Preview: Colorado travels to Northwestern to close Non-conference play
By: Shane Holcombe & Jake Chau
The Colorado Buffaloes (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) head east to play the Northwestern Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 Big 10) on Saturday. The Buffaloes are coming off a dominant 52-21 win against the Weber State Wildcats and looking to grab their second win against a Power Four opponent in the non-conference slate. This will be Colorado’s first trip to Evanston, Illinois, since 1951, when the Wildcats won 35-14. Here are Sko Buffs Sports football beat writers Jake Chau and Shane Holcombe’s thoughts on the week three matchup.
Meet the opponent
Northwestern made a splash in the offseason by hiring Chip Kelly as its offensive coordinator to run the no-huddle. It also added Michigan State Spartans transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles.
The Wildcats defeated the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 34-18 in their opening game, led by Chiles’ 273 passing yards, including 104 to wide receiver Griffin Wilde. Northwestern had an irregular early bye in Week 2, so the win against South Dakota State is its only game on tape.
The Wildcats forced the Jackrabbits to settle for four field goals in their five trips to the red zone, allowing just one touchdown all game. But the Wildcats’ defense also struggled to put the Jackrabbits to bed in Week 1. South Dakota State had 11 explosive plays, including seven pass gains of 15 yards or more.
“I like this task for us. I really do,” said Colorado head coach Deion Sanders in his media availability on Tuesday. “They're going to be physical; I'm pretty sure they're not gonna make many mistakes.”
Notably, this game will be the last played at Martin Stadium. The venue traditionally hosts Northwestern’s soccer team and has a capacity of only 12,000. It is one of two venues the Wildcats have played in during the construction of the new Ryan Field.
How Colorado wins the game
Shane: Quarterback Julian Lewis builds on his momentum from last week. Lewis’ four first-half passing touchdowns against Weber State were a Colorado record for a single half. He showed he could throw downfield when he had time in the pocket, hitting receivers DeAndre Moore Jr., Joseph Williams, and Ernest Campbell for big-play touchdowns.
Look for offensive coordinator Brennan Marion to unveil more of his “Go-Go” offense this weekend, especially since he may not have shown everything against an FCS opponent.
“He's innovative, creative, dawg," Coach Prime said of Marion. "I mean, if you hear the conversations on the headset, he understands what he wants."
It will be interesting to see whether Lewis keeps that efficiency going or reverts to his performance against Georgia Tech, where he struggled against Power Four competition. Luckily for the redshirt freshman quarterback, this isn’t his first big test of the season, something Northwestern can’t say.
Jake: Steady the ship. Colorado’s defense and special teams have been hit-or-miss in its past two games. The Buffs will need to get back on track as the Wildcats put up nearly 500 yards of offense in their Week 1 matchup against the Jackrabbits. Led by just 14 completions for 273 yards from Chiles, Colorado’s defense has to limit the big play.
“Well, coach Marve knows what he's doing, and we have tremendous personnel,” Sanders said. “We just have to eliminate errors and mistakes.”
How Colorado loses the game
Jake: Penalties. Colorado gave up 13 penalties for 107 yards last week against FCS’ Weber State. Cleaning up its play will be pivotal against a more explosive offense in Northwestern.
Shane: If Wilde has a big receiving day. As mentioned above, Wilde was Chiles’ favorite target in Week 1. He caught a 71-yard pass on the opening play and scored a touchdown in the win. Wilde also led Northwestern in receiving last year with 880 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Colorado defense showed cracks in the second half against Weber State, and Northwestern has threats that can hurt its secondary more. The Buffaloes need to make sure they don’t give up back-breaking explosive plays on first and second downs.
X-factor
Shane: The Colorado secondary. Coach Prime was not satisfied with his defense’s performance against Weber State, and for good reason. The Buffaloes gave up 372 yards to the FCS school and two second-half touchdowns that closed the scoreboard gap. A personnel decision to watch is whether Boo Carter spends more snaps at cornerback or at slot. Carter has featured at both positions this season and is a player the Colorado coaching staff raves about.
Jake: Chris Marve. After letting up 21 points against Weber State, his group has a chance to redeem itself against another Wildcat team in Northwestern. With Kelly calling the shots for the Wildcats, Marve has his work cut out. There were bright spots in Week 1 against the Yellow Jackets, including holding them to just 51 rushing yards. The Wildcats put up 224 rushing yards against the Jackrabbits, opening their offense up to hit the long pass. By preventing Northwestern from establishing the run, the Buffs will have an easier time in the secondary and beyond.
Bold prediction
Jake: Colorado wins by 10 or more points, led by two touchdowns from running back Micah Welch. Welch has been excellent in the past two weeks, and as a veteran Buff who saw time in Colorado’s 2024 Alamo Bowl appearance, he could lead the Buffaloes to a two-score win. The Buffaloes will surprise by dominating the Wildcats on offense.
Shane: Colorado commits fewer than seven penalties. The Buffaloes have shot themselves in the foot in their first two games and had 13 penalties against Weber State. This team needs to be more disciplined if it wants to compete against the best. They will make fewer self-inflicted mistakes because this has likely been a talking point all week in the locker room.
Final score prediction
Shane: 24-21 Colorado. The Buffaloes will start strong against a Northwestern team that hasn’t been on the field for two weeks. The atmosphere in Evanston will be unique, since the game will be played in a small venue, but that favors Colorado. The Buffaloes' rushing attack, led by Welch, will open up play action for Lewis, and they'll sneak out with a win.
Jake: 28-17 Colorado. After a stellar performance from Lewis against Weber State, the Buffs will ride the momentum and clean up miscues on defense for a statement win on the road.
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