Deion Sanders saw enough of Julian Lewis in the first half on Saturday.
The 19-year-old QB was benched at halftime and replaced by Utah transfer Isaac Wilson. Colorado football fans have grown impatient with Julian Lewis in recent weeks and Saturday’s performance might leave a permanent scar.
Here are three takeaways from the Colorado football team’s 23-13 loss to Baylor (3-1).
Julian Lewis still unsettled in Go-Go offense
Julian Lewis completed 11 of 16 pass attempts for 75 yards in the first half on Saturday before being benched, but those numbers actually sound better than they looked.
Most of his 11 completions were screen passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. He nearly threw two INTs, looked unsettled in the pocket and was sacked three times. Colorado was 1-for-7 on third down in the first half.
Saturday was just a continuation of the previous week when Julian Lewis struggled against Northwestern. He’s led the Buffs‘ offense to just 24 points in 10 quarters against Power 4 opponents this season.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of Lewis’ start to the season is that he’s been unwilling to run/use his legs. Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense won’t operate at full capacity if the QB is not a threat to run. It should never be the biggest part of Julian Lewis’ game, but it should be a viable option.
It hasn’t been and that’s partly why Isaac Wilson replaced him. It remains to be seen if Julian Lewis’ benching was permanent or temporary but one thing is for sure, he doesn’t appear to be the right fit for the Go-Go.
Colorado’s defense played well enough to win
The Buffs’ defense came to play on Saturday.
They shut down Baylor’s rushing attack (3.3 YPC), forced DJ Lagway into an INT and kept Colorado in the game despite offensive ineptitude. Lagway completed just 49% of his passes for 219 yards.
It was the type of bounce-back performance DC Chris Marve’s unit needed after last week’s disaster vs. Northwestern. Toby Anene had a sack and two TFLs while Gideon ESPN Lampron racked up a game-high seven solo tackles. Jason Stokes Jr. got his first career INT off Lagway in the second quarter.
Holding Baylor’s explosive offense to just 23 points should’ve been good enough to win.
Bright spots
Joseph Williams had another impressive game on Saturday. The third-year WR caught 11 passes for 127 yards and even threw a 49-yard pass on a trick play early in the game. He now has four TDs in his last three games as has been the Buffs’ best offensive weapon this season.
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. left the game and didn’t return after taking a hard hit in the first half. That opened up opportunities for second-year WR Quanell Farrakhan Jr., who had a career-high 117 yards on seven catches in a breakout performance.
Boo Carter allowed a receiving TD but was impactful with five tackles, a TFL and a PBU. Unfortunately, fellow CB Cree Thomas struggled again with penalties and was picked on in coverage throughout the game.
Isaac Wilson was arguably the biggest bright spot. The backup QB led Colorado on a 12-play, 95-yard TD drive (only TD drive of the day) to tie the game at 13 with 11 minutes left.
Wilson finished the game completing 11 of his 22 passes for 129 yards and a TD. He was decisive and gives the Buffs’ coaching staff a tough decision to make moving forward.
The road doesn’t get much easier for Colorado next week when Texas Tech comes to Folsom Field.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.
