JuJu Lewis solid in debut start, but CU Buffs fall at West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Colorado didn’t find a win Saturday, but it found a quarterback. A strong start and a late touchdown sparked West Virginia to a 29-22 victory against the Buffs at Milan Puskar Stadium. The loss eliminated CU (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) from bowl contention, but true freshman JuJu Lewis was solid in his first career start, giving some life to the CU offense and keeping them in the game all afternoon. Lewis threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough for the Buffs, who lost their third in a row and will miss out on a bowl for the fourth time in five years. West Virginia (4-6, 2-5) won its second in a row. Like the previous two weeks, CU got off to a slow start, but it wasn’t nearly as horrendous as the other two games. West Virginia led 9-0 after the first quarter and CU had just 10 yards of offense in the quarter. The Mountaineers got on the board when it blocked a Damon Greaves punt through the end zone for a safety. Then, Curtis Jones Jr. scored on a 2-yard touchdown run for the 9-0 lead. CU’s offense woke up in second quarter, though, racking up 180 yards in the frame. Alejandro Mata capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal to pull the Buffs within 9-3. West Virginia responded with a 75-yard drive that culminated in a Scotty Fox Jr.-to-Ryan Ward 3-yard touchdown pass that bumped the lead to 16-3. CU, however, came back with a touchdown of its own. Dallan Hayden’s 24-yard run kick-started a scoring march that was capped by Lewis hitting Joseph Williams for a 9-yard touchdown. Mata’s extra point was wide right, but CU pulled within 16-9. West Virginia’s Kade Hensley drilled a 41-yard field goal on the last play of the first half to make it 19-9 at the break. Both teams traded turnovers early in the third quarter, but Fox’s second interception of the quarter — picked by John Slaughter — set up the Buffs’ offense at the Mountaineers’ 20-yard line. Just two plays later, Lewis hit Omarion Miller for a 23-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 19-16. Both teams then hit field goals, with Mata’s 35-yarder pulling the Buffs within 22-19 with 14:51 to go in the fourth quarter. That score held until Jones scored his second touchdown of the day, on a 4-yard run with 4:15 to go that essentially sealed the game, giving West Virginia a 29-19 lead. Mata hit a 38-yard field goal with 1:16 to play to cut the deficit to 29-22, but West Virginia recovered the ensuing onsides kick and ran out the clock.