Colorado’s quarterback picture took another sharp turn on the eve of its Big 12 home opener against No. 12 Texas Tech.
For much of the week, the buzz around the Buffaloes pointed toward Utah transfer Isaac Wilson moving into the starting role after replacing Julian Lewis in the 23-13 loss to Baylor in Week 4. Wilson had been trending upward entering the matchup, and his ability to push the ball downfield in limited action against Baylor made him the more convincing option in Colorado’s “Go-Go” offense.
But the game-day depth chart told a different story. Instead of naming one quarterback outright, Colorado listed both Wilson and Lewis with an “or” beside their names, leaving open the possibility that Lewis could still see snaps immediately.
That wasn’t the only wrinkle. During warmups, Colorado’s quarterbacks appeared to be sorted out in a way that suggested another shift was possible.
Colorado on SI reporter Liam Howard reported that Lewis came onto the field later than the rest of the Buffs quarterbacks and did so separately. Lewis was also seen taking snaps from tackle Xavier Payne, while Kaneal Sweetwyne was working with second team center Yahya Attia, a setup that could indicate Sweetwyne had moved ahead of Lewis.
Coach Deion Sanders never formally said Wilson would be the starter when he met with reporters leading into the Big 12 opener. He only said he was taking a closer look at the quarterback position after losses to Baylor and Northwestern.
Lewis has already shown what he can do in this offense. He led the game-winning drive against Georgia Tech in a debut that was rough around the edges, then threw for more than 300 yards against Weber State in the home opener. But the wheels came off a bit during the rainy trip to Northwestern, and he also struggled in Waco against Baylor.
Texas Tech has its own quarterback issue, and it surfaced nearly 24 hours before kickoff at Folsom Field. Alternate quarterback Thomas Castellanos was ruled ineligible by a Kentucky Court of Appeals on Oct.
- He had been used in designed Wildcat packages as part of coach Joey McGuire’s approach.
Without Castellanos, the Red Raiders lose a piece of their red-zone plan. Starter Will Hammond is still a dual-threat, but Texas Tech may not want to lean too heavily on his mobility this early, especially with Big 12 title hopes in the mix.
So the biggest question entering Saturday remains the same one Colorado has been circling all week: who gets the first snaps, and who ends up handling the bulk of the work behind center?
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Before kickoff in Lubbock, Texas Tech fans reportedly stumbled onto something that looked a lot more useful than a souvenir: a 25-page Colorado game plan playbook found at the Buffaloes team hotel. The document appeared authentic and, to outsiders watching the game unfold, it matched plays Colorado actually used on the field.
For a team already trying to steady itself, the timing could not have been worse. Colorado was beaten 29-7 by Texas Tech in a game defined by turnovers and interceptions, then headed into a bye week with a three-game losing streak hanging over it. Deion Sanders acknowledged the issues and opened up a quarterback competition, leaving the Buffaloes with plenty to sort out and a strange pregame mystery still hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Heads Into Bye Week With A Frustrating New Debate
Colorados trip to Texas Tech offered a little of everything except a complete performance, and that left the Buffaloes heading into the bye week with more questions than answers. Isaac Wilson took the start at quarterback and threw for a career-high 292 yards with a touchdown, but the offense never found enough rhythm to offset the three interceptions, while a defense that held Texas Tech to three first-half points and racked up 11 tackles for loss still watched the game slip away.
Special teams and penalties made the gap too wide to close, from missed field goals to a failed fake punt that short-circuited any chance at momentum. For a team that needed cleaner execution to build on its defensive work, the frustrating part is not just the loss itself but the debate it leaves behind as Colorado gets a week to sort out how to turn the offenses flashes into something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Celebrity Sideline Moment Had Buffs Fans Reading One NBA Star
Colorados home game against Texas Tech brought a familiar mix of football and celebrity watching, with several high-profile guests taking in the scene from the sideline. Among the biggest names in the building were Nikola Jokic, DeMar DeRozan and Cam Johnson, and the attention around them quickly became part of the atmosphere as much as the matchup itself.
DeRozan was the one who seemed to embrace the moment most, engaging with fans and giving the sideline the kind of energy Buffaloes supporters have come to expect when a star rolls through Boulder. Jokic, by contrast, drew a different reaction, appearing more reserved and keeping his interactions with attendees to a minimum, a contrast that stood out during a season in which the celebrity turnout around Colorado games has already felt lighter than it has in past years. [Read more 🡒]