As the rain poured hard over Martin Stadium late Saturday night, Northwestern had already pulled its starting quarterback, and Colorado was left watching the final minutes of a game that had slipped away long before the weather turned ugly.
The Buffaloes fell to Northwestern 41–7 in a game defined by costly turnovers, missed opportunities and an inability to slow down Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles. Colorado entered the night undefeated but left Evanston at 2–1 after a performance in which almost every promising offensive possession seemed to end with another mistake.
The trouble began early.
On a crucial third down, freshman quarterback Julian “Juju” Lewis threw behind Joseph Williams, forcing Colorado to punt.
The Buffs’ next opportunities proved even more costly.
Running back Micah Welch had the ball punched loose, and Northwestern recovered. Chiles capitalized on the short field, finishing the ensuing drive with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 7–0 lead.
Colorado began moving the ball on its next possession, only for a reverse to end with another fumble recovered by Northwestern.
Lewis then threw an interception on a slant route, handing the Wildcats yet another opportunity. Two plays later, Chiles connected with Joseph Himon II for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 14–0.
By halftime, the Buffaloes had committed three turnovers, failed on a fourth-down attempt and been flagged five times for 46 yards. Chiles added another rushing touchdown before the break, sending Northwestern into the locker room with a commanding 21–0 lead.
The frustrating part for Colorado was that the offense could move the football. The Buffs simply could not sustain a drive long enough to make that production matter.
For a brief moment, the second half suggested a different story might be unfolding.
Colorado came out of the locker room with urgency, and Lewis found Williams on a screen pass that turned into a 50-yard touchdown. The play cut Northwestern’s lead to 21–7 and finally gave the Buffaloes something to build on.
But the momentum lasted only as long as it took Northwestern to get the ball back.
Chiles answered with a touchdown pass to Himon, restoring the Wildcats’ three-score advantage.
Colorado’s next attempt to claw its way back ended with another failed fourth-down conversion, and Chiles found Himon again shortly afterward to push the lead to 35–7.
With the outcome settled, Northwestern turned to its backup quarterback in the fourth quarter and added two field goals to complete the 41–7 victory.
After the game, Coach Prime acknowledged the challenge Northwestern presented, particularly on offense. “That kid played the best football game I’ve ever seen him play,” Sanders said of Chiles, who accounted for five touchdowns. Sanders also said Colorado had been outcoached, specifically pointing to Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
That sequence captured the difference between the two teams. Colorado needed to string together productive possessions and defensive stops to make the game competitive. Instead, every hint of a Buffaloes response was met by another Northwestern score.
Lewis later threw his second interception of the night, bringing Colorado’s turnover total to four. By the final whistle, the Buffs had also failed on three fourth-down attempts and committed nine penalties for 80 yards. Seven possessions had ended on either a turnover or a failed fourth-down conversion.
Those numbers tell a story that the final score alone cannot.
Colorado finished with 348 yards of offense, including 180 on the ground. Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while Williams finished with five receptions for 88 yards and the Buffs’ lone score.
There were individual plays and stretches in which the offense showed it could produce. The problem was everything that happened between them.
Northwestern, meanwhile, had an answer nearly every time Colorado threatened to make the game competitive.
Chiles finished 17 of 22 for 241 yards and three passing touchdowns, adding two scores on the ground. Himon caught all three touchdown passes as the Wildcats piled up 423 yards of offense.
The loss raises immediate questions for Colorado as it prepares to open Big 12 play at Baylor next Saturday. The Buffaloes will need more than a cleaner stat sheet. They will need to protect the football and finish drives. Another gaping need is finding a defensive response when an opponent seemingly can tell what is coming.
By the time the rain intensified in the fourth quarter, Northwestern was resting Chiles, and the Buffaloes were staring at a 34-point deficit.
It felt like a fitting end to a night when Colorado spent far too much time getting in its own way, and Northwestern made sure every mistake came at a price.
Coach Prime assured everyone that these issues will be addressed, and there was a strong theme of being thankful that this “L” will not show up in the Big Twelve Conference loss column. If there is anything to feel grateful for after the rough football weekend in Chicago, it is that.
Onto Baylor.
Coaches Mentioned
