Kansas State vs Colorado football score prediction. Can Cats top Deion?
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
MANHATTAN — One last game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 2025 will decide whether Kansas State football will play in a bowl game or not. The Wildcats must win this week in order to play in the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.
Kansas State (5-6, 4-4 Big 12) will host Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 11 a.m. CT in Manhattan.
The Wildcats are coming off a 51-47 loss at then-No. 12 Utah in a thriller on Nov. 22 in Salt Lake City. K-State set the school’s single-game rushing record despite coming up short.
Colorado (2-8, 1-7) has struggled in Deion Sanders’ third season as coach. The Buffaloes have lost their last four games, including a 42-17 loss to then-No. 25 Arizona State, in Boulder on Nov. 22.
A bowl appearance for the Wildcats would be their sixth in seven seasons under Chris Klieman, only missing a bowl during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season.
Who to watch for Colorado vs Kansas State
To discredit Colorado would be unwise. The Buffaloes have had a rough season in conference play, losing six of their last seven, including their last four. However, they’ve put together some solid performances, losing by three at home against BYU, and coming up with a 24-17 win over an Iowa State team that the Wildcats lost to. Just last week, the Buffaloes entered the fourth quarter trailing by four to Arizona State, only to end up losing 42-17.
This isn’t the worst team, though its 3-8 record doesn’t instill much confidence. A rebuilding year following the departures of Heisman winner Travis Hunter and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders was to be expected.
One thing the Wildcats won’t have to worry about on Saturday is quarterback Julian Lewis. One of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class, Lewis is being shut down to preserve his redshirt. Instead, former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter will return to the starting role, his last appearance coming on Nov. 1 in a 52-17 loss to Arizona. He’s a 63.1% passer for 1,242 yards, 10 touchdowns and six picks through eight appearances. He’s a dual-threat with five rushing touchdowns that the Wildcats will need to keep an eye on.
Colorado continues to struggle along the offensive line, allowing 3.2 sacks per game, the worst in the Big 12. The Buffs also struggle to run the ball, allowing 123.3 yards per game.
The defense is also among the nation’s worst. It’s allowing 31.1 points per game and a league-low 435.2 yards per outing. Only Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern defend the run worse, with Colorado allowing 224 yards per game, including three games in which teams have gone for 320 yards or more. Their saving grace is that they’re an average team on third downs and OK defending the pass.
Kansas State vs Colorado scouting report
Why Kansas State has an advantage: The Wildcats’ run game is coming off its best performance in program history, when it had been largely inconsistent all season. Joe Jackson’s 293-yard performance, coupled with a great game from the offensive line, should lead to some momentum going into this week, while the Wildcats also have something to play for.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Avery Johnson get going, though he hasn’t put up the most impressive numbers in recent weeks. He didn’t have to do much against Utah until he was asked to rally the team for a last-minute drive, which resulted in an interception. Before that, he thought he had the worst game of his career in K-State’s win over Oklahoma State, which followed a two-interception game against Texas Tech, during which he completed less than 50% of his passes. Yes, his receivers are hurt, but he’s due to have a solid showing.
Why Colorado has an advantage: K-State may have overlooked Oklahoma State when the two played on Nov. 15. The Wildcats were large favorites, and only came out with a 14-6 victory. We haven’t seen K-State play that well this season when it’s a heavy favorite, even losing one of those games straight up to Army on Sept. 6.
While Kansas State should be plenty motivated for senior day festivities and a bowl appearance being on the line, Colorado should be inspired to play spoiler. The Wildcats had some trouble earlier in the year when trying to keep up with dual-threat QBs, and the Buffs will start one this week.
Kansas State vs Colorado score prediction
Kansas State 28, Colorado 17
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State vs Colorado football scouting report, prediction
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos