Colorado’s first Big 12 win finally gave the Buffaloes a little breathing room, but the next test brings a very different kind of problem. If they want to keep their bowl hopes alive against Arizona State in Week 10, the focus has to start with Reed Harris.
Harris has become the Sun Devils’ go-to target in his first season in Tempe after spending his previous three years at Boston College. He leads the Big 12 with 804 receiving yards and has already piled up eight touchdown catches, which puts him among the top 10 in the country. In other words, Arizona State’s passing game runs through him.
The production has come fast and in bunches. Through eight games, Harris is averaging more than 100 receiving yards per contest and has already posted four 100-yard outings.
He has also found the end zone in bursts, with three separate games featuring two touchdown grabs. His size, catch radius and ability to stretch the field make him the kind of receiver who can take over a game on his own.
That is exactly the challenge for Colorado’s secondary, which has already had issues with top wideouts this season. Justin Bowick went for 138 yards in the loss to Oklahoma State, and Gavin Freeman also created chunk plays and scored against the Buffaloes in the Baylor game. If Colorado is going to win this one, the back end has to answer.
Arizona State’s most recent meeting with Kansas State showed just how central Harris is to what the Sun Devils do. He caught six passes for 147 yards in that game, while the rest of the Arizona State receiving corps combined for only 65 yards. Take Harris away, and the offense can get stuck.
That is why BYU’s approach last week stands out as a blueprint. The Cougars held Harris to just four receiving yards, the best job any team has done on him this season. Colorado will need a similar plan, with two defenders on Harris whenever possible and pressure up front to make sure quarterback Jake Fette does not have time to let routes develop.
This matchup also gives Colorado something it did not have in the last game: film on Fette. The Buffaloes are facing an inexperienced quarterback again, but this time they have a recent game to study. Harris has also gone without a touchdown in Arizona State’s last two games, and while he is unlikely to be bottled up to the same extreme BYU managed, Colorado should be able to keep him under 100 yards and out of the end zone.
In Other News...
Colorado Cross Country Is Sending A Message The Big 12 Felt
Colorados cross country program just turned a strong conference meet into a clear statement about where it stands in the Big 12. Seven Buffaloes were named to the 2026 All-Big 12 Team after the men won the conference championship and the women finished fourth, giving the program a rare double dose of postseason recognition and putting a spotlight on the depth that carried both squads through the meet.
Dominic Serem set the tone for the men with a second-place finish as Colorado piled up 36 points to take the title, while Sheylah Kurgat led the women with an eighth-place run in their fourth-place effort. The honors reflect more than one good day, though, and they leave the bigger question hanging over Boulder: how far can this group push once the championship stage gets even more crowded? [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Recruiting Stability Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Colorados rough fall has naturally stirred up bigger questions around Deion Sanders and the direction of the program, but the recruiting picture has held up better than the on-field record might suggest. Even through a five-game losing streak, the Buffaloes have managed to keep their 2027 class largely intact, a notable sign of stability for a program that has been under the spotlight all season.
The early signing period is still ahead, and that is where the real pressure begins for any class trying to stay together through a turbulent stretch. Sanders has continued to stay in touch with recruits, and the confidence inside the program remains strong, but the next few weeks will say plenty about whether Colorado can keep that momentum from unraveling. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Faces A Bigger Test Than Colorado's Record Suggests
Arizona State may be carrying the better outlook on paper, but Kenny Dillingham is not treating Colorado like a soft landing spot. The Sun Devils coach has already pointed to the NFL-level talent on the Buffaloes roster, a reminder that record and reputation are not always the same thing in a league where both teams are still trying to climb out of the Big 12 cellar.
The numbers still frame the matchup as a meaningful barometer for both programs. Arizona State is sitting with a far better path to six wins, but Colorado remains in the mix of teams facing a difficult finish, and the Buffs have enough high-end pieces to make life uncomfortable for anyone looking past them. For a team trying to build momentum, this is the kind of test that can turn a modest stretch into something more revealing. [Read more 🡒]