Buffs fall short to West Virginia in Julian Lewis' promising debut

Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis starred in his first Colorado Buffaloes start, throwing for two touchdowns and nearly 300 yards against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday. (Photo by Madison Kerest/Sko Buffs Sports)

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. —  In August, Deion Sanders said his goal for the season was not just to make a bowl game for Mrs. Peggy Coppum, but to win one. Neither of those things will be happening. 

The Colorado Buffaloes (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) fell to the West Virginia Mountaineers (4-7, 2-5) Saturday, 29-22, to deliver the head coach his second losing season in his three years at CU. 

But the Buffs return to Boulder with hope for the future. A strong first start by freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis gave life to a team coming off two blowouts.

Lewis went 22-for-33, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Star left tackle Jordan Seaton’s absence with injury led to seven sacks on Lewis, but he navigated the pressure to keep CU within reach all afternoon.

"He played a good game,” coach Sanders said. “He did some wonderful things that you can see he's going to be special. Did some things that you can see his youth. But overall, the kid played well. He played well enough for us to win the game."

Even without cornerbacks DJ McKinney, RJ Johnson and Makari Vickers, the defense still put on its best performance in weeks, forcing three turnovers. 

Colorado got off to a slow start. The first points of the game came when West Virginia blocked a punt by Damon Greaves to get a safety. The Mountaineers followed up with a 75-yard march back to Colorado’s end zone, where linebacker Curtis Jones Jr. ran in a 2-yard touchdown. 

By the second quarter, Lewis and Colorado’s offense started to get its bearings. Alejandro Mata Jr. kicked a 23-yard field goal after a 70-yard drive. The Mountaineers responded with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. to tight end Ryan Ward. 

One hundred and eighty total yards in the quarter for the Buffs culminated in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to wide receiver Joseph Williams. But after setting a CU record last week with his 104th consecutive extra point, Mata missed the PAT. As time expired for the half, the Mountaineers would increase their lead to 19-9 with a 41-yard field goal. 

The second half started slow, with both teams trading punts, but Colorado’s defense would step in with interceptions on back-to-back West Virginia drives. The second — caught by safety John Slaughter — allowed Lewis to uncork a 23-yard strike to Miller, making it a 3-point game.

After exchanging field goals, with Mata sinking a 35-yarder, Jones would run in a four-yard touchdown for the Mountaineers with 4:15 left in the fourth. Lewis pushed CU to West Virginia's 20-yard line before Mata was brought out after a questionable timeout and buried a 38-yard kick. But any chance for a Buffs' comeback ended when West Virginia recovered an onside kick from Buck Buchanan. 

After the game, Sanders blamed the loss on the coaching staff.

“We got players that are so much better than what the production that we’re putting out,” Sanders said. “I don’t think we played a team that's athletically, physically better than us. I don’t. I stand by that.”

Colorado heads into a bye before playing the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field on Nov. 22.