Avery Johnson hit Jayce Brown for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:14 to go, 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 to go on a TD pass from Shedeur Sanders to LaJohntay Wester. The Wildcats reached midfield after Colorado failed to cover RB DJ Giddens out of the backfield on a swing pass, and then Johnson found Brown on the next play.

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

Sheppard was one of the best healthy receivers left for the Buffaloes at the end of the game. Colorado played the entire second half without star CB/WR Travis Hunter. He left the match 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 injured in the first half and did not return. Omarion Miller stepped up in their absence and had eight catches for 145 yards. But he suffered a left leg injury on his eighth catch and had to be helped off the field. He didn’t come back either.

Despite missing several receivers in the second half, Sanders was 34 of 40 passing for 388 yards and three touchdowns. However, Sanders did throw 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 set up Sheppard with just over three minutes remaining. That was set up by a long interception return from Colton Hood – the man who replaced Hunter in the corner – as the Wildcats elected to go on fourth down with just over four minutes remaining.

Giddens rushed 25 times for 182 yards as Colorado’s lack of a running game reared its ugly head again. 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 with Utah coming off two losses. Iowa State and BYU are the only teams in the conference without a loss and Colorado will not play either team. Kansas State’s only loss of the season came to BYU and the Wildcats play the Cyclones in the final week of the season.