The Colorado Buffaloes returned to their frustrating ways, losing a winnable game 29-22 against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.
The loss ends the Buffaloes’ dreams of a bowl game and drops them to 3-7 and a lowly 1-5 in the Big 12 Conference. With just two games remaining in 2025, Colorado will head into their final bye week with eyes on next season and developing the young stars who emerged against West Virginia. Here are our takeaways from the Buffs’ loss to the Mountaineers.
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Julian Lewis is the real deal
Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) throws a pass during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
There was some concern that giving a true freshman his first start with your season on the line could go quite poorly, but that wasn’t the case for Lewis. Despite playing behind an offensive line held together with duct tape and hope, Lewis was the star of the show against the Mountaineers.
The young phenom flashed for 299 yards and two touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes and churning out several highlights along the way. While the Buffaloes dropped this game, it’s clear that if Lewis is the future of Colorado football, it is in good hands.
Omarion Miller will be a star at the next level
Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders shakes hands with wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) before the game against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
I’ve been singing the praises of Miller all season long, but his six catch, 131-yard day against West Virginia was further proof of his future stardom. His ability to fight through contact and find the ball is one of the best in the nation, and it’s something he’s done with three different quarterbacks this season. He continues to shine for the Buffs, and I think those at the next level should start paying attention.
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Clock management continues to be a disaster
Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders watches the big screen during a replay during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
From taking a timeout to settle for a field goal late to burning a timeout early in the first half, Deion Sanders and his staff continue to struggle with managing the clock effectively. There’s no reason why the Buffaloes needed to take a timeout when the field goal was already their lone option. We all remember the Georgia Tech fiasco, but the fact that the time management hasn’t improved at all is a concerning sign for the Buffs moving forward.
Defense showed fight
Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Shaun Myers (40) celebrates a tackle for a loss during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
With how badly the last two games have gone, the Buffaloes’ defense badly needed to show some fight, which they did against the Mountaineers. Colorado held West Virginia’s offense to punts several times while the offense found its footing and forced three turnovers. It’s a performance that should have led to a victory, but their run-stopping woes reappeared at the worst time, and they let it slip away.
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What happened to the special teams?
Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes kicker Alejandro Mata (16) kicks a field goal during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
If there was one thing that the Buffaloes could have hung their hat on during the first half of this season, it was quality special teams play. As of late, though, it has all crumbled away. A blocked punt, their second in three games, gave West Virginia a 2-0 lead, which became 9-0 after they scored on the possession was only the first special teams disaster today.
Alejandro Mata, who hadn’t missed an extra point in years, flat-out shanked on the right, which put a huge damper on the Buffaloes’ comeback efforts. I don’t think the special teams aces forgot how to play, but it’s a concerning trend.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football takeaways West Virginia loss, Julian Lewis start