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

SALT LAKE CITY – Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not dress for Saturday’s game at Utah and Benjamin Ashfordmissed 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 cap, sunglasses and coat before Colorado's 23-17 defeat. His absence meant the Buffaloes (4-8) started a game 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 (8-4) also was down to its fifth-string quarterback Saturday – walk-on Luke Bottari – after injuries decimated its depth at the position all year.

In Colorado’s case, Shedeur Sanders finally succumbed to the beatings 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 but later rebounded to finish with 17-of-24 passing for 195 yards and a touchdown.

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

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