A late touchdown pass gives No. 18 Kansas State a 31-28 win over Colorado

Avery Johnson hit Jayce Brown for a 50-yard TD with 2:14 left, giving No. 18 Kansas State a 31-28 victory over Colorado.

Johnson's TD pass to Brown came less than a minute after Colorado took a 28-24 lead with 3:12 left on a TD pass from Shedeur Sanders to LaJohntay Wester. The Wildcats got to midfield after Colorado failed to cover RB DJ Giddens with a swing pass out of the backfield, and Johnson found Brown on the next play.

Colorado had a chance for a game-tying or go-ahead score after Johnson's TD pass, but the Buffaloes failed to get a first down. Sanders went deep to Will Sheppard on fourth down and the pass went out of bounds.

Sheppard was one of the Buffaloes' best healthy receivers at the end of the game. Colorado played the entire second half without star CB/WR Travis Hunter. He left the game in the first half with an apparent right shoulder injury and watched the final 30 minutes from the sidelines.

In addition to Hunter, WR Jimmy Horn was also injured in the first half and did not return. Omarion Miller stepped up in her absence, hauling in eight catches for 145 yards. But on his eighth catch he injured his left leg and had to be taken off the field. He didn't return either.

Despite missing several receivers in the second half, Sanders completed 34 of 40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns. However, Sanders threw a costly interception in the second half when he sailed a pass that was intercepted by VJ Payne.

Sanders' third TD pass of the game gave Sheppard the go-ahead score with just over three minutes left. The reason for that was a long interception return by Colton Hood – the man who replaced Hunter at corner – when the Wildcats decided to go for it with just over four minutes left on fourth down.

Giddens rushed 25 times for 182 yards as Colorado's lack of running game once again became apparent. Dallan Hayden was the team's leading rusher with seven carries for 11 yards. Sanders was sacked six times and finished the game with minus-50 yards rushing.

Both teams are still in the thick of the Big 12 race, especially now that Utah is coming off two losses. Iowa State and BYU are the only undefeated teams in the conference and Colorado does not play either team. Kansas State's only loss of the season came against BYU and the Wildcats play the Cyclones in the final week of the season.