Colorado hasn’t had much to celebrate on the football field lately. That changed Saturday, when the Buffaloes beat Kansas State in overtime to claim their first Big 12 win in more than a year.
Deion Sanders’ team entered the game 2-5 and near the bottom of the conference standings. Colorado had not won a Big 12 matchup since Oct. 11, 2025, and had dropped five straight after a promising start to the season.
The teams were tied 21-21 at the end of regulation. Kansas State kicked a field goal in overtime to go ahead by three, leaving Colorado needing a touchdown to end its losing streak.
On third-and-9, quarterback Isaac Wilson kept the ball on a run-pass option, then threw toward the end zone. Tight end Charlie Williams caught the 11-yard pass for the winning score. It was his only reception of the game.
The touchdown sent the crowd into a frenzy. Colorado improved to 4-4, and as Sanders went to greet Kansas State’s players, fans climbed over the barrier and rushed onto the field, many wearing Halloween costumes.
Some supporters looked ready to charge the field before the end of regulation, but Kansas State tied the game with a touchdown with two seconds left. After Colorado’s overtime win, fans celebrated by bringing down the goalposts.
The victory gives Colorado the same number of wins it had last season, with four games still to play in Sanders’ fourth year as coach. Even so, Sanders has been mentioned among coaches under pressure, and this win is a modest step compared with what the program likely hoped to accomplish.
The Buffaloes need three wins from their final four games to become bowl-eligible. They’ll try to build on Saturday’s result against Arizona State, then close the season against Houston, Cincinnati and UCF.
Kansas State has also had a difficult conference season, with a 1-4 record in Big 12 play.
