Boulder, Colo. — Halloween brought costumes, a charging Ralphie and plenty of scares in Boulder. But for K-State, the biggest fright came at the end. 

After battling back from multiple deficits and forcing overtime with a touchdown in the final seconds, K-State fell 27-24 to Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Folsom Field. Buffaloes quarterback Isaac Wilson found Charlie Williams for an 11-yard touchdown in overtime, ending the Wildcats’ comeback bid and handing them another heartbreaking road loss.

K-State (4-4, 1-4 Big 12) entered the Halloween matchup looking to bounce back from a 28-17 loss at Arizona State on Oct. 24. Instead, the Wildcats left Boulder with their third consecutive road defeat, plenty of missed opportunities to look back on and gave Colorado their first Big 12 win of 2026. 

The quarterback carousel continued for K-State, which started its third different quarterback in as many games. Sophomore Dillon Duff made his first career start, but after a sluggish offensive opening, junior Blake Barnett took over late in the first quarter. 

Colorado (3-5, 1-4 Big 12) struck first, leaning on its rushing attack to put together a six-play, 60-yard scoring drive. Running back Richard Young finished the possession with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:42 remaining in the first quarter.

The Wildcats struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, opening the game with three consecutive three-and-outs. Luis Rodriguez, who entered the game a perfect 11-for-11 on field goal attempts this season, sailed a 49-yard attempt wide in the second quarter, leaving K-State searching for answers.

Barnett provided a spark, but the Wildcats needed a break to get their first points on the board. 

Colorado running back DeKalon Taylor broke free for a 30-yard run and appeared headed for another Buffaloes touchdown. However, safety Logan Bartley and cornerback Kaleb Patterson combined to knock the ball loose near the goal line. The fumble rolled out of bounds, giving K-State possession at its own 20-yard line.

Barnett made the Buffaloes pay. 

K-State put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive that lasted more than seven minutes. Facing second-and-8 at the Colorado 28-yard line, Barnett found wide receiver Josh Manning on a crossing route. Manning turned upfield, used a block from Jaron Tibbs and finished the 28-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 2:25 remaining in the first half. 

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter as Colorado continued to find success on the ground. Running back JaQuail Smith broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter, putting the Buffaloes back in front 14-7. 

The Wildcats answered with one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. After connecting with tight end Linkon Cure for a 25-yard gain, Barnett found Cure again on the next play. The pass slipped through a Colorado defender’s hands, and Cure turned upfield, fought through multiple defenders and reached the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown. 

“I was a little tired from the play before,” Cure said. “Running in, kind of felt like my legs couldn’t move. But, yeah, I saw those guys and just lowered my shoulder and honestly was just thanking God after that.” 

It was Cure’s first career touchdown reception and tied the game at 14-14 with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. 

Colorado’s ground game continued to give the Wildcats trouble in the fourth. Young broke through for a 22-yard touchdown run, capping a 10-play, 96-yard drive and giving the Buffaloes a 21-14 advantage with 12:27 remaining. 

K-State struggled to match Colorado’s momentum. Barnett faced pressure, and the offense couldn’t capitalize on another promising possession. After a delay-of-game penalty pushed the Wildcats back on fourth-and-4, Rodriguez missed a 43-yard field goal with 6:52 remaining. 

Barnett got one more opportunity after the K-State defense came up big and forced a three-and-out. 

With 55 seconds remaining, he connected with Manning for a 23-yard gain before finding him again for five yards. Barnett then hit Jaron Tibbs downfield for 31 yards, putting K-State at the Colorado 3-yard line with 30 seconds left. 

Barnett was unable to reach the end zone on the next play, and a delay-of-game penalty pushed the Wildcats back to the 8-yard line. With two seconds remaining, Barnett delivered a jump pass to senior tight end Garrett Oakley in the end zone.

Rodriguez’s extra point tied the game at 21-21, sending the Halloween matchup into overtime.

K-State had an opportunity to end the game in regulation with a successful 2-point conversion, but Colorado called a timeout and adjusted its defensive alignment. Head coach Collin Klein and the Wildcats decided to keep playing. 

“We had a play that we really liked and felt good about,” Klein said. “They called timeout and readjusted their alignment. We had the ball in the left middle there and just didn’t feel good about the two other ones from that position in that moment. Talking as a staff, we said, ‘We have to keep playing this thing.'”

The overtime period marked K-State’s first since 2023, when the No. 23 Wildcats traveled to face No. 7 Texas on Nov. 4 and fell 33-30.

“I’m happy because they must have showed enough fight that the opposition didn’t end up going for two,” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said. “We waited for them to set it up and show us, and we took the timeout so we could see it.”

K-State received the ball first, starting at the 25-yard line and moving inside the Colorado 10-yard line. Barnett connected with Oakley for a 6-yard gain on third-and-4 to keep the drive alive. However, consecutive incompletions in the end zone forced K-State to settle for a 25-yard Rodriguez field goal and a 24-21 lead.

“As a football player and as a competitor and doing this your whole life, it was just surreal and quiet,” Barnett said. “Like, those are the moments you live for, and that’s why you play football, was that bond and that brotherhood. I’m looking at 10 dudes around me, and I have 100% belief in them. They have 100% belief in me, and we were going to go out and get it.”

Colorado needed one possession to end the game. Wilson found Williams for an 11-yard touchdown, sending the Buffaloes into a field storm of a celebration and leaving the Wildcats with a 27-24 loss. 

Barnett finished with 224 passing yards, completing 18 of 28 attempts for three touchdowns. He also added 40 rushing yards on 16 carries, giving K-State an offensive spark in his first action of the season.

Klein praised Barnett’s toughness after working through an injury that kept him off the field earlier in the season.

“He’s been in attack mode,” Klein said. “Coming off the injury, he hasn’t practiced a whole lot, so to have that type of gutsy performance and to play the way he did to give us chances down the field like he did with three touchdown passes, I’m incredibly proud of him.”

Despite the comeback, K-State couldn’t overcome Colorado’s success on the ground or capitalize on its opportunities throughout the game.

“It’s a tough one, obviously,” Klein said. “I’m proud of their guts. They competed and believed we were going to find a way to win. We like learning lessons the hard way right now, and it’s unfortunate because there are opportunities all over there that we have to take advantage of and play better, and that starts with us as a staff.”

The Wildcats return to Manhattan next week at noon on Nov. 7 to face Oklahoma State. The game will air on TNT as K-State looks to bounce back from another close loss.