No. 18 Kansas State and Colorado square off for the first time since 2010 on Saturday night in Boulder, Colo., in a rivalry that dates back to the Big Eight.
The Wildcats (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) run a high-octane ground attack on offense while the Buffaloes (4-1, 2-0) do their damage through the air.
Both teams are coming off a bye week. Colorado is one of five teams with an undefeated Big 12 record and is on a three-game winning streak. Kansas State beat then-No. 20 Oklahoma State 42-20 on Sep. 28.
The Buffaloes pulled off a 48-21 upset win at UCF on Sept. 28. Colorado’s defense shut down what was the No. 1 rushing offense in the country. The Knights averaged 375.7 yards per game on the ground entering the contest, but the Buffaloes held them to 177 rushing yards.
It’s another test for the Colorado defense this week as Kansas State’s Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens are the only quarterback/running back duo in the country with a rushing average higher than 7.0. The Wildcats are second in the country with an average of 6.93 rushing yards per carry, trailing only Boise State’s 8.18.
Colorado had five sacks and 13 tackles for a loss against UCF. The dogged defensive effort is something Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said the team will need to lock in against the potent Kansas State offense. Sanders said safety Shilo Sanders, his son, is expected to return from injury this week.
“We expect the results when we put in the work,” Deion Sanders said. “But we shouldn’t be surprised where we are. We are appreciative in understanding where we are, but it’s not a surprise to us.”
Colorado will lean heavily on Shedeur Sanders, Shilo’s brother. The senior quarterback has thrown for 1,630 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions. He is tied for second nationally with 27.6 completions per game and is seventh with 326 passing yards per game.
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said Shedeur Sanders has great intangibles and a talented group of receivers.
“I think (Shedeur) Sanders will be the first quarterback picked off the board (in the 2025 NFL Draft),” Klieman said. “He should be, based on the film I’ve seen of the top guys. He’s an excellent thrower and you can’t really confuse him. I’ve seen a lot of teams try to manipulate coverages and disguise them. He does a really good job pre-snap to post-snap and he can make all the throws with a lot of guys to throw the football to.”
The players Klieman referenced are wide receivers Travis Hunter (561 yards, six touchdowns), LaJohntay Wester (260 yards, five touchdowns) and Jimmy Horn Jr. (327 yards, one touchdown).
“I think they are really balanced and have rushed the football well, too,” Kleiman said. “Shedeur is going to throw it to the guy that is open. He reads coverage and knows where he’s going with the football.
“We can’t put everything into the run game or the pass game. We need tremendous balance on defense, to be able to play the run when we are short and play the pass when we need to load the box.”
