The Colorado football team got what it needed most on Saturday: a win. It just took overtime, a few nerve-rattling swings, and plenty of help from a run game that finally showed up in a big way.
Deion Sanders’ Buffs outlasted Kansas State 27-24 in Boulder to snap a five-game losing streak and move to 3-5. Under the circumstances, it wasn’t the kind of clean, comfortable victory anyone would have drawn up. Kansas State arrived without its top two quarterbacks, yet Colorado still had to dig itself out of a fight that went right down to the wire.
The biggest difference-maker was the ground game. Kansas State entered Folsom Field with the third-worst run defense in the Big 12, and Colorado made that weakness count.
The Buffs piled up 209 rushing yards, their best total of the season, and Alabama transfer Richard Young delivered the breakout performance Sanders had hinted was coming. Young ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, both firsts as a Buff, and his 22-yard burst early in the fourth quarter put Colorado ahead 21-14.
That run ended up being the game-winner in regulation.
Jaquail Smith added another jolt with a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, a play that lit up the home crowd and gave Colorado a badly needed spark. With the run game carrying the load, quarterback Isaac Wilson didn’t have to do everything himself.
He threw for 174 yards and, most importantly, avoided turnovers for the first time in a start this season. Then in overtime, Wilson finished the job with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Williams.
The defense had its own strong day, especially when the pass rush got rolling. Colorado was facing a Kansas State quarterback situation that changed quickly, with Dillon Duff starting before being replaced after just three drives by Colorado native Blake Barnett.
Barnett managed more than 200 total yards and two passing touchdowns, but the Buffs still got after him. Colorado finished with five sacks, including two apiece from linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron and defensive end Yamil Talib.
Lampron was everywhere, posting a game-high 14 tackles, eight of them solo, along with four tackles for loss.
Chris Marve’s first season as defensive coordinator has continued to stand out, and Saturday gave the Buffs another example of that unit making enough plays to keep them in the game.
Still, Colorado made things far harder than they needed to be. The Buffs were just inches from taking a 14-0 lead when DeKalon Taylor broke loose for a 30-yard run in the second quarter, only to fumble before crossing the goal line.
The ball went out for a touchback, and Kansas State turned that gift into an 80-yard, 10-play drive that tied the game at seven. Instead of stretching the lead, Colorado handed the Wildcats a lifeline.
Penalties also kept the game messy. Colorado was flagged five times for 38 yards, and those mistakes repeatedly gave Kansas State chances to hang around. That kind of sloppiness has become a familiar issue for the Buffs, though this time they escaped with the result they needed.
Next up is another road trip, this one to Arizona State, in a game that looks winnable on paper.
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 🡒]