K-State (4-3, 1-3 Big 12)
After falling 28-17 at Arizona State on Oct. 24, the Wildcats have dropped three of their first four Big 12 games and face another afternoon road test against Colorado with their quarterback situation still unsettled.
Avery Johnson remains day-to-day as he recovers from an injury, while Jacob Knuth is battling an ankle injury after making his first career start against the Sun Devils. Head coach Collin Klein said Monday he still did not know who would take the first snap against Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 31.
“This is the second week in a row — and not very many times does this happen in your career — that I don’t know exactly who’s going to take the first snap on Saturday,” Klein said.
Whoever starts will need more support from the ground game. Arizona State held K-State to 84 rushing yards, a sharp drop from the 359 yards the Wildcats produced in their 35-24 win over Kansas on Oct. 17. K-State ranks 14th nationally with 217.6 rushing yards per game, marking a return to its usual ground attack.
Klein said the Wildcats must improve their execution in critical moments after missed opportunities cost them against Arizona State. With the season moving deeper into conference play, K-State looks to turn those lessons into a much-needed win against the Buffaloes.
Defensively, the Wildcats aim to limit explosive plays after Arizona State gained 147 rushing yards, including 106 on six plays. K-State ranks fifth nationally in passing defense, allowing 147.1 yards per game.
Saturday also brings a homecoming for Klein, who grew up near Loveland, Colorado, and has family throughout the Front Range. His focus, however, remains on getting the Wildcats back on track.
Colorado (2-5, 0-4 Big 12)
Colorado looks to bounce back from a second-half collapse when it hosts K-State on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Folsom Field.
The Buffaloes fell 57-24 at Oklahoma State on Oct. 24, surrendering 598 yards of total offense. After taking a 24-23 lead into halftime, Colorado went scoreless in the second half as the Cowboys pulled away with 34 unanswered points. The loss dropped Colorado to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in Big 12 play.
Quarterback Isaac Wilson led the Buffaloes’ offense with 280 passing yards and two touchdowns, but threw two interceptions. Receiver Joseph Williams added nine catches for 135 yards, while Colorado’s rushing attack managed just 56 yards.
Colorado’s defense gave up 34 unanswered points after halftime against Oklahoma State, turning a one-point deficit into a 33-point loss. That second-half slide is a concern heading into a matchup with a K-State team that has shown it can lean on its rushing attack when it finds its rhythm. The Buffaloes need to avoid another late-game breakdown to stay within reach.
K-State won the teams’ most recent matchup, 24-14, on Nov. 29, 2025, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Running back Joe Jackson led the Wildcats with 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 17-yard score late in the fourth quarter that sealed the win. Colorado kept the game close, but K-State outscored the Buffaloes 17-7 in the second half.
