Just when the Colorado Buffaloes found their footing against No. 14 Houston, their quarterback briefly lost his.

Colorado starting quarterback Isaac Wilson hobbled off in the third quarter of Friday night's game at Folsom Field and headed back to the locker room, leaving true freshman quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne to protect a 28-20 lead. Thankfully for Colorado, the scare didn't last, as Wilson was back under center early in the fourth quarter after the Buffaloes had opened a 35-20 lead in a game ESPN Analytics gave them a 17 percent chance to win before kickoff.

The Buffaloes ultimately pulled off the upset 42-32 over Houston on Friday.

"These kids are resilient. They have not stopped. They have not quit, they have not given up, as well as our coaching staff. I’m really a proud guy right now," Sanders said during his postgame interview with ESPN on the field.

Joseph Williams gave Isaac Wilson a highlight before the scare

Colorado's night turned on a wild finish to the first half. Trailing 20-7, the Buffaloes scored twice in the final two minutes, as running back DeKalon Taylor broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown run and fellow running back JaQuail Smith followed with a 32-yard score to send Colorado into the locker room up 21-20.

Wilson then kept the momentum rolling early in the third quarter, hitting Colorado wide receiver Joseph Williams for a 53-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to eight. At the 12:10 mark of the fourth quarter, Williams had five catches for 80 yards, while Wilson was 14-of-22 for 167 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

By that point, Colorado's offense had hummed at a pace rarely seen this fall, piling up 392 yards at 8.0 yards per play, with 225 coming on the ground, and converting seven of 11 third downs.

Kaneal Sweetwyne answered the bell

Sweetwyne didn't flinch when the job fell to him, needing only one carry to leave his mark, as his first rush of the night went for a 14-yard touchdown with 5:34 left in the third quarter, giving Colorado its most points against an FBS opponent this season.

The 6-3, 195-pounder from Lehi, Utah, arrived as a three-star prospect out of Skyridge High School after backing off an early commitment to BYU. Before Friday, his college resume consisted of 11 completions in 17 attempts for 105 yards, plus a rushing touchdown against Weber State, and his lone career start came at slot receiver against Texas Tech.

As it happens, the Colorado defense was doing its part as well. After three straight games without a takeaway, the Buffaloes had forced two turnovers by early in the fourth quarter, including an interception by defensive back Boo Carter off Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, while Colorado safety Randon Fontenette had chipped in a sack.

Deion Sanders can breathe for now

Colorado coach Deion Sanders turned to Sweetwyne ahead of redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, who started the first four games of the season, and the choice speaks volumes about where the true freshman stands in the pecking order.

Wilson's return eases the biggest worry, since Colorado entered the night at 3-6 and needed to win out to reach bowl eligibility, with a trip to Cincinnati up next. His first series back stalled on a fourth-down run at the Houston 38, though, so his mobility bears watching.

Sweetwyne, meanwhile, turned a short stretch of emergency duty into a touchdown, and on a night when Colorado needed someone to keep the engine running, the freshman did just that.

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