Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Colorado QB Ripped Down By Hair In Loss To West Virginia

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 11:12 PM ET

Saturday saw Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes go down once again in a 29-22 loss to West Virginia to drop their record to 3-7 on the year.

With the loss, CU officially fell out of postseason bowl contention — marking Coach Prime's second losing season in his three-year tenure at the school.

Perhaps the even bigger story though was freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who finally got his chance to show what he could do this weekend. And he played well — completing 22-of-35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

But Lewis' first loss didn't come without its lumps; and an extremely painful moment came in the fourth quarter when he was taken down by his hair by a Mountaineers defender.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) runs out of the pocket during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images© Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Julian Lewis suffers painful 'hair tackle'

Prior to the two-minute warning, WVU linebacker MarShon Oxley got the sack on Lewis by grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling him to the ground — leaving a clump of the QB's locks blowing on the Morgantown turf.

The Buffaloes ended up settling for a 38-yard Alejandro Mata field goal which brought them within seven. However it was too little, too late for program to snap its three-game losing streak and improve on its 1-6 record in the Big 12.

Yes, that is a chunk of Colorado QB Julian Lewis’ hair on the field after a hair pulling tackle by West Virginia #CUBuffs pic.twitter.com/Ty3qga9qdV
— Ky (@ihavemadflavor) November 8, 2025

Fans react to 'unfortunate' play

"Julian Lewis just got sacked by being dragged down by his hair," Tom Fornelli shared.

"Yes, that is a chunk of Colorado QB Julian Lewis’ hair on the field after a hair pulling tackle by West Virginia," a user said.

"Julian Lewis got rag dolled by his hair " another cried.

"Biggest offseason question for the Colorado Buffaloes: does Julian Lewis cut his hair to avoid whatever that just was?" a fan asked.

"Lewis might rethink about having long hair," another person replied.

"Julian Lewis just got an unwanted haircut. Ouch," Barrett Sallee commented.

As far as the rules are concerned, hair tackles are legal in college football as long as it doesn't extend into a horse-collar takedown. Long hair is viewed by the rulebook as an extension of the players' uniform; so players can be flagged for holding if they use an opponents hair in that way.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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