The Colorado football team is still searching for a complete game.
Last week vs. Utah, the Buffs played a valiant second half after being shutout in the first half. On Saturday night in Stillwater, the opposite was true.
Isaac Wilson seemingly fixed some of Colorado’s offensive woes and the Buffs held a 24-23 lead over Oklahoma State at halftime. It took just one play for the game to completely flip in the second half.
Here are three takeaways from the Colorado football team’s 57-24 loss to Oklahoma State (5-2).
Isaac Wilson giveth, Isaac Wilson taketh
Deion Sanders expressed confidence in Colorado QB Isaac Wilson earlier this week. It’ll be harder to do that after Saturday night.
Wilson lost a fumble on the first play of the second half and two possessions later, he threw an INT off his back foot. Oklahoma State turned those two turnovers into 10 points and that was the difference in the game.
Colorado’s first five drives of the second half either ended with a turnover or punt.
It was a strong start to the night for Wilson, who had 222 passing yards and three total TDs in the first half. Unfortunately, he reverted back to old habits after halftime and got loose with the football, finishing the game with two INTs and one fumble lost.
In the second half, Wilson went just 5-of-11 passing for 58 yards.
Wilson’s mistakes have cost the Colorado football team in each of the last three games and he has six INTs in that span. He was benched for true freshman QB Kaneal Sweetwyne in the fourth quarter after throwing his second INT of the night.
Colorado WR Joseph Williams continued his hot streak on Saturday, catching eight passes for 130 yards. DeAndre Moore Jr. also eclipsed 100 yards (106) on five catches, including a 15-yard TD.
Colorado’s run game once again non-existent
Brennan Marion didn’t understand why he was asked about Colorado’s run game last week. He should expect more questions about it after Saturday night.
With RB Micah Welch out with a hand injury, the Buffs’ rushing attack was invisible once again. Colorado RBs carried the ball just 15 times for 42 yards.
There is either a trust issue with the Buffs’ offensive line or their ball carriers. Marion was touted as an offensive genius who was known for his innovative running games. There has been no evidence of that at Colorado.
That has put even more pressure on Isaac Wilson in the last few weeks which has likely contributed (in some way) to his turnovers. It’s hard to win on the road against good teams if you can’t consistently run the ball.
Buffs’ defense torched
Colorado’s defense finally broke down on Saturday night. After three weeks of quality play, the Buffs gave up a season-high 598 total yards and 57 points.
Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker threw for 386 yards and four TDs in large part due to Colorado’s inability to pressure him (only three sacks). Justin Bowick caught five passes for 138 yards and a TD for the Cowboys while RB Caleb Hawkins ran for 123 yards (6.8 YPC).
The Buffs’ secondary has been suspect for most of the season and they were exposed by one of the best QBs in college football.
Penalties also hurt the Colorado football team again in Stillwater. The Buffs racked up 69 penalty yards on 10 penalties and they remain the most penalized team in the Big 12 this season.
The same issues popped up for Colorado: undisciplined errors , turnovers and inconsistent play. It’ll be nearly impossible for the Buffs (2-5) to reach bowl eligibility at this point.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.
