Colorado finally got its first Big 12 win of the season, and it was also its first overtime win since its 38-31 win over Baylor in September 2024 and its 27-24 victory over Kansas State.
Despite coming into the game with only their third- and fourth-string quarterbacks available, the Wildcats put up a valiant fight against the Buffaloes' defense and actually had more passing yards than Colorado. However, Kansas State had no answer for Colorado's run game, which totaled 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns. But Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson showed up when the Buffaloes needed him, throwing the game-winning touchdown to Charlie Williams for just his sixth career reception.
Here is the report card from the Buffaloes' first Big 12 win of the season:
Quarterback
Grade: B+
Isaac Wilson's stats weren't terrible, though he threw for only 185 yards and one touchdown. But he completed 66.7 percent of his passes and did not turn the ball over. That was all Colorado needed from him. He protected the football and connected with Charlie Williams in overtime to win it. The Buffaloes will hope to get more out of Wilson in their last four games of the regular season, but he did enough here.
Running Backs
Grade: A+
After rushing for at least 180 yards in their first three games, they had only one game over 100 rushing yards in the last four. That changed with this win over Kansas State. Colorado had 222 rushing yards, their most in the Deion Sanders era. They also scored three rushing touchdowns, the most since their Week 2 win against Weber State. Richard Young had a career day with 120 yards and two touchdowns, so this was a great day for him and a great game for all of Colorado's backs.
The one blemish on the running backs is DeKalon Taylor's fumble, but that is not worth holding against the entire running back group.
Receivers and Tight Ends
Grade: B
I have no complaints about the receivers or tight ends. When your quarterback throws for only 185 yards, they won't have much of a role. Still, top receiver Joseph Williams had another good game with 89 receiving yards. DeAndre Moore averaged 20 yards per reception with 60 yards on the day. Hopefully Colorado can get their passing game going next week against Arizona State, but they haven't made any critical mistakes this season.
Offensive Line
Grade: A
First, when you run for 222 yards, the offensive line is doing something right. Second, Wilson was only sacked twice in the entire game, which is also a credit to the offensive line. Perhaps most impressive was the offensive line's downfield blocking. After their backs got to the second level of Kansas State's defense, Colorado's offensive linemen blocked downfield, too. That is a recipe for a good day on the ground, and the Buffaloes have proved this season they are at their best when they are running the ball.
Defense
Grade: C
Besides Gideon Lampron, I am a little disappointed in the defense. They allowed Blake Barnett, essentially Kansas State's fourth-string quarterback, to complete 18 of 28 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, including the touchdown that sent the game to overtime. Furthermore, they failed to force a turnover for the third time in the past four games. They did have five sacks, two from Lampron and two from Yamil Talib, but their lack of takeaways remains concerning.
Special Teams
Grade: B-
Colorado's kicking was perfectly fine. They never attempted a field goal, but Elliott Arnold made all three extra-point attempts. Punter Damon Greaves averaged 46.9 yards on his seven punts and pinned three inside the 20-yard line. Colorado struggled on special teams in kick and punt returns. On their two kick returns, they gained zero yards, and on their two punt returns, they gained only 20 yards. It certainly doesn't help the offense in the field-position battle when the Buffaloes are barely getting anything on returns. That will need to improve in the last four games of the regular season.
Coaching
Grade: A-
It would not be a Colorado football game without some questionable coaching decisions. Still, nothing terribly egregious put the Buffaloes' win at risk. Perhaps the best coaching decision of the game was when Colorado took a timeout before Kansas State's two-point attempt at the end of the game. The timeout made the Wildcats rethink the decision and led them to kick an extra point instead of going for the two-point conversion to win. It was also smart to defer in overtime. That was key to the victory, and it certainly wasn't always Deion Sanders' choice.
Overall
Grade: B+
This was not Colorado's best game of the season, but it was pretty good, and they did enough to win. The run game was phenomenal, but the defense as a whole could have been better. Their kick and punt return game also needs to improve. Special teams should never be underestimated, as they can be the difference in a game.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado report card, grades from overtime win vs. Kansas State
