Colorado football lost its first Big 12 Conference game on Saturday, in a tough home battle against Kansas State. The Wildcats scored late to win the thrilling contest 31-28. It stopped a three-game winning streak for Colorado, who is now 4-2 on the season.
Colorado played well enough to win the game, but made some crucial mistakes that hurt them in the contest. Here are the biggest concerns moving forward for the Buffaloes as they try to stay alive in the Big 12 championship race.
Travis Hunter is dealing with an injury
Colorado's most valuable player is arguably Travis Hunter. Hunter is a two-way star who plays pivotal roles in both the secondary and passing game.
Hunter got hurt against Kansas State, on a play in the second quarter. The Colorado football star injured his shoulder, and that caused him to leave the game. Colorado can ill-afford to be without him for long. While the team was able to mount a comeback against Kansas State, the Buffaloes came up short. They now have a loss in the Big 12, and that hurts them moving forward as they try to make a run to the College Football Playoff.
Hunter's health is truly a major factor moving forward. His absence not only hurts the team's offense, but the defense as well. Hunter was the Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. On the year, he has 16 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. His offense includes 49 receptions, for 587 yards and six touchdowns.
“I haven’t gotten an update on those particular young men,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said after the game about his injured players, per USA Today. “Hopefully, they can get back at it. But we’re not going to rush them. Their safety and their health is much more important than this game.”
Hunter's absence leads to the next concern for this team.
Colorado still has questions on defense
The Buffaloes are desperately looking for improvement in the play of their defense this year. Colorado went 4-8 in 2023, mostly because their defense struggled to stop teams. The defense has improved this year, but mistakes hurt the team in the Kansas State contest.
Colorado allowed 423 total yards of offense in the game. The Buffaloes dug themselves into a 21-7 hole early in the second half, but were able to claw their way back into it. Colorado's defense finally got the support it needed late in the fourth quarter, when Shedeur Sanders threw a touchdown pass that put the squad ahead 28-24.
That excitement was short-lived, as the Colorado defense couldn't make the stop it needed in the last few minutes of the game. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson led the Wildcats on a massive drive with two minutes left; he threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown that ended up winning the game. Colorado football fans can rightfully ask if Hunter's presence at that moment would have been able to stop the Kansas State offense.
The answer won't be known, but what is known is that the defense still has some question marks. For the Buffaloes to win more games in the Big 12, the team's defense has to be able to protect fourth quarter leads.
There's one last concern for this team moving forward.
Colorado's schedule gets no easier
The Buffaloes have a tough schedule for their first year in the Big 12. While there are no current ranked teams left on the schedule, the team plays three of its next five games on the road.
The next five games are: Arizona, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Utah, and Kansas. Three of those games are on the road, including trips to Arizona and Texas Tech. Texas Tech is currently tied for first in the Big 12, and Arizona and Utah are both teams that were ranked earlier this year in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll.
Colorado is looking to get to a bowl game for the first time in the Sanders' coaching tenure at the school. The team needs just two more wins in their last six games to get there. It certainly looks possible, but the squad is playing a lot of good teams. Time will tell if the Buffaloes can muster enough points to have a successful season.
Colorado's next game is against the Arizona Wildcats Saturday.