CU Buffs reeling after two straight blowout losses

The latest: The Buffs lost 52-17 to Arizona at Folsom Field on Saturday before a crowd of 48,322 — the smallest home crowd in Sanders' three years in Boulder.

• That came a week after a 53-7 loss on the road to Utah.

Driving the news: While there is plenty of blame to go around, the biggest question mark remains the Buffs' unsettled quarterback situation — as senior Kaidon Salter delivered his two worst performances of the season against Utah and Arizona.

• Backup Ryan Staub entered the Arizona game and promptly threw two interceptions on two attempts.
• Freshman Julian "JuJu" Lewis replaced him, tossed his first career touchdown, then exited with a hand injury.

Not-so-fun fact: CU's last two opponents had more points (105) than Salter had total passing yards (86).

Reality check: Calling a crowd of nearly 50,000 — and back-to-back losses — the low point of the Sanders era shows just how far he's raised expectations at CU.

• A difficult schedule and a number of talented players departing for the NFL always meant this 2025 team had a narrow margin for error, and the Salter transfer has turned out to be a big swing and miss.

The intrigue: Lewis can appear in only two more games before losing his ability to redshirt — and a year of eligibility.

• Sanders now faces a tough balance: chasing a bowl berth while protecting his freshman quarterback's health and long-term future.

What they're saying: "I'm for the kids," Sanders told the Daily Camera. "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."

What's next: At 3-6, the Buffs will need to win all three of their remaining games to be eligible for a bowl game.

• CU will hit the road for a matchup against West Virginia, play the final home game of the season against Arizona State, and then wrap up the season against Kansas State on the road.