Buffs QB Decision Won't Come Early This Week

BOULDER — Colorado quarterbacks Steven Montez and Sam Noyer both took snaps with the No. 1 offense Monday morning as the Buffs opened up competition for the starting spot.

But don't expect any announcement ahead of Saturday's noon Homecoming game with Cal at Folsom Field (Pac-12 Networks). CU head coach Mike MacIntyre indicated he and his staff would spend the week evaluating the situation, then make a decision at week's end.

"We're preparing them both to play and when we walk out there to play Saturday is when we'll make the decision," MacIntyre said.

Montez, the starter in all eight games thus far this season, was benched at halftime of Saturday's 28-0 loss to Washington State. The sophomore endured the worst start of his career at WSU, completing just four of 13 attempts for 21 yards and no interceptions. Noyer, a redshirt freshman, saw the first significant playing time of his CU career and finished 7-for-18 for 53 yards with no interceptions.

Now, they will both have a chance to earn the job this week. The two snared snaps with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses Monday morning, working in 7-on-7 and team drills in a variety of situations.

"I think right now you have to prepare both those guys to go out there and win a football game for you," Buffs quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said. "Really work with them and try to put them in a position practice-wise as far as giving them looks and giving them information that they can use on Saturday to help us move the ball."

Lindgren played quarterback at Idaho and said he talked to Montez about the situation he faces.

"I've been through the same situation as a quarterback," Lindgren said. "I think you can look at it two ways — you can feel sorry for yourself and kind of go in the tank or you can respond and come out and compete and try to use it as a way to make yourself better. I know Steven's personality and he did a good job with it today and I expect the same the rest of the week."

After Saturday's game, MacIntyre told the media he had considered replacing Montez with Noyer a couple of other times earlier this year. But, MacIntyre said, Montez each time came back and played well.

Now, he said, the sophomore has to keep growing.

"He's got to keep maturing," MacIntyre said. "He has matured and he has gotten better from the first game. Both of them, all our quarterbacks, have got to go to a different level … I'm not saying all the guys aren't trying. That's not what I meant. They just have to get better at what they do. Sometimes if you're in a little bit of a rut and not feeling good, sometimes it's good to kind of make a change and see what happens and then see if that keeps you focused."

Lindgren said he offered Montez similar advice.

"He was pretty frustrated with the way he played last game and I think you always have to be constantly evaluating yourself and looking at ways, seeing how you can improve," Lindgren said. "For him, it's just to keep going back to work and keep working at his craft and keep trying to study tape and understand defenses and learn the game plan so when he goes out there he can be successful."

As for Noyer, MacIntyre said he saw some good things. Noyer did make some nice throws, but also missed some open receivers.

"Sam can run, he has a good arm," MacIntyre said. "Just getting him in there and getting some live reps was big. He made some good plays and had some others he could have made. I think all of that gives him more experience to be better the next time you have a chance at it."

UDOFFIA RETURNS: The Buff spent much of the second quarter and the entire second half playing with redshirt freshman Trey Udoffia at one cornerback spot and sophomore Dante Wigley at the other after regular Isaiah Oliver suffered an injury.

Wigley, who started his first game against Arizona after an injury to Udoffia, had perhaps his best game of the season, finishing with three tackles and three pass breakups. Udoffia saw his first time in the secondary since his injury against UCLA and was credited with two tackles and one PBU.

"Both of those young men have kept improving," MacIntyre said. "That's the first time Trey's been back since he got hurt. He went out there and competed hard and I thought he did some good things."

Overall, the Buffs had a respectable evening against WSU's Luke Falk, limiting him to just 17 completions on 34 attempts for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

WEATHER BOTHERED BUFFS: Asked whether the wet conditions at Saturday's game bothered Montez and Noyer, Lindgren said dealing with the rain and win was "more of a mental thing."

"That's something I felt like as an offense we had to be a little bit mentally tougher as far as handling that situation. I thought we could have done a little bit better job with it," he said.

MISSED INTERCEPTIONS: While MacIntyre liked the way his secondary played for the most part, he said the Buffs did miss at least four chances at interceptions, two of which might have resulted in returns for touchdowns.

"We broke on the ball and made some plays, just didn't come up with it," MacIntyre said. "If we had come up with four of them, it might have been a different football game — but we didn't, so that's the way it goes."

This week, the Buffs will spent some extra time on ball drills in the secondary with hopes of corralling a few more of those interceptions.

"We have to be able to instill confidence in the players and make them more comfortable and be able to make more plays," MacIntyre said. "That's our part, putting them in the right place to make them. We had the chance for four interceptions the other night and didn't catch any of them. Coaches put them in the right places, they have to make the catches. They will. They'll end up making them. … A coaching thing we looked at was we need to do more ball drills with the DBs and hopefully now instead of dropping four, we might catch two, or catch one."

O-LINE SHUFFLE: MacIntyre said center Jonathan Huckins was undergoing concussion protocol. That means guard Tim Lynott Jr. will shift to center. When a similar circumstance arose earlier this year, Aaron Haigler took over at guard for Lynott.

TURNOVER BATTLE: Saturday's game with Cal will feature two of the top five teams in the Pac-12 in turnover differential. The Bears have recorded a league-high 21 defensive takeaways and committed 16 turnovers, a plus-5 differential. The Buffs have recorded 13 takeaways and committed nine turnovers, a plus-4 differential.

The Bears and Buffs are also the only teams in the Pac-12 to have produced at least one defensive takeaway in every game this year.

MONTEZ AFTER BAD GAMES: For those wondering whether Saturday's game was Montez's worst statistical effort as a Buff, the answer is no. Last year at Michigan, he was 0-for-7 in a relief appearance for an injured Sefo Liufau.

Of course, Montez came back the next week to lead the Buffs to a win at Oregon, throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 135 yards and another score.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu