Colorado got the kind of lift it needed against Kansas State, and a few names stood out in a 27-24 overtime win that had plenty of turning points along the way.
The Buffaloes’ ground game supplied some of the biggest jolts. JaQuail Smith ripped off the afternoon’s most explosive play, bursting through the Wildcats for a 47-yard touchdown in the third quarter to put Colorado ahead 14-7. It was the sort of run that can change the feel of a game in a hurry, and it gave the Buffaloes another back who can flip a possession with one crease.
Richard Young added his own punch early. He opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for his first touchdown as a Buffalo, and the drive was already rolling because of a 22-yard run that helped set up the score. Between Young and Smith, Colorado showed it had more than one way to threaten Kansas State on the ground, something that mattered in a game where the Buffaloes needed to keep things moving and take some pressure off quarterback Isaac Wilson.
On the defensive side, Gideon Lampron was right in the middle of things. The veteran linebacker finished with nine tackles and a sack, giving Colorado the kind of steady production that helped slow Kansas State’s offense and make drives harder to finish. Lampron came into the game as Colorado’s leading tackler with 65 stops on the season, and he backed that up with another active performance.
Not everything went cleanly for Colorado, though. DeKalon Taylor had a chance to stretch the lead in the second quarter after breaking free for a 30-yard run and reaching the Kansas State one-yard line, but he lost the football before getting into the end zone. The ball went through the back of the end zone, turning what looked like a scoring chance into a touchback and handing possession back to the Wildcats.
Kansas State kept pushing, but Colorado found the answer when it mattered most. In overtime, Wilson connected with tight end Charlie Williams on an 11-yard game-winning touchdown pass to seal the 27-24 final. The Buffaloes had been tested all afternoon, but they finished the job in the last moments and came away with one of their more encouraging performances of the season.
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 Earned New Respect After What Kansas States Coach Admitted
Colorado came away from its narrow overtime win over Kansas State with more than just another conference victory. The result also drew a notable admission from Wildcats coach Collin Klein, who credited Colorados defensive front and the Buffs in-game adjustments for helping swing a game that was tight throughout and featured a key 96-yard drive that set up the go-ahead touchdown.
Klein also pointed to his own teams mistakes, including missed tackles and penalties that he said were affected by the crowd noise, which only added to the sense that Colorado had made life difficult in a high-pressure setting. For a program still trying to build credibility, hearing an opposing coach talk that way carries real weight, especially after a game like this one. [Read more 🡒]