Colorado wide receiver Joseph Williams didn’t pick a side when asked about the Buffaloes’ quarterback situation. He didn’t have to.
With Colorado still not publicly naming a starter for No. 12 Texas Tech, Williams was asked Tuesday to compare Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson. He took a moment, saying “let me think” twice, but his answer landed as a show of trust in both quarterbacks rather than a case for one over the other.
“So regardless of who’s out there, who got out there, we’re confident,” Williams said. “We feel good who’s out there, and we’re gonna make plays for them no matter what.”
Williams has already seen what both can do. At Baylor, he hauled in a career-best 11 catches for 127 yards, scored on a fourth-quarter pass from Wilson and also completed a 49-yard throw to wide receiver Quanell Farrakhan Jr. in Colorado’s 23-13 loss.
Rather than drawing a sharp line between the two quarterbacks, Williams emphasized the similarities.
“JuJu, they both can make every throw on the field. They both throw with a lot of velocity.
They put a lot of touch on the ball,” Williams said. “Isaac has a lot of experience, 'cause he started before this.
So I feel like that also helps him a lot.”
Wilson arrived at Colorado with starting experience from Utah. Lewis opened each of Colorado’s first four games before coach Deion Sanders went to Wilson at halftime against Baylor.
Williams also said the two quarterbacks seem to be learning from one another.
“And they’re both really good leaders,” Williams said. “I can tell that things that Isaac does, JuJu sees it, and he tries to pick up on it. And the same thing with Isaac, he sees things JuJu does, and they try to pick up.”
When Wilson entered against Baylor, Colorado was down 13-3. He helped the Buffs pull even at 13-13 before Baylor pulled away.
Williams said the key in that moment was making sure the quarterback felt supported.
“So just keep telling him no matter what, I got you, you know, you’re good. Keep going through your reads.
You can make every throw on the field,” Williams said. “Just you got to keep instilling confidence in them.”
Colorado’s next stretch comes fast: No. 12 Texas Tech visits Folsom Field on Oct.
3, No. 13 Utah follows after the bye week, and No.
19 Oklahoma State is up in Stillwater on Oct. 24.
Williams made it clear he sees that run as a chance.
“Very excited. It’s an opportunity from God.
It’s an opportunity for us to turn the season around and make a flip of the switch just like that,” Williams said. “'Cause like you said, three ranked opponents coming into our house, and we feel like no one’s coming to our house to beat us.”
The schedule, though, has a small wrinkle: Texas Tech and Utah come to Boulder, but Oklahoma State does not. Colorado will need to carry that same confidence on the road.
“We feel like we could play with anybody,” Williams said. “So regardless what jersey you got on, regardless who’s out there, we feel like we could play with whoever.”
In Other News...
Colorado Suddenly Faces A Linebacker Problem Deion Sanders Must Solve
Colorados linebacker room took a hit in Week 4 when Tyler Martinez went down with a lower-leg injury against Baylor, and Deion Sanders said the injury could end his season. The timing matters for a Buffaloes defense that has already had to adjust on the fly, with Gage Goldberg stepping into a larger role and leaning on the presence of veterans Liona Lefau and Gideon Lampron around him.
For Sanders, the immediate challenge is keeping that group steady if Martinez cannot return, while also trying to preserve some long-term value from a difficult setback. He said he hopes Martinez can secure eligibility for next season, leaving a lingering offseason question even as Colorado tries to sort out its present-day linebacker rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces A Brutal Test Amid A Growing QB Dilemma
Texas Techs trip to Boulder comes with plenty of confidence after Joey McGuires program has quietly become far more dangerous away from home, winning seven of its last eight road games. That includes a recent victory at Oregon State, and it gives the Red Raiders a solid backdrop as they head into a matchup with Colorado, a team that is still sorting through injuries and trying to steady itself under Deion Sanders.
Both sides are coming off the usual mix of wins, losses and coaching concerns, but the Buffaloes bigger issue is the uncertainty at quarterback and the ripple effect that can have on everything else. Sanders has already been asked about player availability and the need for improvement, and with Texas Tech showing it can travel well, Colorado does not have the luxury of time to let those questions linger much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces An Early Test That Will Say A Lot
Texas Tech comes into Week 5 unbeaten, ranked No. 12 and carrying a 4-0 record into a matchup that should tell plenty about where Colorado really stands early in the season. The Buffaloes are 2-2, and while their own start has been uneven, the bigger spotlight is on how they handle a Red Raiders team that has looked far steadier on paper and in the standings.
Much of the attention centers on Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, whose completion rate has been a talking point along with some turnover concerns. Even with those questions, the Red Raiders have enough around him to make this a difficult early test for Colorado, and the numbers behind both teams suggest the gap may be wider than the records alone show. [Read more 🡒]