Colorado Overmatched by No. 8 Iowa State in Lopsided Loss, Boyle Questions Team’s Toughness
Tad Boyle didn’t sugarcoat it. After watching his Colorado squad suffer its sixth straight loss - a 97-67 blowout at No. 8 Iowa State - the longtime head coach was blunt about where his team stands.
“I knew what we were getting into, I’m not sure that they did,” Boyle said postgame, his tone mirroring the scoreboard.
And that scoreboard told the story: a 30-1 Iowa State run in the first half that buried Colorado before the game ever really started. The Cyclones, now 19-2 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play, looked every bit the top-10 team their ranking suggests.
They were relentless, physical, and deep - six players hit double figures, led by Jamarion Bateman’s 17 points off the bench. Joshua Jefferson added 13 points and eight boards, nearly notching a double-double in a game that never felt close.
Colorado, now sitting at 12-9 (2-6 Big 12), simply couldn’t keep up. Isaiah Johnson poured in 24 points to lead the Buffaloes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a disjointed offensive effort and a defense that never found its footing.
The Buffs shot just 43% from the field and struggled from deep, going 7-of-24 (29%) from beyond the arc. Johnson hit two of those threes, but the rest of the team couldn’t find a rhythm.
Inside, the struggles continued. Neither Bangot Dak (6 points on 3-of-7 shooting) nor Sebastian Rancik (9 points on 3-of-8) could get going in the paint.
Iowa State’s physicality controlled the interior, and while the Cyclones only forced 10 turnovers, they didn’t need to rely on takeaways to dominate the game. They dictated pace, controlled the boards, and made Colorado uncomfortable from the jump.
“Our players learned what a top-10 team in the country looks like,” Boyle said. “Iowa State’s legit - they’re well-coached, they’re tough, they’re physical. And we’re not tough enough or physical enough to compete in a game like this.”
It’s a harsh reality for a Colorado team that started January with some promise, notching back-to-back wins over Arizona State and Utah. But since then, the wheels have come off. Six straight losses in conference play have exposed the growing pains of transitioning into the Big 12, and with 10 games left, the road doesn’t get any easier.
The upcoming stretch includes matchups against four teams currently hovering just outside the top 10 - No. 1 Arizona, No.
10 Houston, No. 11 Texas Tech, and No.
13 BYU. Colorado’s next three games offer a mix of opportunity and challenge: a home date with TCU on Sunday, a trip to Baylor on Feb. 4, and a return home to face Arizona State on Feb.
For Boyle, who led Colorado to its last NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2023-24 season - the program’s final year in the Pac-12 - this season is teetering on the edge. Another losing campaign would mark the second in a row, and the pressure is starting to mount.
There’s still time to turn things around, but the margin for error is razor-thin. The Buffs need to rediscover their identity - one built on toughness, defensive grit, and smart, efficient offense.
That’s been missing during this brutal six-game skid. And if they can’t find it soon, the climb back into postseason relevance may be too steep.
For now, Boyle and his team are left with hard lessons from a long night in Ames - and the realization that the Big 12 doesn’t give you time to catch your breath.