A dramatic Week 1 victory was not enough to satisfy Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who wants more from his offense when the Buffaloes host FCS foe Weber State on Saturday in Boulder, Colo.
Colorado (1-0) rallied for a 14-13 victory last Thursday at Georgia Tech. Quarterback Julian Lewis completed 14 of 27 pass attempts for 124 yards and one touchdown.
Lewis saved his best for the fourth quarter, connecting with Charlie Williams on a 20-yard go-ahead touchdown pass with 37 seconds remaining.
Still, Sanders said the offense has to deliver more. The Buffaloes managed 307 yards in 76 plays, which comes out to just 4.0 yards per snap. To put that into perspective, Colorado averaged 5.0 yards per play last season when it posted a 3-9 record.
“We’ve got to do so much better offensively,” Sanders said. “Receivers and quarterback. Seeing the game. Making the necessary plays we need to make.”
While the offense searches for its footing, the accolades poured in for Colorado’s defense and special teams. Lamont Lester Jr. was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after recording three sacks and 3 1/2 tackles for loss against the Yellow Jackets.
The Buffaloes also earned Defensive Line of the Week honors and Boo Carter was named Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking Georgia Tech’s attempt at a game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired.
Even with the weekly honors, Sanders said there’s plenty of internal competition on the Buffaloes’ roster.
“Everybody is jockeying for position and reps,” Sanders said. “That’s what we love, that breeds competition as well as results.”
With that in mind, Lester doesn’t expect the Buffaloes to let up against an FCS team.
“Both their tackles are solid,” Lester said. “They have a solid receiver and running back. We should be in for a challenge this week.”
Weber State (1-1) dropped a 47-42 shootout on Saturday at Southern Utah. Nate Dale threw for 282 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while Noah Kjar caught nine passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Wildcats coach Eric Kjar said the challenge is to keep lighting up the scoreboard as Weber State takes a step up in class.
“The challenge and opportunity is awesome,” Kjar said. “It’s a little bit unique for an FCS school, but we are excited about it.”