Colorado redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis set several program records, including a record-tying four touchdown passes in the first half, to lead the Buffaloes to a 52-21 victory over Weber State on Sept. 12, 2026, at Folsom Field in Boulder. Lewis, playing only two and a half quarters, achieved a historic performance that included setting a new school record for most passing yards in a single quarter.
Lewis delivered a stellar performance that rewrote portions of the Colorado record books. According to the University of Colorado Athletics, the freshman threw for 212 yards on 7-of-8 passing in the first quarter alone, surpassing the previous record of 211 yards set by Joel Klatt against Texas A&M on Oct. 8, 2005.
In addition to the yardage milestone, Lewis tied the school record for most passing touchdowns in a single quarter by throwing three during the first quarter. His performance also established a new Colorado record for the most touchdown passes thrown in a single game by a redshirt or true freshman, surpassing the previous mark of three held by Steven Montez.
Lewis also became the first quarterback in program history to throw four passing touchdowns in the first quarter, a feat that matched the total number of touchdowns thrown in a half, but distinguished itself by occurring entirely within the opening period. While three other quarterbacks had previously reached four touchdowns in a half, none had achieved the milestone in the first quarter.
The quarterback's efficiency was highlighted by a 311.1 QBR during the first half, after completing 15 of 18 passes for 331 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. This performance surpassed the previous Colorado record of 281.3 set by Shedeur Sanders against TCU in 2023.
Colorado head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders expressed satisfaction with the performance, noting that Lewis finished the game with 17 of 23 completions for 366 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Despite the dominant win, Lewis remained focused on the team's broader goals. "That's cool, having the first half record," Lewis said following the game. "But we were just trying to win the game. You saw, we were still in that game, those guys were out there competing against us, so we've still got a lot to grow."
The Buffaloes' offense was relentless, totaling 578 yards of offense during the contest. Colorado struck quickly on its opening possession with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to DeAndre Moore Jr. just 35 seconds into the game. The team quickly extended the lead with a 63-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Williams to make it 14-0 with 11:54 remaining in the first quarter.
Colorado continued the onslaught with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Williams to extend the lead to 21-7 with 4:52 left in the first quarter. The Buffaloes opened the second quarter with a 55-yard touchdown run by Micah Welch to reach 28-7.
Later in the half, Colorado added a 32-yard touchdown pass to Williams and a 3-yard touchdown run by Lewis to take a 42-14 lead into halftime. The team added a field goal by Elliott Arnold and a 9-yard touchdown run by Kaneal Sweetwyne in the second half to finalize the 52-21 score.
Weber State managed to score 21 points, tying the most points the Wildcats have ever scored against a Power 4 school. The Wildcats finished the game with 372 total yards, including 245 passing yards and 127 rushing yards.
Weber State quarterback Nate Dahle completed 20 of 48 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. His primary target was Noah Kjar, who had seven receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard reception. Kjar has recorded at least 100 receiving yards in each of his first three games this season and has recorded two touchdowns in each of those three games.
Robert Young contributed six catches for 66 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Omar Shah led the Wildcats with 65 yards on 12 carries. The Wildcats also played without running back Spencer Ferguson, who missed the game due to an MCL sprain.
The Weber State defense recorded three sacks, with Teni Worthen, Vaenuku, and Kevin Johnson each earning one. Worthen finished with a team-high eight tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. The Wildcats also recovered two Colorado fumbles and finished with 23 first downs, converting 8 of 17 third-down attempts.
Colorado moved to a 2-0 record following the win. "Nobody is satisfied with where we're at. 2-0 is not the end goal," Lewis said. "We all want to be Big 12 champions and national champions and have a chance to really compete against those types of guys."
Weber State falls to 1-2 following the loss in Boulder. The Wildcats will host Northwestern State on Saturday at 6 p.m. for their home opener, which will include a post-game drone show.
