Deion Sanders made a major change at quarterback to begin the second half of Colorado’s Big 12 opener against Baylor.
After starting quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis played the entire first half, Sanders turned to Isaac Wilson to open the third quarter with the Buffaloes trailing 10-3.
Lewis completed 11 of 16 passes for just 75 yards in the first half as Colorado’s offense struggled to generate much of anything against the Bears. The Buffaloes went just 1-of-6 on third down and failed on their only fourth-down attempt before halftime. Lewis was also sacked three times for a loss of 23 yards.
Wilson, the younger brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson, transferred to Colorado after beginning his college career at Utah. He competed with Lewis for the starting job during the offseason before Lewis ultimately emerged as Colorado’s starter. Sanders said during the spring that Wilson was “applying pressure” in the quarterback competition.
Now Sanders is turning to Wilson with the Buffaloes desperately searching for an offensive spark.
Wilson’s first pass attempt of the second half fell incomplete, but he later connected with Joseph Williams for a 20-yard gain on third down before Colorado eventually punted. Wilson remained in the game for Colorado’s next possession, indicating the move was more than a one-series change.
The quarterback switch comes one week after Colorado’s offense struggled badly in a 41-7 loss at Northwestern.
Whether Sanders eventually turns back to Lewis remains to be seen, but for now, Colorado has made its biggest offensive change of the season with Big 12 play underway.
