Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders out for season finale vs. Utah, freshman Ryan Staub starts

Shedeur Sanders is helped off the field against Washington State.

SALT LAKE CITY – Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not dress for Saturday’s game at Utah and will miss his first start of the season after being knocked out of last week’s game with injuries at Washington State.

Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, sustained ankle and arm injuries against the Cougars and was on the field Saturday dressed in a baseball camp, sunglasses and coat. His absence means the Buffaloes (4-7) will finish the regular season without him for the first time and instead were forced to turn to freshman Ryan Staub, who became the eighth true freshman quarterback to start a game in school history.

Similary, Utah (7-4) is also down to its fifth-string quarterback Saturday – walk-on Luke Bottari – after injuries decimated its depth at the position all year.

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In Colorado’s case, Shedeur Sanders finally succumbed to the beating he took all season as the nation’s most sacked quarterback (52). He also finished as the Buffs’ all-time leading passer for a single season with 3,230 yards.

Without him, Staub, who hails from Stevenson Ranch, Calif., ended up fumbling the ball away on a strip-sack to end Colorado’s first possession. Utah then turned it into a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a cold, cloudy afternoon at Rices-Eccles Stadium.

The Buffs also faced Utah without their leading receiver, Xavier Weaver, who was battling the flu this week. Weaver, a graduate transfer from South Florida, finishes his college career with a team-best 68 catches for 908 yards in 2023.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders out for season finale vs. Utah, freshman Ryan Staub starts