Kansas State’s trip to Boulder laid bare a problem the Wildcats can’t keep talking around.
Early in the fourth quarter, with a stop badly needed, Colorado hit them with a simple-looking run that turned into a 22-yard touchdown. The Wildcats bit hard on the misdirection, flowed the wrong way, and lost track of the ball.
Richard Young slipped through untouched while linebacker Mekhi Mason, after disengaging from his blocker, ran right past the play. It was the kind of breakdown that has haunted Kansas State all season, and it looked a lot like the late fourth-quarter touchdown run Cincinnati used earlier this year to put that game away.
Those are the “little things” Kansas State keeps saying it isn’t doing. At 4-4 after a 27-24 overtime loss at Colorado, those little things have piled up into something much bigger, and the season is drifting toward collapse. The Wildcats would look better with Avery Johnson healthy at quarterback, but even he can’t cover up everything that’s gone wrong.
The bigger picture is getting harder to ignore: this roster is headed for a teardown.
Kansas State has 17 fifth-year players who will run out of eligibility after this season, which would open 17 spots on a 105-man roster. But the Wildcats already have 27 commitments in the 2027 class, and that doesn’t even account for junior college additions or what figures to be a busy transfer portal cycle.
The math points to a roster that was already being flipped. Cuts are coming, and they were already part of the plan.
The needs are obvious. Kansas State has to get better at receiver, offensive line, interior defensive line, linebacker and in the secondary.
There could be more needs if players leave unexpectedly, and there’s still uncertainty around the quarterback position for next year. A busy offseason is coming.
The quarterback situation was on full display against Colorado, where Collin Klein pulled sophomore Dillon Duff after just nine plays and turned to Blake Barnett for the rest of the game. Duff looked overwhelmed in his first collegiate appearance and start. Barnett settled in and nearly became the hero in the overtime loss.
"I thought Duff was ready to play, and he was a little rattled and unsettled early," Klein said. "Blake was able to give us a spark."
Klein said he expected both quarterbacks to play and wanted Barnett to get snaps, even without knowing how the game would unfold. He also said both had worked with the first unit during the week.
"I was taking two's reps all week," Barnett said when asked about his game-tying touchdown pass. "So that was a mental rep that I was just drilling in my head all the time."
Duff’s first real action came in a brutal spot, and the situation was probably not ideal for him. He might have been in line to be the team’s top backup if he had stayed healthy, but instead he was thrown into the fire while Kansas State searches for answers.
Klein didn’t hide from the mistake, either. He said Duff handled the moment well and made clear he still believes in the sophomore.
"He handled it incredibly well," Klein said. "I gave him a big hug and told him, 'There's not one of us in this building that doesn't believe and see the player he's gonna become, and he is going to be.
There are ups and downs in that growing process. How today went is truly what's best for the team.
It's part of the growth at quarterback. I had one here in 2010 that was somewhat similar.'
"We believe in him, we love him, and his heart's in the right place for his teammates."
Now the Wildcats turn to Oklahoma State, and the timing is not ideal. The Cowboys lost at Iowa State, but they remain dangerous and talented enough to bounce back. They’re out of the Big 12 championship chase, but they can still make life miserable for an opponent.
Drew Mestemaker has been one of the more talked-about quarterbacks in the country after ESPN reported a survey on Oct. 31 that listed him as the top NFL QB prospect in this year’s draft class. Since following Eric Morris to Stillwater from North Texas, he has thrown 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Oklahoma State’s offense has been rolling, especially on the ground in recent weeks. The Cowboys give up plenty of points, but Kansas State’s offense without Johnson has not shown it can be steady enough to survive a shootout.
There’s a real chance this one gets ugly.
In Other News...
Kansas State May Have Found The Spark Its Offense Needed
Kansas State has been searching for any kind of lift on offense as it tries to climb out of a 1-4 Big 12 start, and a recent game against Colorado offered a small but meaningful sign. Tight end Linkon Cure scored his first career touchdown on a 33-yard catch from backup quarterback Blake Barnett, a play that stood out not just because it reached the end zone, but because it came from a player who has been showing steady growth this season.
Cures role has expanded with more receptions and more yards, and that kind of development matters for an offense still looking for reliable answers. The Wildcats need more than one bright moment to change their conference trajectory, but a young tight end finding his footing gives them something to build on as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has A Stretch Run Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Colorados 27-24 overtime win over Kansas State on October 31 was the kind of late-season result that can linger, especially for a team trying to steady itself for the stretch run. The Buffaloes got a big lift from running back Richard Young, who handled 24 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while edge rusher Yamil Talib made his presence felt with two sacks and eight tackles.
For Kansas State, the loss was another reminder that tight games are getting harder to finish cleanly when the margin shrinks in November. Colorado coach Deion Sanders singled out Youngs readiness and steady practice habits afterward, and Talibs emergence added another layer to a defense that has been finding impact plays at key moments. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Just Took A Loss Fans Will Hate Hearing About
Kansas States trip to Boulder ended with a result that stings for a team trying to keep its season on track, as Colorado outlasted the Wildcats 27-24 in overtime. The Buffaloes snapped a five-game losing streak in the process, and they did it with a more settled offensive rhythm behind quarterback Isaac Wilson and a productive night from running back Richard Young.
For Kansas State, the frustration is less about one bad bounce than the way a game that was there to be won slipped away late. Colorado coach Deion Sanders pointed to the teams mentality and focus after the victory, which only adds to the sense that the Wildcats ran into a group that was desperate to reset its season and found enough answers to do it. [Read more 🡒]