Sophomore wide receiver
Kaleb Mathis catches a touchdown pass at the game against Delaware at Folsom Field on Saturday Sept. 6th, 2025 (Rachel Glazer/CU Independent).
Colorado and Weber State have never played each other before, but they already have one oddly specific thing in common.
Both teams have preserved one-point wins with a blocked kick in the final seconds this season.
Colorado defensive back Boo Carter blocked Georgia Tech’s potential game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired to conserve a 14-13 season-opening win. Six days earlier, Weber State freshman linebacker Zach Smith blocked Northern Colorado’s extra-point attempt after a touchdown with three seconds remaining to seal a 30-29 Wildcats victory.
If Saturday comes down to special teams, neither team will exactly be entering unfamiliar territory.
Colorado returns to Folsom Field for its home opener Saturday after an open weekend following its win in Atlanta. Weber State enters 1-1 after beating Northern Colorado before falling 47-42 to Southern Utah.
The first meeting between the programs gives Colorado a chance to build on a strong defensive debut and a committed rushing attack, while Weber State arrives with an offense that has scored 72 points through two games.
Colorado’s defense faces a different test
Georgia Tech entered the season after ranking 21st nationally in rushing offense a year ago with 197.5 yards per game. Colorado, meanwhile, ranked 133rd against the run, allowing 222.5 yards per game.
Against the Yellow Jackets, those numbers looked very different.
Colorado held Georgia Tech to 51 rushing yards on 30 carries, an average of just 1.7 yards per attempt. The 51 rushing yards allowed was the 23rd-fewest in the nation that week. The Yellow Jackets also failed to score an offensive touchdown, with their only trip to the end zone coming on a 100-yard kickoff return.
Third-year defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. led the effort with three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in his Colorado debut, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
However, Weber State presents a different challenge.
The Wildcats totaled 370 yards against Northern Colorado and followed with 464 against Southern Utah, with wide receiver Noah Kjar emerging as their biggest receiving threat.
Kjar caught six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the opener, then recorded nine catches for 150 yards and two more scores against Southern Utah. Through two games, the junior has 15 receptions for 264 yards and four touchdowns. He is also the son of first-year Weber State head coach Eric Kjar, adding another storyline to an already productive start.
For Colorado, though, the concern is what Kjar can do downfield.
Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza threw for 237 yards against the Buffs, including a 42-yard completion on the final possession that moved the Yellow Jackets from their own 25 to the Colorado 33.
Against a receiver who has already topped 100 yards in both games, limiting those explosive plays will be one of Colorado’s biggest defensive priorities Saturday.
Weber State’s quarterback situation remains less certain. Fifth-year quarterback Devin Brown, who is listed as the starter against Colorado, threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Colorado before leaving with a dislocated finger. He did not play against Southern Utah, when freshman Nate Dahle completed 21 of 44 passes for 282 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in his first collegiate start.
Colorado proved it could shut down a physical rushing attack in its opener. Saturday should reveal more about how the defense handles a team willing to spread the field and throw.
CU’s advantage on the ground
While the defense produced CU’s strongest performance in Atlanta, the offense established a clear preference: run the ball.
The Buffs carried it 49 times for 183 yards against Georgia Tech. Damian Henderson II led the backfield with 62 yards on 11 carries, Micah Welch added 58 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, JaQuail Smith finished with 42 yards on 10 carries and DeKalon Taylor added 22 yards on four carries.
Colorado averaged only 3.7 yards per carry, but new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion stayed committed to the ground attack.
Against Weber State, the matchup looks considerably more favorable.
Northern Colorado rushed for 259 yards against the Wildcats. Southern Utah followed with 368, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and scoring five rushing touchdowns.
Through two games, Weber State has surrendered 627 rushing yards, an average of 313.5 per game.
Marion did not need much encouragement to run the ball against Georgia Tech. Those numbers probably will not change his mind.
The bigger question is whether Colorado can turn that advantage into more points.
The Buffs ran 76 offensive plays and controlled possession for 34:09 in Atlanta but finished with 307 total yards and just 14 points. Colorado sustained drives without consistently finishing them.
Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis also struggled to find much rhythm for most of the night, finishing 14-for-27 for 124 yards.
But he settled in when Colorado needed him most.
Trailing 13-7 with 1:40 remaining, Lewis completed four of six passes for 60 yards on the final drive before finding Charlie Williams for a 20-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left.
Weber State has allowed 999 total yards through two games. Establishing the run should give Lewis more manageable passing situations and allow Marion to open more of the offense.
Colorado does not need to abandon what worked in Atlanta.
It just needs to get more out of it.
Special teams could matter again
Carter’s blocked field goal decided Colorado’s opener, but the Buffs’ special teams performance was far from spotless.
Immediately after Welch gave Colorado a 7-0 lead, Georgia Tech’s Rahkeem Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Colorado later had Daniel Gerlach’s 37-yard field-goal attempt blocked.
On the opposite end, Weber State has already created momentum on special teams.
Zach Smith’s blocked extra point preserved the Wildcats’ win over Northern Colorado. One week later, Porter Hadley blocked a Southern Utah punt, which Smith recovered and returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
Kicker David Dellenbach also made all three of his field-goal attempts against Northern Colorado, connecting from 44, 42 and 39 yards.
That makes special teams more than the usual preview footnote.
Both teams have already won because of a blocked kick, and both have seen how quickly one play outside the offense or defense can change a game.
A chance to build
Saturday will be Weber State’s third consecutive road game to open Eric Kjar’s first season as head coach. For Colorado, it is the first chance to play at Folsom Field this season.
Colorado enters Saturday after holding Georgia Tech without an offensive touchdown and has a favorable statistical matchup on the ground. Weber State brings a productive passing attack capable of punishing mistakes.
Colorado’s defense set the standard against Georgia Tech, and its offense now gets a chance to catch up.
And considering how the first two weeks have gone for both teams, keeping an eye on the kicking units probably would not hurt either.
ESPN’s match-up predictor gives the Buffs an overwhelming 97.9% chance to win.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Folsom Field. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Shruthi Rajesh at shra3446@colorado.edu
