Ryan Staub jumps to front of Colorado quarterback battle as Buffs beat Delaware 31-7

How a third-stringer changed the game

The scoreboard says routine win. The sideline told a different story. Colorado’s 31-7 victory over Delaware turned into a live audition at quarterback, and the surprise winner was Ryan Staub. The third-stringer needed only four drives to tilt the night, post 21 points, and push the Buffaloes back to 1-1 after the sting of opening week.

The plan was a rotation. It started with Kaden Salter, who took the first snaps and flashed what he does best, capping an early series with a 9-yard keeper for a touchdown. But the rhythm never settled. Salter went nearly two hours between his first two series and his next appearance, a dead zone that can wreck timing for any quarterback. When he returned, the ball stalled and the home crowd let him hear it. Boos aren’t a data point, but they framed the mood: patience is thin, and the standard is high.

Then came 17-year-old freshman Guju Lewis, the practice buzz everyone had been curious about. He got three series, including one to close it out. The pace, the physicality, the windows—college football moves fast, and Lewis looked like a teenager getting his first real look at it. The arm talent is obvious, but the offense tightened with him under center. Colorado protected him with conservative calls and short throws, and Delaware squeezed the space.

Staub entered with 45 seconds left in the first half and immediately cut through the noise. He hit DeKalon Taylor on a 21-yard strike before the break, a clean read and a confident ball in a two-minute situation. Early in the third quarter, he found Sincere Brown down the boundary for a 71-yard touchdown that snapped the game open at 24-7. Four possessions. Three touchdowns. No panic. That kind of efficiency travels.

“There’s been a lot of days of a lot of work and some self-doubt,” Staub said afterward. “It’s crazy to be rewarded this way. It doesn’t really feel real.” You could see how much it meant when head coach Deion Sanders made sure Staub got the spotlight in the postgame TV hit. That’s not accidental. Coaches send messages with where they point the camera.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur spread the credit. “I give those guys credit,” he said. “To be in the flow and stay in the flow with a three-quarterback rotation is not easy.” He’s right. Quarterbacks live on repetition and routine. Colorado asked three different players to stop and start, then restart again, and two of them struggled to find a rhythm. Staub didn’t. That’s the headline.

Beyond the quarterback drama, Colorado did what it needed to do against a heavy underdog. The offense piled up 398 yards, the defense forced two turnovers, produced two fourth-down stops, and special teams added a blocked punt. Delaware, a 24.5-point underdog, cut the lead to 10-7 and briefly made it anxious inside Folsom. Staub’s first touchdown quieted that, and the deep shot after halftime turned the rest into a formality.

What changed with Staub? The ball came out on time. The calls felt lighter, the tempo cleaner. He threw in-rhythm to the intermediate level before the half, then punished single coverage with the long ball after it. Nothing looked forced. He played within structure and let the playmakers do the heavy lifting after the catch. For a staff that’s preaching clean football after a 27-20 opening loss to Georgia Tech, that checks a lot of boxes.

Salter’s night was more complicated. He’s the most experienced of the group and still the best runner. The touchdown sprint showed why his legs are a weapon in the red zone and on short yardage. But the passing game stalled, and the gap between series made it hard for him to find touch or tempo. If Colorado wants to lean on zone read and designed quarterback runs, Salter fits. If it wants a smoother drop-back game on the road, the staff has a decision to make.

As for Lewis, the long view still matters. He’s 17, and the flashes that turned heads in practice haven’t translated under the lights yet. That’s not surprising. The jump from the practice field to live reps can humble even blue-chip prospects. The staff protected him, and that was smart. He’ll get better with speed, reps, and a wider play sheet. Whether that timeline matches the demands of next week is another question.

Look at the pivot points. Delaware crept back to 10-7 after Colorado’s early control faded. The stadium tightened. Momentum tilted. Then Staub ran a rapid two-minute drill and hit the end zone right before halftime. That’s situational football—points when the clock is short and the game is wobbling. The 71-yard shot after the break didn’t just extend the lead; it forced Delaware out of its comfort zone and into chase mode. The rest of the night, Colorado’s defense could tee off.

Speaking of that defense, it backed up the offense’s midgame surge. The two takeaways and the fourth-down denials flipped possessions. A blocked punt set the tone on special teams, and the Blue Hens found little room after their lone touchdown. This wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was comprehensive: points, pressure, and field position all tilting in Colorado’s favor for long stretches.

What it means for Houston and the QB depth chart

Sanders has a choice to make before the road trip to Houston. Name a starter early and build the week around him, or keep the rotation and force the Cougars to prepare for three styles. Either path has trade-offs. A single starter helps with cadence, checks, and protection calls in a noisy stadium. A rotation keeps the opponent guessing and lets Colorado ride the hot hand.

Staub’s case is straightforward. He was calm, efficient, and productive. He handled the two-minute drill well, then hit an explosives-driven second half without turning the ball over. That kind of profile—clean operation with answers against pressure—usually survives the stress of a road environment. It’s also the safest way to grow an offense that needs fewer self-inflicted wounds.

Salter’s case is different but valuable. On the road, quarterback runs can be a cheat code when crowd noise wrecks protection and receivers struggle to separate. His legs create first downs when a play breaks. If Colorado starts Staub, it can still package Salter for red zone and short yardage. That keeps the run threat alive and prevents defenses from teeing off on pure drop-back looks.

Lewis, for now, feels like a sub-package option. A few scripted plays. Some motion to create easy throws. Maybe a series if the staff wants to stress the edges or test Houston’s eye discipline. Long term, he’s still a building block. Short term, he’s a changeup more than a starter.

What should fans watch this week? Three things. First, how reps get split in practice—if Staub takes the bulk with the ones, that’s a tell. Second, whether Sanders names a starter publicly or keeps it in-house until kickoff. Third, hints in the game plan: heavier run looks and quarterback keepers, or a call sheet built around quick game and play-action shots.

There’s also the matter of sample size. Delaware is a very different test than a road game against Houston. The staff knows that. The film still shows habits that translate: on-time throws, coverage identification, pocket control, ball security. Those are opponent-proof. If Colorado leans into those habits, the identity of this offense becomes clearer regardless of who starts.

The wider picture is simple: Year two under Deion Sanders is about stacking competency. After a 27-20 loss to Georgia Tech, the Buffaloes needed stability. They found a version of it in a third-stringer who played like he’d been waiting for this exact moment. The defense backed it with takeaways and special teams added a block. That’s complementary football, the piece Sanders keeps asking for.

The crowd’s restlessness was real. The boos for Salter weren’t subtle. But the locker room will rally behind whoever gets the nod in Houston. That’s usually how it works when roles are earned on Saturdays. Staub made his pitch with touchdowns and composure. Salter made his with toughness and the ground game. Lewis reminded everyone that ceiling and readiness are different timelines.

Colorado came out of Folsom with a comfortable win, a clearer picture of its quarterback room, and a week to sort the rest out. The opponent gets tougher. The stadium gets louder. The margin for error shrinks. The choice under center will say a lot about how Sanders wants this team to win on the road—and whether Saturday night in Boulder was a spark or the start of something more stable.