What Colorado Buffaloes' Ryan Staub Said After Eye-Opening Performance Against Delaware

BOULDER — With all of the attention focused on Kaidon Salter and Julian "JuJu" Lewis, Ryan Staub ended up stealing the show in the Colorado Buffaloes' 31-7 win over the Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday.

Staub, a third-year Buff who committed to Colorado before coach Deion Sanders arrived in 2022, entered the game late in the second quarter after mixed-bag outings from Lewis and Salter. In four drives under center, Staub threw for 157 yards and led the Buffs to three touchdowns.

Here's what Staub said after Colorado's Week 2 win over Delaware:

Ryan Staub Grateful For Opportunity

Colorado Buffaloes Ryan Staub Said Delaware Blue Hens Quarterback Deion Sanders Kaidon Salter Julian Lewis Shedeur Sanders CU — Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Ryan Staub (16) calls for the ball in the second half against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"I was just hoping for an opportunity," Staub said. "To be honest, this whole week I wasn't really expecting to play, kind of with the things and how they went. I wasn't expecting to play. On Friday, I got the call and (thought), 'Okay, I might be playing.' I was just waiting on an opportunity. Didn't know it would be a two-minute drill, and the rest is history."

Trials At Colorado

"It's kind of crazy. There's been a lot of days of a lot of work and some self-doubt and kind of my own battles. It's crazy to be rewarded this way. It doesn't really feel real, but I'm also looking forward to next week when we get back to work."

Support From Teammates, Coaches

"It's been a lot of love from all the teammates and coaches. But again, I still think we got more work to do. I think there's some good things today, but we need to get back to work for next week."

Settling In

"Coach Prime always says you want to get that first completion, kind of get in a rhythm, build up your confidence. Obviously, I went 0-for-2 on my first two passes, but it wasn't time to panic. We got that big run on third down that kind of got things rolling. I got that big play, and we were marching from there."

Why He Stayed At Colorado

"To be honest, I don't know. I kind of fell in love with the process. I really enjoyed being here. I enjoyed being in this building, under our coach. I didn't really know where I was at. I stuck my head down and decided to keep working, and I got rewarded for that."

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Unflappable Mindset

"I think it comes back down to my process. I've been doing this for a while. It almost feels like you have your head down in the dirt, and you're just working for years. Not years, but it's been a couple of years. All of a sudden, I get an opportunity and went and did my thing. It's crazy to be rewarded this way, but it's been a long couple of years of just working and waiting and working."

Relationship With Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur

"I think he knows what I like. I know that he knows what I like. As soon as I'm out there and I get the call, I know that he sees something, and this is what we're going to run, and I trust it, and off we go. The relationship with coach Pat has been great. I've been here for almost three years with him now, and we've built a great relationship and a lot of trust. He knows exactly what I'm good at and what I like, and we were able to roll."

Learning From Shedeur Sanders

"I've been blessed to be able to sit behind him for two years. I got to see everything that he did and the way he does things day in and day out, the way he sees stuff in the film room. I've been right there behind it. I've tried to take as much as I can from him because he's going to have an amazing career. He's an amazing quarterback."