Buffaloes Fall In Waco To Open Big 12 Conference Play

Saturday, September 26

Waco, Texas

10 a.m.

Colorado

2-2 , 0-1

Baylor

3-1 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Colorado	3	0	3	7	13
Baylor	0	10	3	10	23

Stats Quotes

Isaac Wilson

Buffaloes Fall In Waco To Open Big 12 Conference Play

September 26, 2026 | Football

Box Score Buy Tickets Donate To Football Highlights Stats Quotes Postgame Press Conference

By: Jessica Maestas, Athletic Communications Student Assistant

WACO, Texas - Colorado's second half comeback fell short Saturday afternoon with the Buffaloes falling to the Baylor Bears 23-13 at McLane Stadium, to open Big 12 Conference play for both teams.

Colorado drops to 2-2 on the season, 0-1 in league play. Baylor improves to 3-1, 1-0 in the Big 12.

The Buffaloes had success moving the ball. Colorado outgained the Bears 363-337, including 280 yards through the air. But more often than not, the Buffaloes had drives stall out, going 3-of-15 on third-down conversions, and 0-for-2 on fourth down.

"You're not going to win like that," Colorado's Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders said. "You're not going to win like that whatsoever."

Wide receiver Joseph Williams highlighted the Colorado effort finishing with 11 receptions, tying for the ninth-most in team history, and logging 127 yards, the sixth 100-yard receiving game in his career.

Williams also connected on a 49-yard pass play to Quanell Farrakhan Jr. in the first quarter as three Buffs contributed to the teams' passing yards, along with quarterbacks Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson.

Farrakhan also had a big game with seven catches for 117 yards.

Wilson came off the bench in the second half to help Colorado turn a 13-3 deficit into a 13-13 tie early in the fourth quarter, but the Bears offense remained persistent, scoring an additional 10 points in the final minutes to clinch the Big 12 win.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado had early success on the ground. Micah Welch rushed for 23 yards on his first two touches and the Buffaloes had 35 on the ground before the first drive stalled after a Baylor sack of Lewis at the Colorado 35-yard line.

The Buffaloes opened the scoring on their next drive which began with the game's first big play. With six minutes left in the first quarter, Lewis handed the ball off to Williams who then tossed a 49-yard pass downfield to Farrakhan.

The former high school quarterback tallied his first college pass completion, recording the third-longest known completion by a wide receiver in CU history and first since Jimmy Horn Jr. in 2023.

"Joseph's been a dawg," Sanders said. "He's cleaning up, he wants it. He wants to be that guy, and he is that guy right now."

A Baylor facemask penalty helped extend Colorado's drive, but the Buffs were unable to find the endzone. Elliott Arnold converted a 24-yard field goal to give CU a 3-0 lead with 3:24 left in the first quarter.

Baylor responded on its next drive with a 37-yard field goal by Rhett Armstrong to tie the score at 3-3 early in the second quarter.

Both defenses started to tighten up as the next two drives ended in punts. Colorado had a 4th-and-1 from its own 49 with 8:28 left in the second quarter, but running back JaQuail Smith was stopped for a 1-yard loss and the Bears took over with good field position.

Baylor converted that turnover on downs into the game's first touchdown, as quarterback DJ Lagway found Gavin Freeman in the endzone on a 3-yard strike that gave the Bears a 10-3 lead which would hold until halftime.

Wilson came in to begin the second half at quarterback for Colorado, knocking some rust off early as the first three drives ended in punts. Baylor increased its lead to 13-3 on an Armstrong 27-yard field goal with 7:18 left in the third.

Nearing the end of the third quarter, Wilson looked more comfortable, finding Williams for a 37-yard catch, his ninth reception of the day. Minutes later, a successful 36-yard field goal by Arnold brought Colorado to within one score, narrowing the gap to 13-6 to end the quarter.

"Isaac came in a little shaky, nervous," Sanders said. "Then he calmed down a little bit, got us down the field, did his job. This is all we want. Just get the ball to the guys, and we're fine, 'cause we got some guys. I think you saw it today. We got some guys."

Wilson then led the Buffaloes on a 12-play, 95-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Williams to tie the game at 13-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Wilson ended up with 12 pass completions for 156 and the lone touchdown.

"The group of guys we got within that locker room are really hungry to win," punter Damon Greaves said. "Really hungry to play for Colorado and I know that's going to go a long way."

Baylor took the lead right back on the next drive, needing just five plays as Lagway found Jadon Porter all alone down the left side for a 33-yard touchdown strike for a 20-13 lead.

After a Colorado three-and-out, Baylor iced the game on the leg of Armstrong, who connected for his third field goal of the game, this time from 54-yards out with 4:33 remaining. Colorado's last chance was squashed two plays later with a Smith fumble on a rushing attempt which was recovered by Baylor.

UP NEXT: Colorado returns to Boulder for Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, Oct. 3, against Texas Tech. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on FOX and the Colorado Football Radio Network.