Colorado faces questions after Baylor defeat
Colorado’s 23-13 loss to Baylor has put Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes under renewed attention after back-to-back defeats. The quarterback change, special-teams struggles, penalties, and late-game execution became major talking points after the game.
Colorado is now 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play. The team will look to respond as the season continues.
Baylor controls the final minutes
Colorado entered the fourth quarter trailing Baylor 13-6 before tying the game at 13. Isaac Wilson completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Williams after a 95-yard drive that lasted 12 plays and gave Colorado its first touchdown since the first half.
Baylor answered quickly, moving 65 yards in five plays for a touchdown with 9:02 remaining. The Bears then added a 54-yard field goal with 4:28 left, creating the final 23-13 margin.
The quarterback decision drew attention
Sanders replaced Julian Lewis with Isaac Wilson at halftime while Colorado trailed 10-3. Lewis completed 11 of 16 passes for 75 yards, while Wilson finished with 156 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 sacks after taking over.
Wilson helped produce Colorado’s longest scoring drive of the afternoon, including the 95-yard possession that tied the game. Sanders later said the quarterback change was his decision because he was trying to get the offense moving.
Joseph Williams provides production
Joseph Williams was Colorado’s leading receiver against Baylor, catching 11 passes for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. His 127 receiving yards marked his 6th career game with at least 100 receiving yards, according to Colorado’s official statistics.
Williams also contributed a 49-yard pass to Quanell Farrakhan Jr. during Colorado’s scoring drive. Farrakhan finished with 7 receptions for 117 yards, giving the Buffaloes 2 receivers with more than 100 yards.
Special teams became a major issue
Baylor produced 130 punt-return yards against Colorado, averaging 18.6 yards across 7 returns. Four Baylor punt returns gained at least 15 yards, according to reporting after the game.
The field-position difference drew attention after Sanders said Baylor’s returns did not cause significant damage during his postgame comments. Some Colorado fans responded critically to that assessment online, making special teams a prominent part of the immediate reaction.
Penalties continued to hurt Colorado
Colorado committed 9 penalties for 82 yards against Baylor, while the Bears were flagged 10 times for 84 yards. The Buffaloes also entered the game after Sanders had publicly discussed discipline and penalties during the previous week.
Colorado had recorded 28 penalties for 247 yards through 3 games before facing Baylor. The Baylor matchup therefore kept penalties in focus as the Buffaloes began Big 12 competition.
Third downs limited the offense
Colorado converted only 3 of 15 third-down opportunities against Baylor. The Buffaloes also went 0-for-2 on fourth down, limiting their ability to extend drives despite finishing with 363 total yards.
Baylor converted 6 of 17 third downs and finished with 337 total yards. Colorado produced more passing yards and total yards, but Baylor scored more touchdowns and converted its late opportunities to secure the victory.
Baylor’s quarterback returned to action
Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway returned after missing 2 games because of an ankle injury suffered against Auburn. He completed 19 of 39 passes for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception against Colorado.
Lagway threw the go-ahead touchdown to Jadon Porter with 9:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. His return gave Baylor 2 touchdown passes while Colorado’s quarterbacks combined for 1, helping the Bears finish the conference opener with a victory.
Interesting fact: Deion over Colorado in December 2022, inheriting a program that had gone 1-11 that season. Colorado improved to 4-8 in his first year, then went 9-4 in 2024.
The loss followed Northwestern
Colorado entered the Baylor matchup at 2-1 after losing 41-7 to Northwestern on September 19. Northwestern built a 21-0 halftime lead before adding 2 more touchdowns and 2 fourth-quarter field goals.
The loss was followed by significant roster decisions by Sanders. Colorado’s coach said 3 players had been removed from the team for conduct he described as detrimental to the program, adding another storyline around the team before Baylor.
Interesting fact: Sanders played 14 NFL seasons, recording 53 interceptions, 22 total touchdowns and nine first-team All-Pro selections during his Hall of Fame career.
Sanders defended the team afterward
Following the Baylor loss, Sanders said Colorado was better than its 2-2 record suggested. He also said the score did not reflect what he believed the team could be and that the program needed to determine why its results were different.
Those comments appeared during a period when some Colorado fans were criticizing Sanders online. The criticism followed the Baylor defeat and focused partly on his postgame discussion of special teams and the team’s overall performance.
Colorado’s record now stands at 2-2
Colorado opened the 2026 season with a 14-13 victory over Georgia Tech before defeating Weber State 52-21. The Buffaloes then lost consecutive games to Northwestern and Baylor, leaving them at 2-2 after 4 games.
The Baylor result also gave Colorado an 0-1 conference record. Baylor moved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12, while Colorado began league play with a road defeat.
Sanders enters his fourth Colorado season
Sanders became Colorado’s head coach in December 2022 and is now in his 4th season leading the program. Colorado went 4-8 in his first season, improved to 9-4 in 2024, and finished 3-9 in 2025.
The 2024 season included a 7-2 Big 12 record and a tie for first place in the conference standings. The current 2-2 start follows that previous stretch and places additional attention on Colorado’s conference results.
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Colorado faces questions after Baylor
The Baylor loss leaves Colorado with consecutive defeats and an 0-1 Big 12 record. The Buffaloes will now have to address several measurable issues, including third-down efficiency, penalties, quarterback usage, and special-teams production.
For Sanders, the immediate discussion centers on correcting those areas while managing the reaction surrounding the program. The post-Baylor response has included documented criticism from some fans, while Sanders has maintained that Colorado can perform better than its record indicates.
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What do you think about Colorado’s performance and Sanders’ decisions? Like this post and leave a comment with your take.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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