Extra time not enough as Buffs stampede over Wildcats
Career-day from running back Richard Young propels Colorado to 1st conference win of the year.
Boulder, Colo. — K-State fell for its fourth loss in five games, this time to Colorado in overtime, 27-24. Trailing most of the game, K-State clawed back and forced overtime before the Buffaloes’ defense held firm, and the offense made a couple of plays to win. Senior running back Richard Young had a career day for Colorado, totaling 120 yards on 24 carries and scoring two touchdowns to lead the win.
Defense ruled the game, and that was especially the case early. Both offenses through the first five drives totaled 42 total yards and five punts. Colorado struck first with a methodical drive that covered 60 yards in six plays, as Young punched in his first touchdown of the year from 2 yards out to put the Buffaloes up 7-0 with 1:42 left in the first quarter.
Changes came early for the Wildcats, as junior quarterback Blake Barnett replaced Dillon Duff. The Erie, Colorado native made his first collegiate start and finished 1-for-1 for 2 yards before Barnett replaced him late in the first quarter. With Barnett at the helm, K-State drove down to Colorado’s 31-yard line before the Buffaloes forced the Wildcats to kick a field goal. Luis Rodriguez would miss the 49-yard field goal wide left, his first miss of the year after starting 16-for-16.
Colorado had all the momentum and used it to their advantage. The Buffaloes drove right down the field and were poised to strike again and go up multiple possessions. On a swing pass to DeKalon Taylor, the __ running back had green grass in front of him and touchdown aspirations. As he was fighting a K-State defender, corner Kaleb Patterson delivered a hard hit to Taylor, knocking the ball out at the 1-yard line before it rolled out of the back of the end zone for a touchback and a K-State turnover.
Getting the boost they needed, the Wildcat offense started to move the ball. A couple of passes from Barnett and runs from running back Joe Jackson helped move the chains. Just as Colorado was getting momentum, officials called the Buffaloes for roughing the passer, with linebacker Gideon Lampron lighting up Barnett after a rollout throw.
The call gave K-State new life and a fresh set of downs to work with. After four straight runs from Barnett and Rodney Fields, receiver Josh Manning got into the action. Barnett found Manning on a drag route before being sacked, and Manning took it from there, shaking off defenders and getting into the end zone for K-State’s first score of the game to knot the game at 7-7 with 2:25 left in the first half.
The Wildcats’ defense rode the momentum from the fumble and forced a punt from Colorado before running the ball and draining the clock to end the half. Neither team was giving up defensively, as the game turned into a slugfest in the first half. Colorado had the advantage in total yards at 171-114, but the score still showed the same for both. K-State ended the half with momentum off the turnover-to-touchdown, giving the team some life before the halfway mark of the game.
The second half started the same way as the first, with the first four possessions ending in punts. Consistency was key, as both teams combined for 41 total yards in the first four drives of the half. Colorado broke through first, driving 71 yards on four plays to score first, with running back JaQuail Smith running up the middle for a 47-yard score to put the Buffaloes up 14-7 midway through the third quarter.
K-State responded immediately, with a four-play drive of their own to score and tie the game at 14. Tight end Linkon Cure made his impact known, with two receptions on back-to-back plays — one for 25 yards, the other for 33 — where he shed two defenders inside the 10 to score his first touchdown of his two-year collegiate career.
Colorado kept the touchdown party going, with a four-minute, 44-second drive to score again and take a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. This touchdown was Colorado’s third of the game, and third on the ground. Young ran for his second touchdown of the game, this one for 22 yards.
With K-State trailing, Barnett led the Wildcats all the way to the Colorado 25-yard line. After two incompletions and a 6-yard run from Fields, K-State was in position to make it a 4-point game. Rodriguez lined up for the 43-yard field goal, but the attempt went wide left for the second time in a row, stalling any of the Wildcats’ momentum.
The Buffaloes had the opportunity to chew clock and put the game away with a 7-point lead and less than seven minutes to go. K-State's run defense stood strong, though, giving the ‘Cats a chance after forcing Colorado to a three-and-out.
The Wildcats were unable to get a first down and had to punt the ball away, giving Colorado another chance to put the game away. K-State’s defense allowed a first down, then only gave up 5 rushing yards over the next three plays, giving the Wildcats another chance to tie the game, this time with only 46 seconds left in the game.
The drive started with a 23-yard pass to Josh Manning along the left hash, putting the Wildcats at the Colorado 39-yard line with new life. Two plays later, Barnett threw a pass to Manning, who got one foot in before stepping out of bounds to put K-State at the Colorado 3-yard line with six seconds to go. A delay-of-game penalty set K-State back to the Colorado 8-yard line before tight end Garrett Oakley made a catch at the goal line and survived contact to score with two seconds to tie the game and force overtime.
K-State got the ball first, running seven plays before two incompletions stalled the drive, which forced the Wildcats to kick a field goal and take their first lead of the game, 24-21. Colorado responded with two straight runs for a first down until two plays combined for 1 total yard.
Faced with a third-and-nine, Colorado ran a play-action pass where quarterback Isaac Wilson connected with tight end Charlie Williams, who ran it in for the score. With that touchdown, Colorado won a defensive slugfest 27-24.
Young was the headliner for Colorado, with 120 yards on 24 carries, scoring twice. The Buffaloes leaned on the run game, wearing out the Wildcat defense and allowing for chunk plays to aid Colorado’s offense. For K-State, Barnett stepped in for Duff and went 18-for-28 for 224 yards and three touchdowns. With Barnett, K-State’s offense came alive in the running and passing game, keeping the Wildcats in the game.
K-State returns home to Bill Snyder Family Stadium to face Oklahoma State at noon on Nov. 7 on TNT.
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