Colorado head coach Deion Sanders walks to the locker room with the Colorado football team at halftime during the football game at Folsom Field on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Linus Loughry/CU Independent)
The Big 12’s most unpredictable matchup of the year is Saturday’s game between the University of Kansas and No. 16 Colorado. Both teams have had undeniably dominant performances in recent weeks. They have hopes of continuing their winning streaks against opponents once projected to be major obstacles. The teams have disproven doubters and left their respective stadiums as winners.
Colorado’s defense has played a monumental role in the team’s success, with leaders like linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, who has 73 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. Equally impressive, safety Cam’Rom Silmon-Craig has totaled 72 tackles and 2 sacks, applying pressure to opposing offenses. Other key defensive players, such as cornerback D.J. McKinney, linebacker LaVonta Bentley and safety Shilo Sanders, have made significant strides in stopping the chains and creating turnovers to give Heisman contenders Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter opportunities to shine.
Colorado has been successful on the road for most of the season, dismantling strong teams by large margins in all of their away games within the Big 12. On offense, a talented receiving unit has contributed to the team’s dominance, with players like Will Sheppard, LaJohntay Wester, Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Drelon Miller helping the Buffs convert third downs more efficiently, complete long receptions and score impressive touchdowns.
One of the main concerns for Colorado ahead of their game against Kansas is their running game. However, the return of running back Micah Welch from injury is expected to boost the Buffaloes’ run game, which currently lags behind all other teams on their schedule. Other key contributors to the run game include Isaiah Augustave, who averages 4.5 yards per attempt, and Dallan Hayden, who has 58 carries for 190 yards this season. In a press conference this week, head coach Deion Sanders discussed what the Buffs must focus on ahead of the game to secure a win.
“We plan to do what we do. We’re a pretty physical, aggressive team defensively and offensively we can move the ball down the field,” Sanders said. “We’ve got to improve our running game, of course, but we’re going to go out there and do what we’ve been consistently doing: getting after the running backs, shutting down the run, forcing them to be one-dimensional and then taking advantage of situational football.”
Predicted as underdogs, the Jayhawks have gained confidence after defeating ranked teams like Iowa State and Brigham Young University, ending the Cougars undefeated season. Additionally, Kansas has a home-field advantage, with Saturday’s game taking place at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas head coach Lance Leipold shared the concerns his team is focusing on ahead of the matchup.
“It’s the way they can stretch it with speed and concepts, and when they want to get the ball in people’s hands,” Leipold said. “They’re aggressive at all times, but when they get the ball to guys in space, you’ve got to rally and tackle well. They’ve created a lot of missed tackles by secondaries across the country all year, and that’s something we’ve got to be good at.”
Key players for Kansas include running back Devin Neal, who has 234 rushing yards and averages 5.7 yards per carry; linebacker J.B. Brown, who has 4 sacks and 63 tackles this season; and wide receiver Luke Grimm, who has 44 receptions for 582 yards and 6 touchdowns. The increasingly strong Jayhawks will face their third ranked team in a row without a bye week, and they will be fighting for a chance to secure a third straight upset.
The game will take place at 1:30 p.m. MT at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday and will be streamed live on FOX.
Contact CU Independent football beat writer Julie Torten Rabinowitz at julie.torten.rabinowitz@colorado.edu
