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October 12th – Boulder No. 31 Kansas State 31, Colorado 28
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Avery Johnson rebounded from throwing a costly interception by finding Jayce Brown for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:14 remaining as No. 18 Kansas State beat Colorado 31-28. The Buffs were without All-Everything Travis Hunter in the second half, also losing wide receivers Jimmy Horn and Omarion Miller, but still rallied from a 21-7 third quarter deficit to take a late lead.
Shedeur Sanders went 34-for-40 for 388 yards and three touchdowns, but it was not enough to overcome a school-record minus-29 yards rushing. Sanders was sacked six times, finishing the game with minus-50 yards rushing. Wide receiver Omarion Miller led the Buff receivers with eight catches for 145 yards, but was lost for the game after a 51-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was held in check for much of the game, with 138 yards passing for the game … before two late completions went for 86 yards to give the Wildcats the lead for good. The Colorado defense, which hadn’t given up 100 yards to a running back, or 100 yards to a receiver all season, were torched for 182 yards on 25 carries by running back DJ Giddens, and gave up 121 yards and two touchdowns on six catches by KSU wideout Jayce Brown.
“The big plays and surrendering 224 yards rushing”, Coach Prime said of the loss. “Come on, because that’s clock as well. That keeps our offense off the field. And they need opportunities. We need opportunities. I’m proud of them, man, I’m always proud of them. This is a totally different team. This team has heart. They have integrity, they’re tough, and they love to play this game. We just came up short. We got to just learn how to win these particular games. We’ve done so this year as well. But that was one that we should have got the play in there.”
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Game Story … The Buffs opened the game in the last way the sellout crowd would have wanted, with a three-and-out, but the defense got the crowd back in the game, forcing a quick punt from the Kansas State offense.
Taking over near midfield after a short Wildcat punt, the Buffs moved in to take the lead. After opening with a nine-yard pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders to Dallan Hayden, the sophomore running back picked up the first first down of the game with a two-yard run. Three plays later, the Buffs faced a fourth-and-seven at the KSU 35-yard line. With a 52-yard field goal attempt not an option, CU went for the first down, converting when Sanders hit LaJohntay Wester for eight yards and a first down. After a sack, Sanders found Omarion Miller for an 11-yard gain, then Wester again for a 25-yard touchdown, giving CU an opening lead in a game for only the second time all season.
The Wildcat offense responded with a touchdown drive of their own, going 75 yards in 11 plays to tie the score. A sack of KSU quarterback Avery Johnson by BJ Green was wasted, as the Wildcats were able to turn a second-and-19 into a touchdown, with Johnson scoring from eight yards out on a fourth-and-four. In the final minute of the first quarter, the score was tied, at 7-7.
The two offenses then traded punts, with the teams chewing up most of the second quarter clock without making much progress. After CU’s second punt of the quarter, the Wildcats took over at their 40-yard line. The KSU needed only six plays to cover 60 yards to take the lead, with KSU running back DJ Giddens picking up yards in chunks. Giddens had runs of 20 and 13 yards on the drive, with former Buff Dylan Edwards finishing off the drive with a one-yard scoring run with two minutes left before halftime.
The Buffs managed to get into Wildcat territory in the final moments, but consecutive sacks of Shedeur Sanders eliminated any chance at a late field goal.
Halftime score: No. 18 Kansas State 14, Colorado 7
Down a score, the Buffs needed a lift from their defense. Instead of getting the ball back for the CU offense, the CU defense surrendered only their second third quarter touchdown of the season. It didn’t come easy for the Wildcats, with Kansas State needing 16 plays to cover 81 yards. Converting a third-and-ten and and third-and-seven … and a fourth-and-one, the Wildcats used up over eight minutes of third quarter clock, with Avery Johnson completing a one-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown to make it a 21-7 game.
Down two scores, the CU offense moved quickly … or at least as quickly as the Kansas State defense would let them. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders hit Will Sheppard for gains of 25 and 15 yards, and then Omarion Miller for 13 yards … with a Kansas State defender going down after each play.
Later, facing a third-and-ten at the Kansas State 22-yard line, Sanders hit Miller for 15 yards and a first-and-goal at the KSU seven yard line. On the next play, Sanders hit Sheppard for a seven-yard touchdown. With 4:44 remaining in the third quarter, the new score was 21-14.
After a long kickoff return set the Wildcats up at their 43-yard line, Kansas State quickly moved into CU territory. The Buff defense, though, stiffened at their 30, with KSU kicker Chris Tennant making a 48-yard field goal to restore a two-score advantage, making it a 24-14 game in the final minute of the third quarter.
Getting the ball back for just the second time in the half, the CU offense opened the fourth quarter with a third-and-13. Instead of going three-and-out, Shedeur Sanders hit Omarion Miller for 24 yards and a first down. Two plays later Sanders hit Miller again for 51 yards, but it was costly, with Miller leaving the game with a serious leg injury.
On CU’s next play, the Buffs seemed to lose their best chance at a comeback, with Shedeur Sanders throwing a bad interception. Kansas State now had the ball and a ten-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Instead of driving for a final game-ending touchdown, the Wildcat offense went three-and-out for the first time in the game, giving the Buffs new hope.
Taking over at their 28-yard line, the CU offense methodically put together a scoring drive to get back into the game. Sanders found Dre’lon Miller for nine yards and Will Sheppard for 14 yards to quickly get the ball out near midfield. After a holding penalty set the CU offense back, the Buffs picked away, gaining 17 yards on the next three plays. Facing a fourth-and-three at the KSU 38-yard line, Sanders kept the drive alive with a 14-yard completion to LaJohntay Wester. A 17-yard pass from Sanders to Dre’lon Miller gave the Buffs a first-and-goal at the KSU three yard line. Two plays later, Isaiah Augustave took it in from the two. Just like that, it was a game again. Kansas State 24, Colorado 21, with 6:44 remaining in the game.
Kansas State looked to put the game away, pushing the ball into CU territory as the fourth quarter clock ticked down. The Buff defense made a stand at their 31-yard line, however. After forcing an incompletion on third-and-six, the CU defense looked to turn the ball over on downs and give the offense the ball back with four minutes to play.
Instead, the Buff defense did even better. On four-and-six, an Avery Johnson pass was tipped, with redshirt freshman cornerback Colton Hood, forced into duty with the loss of Travis Hunter, picking off the Johnson pass. Hood returned the interception 59 yards to the KSU 17-yard line … and would have scored if he hadn’t been tripped up by fellow defensive back Preston Hodge.
No matter. The CU offense was on a roll, and quickly scored to take its first lead since the first quarter. A six-yard completion to Terrell Timmons Jr. was followed on the next play by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Sanders to LaJohntay Wester. Back from the dead, CU now lead, 28-24, with 3:12 left to play.
The Kansas State offense, not noted for its ability to throw the ball, instead shredded the Colorado defense. After an incomplete pass, KSU quarterback Avery Johnson hit running back DJ Giddens for 34 yards, then Jayce Brown for 50 yards and a touchdown. Three plays, 86 yards, 51 seconds of game clock.
Kansas State scored quickly enough, though, to give the CU offense one last chance to pull out an unlikely victory. Instead the Buffs ran four plays .. and gained five yards. A fourth down incompletion – one which may have included a pass interference penalty – turned the the ball over on downs, allowing the Wildcats to take over. A few kneel downs later, the No. 18 Wildcats had escaped with a victory.
Final score: No. 18 Kansas State 31, Colorado 28
“We just gotta think about this loss for a little bit”, said Shedeur Sanders, who passed for 388 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception. “Definitely within the 24 hours, win, loss we gotta do that. So that’s the thing. Watch the film, see what we got, where we have to get better at. We have to check on the injuries with all the receivers because that’s tough. I never thought four receivers would get injured in one game. That’s just ridiculous. But things happen, life happens, so we just gotta roll with it and do what we gotta do for next week.”
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Game Notes …
— The game left Colorado with a 45-21-1 overall lead in the series, with a 28-6 record in games played in Boulder;
— Kansas State came into the game ranked 18th in the nation. In games played with KSU ranked, including every game from 1994-2002, CU’s record fell to 5-5 against the Wildcats, including 3-3 in games in Folsom Field;
— Attendance for the game was 53,972, the largest in the Coach Prime Era, sixth largest in Folsom Field history
and most in 19 seasons, since the 2005 season when 54,841 attended the Nebraska game on November 25, 2005;
— Kickoff didn’t come until 8:26 p.m., the latest non-weather delayed kick time in Folsom Field history. It was the fifth-latest finish in CU history just three minutes before midnight at 11:57 p.m. and overall the fourth-latest start time in CU history;
— It was just the fourth game in the series played on either national network TV or flagship ESPN, others in Boulder in 1994, ‘96, and ‘98;
— The minus-29 yards rushing, including a minus-50 yards from quarterback Shedeur Sanders (thanks to six sacks), set a new school record for futility carrying the ball. The old record: minus-27 (25 attempts), vs. Florida State in Boulder, September 15, 2007;
— Shedeur Sanders set three school records in his efforts against Kansas State. In going 34-for-40 for 388 yards and three touchdowns, Sanders set records for
- Consecutive pass completions (16), previous record: 15—Mike Moschetti vs. San Jose State and Kansas in Boulder, Sept. 11-18, 1999 (two games);
- Highest completion percentage, at least 30 passes (85%), previous record: 80.9 (38-of-47), Shedeur Sanders at TCU, Sept. 2, 2023; (38-of-47), Shedeur Sanders vs. Colorado State, Sept. 16, 2023; and
- Highest completion percentage, at least 40 passes (85%), previous record: 80.9 (38-of-47), Shedeur Sanders at TCU, Sept. 2, 2023; (38-of-47), Shedeur Sanders vs. Colorado State, Sept. 16, 2023;
— Series records were also set by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver Omarion Miller. Sanders’ 388 yards passing surpassed the record against Kansas State, set by John Hessler in 1995 (314 yards), while Miller’s 145 receiving yards bested the 110 yards Javon Green’s 139 yards against K-State in 1999.
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6 Replies to “No. 18 Kansas State 31, Colorado 28”
When you watch an NFL game the defenders try very hard to grab a foot of the guy carrying the ball. It’s the best way to tackle. The worst way to tackle is around the chest (Shilo Sanders does this a lot). If the guy with the ball can keep his feet moving he is going to get yardage. Look at all the times a CU defender hits a guy behind the scrimmage line, and the CU guy bounces off of him and the runner makes a nice gain. I wonder how CU practices open field tackling. It has to improve.
THE DETERMINING FACTOR OF THIS GAME WAS KSU’s ABILITY TO RUN THE BALL IN THE SECOND HALF WITH #31 GETTING 5-7 YDS. ON EVERY CARRY…. ESPECIALLY ON 3RD DOWNS. HE WAS A “L-O-A-D.”
THE LAST BUFF PLAY WAS A BLATANT “NO CALL” PASS INTERFERENCE.
THE DEFENSIVE INTERFERENCE WAS COMMITTED BEFORE THE BALL ARRIVED….THEREBY THE DB HITTING OUR RECEIVER PREVENTEDCC C HIM FROM BEING ABLE TO BE IN A POSITION TO CATCH THE BALL.
GRANTED, IT WAS A “JUDGEMENT CALL” AND WE DIDN’T HAVE THE SAME VIEW THAT THE REFEREE HAD. STILL………………………
I can’t help but believe that Shurmur doesn’t have a very good grasp on the flow of a game. When it became obvious Buffs would have a tough time stopping the run, timepiece of possession would be important. Meaning run the damn ball. I know the o lineman love running it and it sets up your passing game which is amongst the best. We know this, so Shurmur must also know it but he can’t seem to implement or commit to it.
Nevertheless Buffs have UA this week. A very winnable game. Let’s hope Travis is back.
Extremely close … unfortunately (to put it politely) the referees non-calls likely were the difference maker.
Can’t believe that last CU offensive play wasn’t defensive pass interference. Officiating was a joke throughout the game. Buffs played tough. Too bad the outcome was potentially so influenced by a non-call.