Copyright The Denver Post
With 12 minutes, 6 seconds to play in the third quarter on Saturday night, Colorado fans at Folsom Field finally had something to cheer about. Well, at least those who hadn’t left the stadium. Trailing by 38 points in what would become a 52-17 loss to Arizona, CU head coach Deion Sanders put freshman quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis into the game. It was one of the loudest cheers of the night when the 18-year-old trotted onto the field with the Buffs down 45-7. “Common sense,” Sanders said when asked why he put Lewis into the game. Throughout a season that’s quickly gone from disappointing to disastrous, the Buffs (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) have never really figured out their quarterback situation. They go into Saturday’s trip to West Virginia (10 a.m. MT, TNT) still unclear at the position. Fifth-year senior Kaidon Salter, who had been a star at Liberty, joined the Buffs as a transfer and won the job, but his season has been a rocky ride. While Salter has played well at times, he was benched early in the year and has been dreadful the past two weeks. During a 53-7 loss at Utah and Saturday’s embarrassment, Salter completed a combined 20-of-37 passes for 86 yards (a paltry 4.3 yards per completion), a touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble. Salter left Saturday’s game with the Buffs trailing 38-7. His replacement, Ryan Staub, went 0-for-2 with two interceptions. So, the Buffs turned to Lewis, a five-star recruit who spurned USC to come to CU, and graduated a year early from high school to do so. Prior to Saturday, Lewis’ only game experience came against Delaware in Week 2, and it didn’t go well, completing 2-of-4 passes for eight yards. With fans pouring out of Folsom Field, however, and Arizona converting Staub’s second interception into yet another touchdown, it was clearly time for Lewis. “Sometimes you’re forced to do some things that probably should be done anyway and I’m glad he got an opportunity,” Sanders said of Lewis. “He’s got his feet wet a little bit. He got to see the blitzes, just real play, and what he needed to work on, and he will. He’s a worker. He’s going to try his best to get it done. But I’m glad we got to that conclusion.” Lewis went 9-for-17 for 121 yards and his first career touchdown pass – a 59-yarder to Omarion Miller. Now, the Buffs have to figure out what to do for the last three games. Under current NCAA rules, Lewis can play up to four games and maintain his redshirt. He’s already played in two, so if he plays the next three, he’ll burn the redshirt. That may not be worth it in a lost season, but Sanders said, as of Saturday, there had been no discussion with Lewis or his family about redshirt plans. “I don’t know his thought process or his parents’ (thoughts),” Sanders said. “I have no idea.” Lewis left Saturday’s game with an apparent hand injury late in the fourth quarter, so his health will be a factor, too. But Sanders said he’ll do what Lewis wants in terms of redshirting or not. “I’m for the kids,” Sanders said. “If (redshirting) is what they want, that’s what they’ll get. I’m not going to mandate, ‘You got to play, you got …’ No, no. Whatever’s best for these young men’s careers, I’m for that.” Of course, Sanders has to do what’s best for the team, too. While it seems clear that CU should look to the future and go with Lewis, Sanders was non-committal when asked if Salter would play again. “I don’t want to put another guy down to talk about another guy,” Sanders said. “Let’s stick with JuJu getting experience; he’s getting the opportunity. And that’s where we are right now.” Some fans have been clamoring for Lewis for weeks, but Sanders said it was important to him to make sure Lewis was ready to go. “As a guy who knows this game, I’ve got to protect him,” Sanders said. “I can’t throw him out there and he’s not fully ready and now you’re jumping all over him (in the media) and now we’re in a mental health situation. I don’t want that for none of these young men. So, we try our best to prepare them and get them ready for the ups and downs of life.” Lewis got some cheers on Saturday, but challenges await. “It’s easy to clap when it’s going well, but when all hell breaks loose, ain’t nobody there but the criticism and the negativity on social (media),” Sanders said. “I’m trying to do a great job of being a good steward of my relationship with these young men in helping them progress but progress the right way.”
