Colorado 31, Delaware 7

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September 6th – Boulder          Colorado 31, Delaware 7

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Third-string quarterback Ryan Staub led the Buffs to two back-to-back touchdowns on either side of halftime, allowing the Buffs to pull away from Delaware. Staub completed a a 21-yard touchdown pass to Dekalon Taylor with nine seconds left in the first half, then a 71-yard touchdown to Sincere Brown three plays into the third quarter, turning a 10-7 game into a 24-7 advantage, with the Buffs going on to a 31-7 home victory.

Coach Prime gave each of his quarterbacks two series to open the game. Kaidon Salter led the Buff offense to ten points in his drives, including a nine-yard scoring run on CU’s opening possession. Freshman Julian Lewis came in for the next two drives, but the Buff offense failed to score. Then, after Delaware scored in the final minute of the half to make it a 10-7 game, Staub’s heroics gave CU a three-score advantage. A 10-yard touchdown run by Micah Welch early in the fourth quarter closed out the scoring, allowing many of those 50,341 in attendance on a sunny Boulder afternoon the chance to head for the exits early.

The teams were almost even in total yards, 398-396, but three turnovers by the Blue Hens, together with two fourth down stops by the Buff defense in the red zone, allowed CU to hold Delaware to only seven points. Ryan Staub finished with seven completions in ten attempts, going for 157 yards and two touchdowns. CU’s leading rusher was Simeon Price, with 55 yards on nine carries. Sincere Brown became the first Buff receiver to top 100 yards on the season, with 120 yards on only four catches, including his 71-yard score.

“There’s been a lot of days of a lot of work and some self-doubt,” Staub explained of how he dealt with being third-string, with only one career start (against Utah to end the 2023 season). “It’s crazy to be rewarded this way. It doesn’t really feel real.”

“He earned it,” Coach Prime said of Staub. “You want to reward them with an opportunity.  I think that strengthens your team. When people say ‘they played the guy that was on the third string quarterback,’ and then guess what? He played so well the whole student body was chanting his name. I said, ‘You got to be kidding me.’ That’s a blessing for me, because I really take a liking to those young men, like I’m I’m the guy I cried when I saw the movie Rudy.  I did, okay, that’s just who I am.”

When asked about his plan for his quarterbacks going forward, Coach Prime replied, “Yes, I know exactly how I am going to handle the quarterback situation. I’m not going to say it, but no, I’m not lost for direction”.

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Game story … Delaware took the opening kickoff, and used a ten-yard run and a 16-yard completion to quickly move to midfield to open the game. On first-and-ten at the CU 46, however, Buff linebacker Martavius French sacked Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci for a four-yard loss, with the Fightin’ Blue Hens punting the ball away three plays later.

Taking over at their 13-yard line, the CU offense set off on a 12-play, 87-yard drive to score on its opening drive of the game for the second time to open the season. A nine-yard completion from quarterback Kaidon Salter to wide receiver Sincere Brown gave the Buffs their first first down, with a nine-yard completion to Isaiah Hardge giving the Buffs another first down two plays later.

Next, on third-and-five at the CU 44, Salter completed yet another nine-yard pass for a first down, this time to Joseph Williams, gave the Buffs another conversion. Then, a 21-yard run by Salter put the Buffs in the red zone. After a four-yard run by Dekalon Taylor, Salter finished off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Colorado 7, Delaware 0, with 5:33 to play in the first quarter.

Three runs by Delaware went for 19 yards to open its next drive, but midfield was as far as the Blue Hens would go. On fourth-and-seven at the CU 47, a Nick Minicucci pass fell incomplete, giving the ball back to the Buffs in good field position.

The Buff offense then set off on another 12-play drive, but this time the long possession netted only a field goal. A nine-yard completion from Salter to Joe Williams on third-and-five kept the drive alive to start. On the first play of the second quarter, a four-yard completion from Salter to Simeon Price on third-and-two at the Delaware 27 gave the Buffs a fresh set of downs. A seven-yard run by Price and a six-yard completion to Taylor gave the Buffs a red zone first down at the Delaware 14. Three more plays, though, netted four yards, with Buff kicker Alejandro Mata making it a 10-0 game early in the second quarter with a 28-yard field goal.

After the CU defense forced a three-and-out, the Buffs looked to move in for the kill … with a freshman quarterback. Julian Lewis made his Buff debut by handing off the ball to Simeon Price for a 24-yard gain. Two completions from Lewis to freshman wide receiver Quentin Gibson netted 14 yards and another first down. A two-yard run by Price on fourth-and-two gave the Buffs a first down at the Delaware 35, but from there the Buffs went backward, with a sack of Lewis forcing a punt.

An exchange of punts ensued, with the Blue Hens taking over at their 20-yard line with 3:27 left in the first half. On the first play from scrimmage, Nick Minicucci hit wide receiver Jake Thaw for a 45-yard gain to the Buff 35-yard line. Six plays later, Minicucci hit wide receiver Jo Silver for a four-yard touchdown.

Just like that, it was a game again. Colorado 10, Delaware 7, with only 45 seconds to play before halftime. It appeared that the Blue Hens were going to go into halftime down only three points with plenty of momentum.

As it turned out, though, the next time the Delaware offense took a snap, it was a 24-7 game.

Enter senior quarterback Ryan Staub.

Two incompletions opened the drive, but then on third-and-ten, Dekalon Taylor took off on a 23-yard run, giving the Buffs new life. On the next play, Staub hit wide receiver Joe Williams for a 31-yard gain to the Delaware 21. After spiking the ball to stop the clock with 16 seconds to play, Staub hit Dekalon Taylor for a 21-yard touchdown with nine seconds to play to complete the six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.

Halftime score: Colorado 17, Delaware 7

But … Staub wasn’t done.

On third-and-six to open the third quarter, Ryan Staub connected with wide receiver Sincere Brown for a 71-yard touchdown. What had been a tight game at 10-7 with less than a minute to play before halftime, was now a 24-7 game just over a minute into the third quarter.

The Blue Hens were now down three scores, but were not giving up the fight. An 11-play drive ensued, including a fourth-down conversion near midfield. The Blue Hens made it as far at the Buff six-yard line, but there, on fourth-and-one, running back Viron Ellison, Jr., was stopped for no gain by Buff linebackers Jeremiah Brown and Martavius French, leaving the Blue Hens with a six minute drive but no points.

An 11-yard run by Ryan Staub got the ball outside the shadow of the CU goalposts, with a 36-yard completion from Staub to Sincere Brown giving the Buffs a first down near midfield. Instead of going in for the kill, though, the Buffs thereafter went backwards, punting the ball back to the Blue Hens.

A 44-yard punt by Buff Damon Greaves pinned the Delaware offense at their one yard line, but a 13-yard run by Jo Silver gave the Blue Hens some breathing room. The next three plays, though, netted three yards.

Setting up to punt from their 17-yard line, Blue Hen punter dropped the snap, with his punt partially blocked by backup defensive lineman Alexander McPherson, giving the CU offense the ball at the Delaware 17-yard line.

A pass interference penalty gave the Buffs a first-and-goal at the nine, but again, the CU offense failed to take advantage … at least initially.

A sack of quarterback Ryan Staub pushed the ball back to the Delaware 22-yard line to seemingly end the drive. A 40-yard field goal by Alejandro Mata was good … but a penalty for leaping over the line gave CU a chance at a first down. Taking points off the board was risky, but the penalty gave the Buffs a first down at the Delaware 11. On second down, running back Micah Welch scored from ten yards out. Colorado 31, Delaware 7, with 14:13 to play in the game.

The remainder of the game, which had been fairly penalty- and mistake-free, thereafter devolved into a series of mistakes by both teams.

A 67-yard completion from Nick Minicucci to wide receiver Ja’Carree Kelly would have given the Blue Hens a first-and-goal at the CU six-yard line … but Kelly fumbled the ball as he was tackled by safety Ben Finneseth, with linebacker Jeremiah Brown recovering the ball at the Buff eight yard line.

An eight-yard run by Simeon Price and a nine-yard run by Dekalon Taylor got the next Buff drive off to a good start, but  then holding penalty and a sack brought a quick end to the Buff drive.

Delaware again moved the ball … but then again turned it over. After crossing midfield, Blue Hen quarterback threw an interception to Buff defensive back RJ Johnson, giving the ball back to the Buffs midway through the final quarter.

Three plays, a sack, and a total of two yards gained later, though, the Delaware offense was again on the field. Taking over at their 20, the Blue Hens were again successful at moving the ball, going 69 yards in 12 plays. Yet again, however, Delaware came up empty. The Buffs forced a fourth down once the Blue Hens got as far as the 11-yard line. Trying to get to double digits in points – and beat the spread – Delaware opted for a field goal attempt on fourth-and-goal at the CU 11. A 28-yard field goal attempt by kicker Nate Reed went wide, however, keeping the score 31-7 with just over two minutes to play.

Five plays later, including three kneels, the fourth quarter mercifully came to an end.

Final score: Colorado 31, Delaware 7

“We only had really one returning starter on offense out there playing, you know, we had some role players,
but Jordan Seaton was the only guy”, said offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur So we got a lot of young and a lot of new players in there. And that’s the reality of college football as we know. And so I’m looking at this. We’re crossing some bridges to find out who our best guys are still.

“You know, in the NFL, we had the three preseason games, right? This, this would be preseason game two, and so, but
along the way, here, you’re battling for victories, right? I talk often about life’s journey, and then this 2025 journey. We’ve
got 12 stops one week at a time, you know. And this was stop number two. And we learned a lot about a lot of players”.

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Game Notes … 

— Attendance for the game was 50,341, giving Coach Prime yet another home sellout (Folsom Field capacity: 50,183);

— CU set a new record for the most amount of time into a season without committing a turnover, and has did so in the first two games for the first time in school history. The previous record was 92:28, or just past halftime of the second game, back in 2014;

— Ryan Staub is believed to be the first third-string quarterback in program history to play in a game and throw for two touchdown passes. He’s also believed to be the first third-string quarterback to throw a first-half touchdown;

— Staub finished the game 7-of-10 passing for 157 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Kaidon Salter finished with 13-of-16 passing for 102 yards, giving CU two 100-yard passers in the same game for the 14th time in school hisotry, and the first since Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez each had over 100 yards passing against Idaho in 2014;

— Julian Lewis came in during the second quarter as the second quarterback in for the Buffs. He finished 2-of-4 for 8 yards passing. At 17 years, 11 months and 16 days old, he’s the youngest quarterback and third-youngest player overall to play for the Buffs in the past 20 seasons. In 2016, LB Kenneth Olugbode played his first game at 17 years, 11 months and 13 days, just three days younger, and in 2007, Nate Viaomonga played his first game at 17 years, 10 months and 19 days old;

— The 71-yard pass from Staub to Sincere Brown was the longest play for the Buffs since the first play of the second half in the first game of the Coach Prime Era at TCU on September 2, 2023. In that game, Shedeur Sanders hit Dylan Edwards for a 75-yard play;

— Punter Damon Greaves averaged 50.2 yards per punt on five punts with three inside the 20 and two of 50-plus, both actually going over the 60-yard mark, including his career best 67-yarder. The 67-yard punt was the longest at CU since Alex Kinney booted one 70 yards against Texas State on September 9, 2017.

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Tags: Alejandro Mata, Alexander McPherson, Ben Finneseth, Damon Greaves, DeKalon Taylor, Isaiah Hardge, Jeremiah Brown, Joe Williams, Joseph Williams, Julian Lewis, Kaidon Salter, Martavius French, Micah Welch, Quentin Gibson, Ryan Staub, Simeon Price, Sincere Brown
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