Colorado coach Deion Sanders benched starting quarterback Kaidon Salter during a game against Arizona.
Salter was benched after completing 11 of 15 passes for 49 yards, fumbling, and throwing an interception in the first half.
Backup quarterback Ryan Staub also threw an interception shortly after entering the game.
The Colorado football team hasn’t been nearly as good since starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders moved on to the NFL in April.
Sanders, now with the Cleveland Browns, got to see just how badly his former team has fallen without him Saturday night in Boulder. He watched from the sideline as his father, Colorado coach Deion Sanders, benched Shedeur’s replacement again in a 52-17 loss at home against Arizona.
Deion Sanders benched Kaidon Salter, Colorado’s regular starter at quarterback, near the end of the first half, when the Buffs trailed 38-7. Salter had completed 11-of-15 passes for 49 yards and one touchdown before halftime. But he also fumbled the ball and threw an interception, leading Sanders to put backup quarterback Ryan Staub in the game with 21 second left in the half.
By the time the game was over in Boulder, Colorado had used four quarterbacks and lost freshman quarterback Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis to a hand injury with 1:03 left in the game. It’s not known how serious the injury is as the Buffs next play at West Virginia on Nov. 8. The loss dropped Colorado to 3-6 in Deion Sanders’ third season in Boulder.
After the game, Deion Sanders blamed himself.
‘We’re not getting it done,’ Deion Sanders said. ‘And that’s from lack of preparation, I suppose. That’s on me.’
Why was Shedeur Sanders at the Colorado game?
Shedeur Sanders surprised his father by visiting him in Boulder Saturday during an off week for the Browns. He renewed his former pregame ritual with his father by walking with him on the field before kickoff.
‘These shenanigans put a damper on it,’ Deion Sanders said. ‘I haven’t seen my son in a long time. Forget the game. Forget this. Forget that. I haven’t seen my son in a long time, so that was quite emotional for me, him surprising me today in the office.’
His presence at the homecoming game also served as a reminder of one of Colorado’s biggest problems this season: lackluster play at quarterback.
Deion Sanders finally puts in freshman QB Julian Lewis
Salter has been disappointing for Colorado except for a couple of games after transferring from Liberty in December.
Deion Sanders previously benched Salter in favor of Staub for a game at Houston in September. Colorado lost that game, 36-20. But since beating Iowa State on Oct. 11, the Buffs have hit new lows with Salter behind center. They’ve been outscored 81-7 in the first half of their past two games, including Saturday night at Folsom Field.
But things didn’t immediately get better with Staub behind center, either. In fact, they got worse. Staub threw an interception on the second play of the second half, his first pass of the game. Then after Staub threw another interception on his next pass, Sanders benched Staub in favor of freshman Lewis, who entered the game in the third quarter with Colorado losing, 45-7. Lewis responded by throwing a 59-yard touchdown pass to receiver Omarion Miller, helping cut Arizona’s lead to 45-14 with 10:13 left in the third quarter.
Will Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis redshirt this season?
Asked what led him to put Lewis into the game, Sanders said, ‘Common sense.’
It’s still possible Lewis could redshirt this season. He’s played in two games this season. He can play in up to four games and still redshirt, which would allow him to have four more seasons of college eligibility after this season instead of three. Sanders said that decision would be up to Lewis.
‘You got to understand, I’m for the kids,’ Sanders said. ‘If that’s what they want, that’s what they’ll get. I’m not gonna mandate.’
Fourth-string quarterback enters game for Colorado
Staub attempted just two passes before getting benched himself. Both of those passes were intercepted by Arizona. His replacement, 18-year-old Lewis, completed 9 of 17 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown but left the game with injury to his right throwing hand with 1:03 left. He was replaced by fourth-string quarterback Dominiq Ponder, a transfer from Bethune Cookman. Ponder attempted only one pass, which fell incomplete. He also was sacked for a loss of 8 yards.
The loss was Deion Sanders’ worst loss at home at Colorado and comes a week after Sanders suffered a 53-7 loss at Utah, the worst loss of his coaching career in college.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com