HOUSTON – Colorado football coach Deion Sanders tried out a new starting quarterback Friday night against Houston but didn’t get the kind of results he wanted and now might have to reconsider the position again after a 36-20 loss at TDECU Stadium.
As expected, Sanders started Ryan Staub, who answered the call at quarterback with an underwhelming performance that included a slow start, one late touchdown pass and two fourth-quarter interceptions. Meanwhile, Houston kept hogging the ball in the second half and finished with five field goals from Cougars kicker Ethan Sanchez and two touchdown runs after halftime from quarterback Conner Weigman.
Staub, a redshirt sophomore, completed 19 of 35 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
He had risen to the starting position this week after a “tryout” performance last week coming off the bench in a 31-7 win against Delaware. He was listed as Colorado’s third-string quarterback as recently as a week ago, then shot up to No. 1 on Friday before starting slowly on his first four possessions against the Cougars, all of which ended in punts.
He recovered with two touchdown drives on his final two series before halftime, cutting Houston’s lead to 16-14. But it wasn’t enough.
The loss drops Colorado to 1-2 and adds uncertainty to the quarterback position, where Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter started the first two games for the Buffaloes. Houston improved to 3-0 in front of announced crowd of 37,899.
Colorado vs. Houston highlights
Final: Houston 36, Colorado 20
Houston adds another field goal
Another field goal from Ethan Sanchez gives Houston a 36-20 lead with 3:34 left. Sanchez this time hit from 49 yards, his fifth field goal of the game.
Colorado cuts into deficit
Colorado cuts Houston’s lead to 33-20 as Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub threw his first touchdown pass of the game with 4:34 remaining. Staub’s scoring pass to receiver Joseph Williams went 37 yards on second down.
The ensuing two-point attempt failed, leaving the Buffaloes with too little, too late. Staub has completed 18 of 32 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
Houston pushes lead to 33-14
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman scored a 7-yard touchdown run, helping lift his team to a 33-14 lead with 11:39 left. The score ended a three-play, 61-yard possession highlighted by a 54-yard pass from Weigman to receiver Stephon Johnson on second down.
It’s Weigman’s second touchdown run of the game.
Colorado has had only nine plays for minus-5 yards in the second half.
Houston leads 26-14
Houston running back Dean Connors burst left on an 18-yard run before crashing just short of the front corner of the end zone. But Houston followed through with a quarterback sneak for a touchdown on the next play, helping the Cougars extend their lead to 26-14 with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
Colorado has only had the ball for three plays so far in the third quarter.
Houston leads 19-14
Houston leads 19-14 after another field goal from Houston kicker Ethan Sanchez, this time from 35 yards with 6:25 left in the third quarter. That makes Sanchez 4-for-4 on field-goal tries for the night as Colorado’s defense once again bent but didn’t break. The Houston drive lasted 8:35 and went 57 yards in 17 plays. The Buffaloes haven’t had the ball yet in the second half.
Houston loses another offensive lineman
Houston offensive lineman McKenzie Angello limped off the field after being injured with 11:14 left in the third quarter, marking at least the second injury of the game for Houston’s offensive front. Houston lineman David Ndukwe was carted off in the first half with an apparent leg injury.
Houston leads at halftime 16-14
Quarterback Ryan Staub led his team downfield with passes of 36 and 25 yards before scrambling for 19 yards to the goal line and nearly scoring a touchdown to end the first half. The ball popped loose from him short of the end zone but was recovered by tight end Zach Atkins for a Colorado touchdown with 26 seconds left in the first half.
The score cut Houston’s lead to 16-14 after Staub seemed to catch fire during this two-minute drill, much like he did to end the first half last week in a 31-7 win against Delaware.
Staub is 12-for-18 passing for 120 yards. He started slowly, having led his team to punts on their first four possessions. But he’s since led his team downfield for touchdowns on their final two series of the second quarter.
Another field goal lifts Houston to 16-7 lead
Houston kicker Ethan Sanchez is 3-for-3 on field-goal tries after drilling a 47-yarder with 1:45 left in the first half. The kick gives the Cougars a 16-7 lead after Colorado scored on the previous drive. Sanchez has scored from 52, 43 and 47 yards so far.
Colorado running game wakes up
Colorado put together its best drive of the game so far to cut Houston’s lead to 13-7 with 7:33 left before halftime. Running back Simeon Price, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, took off on a 38-yard touchdown run to cap a 93-yard drive for the Buffaloes. A pass interference call against Houston enabled it when Colorado faced third down from its own 7-yard line early in the series. Instead of punting again, the Buffs got a first down and took advantage of it.
Colorado offense fails to convert again
The Buffaloes under new quarterback Ryan Staub have gone three-and-out on three straight possessions while Houston has scored on all three of its possessions. It’s not clear how long this will go on before coach Deion Sanders switches quarterbacks. Houston leads 13-0 with 12:43 left in the first half.
Colorado’s only first downs in the game came on its first series.
Deion Sanders calls his defense ‘hot garbage’
The Cougars are now up 13-0 after nailing a 43-yard field goal with 14:13 left in the first half. The Cougars have scored on all three of their possessions and have outgained Colorado 181-45 in total yards. After the first quarter, Colorado coach Deion Sanders told ESPN his defense looked like “hot garbage.”
Another three-and-out for Ryan Staub
On Staub’s third series, the Buffaloes went three-and-out again. Staub got sacked and threw two incompletions and is now 6-for-9 passing for 42 yards. He hasn’t driven his team farther than the Houston 47-yard line. Houston still leads 10-0 late in the first quarter.
Houston takes 10-0 lead
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman took off on a 49-yard run down the right side of the field on first down to set up a touchdown for the Cougars with 3:52 left in the first quarter. Running back Dean Connors capped the five-play, 79-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Houston has outgained Colorado 137-36 in total yards and has six first downs compared to two for Colorado after two possessions each for both teams.
Ryan Staub’s second drive fizzles
On Ryan Staub’s second drive, Colorado went three-and-out before punting. He completed an 8-yard pass but then threw an incompletion on third down and 2. He’s now 5-for-7 passing for 32 yards. A big question hovering over him is how long coach Deion Sanders will stick with him if he fails to march the team downfield.
Houston takes 3-0 lead
Houston kicker Ethan Sanchez kicked a 52-yard field goal that barely cleared the crossbar to lift the Cougars to a 3-0 lead with 6:42 left in the first quarter. The kick capped a 10-play drive that went 63 yards after starting at Houston’s own 3-yard line.
Houston lineman carted off
Houston offensive lineman David Ndukwe was carted off the field with an apparent leg injury with 6:48 left in the first quarter and the game tied 0-0. A Colorado defender apparently fell on his leg, leading to a stoppage in play as he was helped onto the cart and taken off the field.
Ndukwe sat up in the cart and waved to the crowd as he left.
Ryan Staub starts game, leads stalled drive
Ryan Staub indeed did start the game for Colorado at quarterback, but his first drive petered out when he underthrew a pass over the middle on third down and 12 from the Houston 47-yard line. He completed 4 of 5 passes for 24 yards. Houston takes over with 10:39 left in the first quarter.
When is Colorado vs Houston game?
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 12 from TDECU Stadium in Houston.
How to watch Colorado vs Houston
The game will be televised on ESPN and also is available on Fubo.
Watch Colorado vs. Houston on Fubo with a free trial
Colorado vs Houston odds
College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook; Odds updated Sept. 11. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Spread: Houston (-4.5)
Moneyline: Houston (-200), Colorado (+165)
Total: 45.5 points
Ryan Staub warming up with first-team offense
Colorado quarterback Ryan Staub warmed up with the first-team offensive line about 30 minutes before the game. He also was listed on top of the depth chart distributed in the press box before the game. If he starts as expected, it would be his second career start and first since a 23-17 loss at Utah to end the regular season in 2023.
Tent covering portable toilet falls down
Colorado coach Deion Sanders has been open about his health issues since having his cancerous bladder removed in May. Earlier this week, he spoke about the portable toilet he has on the sideline in case he needs it. He said he hasn’t used it yet but joked about somebody possibly using it in a game and whether a wind gust might knock it down to reveal the occupant on the toilet.
Well, guess what happened hours before Friday’s game?
Colorado brought a Depend-sponsored portable toilet with him to Houston and put it on the sideline, but the tent that covers it fell down. No one was in it at the time.
Pop-Tarts Bowl credentialed for this game
Representatives from the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando have been credentialed for this Big 12 Conference opener. After the College Football Playoff has filled its bracket, the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Dec. 27 matches the top selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference against the second selection from the Big 12.
Scouts from the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants also had assigned seats in the press box.
Who are Colorado’s other two quarterbacks?
Before Friday, Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter had started the first two games for Colorado. Heralded freshman Julian Lewis previously was listed as the No. 2 QB. Salter is a dual threat quarterback who led Liberty to a 13-1 record in 2023. He played the entire season opener for Colorado on Aug. 29, a 27-20 loss against Georgia Tech. But then in the Delaware game, Sanders said he wanted to give each of his three quarterbacks at least two series initially and then see who would emerge.
Salter led the team to a 10-0 lead on his first two series vs. Delaware. Lewis’s first two possessions ended in punts.
Who is Ryan Staub, the new Colorado quarterback?
Staub is a redshirt sophomore from Stevenson Ranch, California, who served as backup the past two seasons under Deion Sanders’ quarterback son Shedeur. He barely played except for the final regular season game of 2023, when Shedeur was injured. He played well in the game but lost 23-17.
He was listed as Colorado’s third-string quarterback as recently as last week but was put in the game on a tryout basis of sorts last week vs. Delaware with 45 seconds left before halftime. The Buffaloes led at the time 10-7. By the time he left the game in the second half, Colorado led 31-7 after Staub had led the team on three touchdown drives in four possessions, highlighted by touchdown passes of 21 and 71 yards. The Buffaloes won 31-7.
That led coach Deion Sanders to consider starting Staub vs. Houston.
Why is this a key game for Deion Sanders?
It’s the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. It’s also a key test for Colorado at the most important position on the field. Who will be Colorado’s quarterback this season? Deion Sanders said he wants to settle on one quarterback and not play “musical chairs” in the position. Ryan Staub could steal the job if he plays well. If not, the Buffs might go back to Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter.
Announcers for Colorado vs Houston
ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Anish Shroff will call the game along with former Houston quarterback Andre Ware, the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner. They will be joined by sideline reporter Paul Carcaterra.
Colorado injury update
Wide receiver Omarion Miller is expected to be out a second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Running back Dallan Hayden could make his season debut if he comes back from a hand injury.
How will Colorado win or lose this game?
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
