2026 K-State Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 8: Colorado

The Week 8 matchup between K-State and Colorado has had many memorable matchups over the years. When the Buffaloes left the Big 12 to join the Pac-12 in 2011, it looked like those matchups would become far in between. However, the rivalry was renewed in 2024 after Colorado came back to the Big 12.

K-State has hopes of winning a Big 12 Championship, and simply put, this is a game the Wildcats can ill afford to take lightly.

Offense

There may be no player in the Big 12 with more on his shoulders than Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis. He wasn't the starter for much of the year last season, but showcased the potential at the end of the year that made him a high prospect. He finished the 2025 season with 589 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Running back Richard Young transferred in from Alabama and is a guy the Buffaloes will rely upon a lot to help provide a balanced offensive attack. One of the more interesting transfer portal acquisitions last year was former San Jose State receiver Danny Scudero transferring to Colorado. He had 88 catches last year, while leading the country with 1,297 receiving yards. He also had 10 receiving touchdowns. In a game against Wyoming last year, he finished with 180 yards and four toucdhowns.

There is enough talent at the skilled positions to form a talented offense. However, as has been the case under Sanders, there has to be improvement from the offensive line. In the last two games of the year, Lewis was sacked 11 times. Some of that was on the quarterback for holding the ball a while, but the offensive line has been the biggest weakness since the Buffaloes joined the Big 12.

Defense

While the offensive line has struggled, there have also been major issues on defense. Too often last season, the defense was just physically dominated by the opponent's offensive line. In a 53-7 loss to Utah last season, the Utes rushed the ball 51 times for 422 yards and four touchdowns. The following week, Colorado gave up 52 points in three quarters to Arizona.

With that in mind, the Buffaloes hit the transfer portal with the intent to get better on defense. Defensive back Boo Carter transferred in from Tennessee, and he has a chance to be one of the best defensive players in the Big 12. He is a physical athlete from the secondary, as he forced three fumbles last season. Having a guy of his talent on the back-end should make things much easier for the other guys on the field.

The biggest move of the off-season for the Buffaloes though was getting linebacker Liona Lefau, who transferred in from Texas. Last season, he finished with 68 tackles for the Longhorns, and provided leadership and a calming presence at the linebacker spot. Too often last year, Colorado defenders weren't where they needed to be lined up, and Lefau could have a major impact in that regard.

Schedule

There are many teams across the country avoiding nonconference games against Power-4 teams. Colorado doesn't fall in that category, as the Buffaloes have road games at Georgia Tech and Northwestern in the first three weeks of the season.

In terms of Big 12 play, the Buffaloes have some of their toughest matchups coming to Boulder. Besides K-State, Colorado also hosts Texas Tech, Utah, and Houston, all of which are among the favorites to win the conference. To expect the Buffaloes to win all of those games is asking a lot. However, if they want to be in contention to make a bowl, going 2-2 in that stretch is imperative.

Outlook

Sanders had Colorado on top of the college football world early in his time, as Travis Hunter was on his way to winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy. However, things took a bad turn last year as the Buffaloes finished with a record of 3-9, with only one of those wins coming in the Big 12. For Sanders, this is a huge season in terms of his future at Colorado. There is pressure to deliver on that early hype, and an appearance in a bowl game would be a good start.

The Big 12 is wide-open, and the Sun Devils once again to have the pieces to compete for a spot in the conference championship.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, October, 31
Time: TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Folsom Field
Series history: Colorado leads the all-time series, 45-22-1. Since the Buffaloes rejoined the Big 12 in 2024, things haven't gone well. K-State has won both matchups, including a 24-14 victory in Manhattan last season. Joe Jackson had a monster game in the win, as he finished with 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Add us as a preferred source on Google