On Friday, Colorado opens its 2022 football season at Folsom Field with an intriguing first matchup against TCU.

To get you ready for the game in the hours before kickoff, CU Sports Report writers Nicolette Edwards and Craig Meyer discuss some of the keys to the contest, as well as share some thoughts on the Buffs as they head into Year 3 under head coach Karl Dorrell.

1. How do you expect the quarterback situation to play out Friday night?

Nicolette: Karl Dorrell mentioned on two occasions that Brendon Lewis is in the first seat and has yet to be unseated by J.T. Shrout. However, Dorrell consistently emphasized throughout camp how close the quarterback competition is, and from scrimmages, they are indeed close in their QB capabilities.

Not all of Shrout’s scrimmage passes were completions, but he was able to connect with the first-team receivers for 20-plus yards and place the ball accurately in the end zone to tight end Brady Russell. Shrout’s football IQ is high, he’s spatially aware, timing’s good, but when CU’s pass rush creeps into his territory his only option is to throw the ball away. This is also seen when the route is compromised by quality coverage from CU’s secondary.

“His challenge was accomplishing a checklist,” Dorrell said. Shrout’s camp entailed a QB checklist, making sure he can successfully execute what the playbook and the coaches ask of him, while Lewis is slightly more acclimated to Colorado’s QB requirements. From what was seen these past Saturdays, Shrout looks more successful than Lewis going deep and in 10-plus yard scenarios. However, at the end of the day, the coaching staff seeks consistency and Lewis beats him by a small margin in that category.

I predict Lewis will take the first snap and potentially more snaps than Shrout on Friday because of his consistency. Dorrell sees the progress Lewis made and has placed him in that “driver’s seat,” so Lewis shall drive. If Colorado wants to go deep, I think they’ll put Shrout in. We’ll see what the offense has cooked up behind closed doors in this two-quarterback rotation.

Craig: It’s the most fascinating subplot of this game, at least if you’re looking at it through a purely Colorado lens. I know it’s becoming a little more common in college football not to have one clearly defined starter at that spot, but this is odd, no? It’s a position battle that has been shrouded in relative secrecy throughout camp. The quarterbacks largely haven’t been available for interviews and the season’s first depth chart provided little clarity beyond what Karl Dorrell and others had said during camp – that it was Brendon Lewis and J.T. Shrout battling it out.

Dorrell said Tuesday that he’ll have a plan and adjust accordingly based on how the game progresses when it comes to what quarterback plays when and how much they play. That doesn’t provide a ton of insight, but my guess is that they’ll try them both out early, see who moves them down the field easier – or doesn’t make mistakes, since something like an interception or fumble might sideline one of them for the rest of the night – and continue with that option for the next several drives. If that hot hand cools off, throw the other one in. It may not matter that much, either. Given TCU’s horrid run defense last season, this could very well be a game in which the quarterback is more of a game manager in a ground-and-pound attack. But I do have a hard time envisioning Dorrell sticking with a quarterback roulette if it’s late in a close game.