Colorado needed a spark on Halloween, and Yamil Talib delivered one in a way few expected.
With the Buffaloes trying to snap a five-game skid and searching for anything to jolt them against Kansas State on Oct. 31, the seldom-used edge rusher suddenly became the story on defense. Talib got after the Wildcats’ right side, helped force a key third-down stop and finished with two sacks, including his first sack of the 2026 season on a third-and-4 play. By halftime, he had piled up six tackles along with those two sacks.
That kind of production gave Colorado a lift early and showed that the Buffs’ front is more than just Lamont Lester, Santana Hopper - who slid inside to defensive tackle - and linebacker Gideon Lampron. Talib’s night stood out as the biggest surprise inside Folsom Field.
He wasn’t the only Buffalo making noise. Immanuel Ezeogu added six tackles and 0.5 sacks, while Lampron finished with five tackles to lead the linebackers. Makari Vickers chipped in four tackles, and five more defenders - Randon Fontenette, Liona Lefau, Toby Anene, Naeten Mitchell and Jason Stokes Jr. - each had three tackles by halftime.
Colorado’s offense, though, remained a work in progress. Isaac Wilson avoided turnovers and completed eight of 11 passes, but he managed only 82 passing yards through two quarters. That marked the fourth straight slow start with Wilson at quarterback.
The ground game provided more stability. Alabama transfer Richard Young led the Buffaloes at the half with 11 carries for 56 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry for a new season high.
He also scored Colorado’s only first-half touchdown, a two-yard run with 1:42 left in the opening quarter. DeKalon Taylor added a 30-yard burst, but no Colorado receiver topped 30 yards before halftime.
Joseph Williams, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ernest Campbell each caught two passes, with Williams leading the group at 30 receiving yards and Moore next at 27.
Kansas State had its own quarterback issues before kickoff. Avery Johnson was already out because of an injury from two weeks earlier, and Jacob Knuth, who started the Wildcats’ loss to Arizona State on Oct. 24, was also scratched. That left Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff to handle the position, and Colorado held both quarterbacks to 59 passing yards through three quarters.
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