Colorado came within a few plays of stunning No. 11 Utah at Folsom Field. The Buffaloes still lost 27-24 in a painful home defeat. What stood out afterward was how Isaac Wilson handled the mistakes that hurt the team, and Deion Sanders highlighted that response before Colorado faces its next test.
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Wilson finished 18-of-30 for 256 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed seven times for 41 yards, and most of the production arrived after halftime. The second-half numbers supported Sanders’ view that Wilson put the Buffaloes in position to win if other pieces had held.
One of his interceptions in the game came late and helped Utah seize control again. Sanders still felt the overall performance gave Colorado a real chance to win.
“One of the picks, Isaac threw a heck of a ball,” Sanders told the reporters while addressing Wilson’s performance during the postgame press conference. “I mean, I think the ball was taken away from our receiver. So I’m not going to put that totally on him, but it is in his column of interceptions. The other one, he could do better than that. He knows better than to throw a ball like that in that situation. But he played good enough for us to win. And he didn’t get down upon himself. He didn’t cry, bicker, murmur on the sideline.”
Colorado looked lost in the opening half. The Buffaloes trailed 13-0 at the break with only 70 total yards and eight penalties for 82 yards. The third quarter changed the game. Colorado scored 17 straight points to grab a 17-13 lead, a sudden turnaround that made the final result sting even more for a team that had fought its way back.
Wilson, a former Utah quarterback, sparked much of the rally with his arm and legs, which gave the matchup a personal edge. A 68-yard touchdown pass to JaQuail Smith started the comeback and gave the offense life against a ranked defense.
The second interception came with about five minutes left and set up a Utah touchdown that pushed the lead to 27-17. Wilson later called it a “bad, bad turnover… that really caused the downfall.” He owned the mistake.
Colorado pulled within 27-24 on a two-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. with 1:21 left, and the final drive offered one more chance. Wilson scrambled and tried a pitch that officials ruled an illegal forward pass. The call wiped out the gain and pushed Colorado out of realistic field-goal range. Sanders believed a couple of plays here or there would have shifted the entire outcome.
After the loss, the locker room was quite emotional.
“It was some tears in there today,” Sanders revealed after the game. “I respect that, because that means that they want it, and that they love this game, they love this atmosphere, they love this team.”
Sanders viewed the locker room’s emotional scene as a sign of real investment. It meant they cared.
Wilson was not the only reason the game slipped away. Colorado drew ten penalties for 93 yards while Utah had seven for 61. Utah also controlled the clock, roughly 37 minutes to 23. Those early penalties and the possession gap limited chances before the offense ever found its rhythm.
Colorado is 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12 after four straight losses. Its next game is Saturday at Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Their opponents currently sit at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12, with an offense averaging about 37 points and 518 yards per game. The road environment will test whether Colorado can sustain that fight for a full 60 minutes.
In his Tuesday preview, Sanders identified Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker as the main threat.
“He’s a phenomenal QB; the kid can spin it,” Colorado head coach said. “We gotta make him uncomfortable, get him off his spots. He’s one of the best in the conference and the country.”
Mestemaker has thrown for 1,940 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions through six games. The Homecoming crowd in Stillwater adds another layer to an already difficult game on the road. Sanders has noted that when Colorado scores, the team can compete with anyone.