Colorado fans had waited all season to see JuJu Lewis get a chance at quarterback.
The true freshman has seized his opportunity in the last two games and it has made an impression on his teammates.
After playing well off the bench in a 52-17 loss to Arizona on Nov. 1, Lewis got his first career start last week. He threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-22 loss at West Virginia.
“It was good to see JuJu excel at a high level,” receiver Omarion Miller said. “Offensively the whole game, I feel like that was good for him. Not playing really the whole season, to come out and do that right there, I was happy for him.”
Lewis was named to the Pro Football Focus Big 12 team of the week for his performance, along with Miller, offensive lineman Yahya Attia and defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain.
“It was great,” Attia said of having Lewis play against West Virginia. “My first start, his first start, we both made the Big 12 team of the week, so it was great.”
At 3-7 (1-6 Big 12), the Buffs are ensured of a losing season and won’t participate in a bowl game. But with two games to play, the development of Lewis is important for him and the Buffs. CU is on a bye this week before hosting Arizona State on Nov. 22.
For most of the season, Lewis was on the bench as senior Kaidon Salter started and played the bulk of the snaps. Lewis is now in that starting role and striving to develop as a leader.
“It’s been good, seeing a young guy trying to take charge,” Miller said. “Being a freshman coming in, trying to take charge of the whole offense, man, I feel like he’s doing a good job at it and he’s getting better day by day.”
Miller, who leads the Buffs with 34 catches for 652 yards, said he has seen glimpses of Lewis’ leadership throughout the season.
“We’re always talking a lot,” Miller said. “Even when it was Kaidon’s turn, I’d come to the sideline and (Lewis) would tell me what he sees, what’s going on. So, I’d say we’ve got a good relationship, and it’s coming along really well right now.”
Miller caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown from Lewis against West Virginia.
Still motivated
Despite no postseason trip this season, Attia and Miller said the Buffs are working hard to stay motivated to do as well as they can in the last two games.
“We’re playing for pride, man,” Miller said. “Win, lose or draw, man, no matter what, we still fighting. That’s our role in our wide receiver room. We’re not gonna quit. We gonna play to the end.”
Attia said the effort hasn’t stopped during the bye week.
“We’re just working,” he said. “We worked last bye week too. We’re just gonna do what we keep doing. We still believe, I still believe. I feel like a 5-7 (record) is much better than a 4-8 or 3-9, so I’m just approaching it like I’m doing it and the rest of the team is gonna do the same stuff.”
Notable
CU’s game against West Virginia drew an average of 604,000 viewers, the second-most watched game on TNT this season. Only Arizona State at Iowa State on Nov. 1 had a better average (615,000). The CU vs. West Virginia game had a better peak, however, with 863,000 viewers in the fourth quarter. … Of the 32 tracked games during the Deion Sanders era at CU, last week’s game was the second-lowest viewership number for the Buffs.