JULIAN LEWIS CITES LACK OF PREPARATION IN COLORADO LOSS TO NORTHWESTERN

Colorado's Buffaloes lost 41-7 to Northwestern in Evanston, ending their bid to move to 3-0 under head coach Deion Sanders. Quarterback Julian Lewis said the defeat stemmed from problems that began during the week's preparation rather than at kickoff. He said the team was not sufficiently aligned heading into the match and that this became apparent when Colorado needed cohesion most. Lewis described the result as one of the roughest losses since Sanders took charge of the programme. The sophomore quarterback said he personally had not done enough during the build-up to the game.

Colorado gained 348 total yards, including 180 on the ground, but four turnovers and three failed fourth-down attempts brought seven separate drives to an end. Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown, though he also threw two interceptions. His first interception ended a promising drive in the first quarter, while the second came in the fourth quarter after the outcome had already been settled. The two turnovers snapped a run of 150 consecutive pass attempts without an interception that Lewis had built since the start of his Colorado career, reported as the longest such streak to begin a Colorado career and the third-longest in the programme's history. Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles accounted for five touchdowns, throwing three and running for two more.

Lewis said he intends to spend more time working with team-mates, including the receiving corps, to rebuild the connection that was missing against Northwestern. He said the aim is for everyone to be "on the same page" so Colorado can perform to the level he believes it is capable of. The quarterback took personal responsibility for the loss rather than attributing it solely to team-mates or coaching staff. Sanders' side will look to respond to the defeat in its coming fixtures.