Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders shocked many by turning the offense over to Ryan Staub — and the longtime backup responded with a breakout showing reminiscent of the quarterback he had sat behind for two seasons, Shedeur Sanders.
Staub completed 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Buffs to a 31-7 victory over the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. His output outpaced Kaidon Salter, who went 13-for-16 with 127 total yards. Meanwhile, Julian Lewis, despite being the most highly paid of the group, appeared least ready to execute Pat Shurmur’s system.
Staub appeared as though he was made for the role, even though he entered the season with virtually no media attention.
That lack of buzz is what left USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer, who covers the Buffaloes, stunned by Staub’s sudden rise. Schrotenboer described the situation as “wild on many levels.”
“Salter and Lewis had dominated the headlines in the preseason as they battled to take over for Shedeur Sanders, now with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns,” Schrotenboer wrote. “But could the real solution have been the quarterback already on the roster the whole time?
“Deion Sanders originally intended to give all three quarterbacks two series each in the matchup against Delaware. Staub’s performance, though, was strong enough to earn extra snaps — a surprising twist hardly anyone expected.”
Coach Prime hasn’t officially confirmed a starter yet, but after Colorado’s season-opening victory, he came close to tipping his hand, telling reporters that his perspective matched what everyone saw on the field.
Right now, Staub has the look of QB1. And if Sanders doesn’t make it official soon, the calls for Staub to take over will only grow louder.