The Colorado Buffaloes have plenty of talent on the roster, but three problem spots have kept that talent from showing up on the scoreboard and in the record. At 2-3, Colorado has too often been tripped up by the same recurring issues: shaky quarterback play, an offense that hasn’t clicked, and special teams breakdowns that keep showing up in new forms.
The quarterback situation has been the clearest example. Colorado has turned to both redshirt freshman Julian Lewis and junior Isaac Wilson this season, and neither has stabilized the position.
Lewis looked hesitant, especially when it came to attacking downfield, and his first real interception trouble came against the Northwestern Wildcats, when he threw two picks. The next week against the Baylor Bears, the confidence issues lingered, and he was pulled at halftime.
Wilson was the opposite kind of gamble, but the result was still the same. He brought the gunslinger mentality he has always had, yet that approach burned Colorado against the then-No.
12 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Week 5. He threw three interceptions in that game, and Texas Tech left several more chances on the table to pad that total.
The quarterbacks have also been stuck trying to operate Brennan Marion’s offense without much help from the scheme itself. Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ system built a strong reputation during his time with the Sacramento State Hornets and UNLV Rebels, which is why his hiring created so much buzz in the offseason.
But through five games, Colorado has been the Big 12’s worst offense, and that has been a major letdown given the talent around the quarterback position. The Buffaloes have elite receivers and tight ends, an efficient offensive line, and running backs who have taken over games at times, yet the attack still hasn’t come together.
The fact that the playbook reached the public after a copy was left in the team hotel’s bar on Friday only makes Marion’s job harder.
Special teams has been just as frustrating. Colorado keeps fixing one issue only to see another pop up.
Against Texas Tech, kicker Elliot Arnold missed both of his field goal attempts even though the rest of the operation worked smoothly. It didn’t change the final score, but it still added to the unease.
The Baylor game brought a different special teams headache. Cadel Ayala handled kickoff duties, but he couldn’t consistently get the ball deep or even keep it in play. His two illegal kickoff out-of-bounds penalties hurt Colorado badly in the field-position battle during the 23-13 loss in Waco, Texas.
That pattern has defined Colorado’s first five weeks: a correction in one area, then a fresh issue somewhere else. Until those three spots settle down, the Buffaloes’ talent will keep running into the same wall.
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Colorado Faces A Huge In-State Recruiting Test At Quarterback
Colorado got an encouraging look at one of its most important future targets over the weekend, with four-star quarterback Titus Huard taking in the Buffaloes game against Texas Tech. The 2027 prospect is already the programs top recruit in that class, and his connection to Colorado runs through his high school coach, Mike Sanford Jr., which gives the staff a natural opening as it works to build a relationship early.
Huard left the visit sounding upbeat about where the program is headed and said he enjoyed spending time with the coaching staff, a good sign for Colorado as it tries to stay in the mix for a quarterback it badly wants to keep close to home. The Buffaloes will have to keep pushing, though, because Oregon and UCLA are also on the list of schools he plans to see as his recruitment unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Suddenly Faces A Colorado Question Fans Can't Ignore
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Colorado does not appear to be waiting quietly in the background either, at least not in the way outside observers are already sorting through possibilities. Dan Mullen, Willie Fritz and Jason Eck have all been floated as potential replacements if the Buffaloes decide to make a change, which is enough to show how quickly the focus can move from Sanders star power to the search for the next stabilizing voice. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Home Streak Faces Its Toughest Test Yet Against Baylor
No. 24 Colorado womens soccer heads into an October 8 Big 12 matchup at Prentup Field with a home record that has helped define its season so far. The Buffaloes have been perfect on their own field and will try to keep that run going against a Baylor team ranked No. 7 nationally, giving this one the feel of a measuring-stick night for a Colorado squad looking to keep its place near the top of the conference picture.
Baylor brings its own clean road resume into Boulder, and both programs have players recognized on the MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List, adding even more weight to a matchup already loaded with stakes. For Colorado, the challenge is as much about defending its home turf as it is about proving it can handle one of the Big 12s best in a game that should say plenty about where the Buffaloes stand. [Read more 🡒]