Julian Lewis leads Deion Sanders’ undefeated Buffaloes into Evanston, seeking Colorado’s first win in Illinois against a rested Wildcats squad hungry for a home upset.
The Colorado Buffaloes hit the road for the second time in the 2026 season on Saturday.
Deion Sanders' squad faces the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
Colorado (2-0) is coming off a 52-21 blowout win over FCS opponent Weber State last Saturday. A monster game from Buffs QB Julian Lewis, who set or tied 10 CU football records during the course of the game. He completed 17-of-23 passes for 366 yards with four touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown for a 265.0 rating. His 212 passing yards and three touchdown passes in the first quarter both set or tied new CU records and his pass efficiency was also the highest in CU history with at least 20 attempts.
Northwestern (1-0) will have been idle for 14 days when Saturday comes. The Wildcats hope the extra prep time to scout the Buffs pays off. They beat South Dakota State 34-18 on Sept. 5. Being able to soak up everything in film study with a bye week right off the bat could either make or break the next game.
The last time Colorado and Northwestern met on the gridiron was at Folsom Field in 1978. The Buffs stood tall in a 55-7 win over the Wildcats. The two teams' first matchup took place in 1951, which Northwestern won at home 35-14. This is the first home-and-home series on the books for both schools. Northwestern is scheduled to be in Boulder next year.
Colorado doesn't have good luck in the Land of Lincoln. The Buffs are looking for the program's first win in the state of Illinois going back over the past century. CU played at Chicago in 1921 (L 35-0), at Northwestern in 1951 (L 35-14) and at Illinois in 1990 (L 23-22), which was the Buffs only loss during its 11-1-1 national championship season, according to CU Athletics.
Colorado vs Northwestern: How to watch, TV channel and streaming
Colorado (2-0) at Northwestern (1-0)
Northwestern will look to fill the makeshift venue, which seats 15,000 people on Saturday.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
TV: FOX
Livestream: FOX Sports app with television provider
Series: Tied 1-1
The game will be broadcast on FOX beginning at 7:30 p.m. MT. Noah Reed and Devin Gardner will have the call along with sideline reporter Josh Sims.
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