Colorado football and Utah share a rather unfortunate common bond in their Week 13 matchup from Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City: both the Buffs and Utes are likely to be without their starting quarterback given the likely absence of Shedeur Sanders under center for CU.
And Utah won’t even be on their primary backup, Bryson Barnes. Or their other backup, Nate Johnson, who just hit the transfer portal. No, as 247Sports’ Sean Niehoff relayed, Utah will start fifth-string walk-on Luke Bottari.
“Barnes is expected to be out of action on Saturday,” Niehoff prefaced before saying, “And Utes quarterback Nate Johnson just entered the transfer portal, so Willingham’s squad will be starting their fifth-string quarterback against the Buffs. Walk-on Luke Bottari, who began his college career at College of San Mateo, is expected to start behind center. Bottari has not seen any game action at Utah the last two years.”
Colorado football stands little chance to win against Utah without Shedeur Sanders
Even with the Utes on their last leg in the QB room, Colorado has very few chances of winning without Shedeur under center. A herculean effort from the running back room would have to carry the day, barring a miracle from Ryan Staub or Gavin Kuld.
Transfer running back Sy’veon Wilkerson, a Deion Sanders recruit from Jackson State by way of Deleware State originally, made the case for the Buffs expanding the running game against the Utes in CU’s season finale.
“We’ve just got to commit to the run — That’s it,” Wilkerson said (h/t BuffZone). “If we commit to it and establish it then I feel like we can run the ball. Me and (Anthony Hankerson), we average about four yards per carry. So if we commit to it and just do it consistently, we can have a good running team.”
Even if Colorado sees success on the ground, there’s no guarantee the Buffs’ defense will be able to slow down the Utes’ rushing tandem of Ja’Quinden Jackson and Jaylon Glover on the other side of the ball.
Maybe the QB news gives CU a chance to cover the spread, though.