The Colorado Buffaloes put together one of their more encouraging performances of the season against Kansas State, defeating the Wildcats 27-24 in overtime.

With Colorado leading 21-14 in the fourth quarter, several players stepped up and stood out on both sides of the ball. While the defense showed improvements, the offense showed a spark that provided the Buffaloes with a lead and eventual overtime win.

Winners

JaQuail Smith

Colorado running back JaQuail Smith delivered one of the most explosive plays of the afternoon. Smith broke through the Kansas State defense for a 47-yard touchdown in the third quarter, giving the Buffaloes a 14-7 lead. It was exactly the kind of big play Colorado needed from its rushing attack. The running back showed his ability to turn an opening into a game-changing moment.

His touchdown also helped demonstrate that the Buffaloes have multiple options capable of making an impact in the backfield. Smith’s explosiveness gave Colorado another weapon to use as it looks to protect its lead and finish the game.

Richard Young

Colorado running back Richard Young has also been a major bright spot for Colorado. He opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, marking his first touchdown as a Buffalo. Earlier in that drive, he helped move the offense down the field with a 22-yard run that put Colorado in scoring position.

Young’s ability to pick up a meaningful yardage gave the Buffaloes a more balanced offensive attack. His contributions are especially important in a game where Colorado needs to control possession and take pressure off of Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson. With both Young and Smith make plays was a positive development and aid in breaking the team’s losing streak.

Gideon Lampron

Colorado linebacker Gideon Lampron was an important contributor to the Buffaloes’ defensive effort. The veteran linebacker finished with nine tackles which included a sack, helping the Buffaloes pressure Kansas State’s offense and limit its ability to sustain drives. Lampron entered the matchup as Colorado’s leading tackler with 65 tackles on the season. His experience and consistency was fully displayed and helped pull off the big win.

Charlie Williams

As Kansas State provided the Buffaloes with a challenge, the Wildcats came up on top all thanks to a clean pass from Wilson to Colorado tight end Charlie Williams. Williams will most definitely go down as the hero of the game for showing up when it mattered most. Williams scored a 11-yard game-winning touchdown pass and made the final score 27-24

Losers

DeKalon Taylor

Colorado running back DeKalon Taylor had an opportunity to give Colorado a bigger advantage in the second quarter, but a costly mistake took points off the board. After breaking loose for a 30-yard run and getting all the way down to the Kansas State one-yard line, Taylor lost the football before reaching the end zone. The ball went through the back of the end zone. The ball went through the back of the end zone, which resulted in a touchback and giving possession back to the Wildcats.

It was a damaging mistake because Colorado had put together a promising drive and was in position to extend its lead. Taylor’s run was impressive but the fumble ultimately overshadowed the positive yardage.

The Buffaloes have had plenty of reasons to feel encouraged by their performance especially with how the matchup ended. Despite the Wildcats putting up a fight, and testing the Buffaloes, Colorado did exactly what they needed to at the right time, scoring in the last moments of overtime.