Concerns grow as Colorado football unravels at Northwestern
· Yahoo Sports
Colorado football never gave itself a chance during Saturday night's game at Northwestern.
The Buffaloes moved the ball early and found running lanes that should have helped them control the game, but every time Colorado looked ready to turn momentum into a meaningful drive, the possession ended in a mistake.
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A fumble by Micah Welch near midfield put Northwestern in business. A botched handoff between Julian Lewis and Damian Henderson ended a red-zone trip. Two offensive holding penalties put Colorado in first-and-30, and Lewis threw the first interception of his college career on the next play. A fourth-down stop inside Northwestern territory took another chance off the board.
Northwestern took each opening and built a 21-0 halftime lead, before finishing with a 41-7 victory at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
Colorado leaves Evanston at 2-1, carrying a loss that is extremely demoralizing because the Buffs produced so many of their own problems. Rainy weather made the field slick and footing difficult, but Northwestern handled the conditions without ever losing control of the game. Colorado played with little discipline and little consistency. Same story that feels eerily similar to the start in 2023.
Colorado's early possessions set the tone
Colorado opened the game with a few signs that its offense would play well against Northwestern.
Brennan Marion called a flea-flicker on an early third down, and Lewis connected with Joseph Williams for 20 yards. Quentin Gibson followed with a 20-yard reverse. The Buffs had crossed midfield and appeared ready to establish some momentum, yet Lewis threw way behind Williams on third-and-long, and Colorado punted.
The next drive became the first major swing. Welch had the ball punched out near midfield, giving Northwestern a short field. Colorado's defense stood up briefly after a Northwestern false start wiped out a fourth-down conversion and forced a punt, but the offense soon gave the ball back again.
Colorado had driven into the red zone while leaning on the ground game, running the ball six consecutive times before Lewis and Henderson mishandled the exchange. Northwestern recovered with 12:45 left in the second quarter.
The Buffs put themselves into an even more difficult spot on the following possession. Consecutive holding calls created first-and-30, and Lewis telegraphed a throw in the middle of the field. Northwestern picked it off at Colorado's 18-yard line, and Chiles needed only two plays to find Joseph Himon II for an 18-yard touchdown.
Lewis threw his first interception after 150 consecutive attempts without one, a streak that ranked third-longest in Colorado history. He would later throw another interception into double coverage in the fourth quarter.
Colorado did have another chance before halftime as JaQuail Smith broke off runs of 28 and 10 yards, driving the Buffs to Northwestern's 28. Damian Henderson was stopped on fourth-and-2, ending another possession without points.
Colorado had five penalties for 46 yards by halftime, three turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion. That put the game in Northwestern's control.
Northwestern turned Chiles loose
Aidan Chiles made Colorado pay whenever the Wildcats needed a conversion or a play outside the structure of the offense.
Chiles completed 16 of 19 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns through three quarters. He had two rushing touchdowns, used his mobility to extend drives and consistently gave Northwestern an answer when Colorado briefly created pressure.
The biggest example arrived during the second quarter. Northwestern faced third-and-16, and Chiles worked away from the rush before finding a receiver for a 20-yard completion. Colorado had a chance to get off the field. Northwestern got another set of downs and continued a drive that eventually added to their lead.
Joseph Himon II became the most damaging target for Colorado as he caught all three of Chiles' touchdown passes and found space against the defense that had already allowed Weber State to produce 245 passing yards a week earlier.
Colorado finally found the end zone after Gideon Lampron forced a fumble on Caleb Komolafe and Naeten Mitchell recovered. The Buffs did not convert immediately, but they got on the board on the following possession when Lewis threw a short pass to Williams, who turned it into a 50-yard touchdown.
That score cut Northwestern's lead to 21-7, and it briefly gave Colorado a reason to believe the game could shift.
Northwestern's response erased that thought. Chiles led an eight-play, 60-yard drive and hit Himon for the 25-yard score. Colorado then went for it on fourth-and-short, with Welch being tackled well behind the line, and Northwestern soon expanded the lead to 35-7 on Himon's third touchdown catch.
The Wildcats added fourth-quarter field goals from 36 and 21 yards while leaning on the running game against a Colorado defense that had spent too much of the night on the field.
The list of concerns is long
Colorado finished with 348 yards and showed enough to suggest the offense should have produced more. Smith's runs, the first-half reverses and the Williams touchdown showed the Buffs had plays available.
The issue was turnovers and the penalties. Colorado lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions and went 0-for-3 on fourth down. Penalties kept extending Northwestern drives and created long down-and-distance situations.
Defensive injuries also played a role. Cornerbacks Emory Floyd and Preston Ashley were unavailable, as were defensive end Domata Peko Jr., center Demetrius Hunter, receiver Danny Scudero and kicker Daniel Gerlach. Colorado needed contributions from younger players and limited depth, especially in the secondary, while Chiles used his legs and arm to put pressure on the coverage.
Colorado now turns to Baylor and the start of Big 12 play. The Buffs will have to correct their ball-security problems, reduce penalties and produce more reliably on offense away from home. Tonight's loss in Evanston had way too many empty possessions and too many chances handed back to Northwestern.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Concerns grow as Colorado football unravels at Northwestern