Colorado is handing play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Sean Lewis to analyst Pat Shurmur for the Buffaloes’ game Saturday against No. 16 Oregon State, according to multiple media reports.
The Buffaloes (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12), losers of two straight games and four of their last five after a 3-0 start, had just 242 yards of offense in a 28-16 loss to UCLA last Saturday.
Lewis’ new duties are to be determined but he could still signal in plays called by Shurmur, according to ESPN and Action Network.
Shurmur, a former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator, joined first-year head coach Deion Sanders’ staff as an offensive quality control analyst. Shurmur would have to be elevated to full-time status to become eligible to coach and another assistant would have to be demoted, according to NCAA rules on the size of coaching staffs.
Colorado is tied for 39th of 130 FBS teams in scoring (32.13 points a game) and averages 408.6 total yards (54th) and 330 passing yards (sixth) but only 78.6 rushing yards (128th).
The Buffaloes are 129th in sacks allowed — 42 in eight games for a 5.25 average.
Shurmur, 58, was 19-46 as a head coach for the Cleveland Browns (9-23 in 2011-12), Philadelphia Eagles (1-0 in 2015) and New York Giants (9-23 in 2018-19). He also was an offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams (2009-10), Eagles (2013-15), Minnesota Vikings (2016-17) and Denver Broncos (2020-21).
Lewis, 37, was the head coach at Kent State from 2018-22 until joining the Colorado staff.
–Field Level Media