Colorado’s win over Kansas State came with a little bit of everything, and that’s exactly why it stood out as the Buffaloes’ first Big 12 victory in more than a calendar year. For the first time this season, Colorado put together a full four quarters plus overtime without letting the game slip away in one phase.
That kind of result usually means the grading sheet is going to be crowded with contributors, and Colorado had them all over the field. From a steady hand at quarterback to a defense that bent in the secondary but made enough plays elsewhere, the Buffs got just enough from nearly every group to survive.
Isaac Wilson did exactly what Colorado needed from him. He threw for 185 yards and a touchdown without an interception, and while that line didn’t carry the offense by itself, it also didn’t put the Buffs in a hole. In a game like this, that mattered.
The ground game was the real engine. Colorado piled up 222 rushing yards, the most in a single game in the Coach Prime era, and Richard Young was the biggest reason why. The former five-star recruit ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns, giving Colorado the best individual rushing performance of the Coach Prime era as well.
The receivers didn’t dominate the box score, but they still held up their end. No Colorado wideout topped 100 yards, yet the group remained useful whenever the Buffs needed to move away from the run and keep the offense balanced.
Tight ends didn’t factor much into the passing game, but they made their mark where it counted. Their blocking helped set the tone up front, and Charlie Williams turned the unit’s lone catch into the biggest one of the night, hauling in the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
Colorado’s offensive line took a couple of hits on the stat sheet, allowing Wilson to be sacked twice, but the bigger story was what it opened up on the ground. The holes it created were a major part of why Young was able to take over the way he did.
On the other side of the ball, the edge rushers brought real heat. Yamil Talib headlined the group’s breakout showing, and Colorado finished with three sacks and four tackles for loss from that spot. The pressure clearly bothered Blake Barnett in his first meaningful action under center, and it changed the flow of the game.
The interior defensive line was quieter. It didn’t get exposed, but it also didn’t create the same kind of backfield disruption Colorado has been getting in recent weeks.
The linebackers were everywhere. Gideon ESPN Lampron piled up 15 tackles, including eight solo stops, along with two sacks and four tackles for loss, while Liona Lefau also turned in a strong outing. That group helped shut down Kansas State’s rushing attack and pushed the Wildcats into a much more one-dimensional approach.
Colorado’s cornerbacks had a rougher night. Barnett threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns against them, but Boo Carter delivered a key pass breakup in overtime when the pressure was highest.
The safeties were steadier. Randon Fontenette was active all over the field, and Ben Finneseth made his presence felt on special teams and later on defense in overtime.
Special teams got a dependable performance too. Damon Greaves kept flipping field position, pinning Kansas State inside its own 20-yard line three times. Elliot Arnold was perfect on his three extra points, and even though the return game didn’t do much, it also didn’t create any problems.
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A big reason for optimism is senior guard Zyanna Walker, who earned a spot on the 2026 All-Big 12 Preseason Team and landed on the Naismith Trophy Watch List. Walker gives Colorado a proven veteran presence as the Buffs try to turn that outside projection into something sturdier, and the opener should offer an early look at how ready they are to do it. [Read more 🡒]