Colorado shows fight in loss at West Virginia, eliminated from postseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Colorado couldn’t quite complete the comeback Saturday in a 29–22 loss to West Virginia, but the Buffaloes looked far more composed and competitive than in their previous two games. The third straight defeat officially drops the Buffs out of postseason contention for the second time in three years in the Coach Prime era
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Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis made his first career start and showed why he’s considered one of the nation’s top young prospects. Despite constant pressure behind a banged-up offensive line, Lewis threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Buffs a much-needed spark after back-to-back blowout defeats.
Early struggles continued for Colorado (3-7), as the offense opened with consecutive three-and-outs before West Virginia (4-6) blocked a punt for a safety and followed with a touchdown drive to take a 9–0 lead. But the Buffs’ defense, led by Brandon Davis-Swain, kept the game from getting out of hand. The sophomore defensive lineman recorded a sack and forced a fumble recovered by safety Ben Finneseth.
After Alejandro Mata’s field goal cut the deficit to 9–3, Lewis settled in late in the first half, leading a 75-yard scoring drive capped by a touchdown pass to Joseph Williams. By halftime, Colorado trailed 19–9 but had found some offensive rhythm.
The Buffs’ defense fueled a second-half surge with back-to-back interceptions from Preston Hodge and John Slaughter. Lewis capitalized quickly, hitting Omarion Miller for a 23-yard touchdown to make it 19-16. Miller finished with 131 receiving yards, his first 100-yard performance since last season.
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West Virginia extended its lead late with a touchdown drive to go up 29-19, and Mata’s final field goal brought Colorado within seven before the onside kick failed.
Though the result was another loss, the Buffs’ energy, resilience, and offensive progress offered optimism heading into the bye week. The Buffs will be back at Folsom on November 22nd to face Arizona State.
