For about 30 minutes in Stillwater, the Buffaloes looked like a team ready to snap out of its slide. Their quarterback could not miss, two receivers were running free, and they jogged into the locker room at halftime holding a lead.

Then the second half turned into the worst version of a season that now includes five straight losses. Colorado coach Deion Sanders sounded like someone who desperately wanted some answers at his post-game conference. 

“I really don’t understand it, because we are disciplined in every area of this program,” Sanders said.

Here are three Buffaloes rising and three falling after Oklahoma State.

Rising: Wide receiver Joseph Williams

Wide receiver Joseph Williams played like the best receiver on the field before halftime. He caught eight passes for 130 yards in the first two quarters and finished with nine catches for 135 yards, the kind of line that usually headlines a win.

Williams caught one pass for 5 yards after the break, and he was honest about the collapse. 

“I can say it’s deflating because all week at practice that was the main message for us,” Williams said after the game.

When the offense leaned on him, he delivered, and whoever plays quarterback from here should look his way first.

Rising: Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.

Wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. made sure the first half was not a one-man show. He caught five passes for 106 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, giving the Buffaloes two 100-yard receivers in the same game.

Moore averaged more than 21 yards per catch, and that big-play ability gave Oklahoma State a second problem to solve. He proved he can flip the field when this offense needs it.

Rising: Quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne

Quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne was not supposed to be part of this conversation in October. The true freshman enrolled early in January as a three-star prospect, and Saturday he became the fifth quarterback to take snaps for the program since Shedeur Sanders left.

He entered with about seven minutes left and completed 3 of 5 passes for 63 yards, including a 51-yard strike. His first drive ended in a three-and-out, so nobody should crown him off one appearance.

Still, handing him the ball spoke loudly. Sanders has called the position an open competition, and Sweetwyne now has a real seat at that table. 

"I want to be the guy that leads us to a championship," Sweetwyne said in June, describing the kind of player he wants to become. "I want to be the best quarterback I can in that program." 

Falling: Running back JaQuail Smith

With fellow running back Micah Welch sidelined by a hand injury, JaQuail Smith became the lead back, and Oklahoma State shut the door on him. He carried 13 times for 39 yards.

The blocking rarely gave him a clean lane, so the blame is shared. Still, a struggling quarterback needs a running game to lean on, and Smith could not provide that relief.

Falling: Quarterback Julian Lewis

Quarterback Julian Lewis opened the season with high expectations, and the early returns were encouraging. He beat Georgia Tech, threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns against Weber State, and has thrown just two interceptions all season.

The offense then scored 7 points against Northwestern and 13 against Baylor, and Sanders pulled him at halftime of the Baylor loss on Sept. 26. And since then, he has not played a single game.

Saturday should worry him most. With the starter struggling to protect the ball, the staff skipped Lewis entirely and chose instead to go with a freshman. For a player who led the room a month ago, the slide is quite stunning.

Falling: Quarterback Isaac Wilson

Quarterback Isaac Wilson looked like the answer before halftime. The Utah transfer completed his first nine passes and went 14 of 16 for 222 yards, and for a while the quarterback change looked like it had finally paid off.

After the break, Wilson completed 5 of 11 passes for 58 yards. He now has seven interceptions over his last three games, including three in a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech, and Sanders pulled him with about seven minutes left.

His coach still stood up for him.

"First half, Isaac played his butt off. he really did. First half wise, we played together as a unit.” Sanders said at his post-game press conference. 

One great half no longer outweighs the mistakes, though, and Saturday may have cost Wilson the job he took from Lewis.

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