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 Discipline.

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 just 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 Ok-State discipline aim, they lower 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 Ok-State 17-yard line. Two performs later, CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard landing go to LaJohntay Wester to offer Colorado a 28-24 lead with simply 3:12 remaining.

“The protection got here up with the play once they wanted to provide you with the play,” Coach Prime mentioned. “You realize we’ll rating with the ball in Shedeur’s arms down there and we went on and did what we needed to do.”

However CU followers barely had time to rejoice earlier than Kansas State answered by going 84 yards in simply three performs. The Wildcats had a 34-yard Avery Johnson go to working again DJ Giddens to get to midfield, then noticed Johnson throw a 50-yard landing go to Jayce Brown to regain the lead, 31-28, with simply 2:14 remaining.

“We did not anticipate them to have a few explosion performs to set them up for a landing,” Coach Prime mentioned. “We did not even fathom that.”

Nonetheless, that left Colorado with yet another likelihood. The Buffs took possession with 2:14 to play on their very own 25, however a fourth-and-5 go fell incomplete as CU’s protestations for a go interference name went unanswered.

Ok-State then ran out the clock for the win.

The Buffs have been with out their two high receivers, Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr., for your 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 shedding Travis and Jimmy and others was great, as a result of they seem to be a important a part of our crew, part of our identification,” Coach Prime mentioned. “That took quite a bit out of us. However different guys had the chance to step up, and so they did. So I am pleased with them.”

Kansas State, although, had 423 yards complete offense, 185 on the bottom and 238 within the air. Giddens grew to become the primary participant to surpass the 100-yard mark towards Colorado this yr, ending with 182 yards on 25 carries, whereas Brown grew to become the primary receiver with 100 yards towards 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 mentioned. “They’d 224 yards dashing (not counting yards misplaced on sacks), and so they finally dominated the time of possession. That is not good, as a result of now we won’t get on the sector and do what we’re able to doing … We did not deal with properly right this moment and we did not get to the ball as a unit right this moment.”

The Wildcats additionally registered six sacks on CU’s Sanders, leaving Colorado with a minus-29 yards dashing however the Buffs did acquire 4 sacks of KSU’s Johnson.

Even with out the 74 yards misplaced on sacks, CU’s dashing 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 mentioned. “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 first rate place to contend for a Large 12 championship recreation bid, they know this was a possibility that slipped via their fingers.

“Generally you get your butt kicked, you simply gotta take it,” Sanders mentioned. “However generally you lose, you say, ‘Dang, we should always’ve received that. We should always’ve had that.’ And that was a type of forms of video games. That is not taking something away from our opponents, as a result of they performed their butts off, and so they’re in that locker room proper now celebrating, having time, and so they deserve it. However for us, we simply felt like we let that one slip away. We obtained to do a greater job of profiting from 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 Ok-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 related once more on a 25-yard scoring go 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, Ok-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 offer KSU a 14-7 lead with 1:52 left within the half.

“He (Giddens) is phenomenal,” Coach Prime mentioned. “He is the most effective 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 go 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 go 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 go from Sanders and CU lower the Ok-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 Ok-State 3-and-out, and CU took over once more by itself 28 after a Kansas State punt.

 The Buffs made their subsequent possession depend. 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 Ok-State drove inside CU territory, Hood plucked a deflected go out of the air and returned it 59 yards to the Ok-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 go 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 big explosion performs — a 34-yard go to get KSU to midfield, then a 50-yard landing go.

KEY STATISTIC: Colorado gave up 185 yards dashing (224 with out counting sack yardage), by far essentially the most towards CU this season … The Buffs have been simply 4-for-11 on third downs … The Buffs gave up 13 explosion performs — passes of no less than 15 yards and runs of no less than 10 — for 283 yards.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Buffs are 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).