Buffs thump Blue Hens; look to Houston

BY LEOPOLDO RIVERA IV | 365 SPORTS

Fresh off their first win, the Colorado Buffaloes (1-1) hit the road to face the Houston Cougars (2-0) in a Friday night showdown.

Last Saturday, the Buffs made off with a 31-7 victory over the Delaware Blue Hens. 

Kaidon Salter received the first two drives for Colorado, followed by two series of Juju Lewis. What nobody expected was the emergence of quarterback three, Ryan Staub, who ignited Colorado’s offense during a 2-minute drive to close the half. 

Entering the game with 45 seconds and a dream, Staub confidently stepped into his throws over the middle, providing the explosion Colorado lacked. He went 7/10 on completions for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Another sold-out Colorado crowd erupted in cheers for Staub whenever he was in the game.

The premeditated move was one that head coach Deion Sanders felt confident in beginning the night before. The play of Staub stirred up conversations on which quarterback would start against Houston. 

“I know exactly how I am going to handle the quarterback situation,” Sanders said. “I’m not going to say it. I’m not lostfor direction.” 

For a second time this season, Colorado eclipsed 100 yards on the ground, behind the legs of leading rusher Simeon Price, who had 55 yards. The offense relied on the short passing game again, taking what Delaware gave them. Sincere Brown was the leading receiver with four receptions, 120 yards and a score. 

Salter had an efficient day through the air, going 13/16 during his time under center, while not taking many deep shots. He also scored the first touchdown of the game on a scramble towards the right pylon, demonstrating his dual-threat ability. Lewis had the least amount of opportunity of the day, going 2/4 on passes in his short time. 

Although Colorado only limited the Blue Hens to 7 points, the nearly 400 yards of offense given up raised concerns about the defense’s consistency. Jeremiah Brown was a standout at linebacker with eight total tackles. 

Looking at their matchup in Texas, the Buffs will have to key in on Cougars running back Dean Connors, who had 132 yards along with two touchdowns. Although they started slowly, the Cougars had a burst in the fourth quarter. 

Beginning conference play, Houston will be a challenging and physical opponent with the home-field advantage over Colorado. The Buffs will need to play a flawless game, establish the run, and rely on their defense to escape victorious. 

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN. 

BY LEOPOLDO RIVERA IV | 365 SPORTS