BOULDER, Colo. — Kaidon Salter delivered a pair of touchdown passes, and Colorado’s defense came up with two clutch stops in the final quarter as the Buffaloes edged No. 22 Iowa State 24-17 on Saturday afternoon at Folsom Field.
Salter threw for 255 yards and two scores, including a 70-yard bomb to Omarion Miller, helping the Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) snap a two-game losing streak. As the clock ran out, Salter took a knee, tossed the ball high into the air, and watched as students poured onto the field in celebration—ignoring repeated warnings over the stadium PA system.
“I love it,” said head coach Deion Sanders, smiling as fans swarmed the turf. “I want to see the kids rush the field.”
When informed the school could face a fine for the field storming, Sanders joked, “Who made that rule? Come on, man. That ain’t right.”
The win marked Colorado’s second victory over a ranked opponent under Sanders, following their 2023 season-opening upset of then-No. 17 TCU. Sanders, who returned to the sideline just days after a surgical procedure for blood clots, said the performance reflected the team’s resilience.
“The locker room had a different vibe today,” he said. “We’re better than what our record shows. We shouldn’t be sitting here with a bunch of losses — we should be steering the car, not chasing it.”
Turning Point
The game’s momentum flipped early in the fourth quarter. Iowa State (5-2, 2-2) trailed 21-17 and faced third-and-goal from the Colorado 7-yard line when quarterback Rocco Becht was intercepted by Tawfiq Byard, who made the grab despite wearing a cast on his left hand.
Officials initially threw a flag for defensive pass interference but huddled and waved it off, ruling the contact occurred after the throw. Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell erupted in protest, continuing to argue with referees even after Colorado’s next drive ended in a punt.
“It sounded like they thought the interference happened after the ball was thrown, which is not true,” Campbell said postgame, visibly frustrated.
On the following possession, Iowa State’s offense stalled again — stopped short on a fourth-and-1 at its own 18-yard line. That defensive stand set up Alejandro Mata’s 29-yard field goal, extending Colorado’s lead to 24-17 with just over four minutes remaining.
Salter and Williams Shine
Salter, who struggled with three interceptions last week, looked poised and efficient on Saturday. He connected with Joseph Williams for both a short third-quarter touchdown and a critical 38-yard completion in the final minutes that sealed the win.
Williams finished with eight receptions for 128 yards, while Salter completed 20 of 31 passes and added several key scrambles.
“We’ve got a team full of dawgs who just don’t quit,” Salter said. “No matter what happened last week, we weren’t going to give up tonight.”
Cyclones’ Struggles Continue
For Iowa State, running back Abu Sama III was the lone bright spot, rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Becht completed 18 of 33 passes for 205 yards but failed to find consistency downfield.
“I’ve got to be better for my team,” Becht said.
Penalties again plagued the Cyclones, who were flagged seven times after committing eight infractions in last week’s loss to Cincinnati.
“For Coach Prime”
Colorado linebacker Jeremiah Brown said the team rallied around Sanders’ return to the sideline following surgery earlier in the week.
“Seeing Coach out there after everything he went through gave us all the energy we needed,” Brown said. “He set the tone.”
Brown led the Buffaloes with 10 tackles as Colorado’s defense — despite missing 17 players due to injuries — made key plays down the stretch.
The Buffaloes were outgained 441–395 overall and gave up 236 rushing yards, but the late-game stops made all the difference.
Up Next:
Iowa State: Hosts No. 18 BYU on Oct. 25.
Colorado: Travels to Utah on Oct. 25.
Title suggestion: Salter, Colorado Defense Spark Field-Storming Upset Over No. 22 Iowa State
