O. Miller's hands on the backend of a 19-yard reception, with WVU returning the ball seven yards to its own 42.
The CU defense, not to be outdone, forced back-to-back interceptions on WVU's next two possessions. The first by Preston Hodge and the second by John Slaughter, with the latter giving the Buffs the ball back on the WVU 20 with 8:06 to go in the quarter.
"We want to create turnovers," Byard stated. "We haven't done a great job of that this year. All week we were doing pursuit drills, getting to the ball, and that played a part in today."
Two plays later, Lewis hit a streaking O. Miller who made a leaping grab in coverage for a 23-yard touchdown. Mata's extra point hit off the upright and in, to bring Colorado back within three, 19-16.
A 3rd down sack by Arden Walker forced the Mountaineers to kick another field goal, a 37-yarder, to go back up by six, 22-16, at the end of a 15-play, 56-yard drive that ate up almost six minutes.
A 42-yard rope from Lewis to Joseph and a WVU unsportsmanlike penalty got CU down to the Mountaineers' 23-yard line before the expiration of the quarter. Mata made good on a 35-yard field goal to cut the deficit in half, 22-19, with 14:51 to play.
West Virginia turned to its ground game to get back into the endzone, following punts from each side. The Mountaineers took the ball over with 9:48 to play from its own 43 and went 57 yards in 10 plays with zero passing attempts, eating up 5:33 on the clock when Jones went in for his second score of the day, pushing the WVU lead back to 10 at 29-19.
Lewis and the Buffs, needing points, went down the field with poise, getting into field goal range with the help of a 32-yard pitch-and-catch to D. Miller down to the WVU 27. Lewis was sacked on the final play before the two-minute timeout, pushing CU back to the WVU 36.
With two minutes to play, Lewis scrambled to his right and hit his tight end Zach Atkins to get back to a manageable 3rd and 9. Lewis scrambled again and found D. Miller for eight yards to bring up 4th-and-1, which Miller converted on a 1-yard rush up the middle, getting down to the WVU 18. Following CU's first timeout of the half, Matta converted a 38-yard field goal with 1:16 to play, getting the Buffs back within seven, 29-22.
Colorado attempted the onside kick, but the Mountaineers recovered and were able to run out the remaining 1:15 on the clock.
Up Next
Colorado heads into its second bye week and returns to action on Nov. 22, hosting Arizona State.
Team Stats
COL
WVU
Total Yards
350
369
Pass Yards
299
202
Rushing Yards
51
167
Penalty Yards
60
36
1st Downs
19
21
3rd Downs
5
7
4th Downs
1
3
TOP
29:24
30:36
1st Quarter
COL 0, WVU 2
WVU - 0 yd safety
COL 0, WVU 9
WVU - Jones Jr,Curtis 2 yd run (Hensley,Kade kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:10
2nd Quarter
COL 3, WVU 9
COL - Mata,Alejandro 23 yd field goal 13 plays, 70 yards, TOP 05:03
COL 3, WVU 16
WVU - Ward,Ryan 3 yd pass from Fox Jr.,Scotty (Hensley,Kade kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:33
COL 9, WVU 16
COL - Williams,Joseph 9 yd pass from Lewis,Julian () 6 plays, 77 yards, TOP 02:36
COL 9, WVU 19
WVU - Hensley,Kade 41 yd field goal 6 plays, 52 yards, TOP 00:45
3rd Quarter
COL 16, WVU 19
COL - Miller,Omarion 23 yd pass from Lewis,Julian (Mata,Alejandro kick) 2 plays, 20 yards, TOP 00:47
COL 16, WVU 22
WVU - Hensley,Kade 37 yd field goal 15 plays, 56 yards, TOP 05:32
4th Quarter
COL 19, WVU 22
COL - Mata,Alejandro 35 yd field goal 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 01:49
COL 19, WVU 29
WVU - Jones Jr,Curtis 4 yd run (Hensley,Kade kick), 10 plays, 57 yards, TOP 05:33
COL 22, WVU 29
COL - Mata,Alejandro 38 yd field goal 13 plays, 55 yards, TOP 02:57
Game Leaders
CMP
22
TD
2
YDS
299
INT
0
Players Mentioned
TE
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
S
/ Football
RB
/ Football
CB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OT
/ Football
S
/ Football
DE
/ Football
WR
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