Oct 103 min read

No. 18 Kansas State Renews Rivalry With Colorado

Kansas State Running Back DJ Giddens — © Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

No. 18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1) renews its rivalry against Colorado (4-1, 2-0) at 10:15 p.m. EST on Oct. 12 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. These two teams came together in 1947 in the Big 8 Conference and shared a conference until 2010, when Colorado left for the Pac-12 Conference. Colorado leads the all-time series 45-20-1. Kansas State will be tasked with slowing down the prolific passing attack led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way player Travis Hunter. The Buffaloes will need to slow the Kansas State running game which averages 6.9 yards per rush led by running back DJ Giddens.

What's at Stake?

These two teams are in the thick of the Big 12 Conference championship race. Colorado wants to prove it is legitimate after a comeback win against Baylor (2-4, 0-3) and a blowout win at UCF (3-1, 1-1). K-State blew out Oklahoma State (3-3, 0-3) at home and got blown out by BYU (5-0, 2-0) on the road after a disastrous 6 minutes of football. The Wildcats are looking to put together a complete game on the road to improve their record away from home to a winning one. The Buffaloes are working to prove that head coach Deion Sanders' project is working after a rough end to his first season at the helm.

Wide Receiver/ Cornerback Travis Hunter Colorado Buffaloes — © Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Key Players: Colorado

Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback

Sanders is the outstanding quarterback for Colorado, compiling 1,630 yards passing with 14 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He leans heavily on Hunter in the passing game, but with K-State's defense, he will have to spread the ball around to other wide receivers like LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. The Colorado offensive line must be prepared to protect Sanders against a defense that leads the conference with 12 sacks on the season.

Nikhai Hill-Green, Linebacker

Hill-Green has 32 tackles and a sack on the season. He needs to lead the defense against a rushing attack led by Giddens and quarterback Avery Johnson. While the Colorado defense has improved from last season, it has had issues against the rushing game at times, giving up over 4 yards per carry in every game except their contest against North Dakota State (5-1, 2-0).

Key Players: Kansas State

Avery Johnson, Quarterback

Johnson turned a corner against Oklahoma State, throwing for a career-high 259 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception against the Cowboys. He also added 60 yards rushing with 2 touchdowns. K-State's last road game also was a late start and things did not go as planned with Johnson throwing for 130 yards and 2 interceptions. If Johnson truly turned the corner against Oklahoma State and made that performance the norm instead of an aberration, K-State should be in good shape for the rest of the season.

Jacob Parrish, Cornerback

Parrish has 25 tackles and 1 interception on the season. The K-State secondary needs to be on the same page with the big play ability of the Colorado wide receivers. Hunter is a problem and is nearly impossible to stop but Parrish and the other guys in the secondary have to limit the big plays and force the Buffaloes to put drives together. With the K-State front getting some pressure on Sanders, the secondary will be responsible for converting that pressure into game-changing mistakes.

Trends to Watch

Colorado has looked much better since their dud against Nebraska (5-1, 2-1). K-State will be the best defense that the Buffaloes have faced since that game, a contest in which they only managed 16 yards rushing with 2 turnovers. If Colorado wants to be a player in the Big 12 race, then it will need to win games like this one. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are looking to overcome their issues on the road. K-State has some big road games remaining this season and it starts in Boulder, Colo. If head coach Chris Klieman and his team want to make it to the Big 12 Championship game, then they need to win games like these on the road against good teams.