The Colorado Buffaloes opened up Big 12 play with a 36-20 loss to Houston 36-20. The big story of the game was third-string quarterback Ryan Staub starting over transfer Kaidon Salter and five-star freshman Julian Lewis. Staub looked really good last week in a win against Delaware where Salter and Lewis both seemed to underwhelm. Needless to say, Staub was hoping to capitalize on the momentum, unfortunately to no avail.
"It wasn't good," Sanders said. "I'm lost for words. I just spoke to the team... Several thoughts that came to mind as no one could have told me that this game was gonna turn out like this. What the week of preparation that we had for the meetings that we had for the film study and the preparation that we had no one could have told me that it was gonna turn it like this, but... Oh, Lord, thank you. Thanking God for not allowing me to say what I wanted to say.
Colorado started the game punting, and right away the momentum began to swing Houston’s way. Some defensive penalties helped give the Cougars great field position to go up 3-0 to start. CU would then punt again, leading to Houston taking the ball again down the field on the Buffs defense. This time it was Houston running back Dean Connors scoring, giving Houston a 10-0 lead. The first quarter was all Houston, however CU would put up a good fight in the second quarter.
Colorado running back Simeon Price got the scoring going for the Buffaloes with a great 38-yard touchdown. Price did a good job showcasing his speed to get outside and into the end zone. The Buffs would get the ball later in the second quarter and this is where Staub began to show that magic that got him the start in this game to begin with.
He saved the drive with a great improvised shovel pass, then gave us an insane rush where he seemed to have back flipped into the end zone, however fumbled, but tight end Zach Atkins was right there to recover for the CU touchdown. This put Colorado within striking distance 16-14 going into the half, however this would be the closest the Buffs would get.
The third quarter was simply all Houston. I’ll put it this way. The Buffaloes ran five plays in those 15 minutes of game time. That’s it. From there Houston slowly but surely choked the game away. The Buffaloes tried and tried to get things going offensively, but to no avail.
The fourth quarter was more of the same. If there is to be any bright spot for the Buffaloes it would be running back Simeon Price. There was a spark more often than not when he carried the ball, and had a nice catch and run on a screen pass in the fourth quarter. There could be something there for Coach Prime to look into going forward, as this Buffalo offense simply needs a spark, from somewhere, somehow.
Staub would get some garbage time stats with a touchdown pass to Joseph Williams late, but would also get sacked in the two point conversion attempt, so 3 steps forward, 2 steps back there. And ended the game with a bad interception late. The big conversation going forward will be who will CU go with going forward at QB. Might want to go back to Salter, although at this point a spark is needed, and the freshman Lewis doesn’t know what he doesn’t know yet, so why not?
"It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all," Sanders said. "I take it with full responsibility of the foolishness that went on out there that we tried to name football, we're not sure that we're gonna have butt's kick, you don't you don't have to be polite with me. You don't have the sugar coating. I come from a mama who kept it a butt with me. So let's be real, We get our buts kick."
From Houston’s perspective, they have to love their QB Conner Weigman. He was billed as a pocket passer coming out of high school but he did a really good job also showcasing his legs today. He had 222 yards passing, but also added 83 yards on the ground, with 2 rushing touchdowns as well. Rushing QBs continue to be a weakness for the CU defense, a weakness that will continue to be exploited unless something drastic changes going forward.
"We're not successful on either side of the ball as we would wish to be," Sanders noted. "What you see, I see sometimes what you see. I probably saw it a few seconds early, and I kind of heard it going down, and I knew what was going to transpire, we we gotta do better, man. We have a much better team. We gotta do better. Nobody could have thought, he told me that was gonna go down like that. It's no way."
The Buffaloes return home to face Wyoming next weekend and have a good shot to try to turn things around, and changes will be needed.
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