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Colorado Daily – Kansas State Week
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November 29th – Game Day!
… CU in a few minutes …
Daily Camera – Kansas State Scouting Report
From the Daily Camera …
5 Wildcats to Watch
RB Joe Jackson: Redshirt sophomore broke the school record for rushing yards in a game last week at Utah, with 293. On the season, he leads the Wildcats with 769 yards and is second with five rushing touchdowns. He’s three yards shy of 1,000 for his career.
QB Avery Johnson: Hasn’t had the same production as a year ago, but he’s still one of the more dangerous dual threats in the Big 12. He’s thrown for 2,270 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 441 yards and eight scores. In the past two seasons, he’s thrown for 4,982 yards and 43 touchdowns and rushed for 1,046 yards and 15 TDs.
CB Zashon Rich: A first-year starter as a sophomore, Rich has recorded 54 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception and 10 pass breakups. Only two players in the Big 12 have had more pass breakups.
DE Cody Stufflebean: Senior has started all of K-State’s 24 games since the start of the 2024 season. This year, he has 21 tackles, 4.5 sacks, six QB hurries and two forced fumbles. He has 6.5 sacks in the past two years.
WR Jaron Tibbs: With an injury to star Jayce Brown, Tibbs has become the Wildcats’ top receiving threat. He leads the team in receptions (43), is second in receiving yards (540) and third in touchdowns (three).
When Kansas State has the ball …
Under Klieman, the Wildcats have typically had a strong run game, but last week came out of nowhere. The Wildcats posted a school-record 472 rushing yards against Utah, including a school-record 293 from running back Joe Jackson. That bumped the K-State rushing average from 137.8 per game to 168.2 (10th in the Big 12). Klieman called the run game “next level” against the Utes, but also added it might be tough to duplicate because it had a lot to do with how Utah played defense that night. He also said, “Our kids believed in what we were going to do, and it’s fun to watch a team that believes in itself, has some success, gains the confidence, and then once you get confidence, that belief continues to grow.” That confidence is sure to carry over to this week, as CU ranks last in the Big 12 in run defense, allowing 224.0 yards per game. Quarterback Avery Johnson is a big part of the run game, as a talented dual threat. “They got a quarterback who can get it done,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. The Wildcats are without top receiver Jayce Brown (who had a huge game in Boulder last year) and could be without top tight end Garrett Oakley, who is third on the team in receiving. The Buffs, however, have been hit hard by injuries in the secondary.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 28th
… CU in a few minutes …
Coach Prime on Portal misses: “We missed on the portal. That’s why we’re sitting where we sit”
From the Daily Camera … As a former baseball player, Deion Sanders knows all about swinging and missing.
Sanders was a .263 hitter in the Major Leagues; not great, but good enough to play at the highest level for nine years in a sport where the best hitters still fail 70% of the time.
That type of success rate won’t cut it when shopping for players in college football’s transfer portal, however.
There are numerous reasons why the Colorado football team is limping to Saturday’s finish line and a trip to Kansas State for the season finale (10 a.m. MT, FS1), but the lack of success in the transfer portal might top the list.
“The strategy a year ago was the same strategy it was (for 2024),” said Sanders, the third-year head coach of the Buffaloes. “And you hit on your portal guys (in 2024); you hit on your freshman guys. This year, you hit on your freshmen, to me, some of them, and you missed on your portal. So, that’s why we’re sitting where we sit.”
At 3-8 (1-7 Big 12), CU is riding a four-game losing streak and goes into Saturday as a 17.5-point underdog. Lose to the Wildcats (5-6, 4-4) and it’ll be the Buffs’ worst record under Sanders, who is 16-20 at CU.
Injuries piled up this year. There were questionable coaching decisions at times, especially in some close losses early in the year. But, ultimately, CU didn’t get the type of production it expected from the 32 players it signed as transfers last offseason.
“It’s not like you didn’t have a strategic plan,” Sanders said. “You had a strategic plan. You missed. Sometimes that happens. And I’m going to take responsibility.”
… Continue reading story here …
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November 27th
… CU in a few minutes …
Injury Report: Jordan Seaton questionable; four of CU’s nine defensive linemen on the list
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With four defensive back starters injured, Isaiah Hardge has stepped up
From the Daily Camera … From the time that Isaiah Hardge got to Colorado in 2023, his versatility has been praised by head coach Deion Sanders.
Hardge often wears a gray practice jersey so he can line up on either side of the ball, at receiver or cornerback. He even played running back during the spring game in 2023 and is one of the Buffaloes’ key players on special teams.
During a difficult 2025 season that has seen more losses, as well as more injuries, than anyone at CU anticipated, Hardge’s versatility has come in handy.
“I will want to still be versatile (in the future), doing the two ways, and still being on special teams as well,” Hardge said this week. “Anything the team needs, I want to be that person to step up and take on that role.”
The Buffs (3-8, 1-7 Big 12) will wrap up their season with a visit to Kansas State (5-6, 4-4) on Saturday (10 a.m. MT, FS1), with Hardge hoping to do his part to help get a win and snap CU’s four-game losing streak.
“I always look at how the team is, and it’s still fire,” Hardge said. “Nobody is giving up. There’s no give up on the team. Nobody is down, nobody is thinking about none of that. I still know and feel like the team is still bought in to get through this last game, which is away. So everybody’s bought in and wants to get this win on the road.”
It would be difficult to find a player more bought in than Hardge, a redshirt sophomore from Hollywood, Florida, who might be one of the keys to CU rebounding in the future.
This season, Hardge has played 68 snaps on offense, while catching five passes for 37 yards. He’s also played 97 snaps on special teams and ranks second on the team in special teams points – a system developed by CU that rewards tackles, key plays, hustle, etc., on special teams.
… Continue reading story here …
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November 25th
… CU in a few minutes …
*Coach Prime Weekly Press Conference*
… Kaidon Salter to start against Kansas State – Julian Lewis to preserve redshirt season … On Kansas State: “It’s not like we don’t know what’s coming. We know what’s coming, and stop it. We have to man up and accept that responsibility” … On the season: “I don’t break glass unless it’s an emergency. I know how to get it right. We’re heading in the right direction … We’ve got some key pieces there that we can work with” … “I enjoy the roster building process. It’s like a dating game. Just because a player is a dawg, that doesn’t mean he’s the right fit, because a dawg can mess up your yard … Our offensive line has performed. They have not been the problem. They know if they have a good offseason and a good spring, they’ll be ready to compete … I made mistakes. I’ve got to correct those … Taking ‘L’s’. You have no idea how hard that is to take for a winner … I’d rather be a guy who lost games than a loser, and I’m not a loser … I’m not going to go crazy grabbing (high school recruits) just to appease you guys … I made the decision that JuJu is going to redshirt. That’s my decision. It’s what’s best for him; what’s best for his family. I’m not going to say he was happy, because he’s a competitor. Kaidon Salter will start” …
Also … Cornerback Isaiah Hardge and tight end Zach Atkins …
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November 24th
… CU in a few minutes …
Buffs down seven starters due to injuries – Coach Prime: “Everybody’s got injuries, man; everybody’s got injuries, so that’s no excuse”
From the Daily Camera … On Saturday night, Colorado safety Carter Stoutmire walked across the Folsom Field turf during warmups wearing a gray sweat suit.
Fashionably in the same attire was fellow safety Ben Finneseth, and cornerbacks DJ McKinney and RJ Johnson. That foursome represented the starting secondary when the Buffaloes opened the season on Aug. 29, and all of them were out with injuries for Saturday’s 42-17 loss to Arizona State.
Also in sweats were defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain and offensive tackles Jordan Seaton and Larry Johnson III. They, too, were opening day starters and out with injuries.
Head coach Deion Sanders wouldn’t use injuries as an excuse, but there’s no question the health of his team played a significant role in a season that will come to a merciful end on Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas, when the Buffs meet Kansas State (10 a.m. MT, FS1).
“There’s no excuse, man,” he said after the loss to Arizona State, which dropped CU to 3-8 (1-7 Big 12). “Everybody’s got injuries, man; everybody’s got injuries, so that’s no excuse. I’m not gonna sit here and say we’re not winning because we got half the darn team in the darn training room. No, come on, man. We’ve got to coach better. We got to do better. We got to plan better. We got to be better all the way around.”
Better coaching, planning, etc., certainly could have changed the trajectory of the season, but it can’t be ignored that darn near half the team has been injured.
Running backs Simeon Price and DeKalon Taylor, who combined for 226 rushing yards, 116 receiving yards and four total touchdowns in the first four games, have missed the last seven games.
That prompted the staff to move receivers Dre’Lon Miller and Kam Mikell, as well as walk-on Ronald Coleman, to running back. Mikell didn’t play Saturday, either, and Coleman’s fourth-quarter fumble on his first career touch was devastating.
… Continue reading story here …
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14 Replies to “Colorado Daily – Kansas State Week”
pretty decent sports day,
Buffs continue their previously unseen amazing teamwork on offense beating Washington in hoops. Dak is emerging as Dak the Destroyer, brimming with confidence. Take that cobbs.
Speaking of cobbs they got husked pretty hard today in football by Iowa. Rhule is a punk.
Speaking of punks , another one of my least favorite teams(not the players but grads I have had to work with) A&M got punked by UT.
There are always surprises, but it sounds to me like juju is committed to Deion and CU. Does he need the extra year? Hopefully not. But he is all of maybe 170lbs right now, and he’s injuries happen. Better to have an extra year and not need it vs need it and not have it.
Go Buffs
I am getting a little concerned about Seaton transfering, he hasn’t played much (injured?) and have not heard a lot from/about him lately.
I hope this is a good sign Lewis isn’t headed to the portal. He can throw. In the right hands with some timing patterns we should finally have a decent QB.
Salter gets one more chance to increase his cred with the NFL Scouts. If I was him I might consider suing shurmur
If I was Lewis’s father I would be prepping for portal two months ago. The offensive coaching staff is not putting anyone in a position to win and unless Prime overhauls the entire staff I would be telling JuJu to transfer to a place they will help develop him properly.
After watching sanders presser on the redshirt his demeanor spoke to me that the portal was a done deal. In any event everyday that goes by w/o overhauling the staff just adds to the possibility. You also wonder if Seaton is going to ignore a mountain of money being thrown at him.
From Adam Munsterteiger, the reporter for BuffStampede.com: “Julian is expected to be back as QB1 with the Buffs in 2026”.
I’d assume he knows more about the subject than either you or I.
I will still feel a whole lot better about everything including Lewis when Sanders finally gets around to getting some assistants who aren’t stuck in the mud. That means everyone on the O side.
I don’t think Kadon will get even the look that Montez or Sefo got for the NFL, unfortunately. He was hoping to change that coming to CU. It didn’t work out that way. Hopefully he’ll do well in whatever he pursues after football.
Go Buffs
probably not but don’t tell Salter that. Hopefully the coaching staff will give him some plays that will at least fit his running abilities. In the spring game they gave him designed roll out passes that I haven’t seen much in the last few games he played.
They gave Lewis some slant patterns we haven’t seen much of that he nailed pretty well, which was an encouraging baby step.
What is there to lose?
ERIC HAS A POINT. STRETCHING.
IT’S OBVIOUS THE MORE YOU STRETCH, THE BETTER YOUR BODY CAN ABSORB TRAUMA. THE MORE LIMBER JOINTS, MUSCLES AND TENDONS ARE THE MORE FLEXIBLE THE ENTIRE EXTREMITY CAN BE.
OH WELL….ERIC AND I AREN’T GETTING PAID FOR OUR UNPROFESSIONAL OPINION. IF I WERE BEING PAID FOR WHAT I KNOW ABOUT FOOTBALL CONDITIONING, I WOULD HAVE TO BORROW $$$$$ TO KEEP GRUB ON THE TABLE. END OF STORY.
That’s funny, trax. Like that Tom Brady commercial, we can’t handle that knowledge. But Tom and Deion can. They know. When the safety rolls over the top, just rip the seam. And for the ol curmudgeon, I don’t even know what that commercial’s for. But it’s funny.
Go Buffs
Maybe they need more aerobic conditioning. The more tired you are the more you are susceptible to an injury. There is a bright side to this. Some “depth guys” get some or some more PT before the season ends. For the entire team the season is over anyway. Some of the back ups might take this opportunity to surprise you…..
I wonder is the S&T guy needs to get these guys more limber? Or? Just bad luck with injuries this year? More key depth needed? Who knows? I bet Deion does.
Go Buffs