Colorado is back at Folsom Field on Saturday with a chance to stop the bleeding. The Buffaloes, sitting at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12, host Kansas State in a Week 9 matchup that comes with plenty of pressure and not much margin for error.
Deion Sanders and his staff are trying to steer the season in the right direction after five straight losses, and the setup is favorable enough on paper. Kansas State is missing its top two quarterbacks, which leaves Colorado native and Wildcats head coach Collin Klein to lean on his third-string option. The Wildcats could turn to either Blake Barnett or Dillon Duff.
For Colorado, the formula is straightforward. Defensively, the Buffs have to force Kansas State’s quarterback situation to matter. The Wildcats bring the fourth-best rushing attack in the Big 12, so controlling the ground game is going to be a major part of their plan.
On the other side of the ball, Colorado needs to stay away from letting Isaac Wilson throw into trouble against a Kansas State secondary that gives up only 147 passing yards per game. The better path is to lean on the run game, especially against a Wildcats defense that allows 158 rushing yards per game. The goal is to keep drives alive and avoid the kind of mistakes that have made winning harder for the Buffs all season.
Kickoff is set for noon MT, and the game will air on TNT. J.B. Long and Mike Golic Jr. will be on the call from Folsom Field, with streaming available on HBO Max and Sling TV.
The betting line also reflects a tight matchup. As of Friday, Oct.
30, FanDuel listed Colorado as a 2.5-point favorite. The over/under is 46.5, with Colorado at -146 on the money line and Kansas State at +122.
A prediction attached to the matchup had Kansas State winning 24-21, noting that Colorado has enough to win but too often gets in its own way. The Wildcats were described as the more disciplined and better-coached team, even with a third-string quarterback in the mix.
Colorado’s 2026 schedule has already included a 14-13 win at Georgia Tech, a 52-21 win over Weber State, losses at Northwestern, Baylor and Oklahoma State, and home defeats against Texas Tech and Utah. Saturday’s game against Kansas State is followed by trips to Arizona State and Cincinnati, plus home dates with Houston and UCF.
In Other News...
Colorado Faces A Must Win With A Bigger Question Hanging Over It
Colorado heads into its Week 9 home game against Kansas State with the kind of opening that usually looks favorable on paper. The Wildcats are down at quarterback, and Colorado should have a chance to pressure a backup-led offense while leaning on its own ground game to keep the plan simple and steady. For a team trying to make the most of a must-win spot, the matchup offers a clearer path than some of the recent ones on the schedule.
Still, the bigger concern in Boulder has little to do with the opponent. Julian Lewis was hospitalized after a medical emergency, leaving a much more serious question hanging over the Buffaloes as they prepare for kickoff. Even with the game in front of them, Colorados week has been shaped by uncertainty around its quarterback room, and that makes the stakes feel larger than a single conference result. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Faces A Brutal Colorado Test He Has To Pass
Colorado heads into Saturdays matchup with Kansas State carrying the kind of urgency that has defined the last stretch of the season. Deion Sanders team is trying to stop a five-game skid at Folsom Field, and the timing is tricky for a Buffaloes group that has been fighting offensive inconsistency while leaning more heavily on its defense to keep games manageable.
Kansas State arrives with its own problems after a loss, but the Wildcats still present a dangerous test for a Colorado team that cannot afford many more missteps. With quarterback depth already a concern and the offense searching for answers, the Buffaloes need a steadier performance from the side of the ball that has been asked to carry more of the load, and this one feels like a game that could say plenty about how Sanders team handles pressure in November. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Finally Got The Clutch Finish Fans Had Been Waiting For
Colorado finally got the kind of finish its fans have been waiting for, outlasting Kansas State 27-24 in overtime in a game that swung back and forth before settling into the Buffs favor. The win had plenty of moving parts, from linebacker Gideon Lampron helping steady the defense to a second-quarter fumble by DeKalon Taylor that kept Colorado from stretching its lead when it had the chance.
The offense still found enough answers when it mattered most, with JaQuail Smith providing a burst that changed the feel of the game and the passing attack delivering in the extra period. In a matchup that could have slipped away in several different spots, Colorado found a way to finish, and the result should carry real weight for a team that has been looking for exactly this kind of late-game response. [Read more 🡒]