One of college football’s brightest stars will be back on the field for a prime-time matchup Saturday night.

As Colorado prepares to face its first ranked opponent of the 2024 season in No. 18 Kansas State, two-way star Travis Hunter will be looking to make a statement on a big stage. Projected to be one of the NFL’s top prospects come April — potentially even the No. 1 selection — Hunter has put together a Heisman Trophy case through five games.

On the offensive side of the ball, Hunter is tied for third in college football in receptions (46) and ranks ninth in receiving yards (561) while scoring six touchdowns. Those kind of numbers would already make him one of the top players in the country — and then you remember that he also plays cornerback.

Defensively, Hunter has 15 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble this season. The Buffaloes are 4-1 so far, including wins in each of their last three games, and Hunter’s been at the center of all the action.

In a thrilling win over Baylor just weeks ago, Hunter forced a massive fumble in overtime just as the Bears were about to break the plane into the end zone. The wide receiver/cornerback hybrid has a flair for the big moments — as does his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, and the rest of Deion Sanders’ squad — and he’s become arguably the most exciting player to watch in college football.

Colorado will be lining up against Kansas State, which is 4-1 this season. Its only loss came to BYU, but the Wildcats have also taken down two opponents ranked No. 20 at the time of their matchup; in Week 3, they beat Arizona 31-7, and last week, they beat Oklahoma State 42-20.

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson has posted 879 passing yards and nine touchdowns against four interceptions this season, while running back DJ Giddens has led the way for the Wildcats with 604 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Kansas State will present a tough challenge for the Buffaloes on Saturday, even on their home turf.

The Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Colorado vs. Kansas State on Saturday, including Hunter’s stats throughout the contest. Follow along with the action below.

MORE: Travis Hunter goes No. 1 in updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Colorado vs. Kansas State score

NCAAF HQ: Live NCAAF scores | Updated NCAAF standings | Full NCAAF schedule

Travis Hunter stats vs. Kansas State

• Receptions:
• Receiving yards:
• AVG:
• TDs:
• Tackles:
• Passed defended:
• INTs:

Colorado vs. Kansas State live updates, highlights from Week 7 college football matchup

All times ET

10:55 p.m. — Avery Johnson is sacked on first down, but he responds with a 12-yard completion to Edwards on 3rd & 16. Kansas State is going for it on fourth down at the Colorado eight-yard line.

10:51 p.m. — Make it four carries for 38 yards for Giddens, who runs for 20 yards on 3rd & 3.

10:48 p.m. — The offense has picked up on both sides, as Johnson completes a pass to Dylan Edwards for nine yards, then running back DJ Giddens picks up 14 yards to enter Colorado territory.

Colorado 7, Kansas State 0

10:42 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Colorado gets on the board first. Sanders hits Wester on 3rd & 8, and the receiver puts a move on for a 25-yard score. The Buffaloes take a 7-0 lead at home.

TOUCHDOWN LAJOHNTAY WESTER!!! #SkoBuffs pic.twitter.com/qfKp8sleIq

— GUCCE🦬🐦‍⬛ (@gucceCU) October 13, 2024

10:39 p.m. — Sanders’ pass on third down is incomplete, but the Buffaloes go for it on 4th & 7 at the Kansas State 35-yard line. They convert with an eight-yard pass to LaJohntay Wester.

10:37 p.m. — Shedeur Sanders begins Colorado’s second drive with a nine-yard completion to Dallan Hayden.

10:33 p.m. — Avery Johnson is called for intentional grounding on 3rd & 8, and both sides punt on their first drives. 

10:29 p.m. — The Buffaloes go three-and-out to begin this matchup. For those looking to watch on ESPN, Florida vs. Tennessee will wrap up on the channel first, and Kansas State vs. Colorado will be live on ESPNEWS to start. 

10:27 p.m. — Colorado will receive the opening kickoff.

10:24 p.m. — With kickoff in just a few minutes, here’s a look at the Buffaloes’ uniforms tonight:

Taking the field pic.twitter.com/quuTIvW8ea

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 13, 2024

10:22 p.m. — With the final minutes of Florida vs. Tennessee still on ESPN, the broadcast says that Kansas State vs. Colorado is expected to kick off at 10:25 p.m. 

9:58 p.m. — Kickoff is approaching. Here’s some looks at Kansas State warming up for this high-profile game:

Under the lights pic.twitter.com/ZZUKe8CoIB

— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 13, 2024

9:12 p.m. — Travis Hunter was out signing some autographs for Colorado fans ahead of tonight’s matchup:

agreed 🤝 pic.twitter.com/WxHiqOwv8Z

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 13, 2024

Colorado vs. Kansas State start time

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
• Time: 10:15 p.m. ET

The Buffaloes and Wildcats will kickoff on Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Folsom Field in Colorado.

MORE: Where Travis Hunter ranks in the 2024 Heisman Trophy odds 

What channel is Colorado vs. Kansas State on today?

• TV channel: ESPN
• Live stream: Fubo

Colorado vs. Kansas State will air nationally on ESPN. Fans looking to stream the game can turn to Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users. 

Colorado schedule 2024

Below is a look at Colorado’s next five games after Saturday’s matchup.

Kansas State schedule 2024

Following their game against the Buffaloes, here’s a look at the Wildcats’ upcoming schedule.

Deion Sanders is fully aware of the significance of Saturday night’s Big 12 matchup against the 18th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats. During his appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay, Sanders highlighted a critical area that will determine the outcome: tackling. He emphasized that Colorado cannot afford missed tackles or undisciplined penalties, especially against a team as well-coached and disciplined as Kansas State.

“We got to tackle,” Sanders stated, making it clear that missed tackles could be a game-changer. He stressed the need for discipline, noting that the Wildcats are not a heavily penalized team, and Colorado must match that level of discipline. Pre-snap penalties are particularly harmful “We can’t have those type of penalties. It’s ignorant and idiotic,” Sanders said. He is determined that his team must avoid beating themselves with careless mistakes.

Reflecting on a tough loss to Nebraska over a month ago, Sanders acknowledged that the defeat was a turning point for his team. “We got our butts kicked, and we analyzed it. We needed that butt kicking,” he said, admitting that some players may have started believing the hype surrounding them. The loss exposed vulnerabilities and served as a necessary wake-up call. Sanders believes that adversity has only strengthened the Buffaloes, pushing them to step up their game and avoid complacency.

Colorado’s defense, one of the best in the country in terms of run defense, has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season. This impressive stat will be tested against a tough Kansas State offense, but Sanders is confident his team is prepared. With discipline, execution, and a relentless mindset, he expects his players to rise to the occasion.

The Buffaloes will host Kansas State under the lights at Folsom Field, with kickoff set for 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

What if a political party holding near total power in a state admits to stalling bills for nakedly political purposes?

What if a political party holding near total power in a state admits to throwing away taxpayer money?

What if a political party holding near total power in a state admits to planning a repeat of budgetary catastrophe?

House Republican Majority Leader Chris Croft has turned those rhetorical questions above into all-too-real ones. Recordings of private Zoom calls among Croft and other Republicans were obtained by Kansas Reflector this week, and they show him making a strong case for why his party should lose its legislative supermajority. If a supposedly fiscally and temperamentally conservative party can’t restrain its urges to spend like a teenager with their first credit card, why should voters trust it?

Fair-minded folks would wonder why that political party holds so much power, and they might ponder whether its opponents could do better. You know, just as a f’rinstance.

Take it away, Croft!

On passing both a tax cut package and a stadium plan for Kansas City sports franchises: “I don’t want to give her what we currently have and that, because then she’s going to take credit, and that’ll be her signature. We want to make it painful to get there.”

On spending levels overall: “In the last six years that the governor’s been there, and by the way, the six years I’ve been there, we’ve increased spending 56%. It’s awful. We got to stop this. I mean, we’re just as drunk on that money as anybody else is. We got to stop doing that.”

On future tax plans reminiscent of former Gov. Sam Brownback’s failed experiment: Croft is working toward “reducing the corporate tax rate overall with the intent to drive it to zero. So that’s, that was what the objective is, and that’s what the objective will be.”

I don’t see why Kansas Democrats need to print up their own mail or radio or TV ads for November. They could just share Croft’s words far and wide. They come from a source deep inside GOP leadership, after all.

In the meantime, Republicans showed themselves utterly clueless when it came to the actual needs of Kansans.

Randy Ross, of Overland Park, is challenging Democratic Rep. Dan Osman. On a May 31 call, he responded to a question from Croft about what candidates were hearing as they knocked on doors: “Republicans, for some reason, seem to focus more on local property taxes, and I was not able to really discern the reason why they were as much focused on that.”

Gosh, I wonder why people are asking about the taxes they actually pay instead of the corporate taxes the GOP wants to cut.

I don’t mean to pick on the majority leader. If anything, we could benefit from members of both parties sharing their unvarnished thoughts and plans for the upcoming session. I’m sure Democratic bigwigs could embarrass themselves and their party if given the chance.

Because we all function in the gigantic professional wrestling arena of partisan politics, however, we’re asked to believe things that Kansas Republicans themselves clearly don’t believe.

They have no leg to stand on when it comes to fiscal responsibility. They prize partisan sniping over good policy. And they have never accepted the complete and utter collapse of Brownback’s economic experiment. Nearly every year after the plan’s 2017 repeal, GOP lawmakers have extolled some new supply-side scheme. Croft’s “objective” is the latest example.

But if the professional wrestling match is going to go on, let it go on. One of the contestants has just let his mask fall a little too low for comfort.