Colorado Roster Changes
Deion Sanders Dismisses Several Colorado Players Following Heavy Loss to Northwestern
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Key Points
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Colorado linebacker Tyler Martinez called the dismissals unfortunate but said, “if it’s going to help us win, we’ve got to do it.”
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Colorado committed three first-half turnovers and trailed Northwestern 21-0 at halftime. The Buffaloes finished with 348 total yards, while quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown.
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Colorado’s only touchdown came on a 50-yard pass from Lewis to Joseph Williams; Williams finished with 88 receiving yards, while JaQuail Smith led the Buffaloes with 91 rushing yards.
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Safety Ben Finneseth publicly apologized to Northwestern, calling his pregame remarks “childish” and “a stupid thing that I said,” and pledged to handle himself more maturely.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders dismissed several players for conduct he said hurt the team, following a humbling 41-7 loss to Northwestern. Winnipeg Free Press reported Sanders cited a pattern of behavior — not just one incident — as the reason. The Buffaloes fell to 2-1 after committing four turnovers and struggling on fourth down in a game they trailed 21-0 at halftime.
Sanders also criticized players for laughing and joking after the defeat, and the team faced a separate controversy after a pregame video mocked Northwestern's stadium. Safety Ben Finneseth publicly apologized for the "childish" remarks and promised to carry himself with more maturity going forward.
Dismissals Target Pattern, Not One Bad Game
Sanders made clear the removals stemmed from ongoing behavior issues, not simply the lopsided loss itself. Linebacker Tyler Martinez called the dismissals unfortunate but said, "if it's going to help us win, we've got to do it." The Colorado coach declined to name the dismissed players or detail specific infractions.
Turnovers and Halftime Hole Doom Buffaloes
Colorado's offense crumbled against Northwestern, recording just 348 total yards and three first-half turnovers that put the game out of reach early. Quarterback JuJu Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. Running back JaQuail Smith led the ground game with 91 yards, while receiver Joseph Williams caught 8 passes for 88 yards — including a 50-yard touchdown.
Pregame Mockery Forces Team Apology
Colorado faced added scrutiny after players posted a video mocking Northwestern's stadium before the game. Finneseth called his part in the video "a stupid thing that I said" and publicly apologized to the Wildcats. Sanders also addressed the incident, signaling the team would move forward with more discipline and respect.
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