Colorado rises from the dead, beats Kansas State on Halloween
As clouds gave way to sunlight before kickoff at Folsom Field, Colorado football rose to an overtime win against the Kansas State Wildcats (4-4, 1-4 Big 12).
On a third-and-9, CU quarterback Isaac Wilson found tight end Charlie Williams in the back of the end zone to clinch the 27-24 victory. It was the Buffaloes’ (3-5, 1-4) first Big 12 win since beating then-No. 22 Iowa State over a calendar year ago.
It also snapped a five-game losing streak dating back to Sept. 19.
Both teams started slowly, as did the fans that rolled into the stadium, with five combined punts in the first quarter. Colorado’s defense made life difficult for Wildcats sophomore quarterback Dillon Duff, who was making his first career start.
The Buffs’ defense forced a three-and-out on an opponent’s opening drive for the first time since Week 2 against Weber State. That forced Kansas State head coach Collin Klein to turn to Erie, Colo., native Blake Barnett after three drives.
Head coach Deion Sanders’ promise to feature running back Richard Young earlier in the week then paid off, as Young ran for 22 yards into Wildcat territory. The Alabama transfer also punched in a touchdown from 2 yards out to give CU a 7-0 lead.
Young finished as the bell cow carrier with 120 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. That was more yardage than he had in the first seven games total.
“[Young] waited patiently and never complained,” Sanders said after the game. “The rushing attack took pressure off Isaac.”
As the last line of defense on the ensuing return, Colorado kicker Elliot Arnold stopped the Kansas State wide receiver Brandon White from taking it to the house. Wildcats kicker Luis Rodriguez, who was a perfect 11-for-11 on field goal attempts, stepped up but missed from 49 yards out wide left, wasting the good field position.
Wilson found wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. for 19 yards, and Young picked up a first down on the ground before something spooky happened. Buffs running back DeKalon Taylor fumbled while rumbling into the end zone after a 30-yard pitch, resulting in a touchback.
“We talk all darn day about flushing the last play, and that’s what we showed,” Sanders said.
The Wildcats responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive, capped off with a 28-yard pass from Barnett to wide receiver Josh Manning to tie the game at 7-7. After Taylor’s fumble in the endzone, Kansas State’s touchdown made a 14-point swing before halftime.
After both teams exchanged punts to start the third, Buffs running back JaQuail Smith woke up the sleepy Folsom with a 47-yard touchdown run to give Colorado a 14-7 lead. That was Smith’s fourth carry of the game and the first time this season the Buffs had two or more rushing touchdowns from running backs in the same game
But Kansas State responded immediately in four plays: Barnett found tight end Linkon Cure for 25 yards, then went right back to him for a 33-yard score to tie it 14-14. Barnett finished with 224 passing yards, threw for 3 touchdowns, and completed 18 of 28 passes after stepping in.
“He got the potential to be a top Big 12 quarterback,” Colorado safety Randon Fontenette said of Barnett postgame.
Smith made a fair catch error on the kickoff after, placing Colorado on its own 4-yard line to start the fourth. On third-and-6, Wilson found Joseph Williams at the line of scrimmage, who ran for 41 yards into Wildcat territory on a screen misdirection play. Joseph Williams led CU with 89 receiving yards on five receptions.
Then Young caught lightning on a 22-yard rush into the end zone to give the Buffs back the lead 21-14.
"The run game is a quarterback's best friend... [Richard Young] told me before the game he wanted 200 [yards] and 2 touchdowns,” Wilson said. “He had 130 and two touchdowns. Hell of a job.”
Kansas State methodically moved the ball down the field afterward. But the Wildcats had to settle for a field goal attempt after a delay-of-game penalty on fourth and short on the CU 20-yard line. Rodriguez again missed wide left from 43 yards out, giving the Buffs another sigh of relief.
But the game was far from being over.
Kansas State forced two straight CU punts, giving the Wildcat offense one last shot to drive down the field from their own 38-yard line with 55 seconds remaining.
Barnett hit wide receiver Josh Manning in stride for a 23-yard gain before wide receiver Jaron Tibbs beat CU safety Naeten Mitchell on a stutter route down to the Buffs’ 3-yard line.
Then Barnett jumped in the air mid-throw on a third-and-goal to tight end Garrett Oakley to silence the Folsom crowd.
Kansas State had all the momentum, but Klein opted to play it safe and take the extra point, which took the game to overtime.
“Should have never went to overtime,” Sanders said.
The Buffs won the coin toss and elected to defer, giving the Wildcats the ball at Colorado’s 25-yard line.
CU defensive back Boo Carter broke up Barnett’s pass intended for Tibbs on third-and-goal. The Wildcats were forced to take a field goal, and Rodriguez converted.
“Don’t let em in the endzone,” Colorado lineback Gideon ESPN Lampron said was the message.
Lampron finished with 15 total tackles, 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. Colorado’s defense had 9 tackles for loss as a unit.
“Coach [Chris] Marve had us fired up and said this moment will say a lot about who you are,” continued Lampron.
Then it was time to find out who Wilson was.
After four straight handoffs, the Buffs found themselves at third and nine on the Kansas State 11-yard line. Wilson pulled the run-pass option and hit Charlie Williams in the end zone for six, sparking a field storm by students.
“We always know we will have an opportunity,” Charlie Williams said. “So when that comes, I’m ready to make a play.”
It was Wilson’s only touchdown pass of the game, but more importantly, the Utah transfer finished with zero turnovers.
The win doesn’t erase the horrors of the five-game losing streak that preceded it, but it does take some heat off Sanders, whose job security had become a talking point in the week leading up.
For one afternoon at Folsom, the clouds broke away.
Next up for Colorado is a trip to Tempe, Ariz., to face the Arizona State Wildcats (4-4, 2-3). Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 MT on Saturday, Nov. 7 (ESPN2).
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