One Theme From Colorado's Loss to Baylor Still Lingering

The Colorado Buffaloes’ 23-13 loss to the Baylor Bears on Saturday was a frustrating one for several reasons, including a few costly penalties. Several calls and penalty sequences changed the field position and momentum of Colorado’s drives throughout the afternoon.

One of the most controversial moments came when Baylor’s Travion Barnes delivered a hard hit on Colorado wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. that knocked him out of the game. No targeting penalty was called on the play and Moore was unable to return to the game.

Colorado Buffaloes Football Baylor Bears DeAndre Moore Jr. Travion Barnes Penalites Officials Flags Targeting — Sep 26, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jayden McGowan (15) makes a catch as Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Jason Stokes Jr. (13) defends during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penalties also became a recurring problem for Colorado as the game progressed. By the middle of the second quarter, the Buffaloes had already been flagged four times for 37 yards, including penalties that helped Baylor during a scoring drive.

Colorado continued to face difficult down-and-distance situations because of flags, while several other officiating sequences left the Buffaloes and their fans frustrated. Although Colorado’s own mistakes played a role in the loss, the combination of penalties, missed opportunities and questionable calls made for a particularly frustrating afternoon.

Penalties Continue to Stall Colorado

One of the biggest themes of the game was Colorado struggling to maintain momentum because of penalties.

The Buffaloes had opportunities to put pressure on Baylor, but flags repeatedly changed the down-and -distance situations. Colorado’s offense was already having trouble sustaining drives, making every penalty even more damaging.

A particularly frustrating sequence came in the second half when Colorado appeared to have an opportunity on third down. The Buffaloes ultimately found themselves backed up around their own 25-yard line.

That was especially costly because Colorado had an opportunity to put pressure on the Baylor defense. Instead, the situation changed dramatically and the Buffaloes had to work with much more difficult field position.

Then came another sequence that added to the frustration.

Colorado was flagged for an offsides/neutral-zone infraction on defense, giving Baylor additional yardage. On the following play, another flag was thrown, but the officials ultimately determined there was no foul. From Colorado’s perspective, the sequence illustrated just how difficult it was to establish any consistency during the game that already featured a steady stream of penalties.

The frustration was compounded when Colorado’s defense eventually had to make a fourth-down stand. Baylor reached fourth-and-inches, and Colorado’s defense stopped the Bears, with Micah Gifford and Kendrick Walker among the players involved in the stop.

The Buffaloes had another sequence in which Baylor was flagged for a defensive penalty that was declined, while a personal foul for hands to the face on Colorado defensive lineman Dylan Manuel resulted in an automatic first down. The sequence was another example of how penalties became a recurring storyline throughout the afternoon.

Even the ESPN commentators, Lowell Galindo and Kirk Morrison claimed that the penalties were becoming a theme of the game.

The DeAndre Moore Hit Adds Another Layer

The most controversial officiating moment, however came when Colorado wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. took a hard hit from Baylor’s Travion Barnes.

Moore appeared to take a significant hit from Barnes and lied motionless for a while on the ground as Colorado’s training staff tended to him and ultimately helped him off the field. Moore did not end up returning to the game.

The officials did not call targeting on Barnes, which immediately became a heated discussion amongst Colorado fans across social media.

It is important to distinguish between helmet-to-helmet contact and an automatic targeting penalty. Not every collision involving helmets necessarily meets the rule’s technical requirements for targeting according to the officials. However, due to the severity of the contact and Moore’s inability to return, the play received a great amount of attention.

Ultimately, despite the frustration over mainly that one call of no-targeting, the officials cannot receive the brunt of the blame for Colorado’s loss. Moore’s injury impacted the already struggling Buffaloes’ offense as he stood as a reliable target for Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis, who was benched in favor of quarterback Isaac Wilson.

The team struggled to effectively move the ball and missed opportunities to sustain momentum. Baylor did just enough to earn their 23-13 victory but for Colorado, the biggest aspect of this matchup was the series of harmful penalties that the Buffaloes caused themselves.

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