After an upset win over Georgia Tech and a dominant victory over Weber State, the Colorado Buffaloes have suffered three straight conference losses.
Julian "JuJu" Lewis had been starting at quarterback in the first three games, which included a 41-7 defeat at the hands of ranked opponent Northwestern. He was then benched in the first half of the team's next game, a 23-13 loss to Baylor.
During a recent media session, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion was asked what he thinks has caused Lewis to struggle at quarterback this season.
He explained that Lewis skipped part of the "A to Z process" most quarterbacks go through by leaving high school early for college. He said it forced Lewis to adjust and adapt to a new group of teammates, coaching staff, and system that was much different than what he'd been used to.
"Like when Shedeur got here, for example, let's think about this. He came from Jackson State. He's lived with a head coach who's wanted it a certain way every day all those days, so he knew exactly what it was supposed to look like because he was getting yelled at by his dad every day, 'this is how it's supposed to look,'" Marion said, per DNVR Buffs' Scott Procter.
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Marion explained that Sanders developed into a winner under his father, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State before following him to Colorado, where he further emerged as a star quarterback.
"Then he comes here. He struggles a little bit in his first year, right? Then he turns it on and becomes one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Nobody's giving Ju that chance, because what, we gotta win now or get out," the Buffaloes' OC said.
He indicated that Lewis just hasn't had a chance to get comfortable with things due to that win-now-or-else mentality. He also suggested that Lewis needs to stay away from digesting all the harsh criticism that arrives online.
"For Ju, he's just gotta get off the internet, he's gotta continue to develop and work, and then when his opportunity rises again, he'll rise up," Marion said.
In his four games, Lewis completed 61 of 95 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions and was sacked eight times.
Marion's comments come after Lewis was benched in favor of Utah transfer Isaac Wilson during the team's loss to Baylor.
The team hasn't won since Wilson took over, but they've also faced several tough conference opponents. Wilson has completed 40 of 71 passes for 443 yards and two touchdowns, with three interceptions so far.
Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders has since moved on to the NFL, where he was a fifth-round pick for the Cleveland Browns. Despite starting in seven games last season, he was demoted to a backup this season in favor of veteran Deshaun Watson.
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