Colorado Buffaloes Announce Schedule Update Against Texas Tech

The Colorado Buffaloes’ biggest game of the year will kick off in an electric nighttime environment at Folsom Field.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders arrives at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Buffaloes’ most anticipated matchup of the season is their Week 5 game against the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders. In all likelihood, the Red Raiders will still be undefeated and looking like frontrunners for the Big 12 championship by the time they meet the Buffaloes on Oct. 3. 

On Monday, the Big 12 announced that the game will kick off at 5:30 p.m. MT on FOX, bringing primetime attention to Coach Prime’s squad. Here’s a look at the impacts of the start time and what to watch for as the game approaches.

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes fans display a team flag during the game against the Weber State Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Folsom Field’s Environment

Week 5️⃣ TV Times 📺⏰ pic.twitter.com/RRpNTi3PKB

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 21, 2026

A nighttime kickoff is crucial for the Buffaloes, as the home crowd will be able to ride the wave of flashing lights and a packed house. This is Colorado’s homecoming game, and the Buffs announced a black-and-gold stripe-out to celebrate the university’s 150th anniversary.

Texas Tech is arguably Colorado’s toughest opponent of the season, so the advantage of a rowdy home crowd can’t be overstated. If Colorado enters this game 3-1 off a win over the Baylor Bears to open Big 12 play, there will be substantial momentum playing in its favor as well.

Quarterback Matchup

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) reacts following a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Weber State Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The quarterback matchup for this contest is an odd one, but it gives the game another aspect of intrigue. Colorado redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis has been the starter through the first three games, and although he struggled mightily against the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 3, that is unlikely to change. 

Lewis has thrown for 1,247 yards and 10 touchdowns to two interceptions (both of which came last week against Northwestern) on 102-of-173 passes across his seven career appearances with five starts. This season, he has 658 passing yards with six touchdowns to two interceptions, with a 63.3 completion percentage.

The Red Raiders’ quarterback situation is less cut-and-dried, though. They have been rotating between junior Will Hammond and fifth-year senior Thomas Castellanos, who was reinstated to college football midway through this season.

Hammond has primarily been the starter, whereas Castellanos has come in during key run-downs. With Hammond still rehabbing a torn ACL, the two-quarterback system has kept him healthy while providing defenses with complex looks.

Impacts of an Upset Win for the Colorado Buffaloes

Sep 19, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) celebrates his touchdown against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Lewis can get the better of this unusual quarterback battle and the Buffaloes can come out on top, there are some serious conversations that need to begin. If that takes place, it’ll be a full rebound from Colorado’s blowout loss in Week 3 and a perfect launching pad into the rest of its Big 12 schedule.

This game is followed by a bye week, so Colorado will have two weeks to prepare for its next most difficult opponent of the season, the No. 15 Utah Utes. Prepping for that game will be something Colorado can do with immense confidence if it proves it can swing with the big dogs in primetime against the Red Raiders.

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