Colorado Benches Salter, Starts Lewis vs West Virginia

The Colorado Buffaloes football team, under head coach Deion Sanders, continues to grapple with a disappointing season, marked by recent blowout losses and significant staff and personnel changes as they prepare to face West Virginia on Saturday.

The Buffaloes sit at 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 Conference play following a 52-17 defeat to Arizona last weekend, their second straight loss by a combined margin of 81 points. The team has allowed at least 50 points in each of those games, a stark decline from last year's 9-4 record that included a No. 25 final AP Poll ranking and a berth in the Valero Alamo Bowl. With three games remaining, Colorado's chances of bowl eligibility appear remote, prompting Sanders to make bold adjustments to salvage the season.

In a move aimed at revitalizing the offense, Sanders benched quarterback Kaidon Salter and named true freshman Julian Lewis the starter for the final three contests. Lewis, a highly touted recruit from Carrollton High School in Georgia, steps in after throwing for over 11,000 yards in high school with a 69.1 completion percentage. Salter had started most of the season but struggled amid earlier rotations with backup Ryan Staub,...