BOULDER — Colorado mounted a livid fourth-quarter comeback Saturday evening however the Buffaloes gave up a rating late and could not reply on their last possession as CU fell to No. 18 Kansas State, 31-28, at Folsom Area.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ Buffaloes dropped to 4-2 total and 2-1 in Large 12 play whereas the Wildcats improved to 5-1, 2-1.
CU trailed 14-7 on the half and 21-7 with slightly below seven minutes left within the third quarter.
However the Buffs answered with a landing to tug inside 21-14 with 4:44 left within the third interval and following a Okay-State discipline aim, they reduce the deficit to simply three with a 72-yard scoring drive halfway via the fourth quarter.
Colorado’s protection then got here up with an enormous play when backup defensive again Colton Hood, taking part in for an injured Travis Hunter, returned an interception 59 yards to the Okay-State 17-yard line. Two performs later, CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard landing cross to LaJohntay Wester to present Colorado a 28-24 lead with simply 3:12 remaining.
“The protection got here up with the play once they wanted to give you the play,” Coach Prime stated. “You recognize we’ll rating with the ball in Shedeur’s palms down there and we went on and did what we needed to do.”
However CU followers barely had time to have a good time earlier than Kansas State answered by going 84 yards in simply three performs. The Wildcats had a 34-yard Avery Johnson cross to working again DJ Giddens to get to midfield, then noticed Johnson throw a 50-yard landing cross to Jayce Brown to regain the lead, 31-28, with simply 2:14 remaining.
“We did not count on them to have a few explosion performs to set them up for a landing,” Coach Prime stated. “We did not even fathom that.”
Nonetheless, that left Colorado with another likelihood. The Buffs took possession with 2:14 to play on their very own 25, however a fourth-and-5 cross fell incomplete as CU’s protestations for a cross interference name went unanswered.
Okay-State then ran out the clock for the win.
The Buffs have been with out their two prime receivers, Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., for the complete second half. Nonetheless, Sanders completed 34-for-40 for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Omarion Miller had eight catches for 145 yards, Will Sheppard had 5 for 83 and a landing and Wester caught 5 for 58 yards and two scores.
“Actually dropping Travis and Jimmy and others was large, as a result of they are a very important a part of our staff, part of our identification,” Coach Prime stated. “That took quite a bit out of us. However different guys had the chance to step up, they usually did. So I am happy with them.”
Kansas State, although, had 423 yards complete offense, 185 on the bottom and 238 within the air. Giddens turned the primary participant to surpass the 100-yard mark in opposition to Colorado this yr, ending with 182 yards on 25 carries, whereas Brown turned the primary receiver with 100 yards in opposition to CU with six catches for 121 yards and two scores.
“The aim was to attempt to cease the run and we did not try this in any way,” Sanders stated. “That they had 224 yards speeding (not counting yards misplaced on sacks), they usually finally dominated the time of possession. That is not good, as a result of now we won’t get on the sphere and do what we’re able to doing … We did not deal with properly at present and we did not get to the ball as a unit at present.”
The Wildcats additionally registered six sacks on CU’s Sanders, leaving Colorado with a minus-29 yards speeding however the Buffs did acquire 4 sacks of KSU’s Johnson.
Even with out the 74 yards misplaced on sacks, CU’s speeding recreation produced simply 45 yards with a 13-yard Sanders run the longest of the evening.
“The play calls are there, we did not execute,” Coach Prime stated. “We missed a block right here, we missed this there, we missed this there. We simply did not execute.”
However whereas the Buffs are nonetheless in respectable place to contend for a Large 12 championship recreation bid, they know this was a chance that slipped via their fingers.
“Typically you get your butt kicked, you simply gotta take it,” Sanders stated. “However generally you lose, you say, ‘Dang, we must always’ve gained that. We should always’ve had that.’ And that was a kind of kinds of video games. That is not taking something away from our opponents, as a result of they performed their butts off, they usually’re in that locker room proper now celebrating, having an excellent time, they usually deserve it. However for us, we simply felt like we let that one slip away. We received to do a greater job of making the most of the alternatives that we needed to win that recreation, as a result of we had a number of.”
HOW IT HAPPENED: Colorado struck first, getting good discipline place after a brief Okay-State punt gave CU the ball on the KSU 49-yard line.
The Buffs used 9 performs to succeed in the tip zone. Colorado stored the drive alive on fourth-and-7 when Sanders hit Wester for an 8-yard achieve. Three performs later, Sanders and Wester linked once more on a 25-yard scoring cross and Colorado took a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats answered with their first scoring drive of the evening on their subsequent possession. Quarterback Avery Johnson directed an 11-play, 75-yard scoring march, capping the drive with an 8-yard landing run on fourth-and-4 to knot the rating at 7-7.
Colorado’s offense could not discover its rhythm once more the remainder of the half. After each groups traded punts, Okay-State methodically drove 60 yards in eight performs for a go-ahead landing. Giddens ran six instances for 50 yards earlier than former Buff Dylan Edwards completed the drive with a 1-yard scoring run to present KSU a 14-7 lead with 1:52 left within the half.
“He (Giddens) is phenomenal,” Coach Prime stated. “He is among the best within the nation. I imply, his maneuverability is unbelievable.”
However that left Colorado with sufficient time to place collectively a drive and the Buffs began off properly, getting two fast cross completions to succeed in the Kansas State 34-yard line.
However Sanders was sacked on first and third down for a complete of 19 yards in losses to finish the half and ship the Buffs into the locker room on the break trailing 14-7.
Kansas State took the opening kick of the second half and methodically drove 81 yards in 16 performs for a landing. The Wildcats transformed a third-and-11 to maintain the drive alive early, then gained 14 yards on third-and-7 to succeed in the CU 11-yard line.
Colorado then held to place the ‘Cats in a fourth-and-1, however KSU transformed after which scored two performs in a while a 1-yard scoring cross to take a 21-7 lead with 6:55 to play within the third quarter.
However the Buffs offense lastly discovered some consistency on the following possession. CU drove 75 yards for a landing, with Sanders finishing six of seven passes for all 75 yards. Colorado’s Sheppard, who had a drop for the one incompletion on the drive, atoned for the miscue by hauling in a 7-yard scoring cross from Sanders and CU reduce the Okay-State result in 21-14 with 4:44 to play within the third quarter.
Kansas State returned the following kick to the KSU 43-yard line and rapidly reached into CU territory. The Buffs protection then held however the Wildcats managed to reap a 48-yard discipline aim to take a 24-14 lead with 28 seconds remaining within the third quarter.
Colorado then noticed a promising drive finish on a uncommon mistake from Sanders, who overthrew a receiver deep in KSU territory, leading to an interception. However the Buffs protection rose to the event, forcing a Okay-State 3-and-out, and CU took over once more by itself 28 after a Kansas State punt.
The Buffs made their subsequent possession rely. Sanders accomplished seven passes on a 72-yard scoring drive, together with a 14-yard toss to Wester on fourth-and-3. Isaiah Augustave then completed the march with a 2-yard scoring run to tug CU to inside 24-21 with 6:44 to play.
Colorado’s protection then got here up with an enormous play. After Okay-State drove inside CU territory, Hood plucked a deflected cross out of the air and returned it 59 yards to the Okay-State 17-yard line.
CU wanted simply two performs to attain, with Sanders and Wester hooking up for his or her second landing of the evening, an 11-yarder that gave Colorado a 28-24 lead.
However the Wildcats answered in a rush. KSU wanted simply three performs to go 84 yards, getting a 50-yard landing cross from Johnston to Jayce Brown to regain the lead, 31-28.
That gave the Buffs the ball again on their very own 25 with 2:14 on the clock.
CU’s final possession, although, ended with an incompletion on fourth-and-5, handing the ball again to the Wildcats, who then ran out the clock by taking a knee and three straight performs.
TURNING POINT: This one wasn’t determined till the ultimate minutes. After Colorado took a 28-24 lead late within the recreation, the Buffs gave up two enormous explosion performs — a 34-yard cross to get KSU to midfield, then a 50-yard landing cross.
KEY STATISTIC: Colorado gave up 185 yards speeding (224 with out counting sack yardage), by far essentially the most in opposition to CU this season … The Buffs have been simply 4-for-11 on third downs … The Buffs gave up 13 explosion performs — passes of not less than 15 yards and runs of not less than 10 — for 283 yards.
WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs are now not tied for the Large 12 lead, however they’re only one recreation behind the three leaders with six video games nonetheless to play.
NEXT UP: The Buffs hit the street subsequent Saturday for a 2 p.m. (MT) recreation at Arizona (FOX).