To close out the Week 7 Big 12 slate, Kansas State and Colorado dueled in one of the week’s best games. Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes entered the matchup vs. Kansas State on a high note after taking down Baylor and UCF in back-to-back weeks. Kansas State, primarily viewed as one of the league’s biggest wildcards, found a way to seal the deal late with a 31-28 win led by a fourth-quarter game-winning drive by sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson.
Here are three thoughts on the game.
Key Injuries
While the Week 7 matchup between Colorado and Kansas State was incredibly exciting, one of the hardest aspects to stomach was the sheer amount of key injuries.
Heisman front-runner Travis Hunter went down with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return to the field for Colorado. In addition to Hunter’s injury, the Colorado wide receiver corps lost notable names like Jimmy Horn Jr. and Omarion Miller for large periods of time, which greatly impacted the Buffalo’s playmakers.
While no official update has been released on the trio of athletes, it goes without saying that the magnitude of the injuries could be catastrophic for the team.
Giddens is Special
One of the most crucial performances of the day came in the form of Kansas State running back DJ Giddens. The Kansas native was borderline unstoppable against Colorado, with 25 carries for 182 yards on the ground,
His impressive day led the Wildcats’ running back to resume his place at the top of the league in total rushing yards with 786. With the massive day on the ground, Giddens leads Cam Skattebo, Micah Bernard, Tahj Brooks, RJ Harvey, and more in total rushing yards.
Don’t Count the Cats Out
While the script flipped late, with Colorado taking a four-point lead with the game on the line, Kansas State found a way to bounce back. Inexperienced or not, sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson led his team down the field to a game-winning drive with two minutes in regulation.
Kansas State rallied back with a massive drive to take the lead 31-28, and with the win in the books, the squad propelled themselves back in the race for Arlington. To finish out the season, K-State takes on West Virginia, Kansas, Houston, Arizona State, Cincinnati, and No. 11 Iowa State.
