Julian Lewis needed one yard. Colorado had reached fourth down against Baylor, the kind of situation where the quarterback can either become the answer or take the blame when the play fails. Lewis lined up in shotgun. The Buffs didn’t get the conversion. Former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel had a problem with it.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“To me, we got to get back to the fundamental side of things,” Samuel said on September 27. “We need to let the quarterbacks start getting used to playing back under the center, how football first started.
“Because on that fourth-and-one for Colorado, they didn’t convert. That fourth-and-one when Juju Lewis lined up in shotgun, I don’t like that. Quarterbacks need to line up under the center, and a physical play should follow.”
Lewis had been in the shotgun throughout much of the afternoon in Waco. Colorado used shotgun on its early third-and-short situations as well, including a third-and-1 that Micah Welch converted for a first down.
Lewis also kept the ball on a third-and-4 later in the drive, picking up six yards before Colorado eventually punted. But Colorado couldn’t convert any of its 2 fourth-down attempts. Lewis, though, took part in only the first one.
Colorado started with a field goal in the first quarter, and Baylor responded with 3 points in its first second-quarter drive. Following another halted drive from Baylor, Deion Sanders’ team finally got the ball with 8:24 left in the second quarter.
Five plays later in that drive, Baylor forced Colorado into a critical fourth-and-one situation. Colorado called a run on the play, but it went nowhere. Baylor senior safety Micah Gifford read it quickly and stopped the runner short.
The turnover gave Baylor a strong starting spot, and the Bears made Colorado pay. DJ Lagway found Gavin Freeman for a 3-yard touchdown soon after, putting Baylor ahead 10-3. OC Brennan Marion’s decision to line up Lewis in the shotgun did become costly.
When the QB is under center, the defense has to account for a sneak, especially in short-yardage situations. That threat can stop defenders from selling out against the running back. The shotgun takes that option away.
With the quarterback several yards behind the line, a traditional sneak is not really available. Defenders can attack their gaps without having to worry about the quarterback pushing straight up the middle. The shotgun can also hurt the running back’s momentum.
From under center, the back takes the handoff while moving downhill toward the line. In an I-formation or singleback set, he has a few steps to build speed before hitting the hole. That is harder to do from the shotgun.
The back often takes the handoff while moving sideways, then has to turn and get north before he can hit the line. When the offense needs one yard, those extra movements can make a difference.
“I’m telling you man, we can’t reinvent what needs to happen when it comes to physical play or the physicality of the game,” Samuel said.
That was only one part of a rough afternoon for Lewis. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 75 yards in the first half, but Colorado managed only three points while he was on the field.
Baylor sacked him three times, and the Buffs went just 1-for-7 on third down before halftime. Deion Sanders replaced Lewis with Isaac Wilson to start the second half.
Wilson eventually gave Colorado the spark it needed. The Utah transfer led a 12-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that pulled the Buffs level at 13-13 in the fourth quarter. Baylor answered with 10 points late.
The second 4th down play also became a similar story. Lewis wasn’t involved in the play, and Isaac Wilson lined up in the shotgun.
With just 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the team trailing 13-23, Deion Sanders decided to go for it on fourth down. Again, Wilson lined up in the shotgun, though this time it was a 4th-and-17 situation.
The second play was understandable since CU needed a perfect pass, and shotgun made sense in the situation. However, Wilson couldn’t complete the pass, and Baylor eventually won the game.
Sanders said afterward that pulling Lewis was his decision because Colorado needed to get moving offensively. He also told Wilson he did not need to be “the man,” but should distribute the ball to the players around him.
