Joseph Williams spent the week staying late. His reward came early Saturday.
Williams caught four passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in Colorado’s 52-21 victory over Weber State, helping Julian Lewis deliver one of the most explosive passing performances in school history.
The final numbers were spectacular. Williams averaged 30.8 yards per reception, produced a 63-yard gain and helped Colorado improve to 2-0. However, his chemistry with Lewis was not created once the lights came on at Folsom Field.
“This week, we spent 30 minutes after practice every day getting extra routes in and getting our timing in,” Williams said. “I felt like that played a big part in it.”
Lewis was not allowing tired legs to become an excuse.
“He was forcing us, whether our legs felt good or not,” Williams said. “He needed to get that timing with us. He stayed on us and watched film with us. Each week and each day, he’s getting better and better. I’m super confident with him back there.”
Thirty extra minutes make a difference
Lewis completed 17 of 23 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Williams became his most productive target, but their preparation extended well beyond one week.
“We spend a lot of time together,” Williams said. “We spend time after practice getting extra work in, and we watch film together. We just want to be on the same page when we’re out there on the field.”
That connection helped Williams deliver his biggest performance at Colorado after missing the spring while recovering from offseason surgery. His return made the afternoon particularly meaningful, especially with his mother at Folsom Field to see him score twice.
“It felt good,” Williams said. “My mom was able to see me score a few times, but I still felt like I didn’t play my best. I probably left a few plays out there...not just me, but us as a team. We still have to get better tomorrow.”
Williams was one part of an offense filled with playmakers. DeAndre Moore Jr. caught four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, Ernest Campbell scored on a 48-yard reception and Micah Welch rushed for 106 yards and a score.
Williams said the players have embraced the unselfishness required in offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s system.
“Everybody wants to block for each other,” Williams said. “When one of them has the ball, I’m trying to block my tail off. When I have the ball, they’re trying to block for me. We all bought in because Coach Marion is a winner.”
That buy-in extends to remaining prepared even when another player is receiving most of the opportunities.
“Whether he’s having a good game or not, we always have to be ready for him,” Williams said of Lewis. “He might throw the ball to us when we’re not expecting it. We have to make those plays whenever they come, whether it’s 40 or 50 times a game or 10 or 15 times.”
Colorado embraces the sledgehammer standard
Colorado led 35-14 at halftime before its production declined during the final two quarters. Coach Prime expressed his frustration with the Buffaloes’ lack of focus, and Williams felt it from the sideline.
“We just have to finish,” Williams said. “You’ve got to kill a gnat with a sledgehammer. Whether we’re up 40 points, we still have to keep going and going until the clock says 0:00.”
That mentality explains why Colorado’s players and coaches refused to treat a 31-point victory as a flawless performance. The Buffaloes committed 13 penalties for 112 yards and left several scoring opportunities on the field.
“It really wasn’t enough,” Williams said. “We left a lot of points out there. We left a lot of big plays out there. Having coaches who feel that same exact way is a great thing. We want to strive for better than that.”
Williams also enjoyed watching Welch become the first Colorado running back of the Coach Prime era to produce a 100-yard game.
“Whenever someone is in his way, get out of the way because he’s coming with a full head of steam,” Williams said. “He’s going to run through you. It’s special seeing him run the ball.”
Williams showed some power and speed of his own on his longest touchdown, breaking away from a defender and quickly accelerating toward the end zone. His teammates still found a way to tease him afterward.
“They were calling me slow,” Williams said. “They were making little jokes, but I felt like I was moving a little bit.”
Add us as a preferred source on Google