dpGAME AT A GLANCE
Matchup: Weber State Wildcats (1-1) vs. Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)
Kickoff: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MT, Folsom Field (capacity 50,183)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KHOW 630 AM
Series: First meeting
It wasn’t so long ago a matchup like the one on deck at Folsom Field fulfilled a perfunctory duty in college football.
The visiting team from a lower tier would show up, cash its paycheck, and try not to get beat up too badly by a host squad all too happy to pile on the points and stir excitement among the fan base.
Maybe Colorado indeed piles up the points and makes it a happy home opener Saturday. Yet the matchup against Weber State also showcases another dynamic routinely in play in the modern age of college football, and it’s an element that has sparked some concern for CU head coach Deion Sanders.
In seasons past, a team like Weber State, an FCS-level program that competes in the Big Sky Conference, might consider it a moral victory to come to Boulder and not get embarrassed. In today’s game, though, a strong showing by any of the Wildcats players might function as a sort of mini-audition for those eyeing a potential opportunity to eventually climb the competitive ladder via the transfer portal.
“When you’re playing a team of this level, those kids are playing us for a multitude of reasons,” Sanders said. “First of all, they want to prove that they can play. Second of all, they want to show you that they can play for you. And third of all, they’re showcasing themselves for a multitude of Power Four teams. I love it. I love the challenge that we’re up against.”
The Buffs will probably be OK with a few individual Wildcats players making an impression. As long as the battle goes the way of the Buffaloes.
After prevailing in a backyard-brawl type throwdown in the opener last week at Georgia Tech, CU opens the home portion of the 2026 slate in the program’s first matchup with Weber State.
As of noon Friday, CU had sold 45,000 tickets for the first home game of the Buffs’ fourth season under Sanders. If the slugfest at Georgia Tech was a test of physical mettle, this week’s matchup offers a test of mental focus for a Buffs squad favored by five touchdowns.
Play with the same physical fire on display at Atlanta, and the Buffs should cruise. If not, or if some of the special teams foibles from the Georgia Tech game carry over in a more damaging form, it opens the door for a Wildcats club with nothing to lose.
“I’m pretty good at understanding the details, getting them to lock in,” Sanders said. “Understanding how vital special teams is. That message has been relayed tremendously. We don’t take plays off.
“These guys are understanding how vital they are on every play. And they got to give it their all. We got a sideline full of young men that can replace them and can play. We want them to know that and understand that at all times. Everybody’s jockeying for position and repetitions, and that’s what we love. That breeds competition, as well as results.”
Like the Buffs, Weber State needed a dramatic blocked kick to win its opener, batting down an extra-point with three seconds remaining to secure a one-point win at Northern Colorado on Aug. 29 in the Wildcats’ first game under new coach Eric Kjar.
Weber State suffered a 47-42 loss last week at Southern Utah, and a CU rushing attack that put together an impressive effort in the opener might be counting down the minutes to face a Wildcats defense that has surrendered 656 rushing yards through two games.
“They got some good players over there,” said CU defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr., one of the heroes of the opening win thanks to three sacks. “Both of their tackles are solid. Their offense is solid. They got a solid receiver, a solid running back. So it should be a good challenge.”
