Colorado put two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher on the field in the same game Saturday, only the third time that has happened in program history. The others came against Nebraska in 2009 and Colorado State in 2018.
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Joseph Williams caught four passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. DeAndre Moore Jr. added 107 yards and a score on four catches. Micah Welch ran 11 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.
The Buffaloes finished with 578 total yards in a 52-21 win over Weber State at Folsom Field, a Deion Sanders-era record. Their 52 points matched the era high set in a 52-0 win over Oklahoma State in 2024, and their 42 first-half points set one outright.
The coaching staff still wanted more.
“Coach Marion told them if we didn’t score 70, he was going to run them,” Sanders said. “That’s the kind of guys we have.”
Third-year charm
Welch’s 106 yards made him the first 100-yard rusher of the Sanders era and Colorado’s first since Alex Fontenot ran for 108 against Southern California in November 2022 — a gap of nearly four seasons. His 55-yard touchdown was the 10th of his career.
Running backs coach Johnnie Mack said this week that Welch, in his third year in Boulder, has begun seeing the game differently.
“The game is starting to slow down for him now,” Mack said. “You’ve been seeing the same thing for the last two years, and now it’s his third year, so everything should be a lot slower. And Micah’s having fun.”
Sanders said the two have a running exchange about it.
“Micah is my dog, man,” Sanders said. “Every time he runs one, he comes back and says ‘I told you I got you. I told you I got you.’”
Williams put it less diplomatically.
“Whenever someone is in his way, get out the way,” Williams said. “He’s coming with a full head of steam. He’s going to run through you.”
Breakup season
Colorado’s defense broke up 11 passes, its most since a 2007 game against Nebraska, and added 10 quarterback hurries and nine tackles for loss, the most since last season’s Utah game. Jason Stokes Jr. had three breakups. Randon Fontenette had a first-quarter interception. Lamont Lester Jr. has now recorded a sack in each of Colorado’s first two games.
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The Buffs also gave up 372 total yards and allowed three touchdown passes to a true freshman quarterback.
Weber State’s Nate Dahle went 20 of 48 for 244 yards. Noah Kjar, the son of first-year Wildcats coach Eric Kjar, caught seven of them for 121 and two scores.
“We’re really disappointed with our performance,” Fontenette said. “The scheme is there, the play call is there. We’ve just got to trust each other and win your leverage and just do your job, and then we’ll stop the explosives.”
Colorado’s in-game answer was positional: Boo Carter moved inside to the nickel, which is what created the snaps for Stokes.
“It probably makes it better, having a playmaker in nickel that can cover the man, blitz and do everything,” Fontenette said. “It’ll definitely open up more pass game to the boundary my way when he’s shutting down the field his way.”
Sweet relief
With the game decided, Colorado’s second quarterback onto the field was not the one with seven career starts. True freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne relieved Julian Lewis in the third quarter, completing 7 of 10 passes and running for a 9-yard touchdown. Utah transfer Isaac Wilson entered afterward and attempted two passes.
“I love Sweetwyne, man. Great kid,” Sanders said. “That kid has a tremendous future ahead of him.”
Notable
Lewis set or tied at least 10 school records, including a 265.0 pass efficiency and four touchdown passes, the most ever by a Colorado freshman (Lewis is considered a ‘second year’ on the Buffs roster). … Williams’ 123 yards were his 100-yard game at CU and the fifth of his career; Moore’s 107 were his third career 100-yard game and came in his second game as a Buffalo. … Colorado was penalized 13 times for 107 yards. … Elliot Arnold made a 52-yard field goal and all seven extra points before missing from 47.
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