Kansas State left Boulder with a gut-punch of a result, but the Wildcats also showed enough late fight to turn a bad afternoon into an overtime thriller before Colorado finished the job, 27-24, at Folsom Field on Saturday, Oct. 31.
The loss dropped Kansas State to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play, and it came with the Wildcats still working through life without starting quarterback Avery Johnson for a second straight game. K-State used two quarterbacks against the Buffaloes, and the offense didn’t truly catch fire until the final minute of regulation.
That’s when Blake Barnett, the fourth quarterback Kansas State has used in three weeks, rescued the Wildcats from the brink. He directed a 62-yard touchdown drive in the final 55 seconds and, with two seconds remaining, hit an eight-yard touchdown pass to Colorado. Collin Klein initially kept the offense on the field, then after several stoppages settled for the extra point to force overtime.
Kansas State’s chance to steal it never quite materialized from there. The Wildcats got the ball first in overtime and had to settle for a field goal, opening the door for Colorado to answer. The Buffaloes needed only four plays to end it, with Isaac Wilson finding Charlie Williams for an 11-yard touchdown pass on third-and-9.
Barnett’s late surge stood in sharp contrast to the start Kansas State got from Dillon Duff. The sophomore opened the game at quarterback but lasted just nine plays after three first-quarter three-and-outs pushed the Wildcats to make a change.
Duff had open receivers available and still hesitated, looking rattled before pressure even arrived. He finished 1-for-1 for two yards and was sacked twice.
Barnett gave Kansas State a much steadier hand. He completed passes of 23 and 31 yards before finding Oakley for the touchdown that forced overtime.
For the day, he went 18 for 28 for 224 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 40 yards on 16 carries. In a game where the Wildcats needed a spark, he was clearly the better option.
The defense, meanwhile, spent too much of the afternoon chasing Colorado’s big plays. Kansas State gave up explosive runs, including touchdowns of 47 and 22 yards in which the ball-carrier went untouched. The Buffaloes piled up 407 yards, 222 of them on the ground, and the Wildcats’ issues with third-and-long and eye discipline kept showing up.
Colorado also came close to adding another score in the first half, but fumbled just before the goal line at the end of a 30-yard run. The ball rolled out the back of the end zone for a touchback, one of the few breaks Kansas State got on a difficult day.
Still, the Wildcats did manage to get stops when they absolutely needed them. Colorado’s final two drives ended in punts, and those defensive stands gave Kansas State enough life to mount the comeback that nearly changed the game.
Instead, the Wildcats head home with another loss and Oklahoma State coming to Manhattan next week.
In Other News...
Kansas State Leaves Colorado With A Bigger Problem Than Another Loss
Kansas States trip to Colorado ended the same way too many of its recent Saturdays have, with another close loss and another reminder that the Wildcats are still searching for answers under first-year coach Chris Klieman. The 27-24 overtime defeat was their second straight and fourth in five games, a stretch that has left little margin for error as the season wears on.
The quarterback situation only added to the uncertainty. Sophomore Dillon Duff got the start, but Blake Barnett finished the game after the Wildcats made a switch and helped spark a late comeback attempt that fell just short. Colorado, meanwhile, finally got its first Big 12 conference win of the season, leaving Kansas State with more to sort through than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Turns To An Unknown QB In A Brutal Spot
Kansas State is making a major quarterback pivot at a difficult time, with Dillon Duff set to make his first career start against Colorado. Duff has not appeared in a collegiate game before this opportunity, and his path to the lineup has been slowed by a preseason injury that kept him out until he was recently cleared to play.
Collin Klein has sounded encouraged by what he has seen from Duff behind the scenes, pointing to his work ethic and decision-making as reasons the Wildcats are willing to trust him in a pressure-packed spot. For a team looking for stability at the most important position, this is a big leap of faith, and it will say plenty about where Kansas State stands in the quarterback room going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Let A Winnable Big 12 Road Game Slip Away
Kansas State had every chance to leave Boulder with a conference road win, and for stretches it looked like the Wildcats might do just that. Blake Barnett threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns, and Kansas State kept punching back in a game that swung back and forth at Folsom Field before the Wildcats forced overtime with a touchdown in the final seconds of regulation.
Once the extra period arrived, though, the offense could not finish the job. Kansas State came up empty in overtime, and Colorado made the most of its chance to escape with a 27-24 win, turning a winnable Big 12 road game into one that will linger for the Wildcats because of how close it was to being theirs. [Read more 🡒]