Three Things To Take Away From Colorado's Emotional Win Over Kansas State

The Colorado Buffaloes snapped their five-game losing skid thanks to making these discoveries.

Oct 31, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts in the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Buffaloes walked out of Oct. 31 with a long-awaited victory.

This time the Buffaloes knocked off Kansas State 27-24 in overtime. Plus with KSU down to its third and fourth quarterback option.

That Buffaloes victory shines a light on these three elements that surface following the emotional win.

Running Back Richard Young Ready to Carry the Load

Oct 31, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Richard Young (9) scores a touchdown past Kansas State Wildcats cornerback Zashon Rich (25) in the second half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coach Deion Sanders said to postgame reporters that running back Richard Young was in waiting mode. Awaiting his opportunity to finally handle the backfield load.

Sanders also added how he never heard Young complain about not earning any action and showed consistent practice habits. So the Halloween outing showed he was ready for the moment.

Young broke off the kind of runs that once turned him into one of the last five-star signings of coach Nick Saban and Alabama. He showed his freight train side in busting through KSU's defense between the tackles on this score that broke the 14-14 tie.

Colorado RB Richard Young Week 9

🦬 24 CAR
🦬 120 YDS
🦬 2 TD

Colorado defeats Kansas State 27-24 in OT pic.twitter.com/UpWECgugIT

— Rafters (@RaftersHQ) November 1, 2026

Young watched fellow running backs Micah Welch and Damian Henderson II become the bell cow backs for Colorado. Plus witnessed smallish running back option JaQuil Smith emerge as the lightning option who added a speed element.

Young's outing became proof of someone taking advantage of his moment. And he wasn't the only one for Colorado.

Yamil Talib Proved he's Capable of Answering the Bell

Oct 31, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Gideon Lampron (44) tackles Kansas State Wildcats running back Rodney Fields Jr. (20) in the second half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Young rose as the breakout performer on offense. Edge rusher Yamil Talib broke out on the defensive side.

Colorado entered with edge rushers Lamont Lester Jr., Toby Anene and Santana Hopper (who slid inside to help with the interior defensive linemen depth) leading the trenches. Now Talib surfaces as the fourth most capable of impacting this defense.

Talib pivoted toward speed-to-power tactics on this crucial sack that helped set the tone for the Buffaloes.

Yamil Talib with the stop on 3rd down 🔥 pic.twitter.com/T1y1sVzQVE

— BuffBoy 🦬 (@skobuffss) October 31, 2026

Talib even entered this game hitting 1.5 sacks during his final season at Charlotte. He produced two sacks against the Wildcats.

But that's not all, as Talib delivered eight tackles in creating new career-best marks for him. Now Sanders and coach Chris Marve knows they have a fourth pass rusher option here. The 240-pound Talib looks undersized on the field, but Marve and the defensive staff found a way to unlock him for this game.

Colorado will need this version of Talib to help complete the Buffaloes' pass rush. Especially if they want to hit the next topic.

Colorado Not Dead Yet

Oct 31, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes tight end Charlie Williams (87) catches a touchdown to win the game in overtime against the Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) rankings hadn't given the Buffaloes much love. Especially with the long line of zero percents attached to CU from national title chances to even winning out.

Colorado still sits two games under .500 at 3-5. But this win over KSU proves the Buffaloes aren't officially dead yet.

Colorado only faces one ranked team the rest of the way, which isn't until Nov. 13 against Houston at Folsom Field. The remaining other three foes outside of the Cougars -- Arizona State, Cincinnati and UCF -- all have three or four losses.

The Buffaloes got their tough part of the schedule out of the way. Hitting 6-6 is starting to look more realistic if there's a continuation of the KSU performance.

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