Isaac Wilson, the former University of Utah quarterback, got his first real shot under center for Colorado on Saturday, replacing benched starter Julian Lewis in their Big 12 opener against Baylor. It was a wild ride, with Wilson leading two scoring drives and even tying the game in the fourth quarter, but ultimately the Buffaloes fell 23-13 after Baylor put up 10 unanswered points to finish things out at McLane Stadium.
The QB Change That Rocked the First Half
Let’s be real: the Colorado offense was dead in the water with Julian Lewis at the helm in the first half. The Buffaloes managed a measly three points over seven possessions, and Baylor walked into halftime up 10-3. Coach Deion Sanders clearly saw what everyone else did. He pulled Lewis, making the switch to Wilson for the second half to try and spark some life into a sputtering attack that had only scored 10 points in six quarters of play, including a 41-7 blowout loss to Northwestern the week prior. Sanders didn’t mince words, saying the decision was all about getting the offense going. “I said, we gotta get going. We gotta score. We gotta score some points,” he told reporters. He also clarified that Lewis hadn’t been abandoned, praising his “tremendous effort and tremendous heart” and that the team “just needed a change. We needed an inspiration at that time in some kind of way.”
Wilson’s Ups and Downs: From Rough Start to Game-Tying Magic
Wilson, a Utah native and former four-star quarterback out of Corner Canyon High, didn’t exactly light it up immediately. He started his second-half effort by completing just 1 of 5 passes, then 4 of 11 past midway through the third quarter, with Colorado punting on its first three second-half possessions. It was a tough start, but then something clicked. With Baylor holding a 13-3 lead, Wilson finally got the offense rolling. He marched the Buffaloes 63 yards in six plays, including back-to-back 15 and 27-yard passes to Joseph Williams, setting up a 46-yard field goal to make it 13-6 with 2:17 left in the third. Then, pinned deep at their own 5-yard line after a Baylor punt, Wilson engineered a monster 12-play, 95-yard touchdown drive. He shook off an incompletion to start the possession, completing his last four passes, and capped it all off with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Williams, tying the game 13-13 with 11:04 to play. That’s the kind of grit you want to see.
Now, Coach Sanders has a real decision on his hands. He’s got to “reassess and see where we’re going” at the quarterback position. He mentioned needing “better play at a lot of positions, not just that one,” but the glaring question marks are squarely on who leads this offense next week. What does that mean for Julian Lewis? What does that mean for Isaac Wilson? Who gets the nod? The next game will tell us a lot about the direction of this Colorado team.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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