Before Ryan Staub went onto the field after halftime, Deion Sanders stood beside him with one clear directive.
"We believe in you, man. Look at that. They believe in you," Sanders told his third-string quarterback.
Staub backed up those words moments later when he hit Sincere Brown for a 71-yard touchdown. His second of the game, which fired up the crowd at Folsom Field. It was a perfect narrative in a week filled with questions about Colorado’s quarterback depth.Staub finished with 157 yards and two touchdowns and emerged as the most effective of the three quarterbacks in Colorado’s 31-7 win over Delaware.
“This is who he is,” Sanders said postgame. “He’s a man of opportunity, that’s all he is.”
Salter rushed for a touchdown early but was pulled after two drives. Freshman Julian Lewis saw limited action but couldn’t move the offense. That’s when Sanders turned to Staub. “I had a plan,” Sanders said. “Each quarterback was going to get two series, and somebody was going to come out of the pack.”
Staub waited behind Shedeur Sanders for two years and stayed in Boulder despite the arrival of Salter and Lewis. The former three-star recruit had one prior start in relief of Sanders, who was out for the 2023 season finale at Utah.
“I had a dream and saw something and wanted to chase it,” Staub said. “I love being here. I love playing for Coach Prime.”
Sanders didn't reveal his starting QB for next week’s Big 12 opener at Houston, but did drop a few hints. The Buffs face the Cougars on Friday night (7:30 p.m./TV: ESPN).
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