Colorado fell to 1-2 after a 36-20 loss to Houston, leaving coach Deion Sanders ‘dumbfounded.’
Sanders expressed uncertainty about the team’s quarterback situation after starter Ryan Staub’s performance.
Sanders took full responsibility for the team’s performance, stating they need to improve in every phase.
HOUSTON – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders sat down on a folding chair in a warm, cramped room Friday night and tried to provide some answers about what just happened.
But he didn’t really have any.
He said he was “dumbfounded” after his team fell apart in various ways during a 36-20 loss to Houston. The loss dropped Colorado to 1-2 this season in front of an announced crowd of 37,899 at TDECU Stadium. Houston improved to 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.
“Nobody could have told me that was gonna go down like that,” Sanders told reporters afterward. “There’s no way.”
Sanders even blamed “night games” for his team’s sluggishness before backtracking and noting that the opponent is playing at night, too. Sanders’ laundry list to clean up otherwise included his defense, his coaching and his quarterback situation, which remains unresolved.
“I have no idea,” Sanders said when asked about the future of that position.
At one point he was asked where he was falling below his own expectations as a coach. Which specific areas?
“Every,” Sanders said. “Every. Every. Yeah, every.”
It starts with the most important position on the field.
What did Deion Sanders say about his new quarterback?
Sanders tried a new starting quarterback Friday, Ryan Staub, who was listed as the team’s third-string passer before he came off the bench to spark the team in a 31-7 win against Delaware. Staub started slowly against Houston, leading his team to punts on four consecutive possessions to start the game. He then came alive to bring his team to within 16-14 at halftime. But then he couldn’t sustaine the momentum in the third quarter and finished with two interceptions in the fourth.
“Staub didn’t play well,” Sanders said. “I saw what you saw. He did not play well today.”
Staub completed 19 of 35 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown pass – a 37-yarder to receiver Joseph Williams with 4:34 left in the game. It was too little, too late, cutting Houston’s lead to 33-20.
“At the end of the day, it always falls on the quarterback,” Staub said.
Yet it wasn’t his fault alone. His receivers dropped passes at times and sometimes he didn’t get good protection. He was sacked three times.
In the third quarter, he barely got the ball. Colorado possessed the ball for only 2:11 of the 15-minute quarter as Houston grinded away on offense with 25 plays, compared to only five for Colorado.
“It wasn’t good,” Sanders said of the overall effort. “It wasn’t good at all. I take full responsibility of the foolishness that went on out there.”
What will Deion Sanders do at quarterback now?
He said he had no idea and wasn’t thinking about that after the game. Sanders basically has two choices: Stick with Staub and give him another shot at home next weekend against Wyoming in another night game. Or, go back to Kaidon Salter, the Liberty transfer who started Colorado’s first two games.
Celebrated freshman quarterback Julian Lewis also is an option but still is considered too young and underdeveloped at age 17.
“Our team is going to go as far as our QB room goes,” Staub said. “Those guys definitely need to stay ready, stay supportive. We need to all support each other, help each other, and yeah, this team is only going to go far as that room goes.”
What’s the deal with Colorado’s defense?
Colorado entered the game ranking among the bottom 30 in the nation in rushing defense and total defense. This time the Buffaloes gave up 209 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, including two in the second half to Houston quarterback Conner Weigman. His last one came on a 7-yard draw with 11:39 left, helping the Cougars go up 33-14.
“We just had trouble stopping the run,” Colorado defensive back Preston Hodge said. “It’s not a specific person’s fault.”
They often bent but didn’t always break. Houston kicker Ethan Sanchez drilled five field goals of 52, 43, 47, 35 and 49 yards.
“We’re getting our butts kicked,” Sanders said of his defense.
Sanders was particularly surprised by how his team fell flat after a week of practice that left him impressed.
‘No one could have told me that this game was gonna turn out like this with the week of preparation that we had, with the meetings that we had and the film study and the preparation that we had,’ Sanders said.
Kickoff against Wyoming next Saturday is 8:15 p.m. local time (10:15 p.m. ET). A week later, the Buffs host BYU in a game at the same time.
“We gotta do better in every phase of the game,” Sanders said. “We gotta to better preparing our kids. We gotta do better period.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
