DJ Giddens wasn’t looking to send a personal message when he shredded Colorado’s defense Saturday night in a hard-fought 31-28 Kansas State football victory over the Buffaloes at Folsom Field in Boulder.

But the Wildcats as a team were a different matter.

“Not me, but as a team we had something to prove, being able to go on the road in tight games and win,” Giddens, K-State’s workhorse running back said after rushing for 182 yards and helping set up the winning touchdown with a 35-yard reception late in the fourth quarter. “As it came to me personally, I didn’t have anything to prove.”

Perhaps not, but Giddens continued to make his case as an elite runner. And more to his point, K-State showed an inner strength that might have been lacking in tight games last year.

By escaping Boulder with the victory, the Wildcats now are 2-0 in one-possession games after going 1-4 under similar circumstances last year. On Sept. 7, they came from behind to beat Tulane, 31-27.

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It took a quick three-play scoring drive capped by quarterback Avery Johnson’s 50-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown with 2 minutes, 14 seconds left, to put K-State ahead. And a defense decimated by injuries in the secondary, followed that with a defensive stop to seal the victory.

K-State is now 5-1 overall and tied for fourth in the Big 12 at 2-1, just a game behind co-leaders Iowa State, Brigham Young and Texas Tech at 3-0. And the victory ended the Wildcats’ four-game losing streak under coach Chris Klieman in weeks following a bye.

“Incredible game, a really good football game, like I think all of us knew it was going to be,” Klieman said. “A lot of adversity, and a lot of resilience.”

Indeed, K-State persevered despite an injury that briefly knocked out Johnson during a long scoring drive to start the second half. And on the subsequent Colorado scoring drive that cut the lead to 21-14, the Wildcats then having four different defensive backs go down. Colorado was not immune either, playing without star receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter and second-leading receiver Jimmy Horn in the second half.

Kansas State football’s defense laser focused on Shedeur Sanders and Colorado passing game

“We had talked. When your opportunity comes, we’re counting on you and we believe in you, and you’ve got to go out there and make plays,” Klieman said of a list of backups that included quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson and defensive backs Colby McCalister, Nickendre Stiger, Daniel Cobbs, true freshman Zashon Rich and Jordan Dunbar, among others. “And it was a chance for those guys to play a lot of snaps against really good wide receivers, even if a couple of their top guys were out.

“They’re still really good players and really good receivers, and the quarterback (Shedeur Sanders) can put it on the money. And so, I’m really proud of those guys.”

Super-senior defensive end Brendan Mott said he sees similarities in this team to the Wildcats of two years ago, who also had a propensity for winning close games.

“That’s something that I remember in our 2022 team when we won the Big 12 championship, is being able to have that depth and those young guys being able to step up and make plays, because that’s just part of football,” said Mott, who had two of the Wildcats’ six sacks of Sanders in the game. “Dudes are going to go down, and it’s next man up, and to see those young guys come in and make plays, it’s awesome.”

What Kansas State football coach, players said about Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ Buffs

Even with his top two receivers out, Sanders completed 34 of 40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns. But K-State’s defense stopped one Buffalo drive on VJ Payne’s interception near his own end zone in the fourth quarter, and then turned them over on downs to effectively end the game.

Johnson, who briefly went to the locker room for treatment in the third quarter before returning to finish the game, completed 15 of 23 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. And after his fourth-quarter interception helped set up Colorado’s go-ahead score with 3:12 left, he immediately came back to engineer the winning drive.

“This is what football is all about,” Johnson said. “We wanted to put the game away the drive before. It obviously didn’t go our way, but ultimately you’ve just got to make plays in big moments.

“Coach Klieman challenged some of our captains and top players on the team to just make plays in big moments. It’s fun to play in hostile environments and just silence the crowd in big-time games. So, we just wanted to show tonight that we’re a great team and that we can win close games on the road.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

West Virginia failed to pull off the big upset of No. 11 Iowa State on Saturday, dropping their record on the year to 3-3 and 2-1 in Big 12 play. The loss also adds to the long list of defeats versus ranked opponents under head coach Neal Brown, who is now 3-16 against such teams.

The bad news? The Mountaineers will welcome in another top 25 next Saturday under the lights when they take on the Kansas State Wildcats. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Kansas State is a 2.5-point favorite with the over/under currently sitting at 53.5.

West Virginia is 2-4 against the spread in their last six games played.

The Mountaineers are 3-16 under head coach Neal Brown versus teams ranked in the Top 25.

WVU has lost eight straight games to ranked opponents.

West Virginia is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games played in the month of October.

The total has remained under the number in four of West Virginia’s last six games against Kansas State at home.

Kansas State has won six of its last seven games.

The Wildcats are 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games, dating back to last season.

The Wildcats are 2-4 against the spread in their last six games played against West Virginia.

Kansas State has won 11 of its last 15 games played against Big 12 Conference opponents.

Kansas State is 2-5 in their last seven games played against West Virginia.

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The Colorado Buffaloes faced a tough setback in a dramatic 31-28 loss to No. 18 Kansas State on Saturday night. The defeat ended Colorado’s three-game winning streak and put a dent in their pursuit of a Big 12 title. The game, marked by wild swings of momentum and key injuries, leaves questions about the team’s future, especially with the loss of their two-way star, Travis Hunter, who left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.

Hunter’s absence on defense became evident quickly as Kansas State capitalized by scoring on their first three offensive possessions without him. They notched two touchdowns and a 48-yard field goal, putting Colorado in an early hole. Kansas State’s dual-threat quarterback, Avery Johnson, bounced back from an earlier interception to lead his team to victory, throwing a late 50-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown that sealed the win.

For Colorado, Shedeur Sanders showed resilience, nearly engineering a second-straight comeback. After falling behind 21-7, Sanders led the Buffaloes to take a brief 28-24 lead late in the game, thanks to an 11-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester. However, Kansas State responded swiftly, with Johnson’s three-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that gave the Wildcats the lead for good. Kansas State’s ability to regain control in the face of Colorado’s comeback attempts demonstrated their resilience.

The game also showcased standout individual performances. Kansas State running back DJ Giddens rushed for 182 yards, becoming the first tailback this season to eclipse 100 yards against the Buffaloes. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders had a strong outing despite the loss, completing 34-of-40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns, though his interception near the goal line in the fourth quarter was a turning point.

Injuries plagued Colorado throughout the game. Beyond Hunter’s shoulder injury, receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. left the game in the second quarter, and Omarion Miller was helped off the field in the fourth quarter after a 51-yard reception. These key losses hindered Colorado’s ability to execute late in the game, especially on defense.

Kansas State’s win improved their record to 5-1, while Colorado dropped to 4-2. Despite the loss, Colorado remains 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play and now looks ahead to a crucial road game against Arizona. The Buffs will need to regroup, but the lingering uncertainty around Hunter’s injury status and the mounting injury concerns could present further challenges in their quest for a Big 12 title.