Colorado knew what it was getting in signing Joseph Williams during the offseason.
The sophomore receiver has made some big plays for the Buffaloes this year, but busted loose on Saturday in a 24-17 win against then-No. 22 Iowa State. Williams, a transfer from Tulsa, caught a career high eight passes for 128 yards (second-best total in his career) and a touchdown.
“I don’t know if it’s a breakthrough moment,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “Joseph’s been doing his thing. We’ve got to get it to him. That’s it, straight up. We’ve got to get it to him. We’ve got a great receiving corps, man. Those guys can play.”
CU (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), which is on a bye this week, hasn’t had the production in the passing game it expected this season, but Williams is putting together a stellar campaign. He leads the Buffs with 24 catches for 370 yards (second on the team) and three touchdowns (second).
“JoJo, he’s one of the guys on the team that just always have a smile on his face,” quarterback Kaidon Salter said. “He comes to work every day. He’s one of the leaders in that receiver room. He was a freshman All-American last year at Tulsa, so everybody knows what he’s capable of doing and today he came out there and showed it.”
Williams helped to spark the offense against the Cyclones. CU was on the verge of a third straight three-and-out to start the game when Williams went to the ground to scoop up a low throw from Salter on third-and-10 and move the chains. Nine plays later the Buffs took a 7-0 lead.
Overall, he had six catches that went for first downs and another for a 3-yard touchdown that gave the Buffs the lead for good, 21-17, with 4:26 to play in the third quarter. His 38-yard catch with under 2 minutes remaining helped CU run out the clock and seal the win.
Last year, Williams was the American Athletic Conference freshman of the year at Tulsa, catching 30 passes for 588 yards and five touchdowns.
“Joseph is a dawg, man,” Sanders said. “He was a dawg where he played a year ago. We’re happy to get him. I’ve been knowing him for years, his family for years, so I’m glad he chose us.”
Utah game time
There’s another night game on tap for the Buffaloes.
On Monday, the Big 12 announced that the Buffs’ game on Oct. 25 at Utah has been slated for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff. The game at Rice-Eccles Stadium will be broadcast on ESPN.
It will be CU’s third game at 8:15 p.m. and the sixth that will start at 5:30 p.m. MT or later. It will also be the Buffs’ sixth time on ESPN this season.
Keeping Salter clean
Salter wasn’t sacked on Saturday, a rare feat for the Buffs. It was the first time since Nov. 5, 2022, against Oregon that CU didn’t allow sack. It was just the third time in the last 69 games, dating back to 2019, that no sacks were allowed.
“It means a lot to me, as an O-line; as a collective O-line it means a lot to us,” guard Zy Crisler said. “We take pride in no sacks, no pressures, no nothing. We don’t want none of that. Every weekend we try to just build on every week and just make it better.”
CU gave up the most sacks in the country (99) over the past two years combined, but has allowed just 14 this year.
Notable
CU freshman Quentin Gibson is second in the country in kickoff return yards, with 427, one yard behind UAB’s Solomon Beebe. … Damon Greaves is tied for fifth nationally and leads all Power 4 conference punters with 14 kicks inside the 20-yard line.
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