Preview: Colorado takes on FCS' Weber State
By: Shane Holcombe & Jake Chau
After a miracle win to open their 2026 campaign, Colorado Buffaloes football is back at Folsom. The Buffs have their home opener in Boulder against the Weber State Wildcats.
Meet the opponent
Weber State has already played twice this season, losing to Southern Utah and beating Northern Colorado in week one. Much like the Buffs, the Wildcats won their game on a blocked kick, beating their opponent by one point. The Wildcats haven’t had a winning season since 2023 when they went 6-5.
While the Wildcats can put up points offensively, they struggle to keep opponents out of the end zone, giving up 76 total points this season. Southern Utah had over 500 yards of offense and hung 47 points on the Wildcats, while the Bears were just shy of 500 total yards of offense.
Offensively, the Wildcats have averaged over 400 yards of offense between their two games while scoring an average of 36 points per game.
Both teams will start freshmen, with Colorado’s Julian “JuJu” Lewis making his fourth career start and true freshman Nate Dahle making his second career start. Dahle has thrown for 332 yards, two touchdowns and one interception after coming into the game against Northern Colorado last week for fifth-year quarterback Devin Brown.
“We’re not taking anything for granted,” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said. “If I was on that team, I would come here [and] put on and show out so somebody could recognize me and notice me and maybe grab me outta the portal.”
The Buffs also got extra time off after playing last Thursday before playing this Saturday, giving them extra time to iron out the kinks in their week one matchup.
“You wanna fix the things you weren’t necessarily successful at doing,” Sanders said. “We really took full advantage of those days.”
How Colorado wins the game
Jake: It’s harder for Colorado to lose this game than win it against an FCS opponent in Weber State. The Buffs haven’t lost to an FCS school since 2012 when Sacramento State beat them 30-28 in Folsom Field. The Wildcats won’t repeat that feat because they’ve struggled defensively against other FCS schools. Of the 517 yards of offense that Southern Utah put up against the Wildcats, 368 came on the ground. After 183 rushing yards against a Georgia Tech team, the Buffs could put up upwards of 400 rushing yards against Weber State.
“I’m excited about the physicality that accompanies the run game,” Sanders said. “We don’t take plays off.”
Shane: Embrace the environment that the home opener will present. Colorado fans are excited again for the first time in a while, and the walk-off fashion win over Georgia Tech should get the crowd rocking.
“We want our fans to come out in droves, as they did in Atlanta,” Sanders said. “If we have tickets left, please sell this thing out so these kids can understand what I've been talking about forever and how wonderful this fan base is.”
The x-factor
Jake: Weber State can move the ball with ease, averaging over 400 yards of offense a game. Chris Marve’s defense will be the X-Factor after not allowing a touchdown last week against Georgia Tech. With Lamont Lester Jr.’s three sack, five tackle game against the Yellow Jackets, the rest of the defense is bound to chip in.
“I think we gave up a few passes in the secondary that we shouldn’t have [last week]. Us pressing will eliminate that,” Sanders said. “Those are the things that are tremendous starts that will help us become who we want to be.”
The defensive line was also named the Big 12’s defensive line of the week and was rated as one of the highest of any in the nation. Dominating the trenches again will be key to limiting the impact the Wildcats’ offense will have against the Buffs.
“Stability starts up front,” Sanders said. “They played phenomenal. I think they have so much more inside of them that they’ll bring out.”
Shane: I’ll continue the non-player X-factor and say offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. The Buffaloes struggled to move the ball on many first-half drives against Georgia Tech last week, so starting fast will be key to putting Weber State away early.
This will be the first time many Buffaloes players will play at Folsom Field, and that can push a team to take more chances, especially against an inferior opponent. I’ll be on the lookout to see Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis take more shots down the field to DeAndre Moore Jr. and Joseph Williams.
Also, if wide receiver Danny Scudero is healthier, that should help Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis settle down. Look for Marion to dial up a lot more of the same RPO plays that worked against the Yellow Jackets.
Bold prediction
Jake: Lewis throws for 350 total yards and five touchdowns. The redshirt freshman had some woes against Georgia Tech, only throwing for 64 yards outside the final drive. He nearly doubled that total in the final two minutes, going four-for-six with 60 yards. Against an FCS opponent, Lewis and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion will have a tune-up week and get JuJu some juice with a statement performance.
Shane: Echoing Jake, I’m all for Julian Lewis having a career-high day, but I think Colorado quarterbacks Kaneal Sweetwyne and Isaac Wilson will combine for more snaps than Lewis. The Buffaloes are poised to run up the scoreboard against a team that has struggled at the FCS level, and there will be plenty of opportunities for the Buffaloes’ second- and third-string players. The debate over who the guy is behind Lewis is one fans will have after the sample size I think Sweetwyne and Wilson get against the Wildcats.
Final score prediction
Jake: Colorado will have a strong offensive day because of the Weber State defense. Combine that with a defense that didn’t let up a single touchdown to the Georgia Tech offense, and the Buffs will cruise to a 66-13 victory, taking their starters out for the fourth quarter.
Shane: The Buffaloes will capitalize on the momentum from their week one victory and win in style, 56-7. Folsom Field is debuting new gameday promotions this year, including “Ralphie’s Road,” and this is Colorado's only home game in September, so I expect an energetic performance. The team will send fans home excited for the week three matchup against Northwestern.
Kickoff for the home opener against Weber State is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+).
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