Amid what turned into a rather ho-hum, lopsided nonconference victory, there came a quarterback controversy.
At the end of the day, Colorado accomplished what it hoped to in the second game of the season against Delaware.
The Buffaloes won handily, pulling away from the Blue Hens for a 31-7 victory at Folsom Field on Saturday. CU appeared to escape serious injury. There were bright spots and alarming trends on both sides of the ball, but the Buffs were never truly threatened and picked up the "W" going into a short week that ends with a Friday night Big 12 opener at Houston.
Yet Buffs fans walked out of Folsom, or eventually switched to a more entertaining game, with their team embroiled in a full-blown quarterback quandary.
As expected, Kaidon Salter got his second start for the Buffs. As promised, five-star freshman JuJu Lewis made his CU debut. What was entirely unexpected was watching third stringer Ryan Staub come off the bench to steal the show.
After throwing two shaky passes into coverage, Staub went off. Staub's next three throws, covering the end of the first half through the opening drive of the third quarter, accounted for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When Staub entered the game, CU was sloughing through a Delaware upset bid and led just 10-7. Moments later it was 24-7 and the Blue Hens were pretty much plucked.
Just two games into the season, and CU's situation at the most important position on the field seems every bit as unsettled as it was after Shedeur Sanders played his final game for the Buffs in December.
Head coach Deion Sanders said afterward the plan not only was to get Lewis his first snaps, but to play all three quarterbacks in a two-series rotation out of the gate. After Staub outshined his teammates, Sanders said he has next week's plan in mind already, though he declined to reveal the plan publicly.
"I'm not lost for direction," Sanders said of the quarterback situation.
I wrote after last week's opener it would be a panic move to bench Salter in favor of the 17-year-old Lewis. I stand by that, but benching Salter for Staub is an entirely different story. And one that should happen against Houston.
Staub is no green rookie, having mentored for two years as a backup behind Shedeur Sanders. His chances have been limited, but he shined when previously called upon, going 17-for-24 for 195 yards with a touchdown -- and no interceptions -- in a spot start in place of an injured Shedeur at Utah in the 2023 season finale. And the spark the Buffs have been seeking offensively in the season's early stages were provided by Staub, who had the student section chanting his name after his aerial fireworks. Despite a renewed focus on the run game that has provided some solid early returns, the most talented position group on CU's roster remains the wide receivers. But no one saw why through nearly six full quarters this season, until Staub entered the fray.
Coach Sanders may not have revealed his intentions for Houston, but the entire scenario revealed a few truths. If CU was sold on Salter, a graduate transfer from Liberty, he should have been given more than two series in the first half in his continuing effort to settle in at his new job. If Coach Prime and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur were convinced the QB job is a two-horse race, Staub wouldn't have been used in a predetermined rotation. Especially since Delaware's upset bid remained very much alive when Staub's name was called.
Turning the keys over to Staub won't be without consequences. It shouldn't change the season-long plan for Lewis, who should be ticketed for a developmental year anyway. But would the highly touted youngster chafe if he drops to No. 3 on the depth chart? As for Salter, he came to Boulder with an expectation he would be the guy for his final season of college football. Would he be a willing good soldier if demoted?
Honestly, while Salter hasn't been perfect, if he was the guy coming out of training camp he really hasn't done anything to warrant a permanent benching. His first two drives against Delaware ended with 10 points and a 12-for-15 passing mark, and he also scored the game's first touchdown on a 9-yard run.
Staub simply was better.
"I wanted it to tell its own story," coach Sanders said of the quarterback rotation.
And the moral of that story wasn't difficult to discern. Start Staub.