Kansas State University Athletics
‘We Want to Close it Out Right’
Nov 28, 2025 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The motivation is everywhere as Kansas State faces Colorado in Saturday's 11:00 kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. For one, it's Senior Day for the Wildcats, including several players who were a part of the 2022 Big 12 Championship team. Secondly, K-State has a chance to defeat an old Big Eight and Big 12 Conference rival in Colorado, which for years dominated the series. And third. Third?
All it takes is seeing K-State senior defensive tackle Damian Ilalio look at his hand.
"I have four rings from my time at K-State, and I'm trying to complete the hand," Ilalio said, referring to four straight bowl games. "I'm just missing a pinky ring. I want to go to a bowl and win a bowl game. It's definitely in the back of our minds as added motivation.
"We'll be working toward that."
K-State, 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12, hasn't had four straight years with a winning record in Big 12 play since 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. That can change on Saturday. If K-State can handle Colorado, 3-8 and 1-7, the Wildcats would also make five straight bowl games, which would then give them the opportunity to give the program three straight bowl wins for the first time in history.
The motivation is everywhere.
"We want to make sure we make it to a bowl game and give us one more opportunity to go out there and play with the guys we love the most," senior safety VJ Payne said. "We want to close it out right with a bowl game and make sure we win this next game here."
K-State head coach Chris Klieman and his players appeared spirited and determined when they met with reporters on Monday — less than 48 hours after the Wildcats suffered a last-minute 51-47 loss at No. 12 Utah in one of the most bizarre and heartbreaking finishes for the Wildcats in the past three decades.
"It was as good of effort as I've been a part of with college football with our guys laying it on the line while going against a Top 12 team in the country toe to toe," Klieman said. "We did some really good things but came up short."
Still, K-State has won three of its last five games overall, and it has lost just once at home against a Big 12 opponent — to then-No. 13 Texas Tech on November 1.
Colorado suffered its fourth-straight defeat in a 42-17 loss to Arizona State this past Saturday and is winless on the road as frustration continues after going 9-4 last season and finishing No. 25 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.
"I know how to get it right," Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said at his weekly news conference. "We're headed in the right direction. Some things happened, and we took a quick left instead of staying right, but I know how to get it right, and I will."
As for finishing out the season at K-State?
"They're a respectful team, a great group of guys, and they definitely have a bowl riding on it, and we're trying to keep them from that," Sanders said. "We're trying to play spoiler this week."
Colorado will likely have to stop sophomore running back Joe Jackson and the Wildcats' powerful offensive line in order to do it.
Jackson, in just his ninth-career start, rushed for a school-record 293 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that had its way with the Utes defensive front. Jackson was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, and the offensive line was named Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week, as the Wildcats racked up a school-record 472 rushing yards while averaging 11.2 yards per rushing attempt.
"We celebrated it and had fun with it, but we're moving on with it," Jackson said. "We've put another week of preparation together, we've gone back to basics and found the things we didn't do so well and work on those for Saturday. We've been finding things we can be better at.
"The offensive line gained a lot of confidence. It's been a pretty up and down season. As the season has gone along, they've gained a lot of confidence. They came together."
Unfortunately for Colorado, it must only turn on tape from the Buffaloes' most recent game to understand the magnitude of Saturday's tall task, particularly on the ground.
Colorado trailed Arizona State 21-17 entering the fourth quarter before the Sun Devils finished the game out with 21 unanswered points in a 42-17 win in Boulder. Arizona State racked up 355 of its 580 total offensive yards on the ground and averaged 8.2 yards per play while the Buffaloes surrendered a few explosive scoring plays — passing touchdowns of 33 and 68 yards, and an 88-yard rush for another score.
Colorado ranks No. 132 in rushing defense in giving up 224.0 yards per game, and Colorado ranks No. 125 in surrendering 435.2 total offensive yards per game.
Jackson, coupled with quarterback Avery Johnson, could make for a nasty recipe for the Buffaloes.
Johnson anchors an offense that is ranked 11th in scoring amount Power 4 teams since September 27 at 33.1 points per game. He has thrown for 2,270 yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with eight rushing touchdowns. He is one of nine FBS quarterbacks with 18 touchdown passes and eight rushing touchdowns this season.
"(K-State is) physical when they run the ball," Sanders said. "Whenever you have a quarterback who throws the ball and whenever you have a quarterback who's a running threat also that's a threat because he can run the ball as well. You're going to load the box up and challenge him to throw the football instead of running the football.
"It's demoralizing when people run the football on you at that clip. Throwing the football, that hits you quick. Those guys are pretty good and know what they're doing. They've been successful with running the ball downhill. It's not like we don't know what's coming. Sooner or later you just have to man up and take on the responsibility to stop the run."
Meanwhile, K-State will brace for Colorado senior quarterback Kaidon Salter following the announcement earlier this week that freshman Julian Lewis will redshirt and not play Saturday. Salter, who was benched in favor of Lewis twice this season, has completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Salter went 11-of-15 for 49 yards and one touchdown and one interception last Saturday against Arizona State.
"It's collectively as good of a group of wide receivers as we're going to play," Klieman said. "There's a number of guys who can beat you with explosive plays at wide receiver. Defensively, we're going to have our hands full to try and make sure we don't give up explosive plays, because that's what hurt us and that's what kickstarts them."
However, too often this season, just when it looks like Colorado is going to kickstart things, the Buffaloes stall, and then fizzle.
"They're a good football team when they put things together," Klieman said. "I've seen that. There are some games out there where maybe it got away from them early on, but they're going to come ready to play. It's their last game for kids in their program just like it's the last game for us."
And of course, it's the last home game for K-State seniors.
The motivation is everywhere.
"I want to show how much I care for the team and lay it on the line for the last time in The Bill," Payne said. "I care so much for the people here. Let's just go out with a bang."
The motivation is everywhere as Kansas State faces Colorado in Saturday's 11:00 kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. For one, it's Senior Day for the Wildcats, including several players who were a part of the 2022 Big 12 Championship team. Secondly, K-State has a chance to defeat an old Big Eight and Big 12 Conference rival in Colorado, which for years dominated the series. And third. Third?
All it takes is seeing K-State senior defensive tackle Damian Ilalio look at his hand.
"I have four rings from my time at K-State, and I'm trying to complete the hand," Ilalio said, referring to four straight bowl games. "I'm just missing a pinky ring. I want to go to a bowl and win a bowl game. It's definitely in the back of our minds as added motivation.
"We'll be working toward that."
K-State, 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12, hasn't had four straight years with a winning record in Big 12 play since 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. That can change on Saturday. If K-State can handle Colorado, 3-8 and 1-7, the Wildcats would also make five straight bowl games, which would then give them the opportunity to give the program three straight bowl wins for the first time in history.
The motivation is everywhere.
"We want to make sure we make it to a bowl game and give us one more opportunity to go out there and play with the guys we love the most," senior safety VJ Payne said. "We want to close it out right with a bowl game and make sure we win this next game here."
K-State head coach Chris Klieman and his players appeared spirited and determined when they met with reporters on Monday — less than 48 hours after the Wildcats suffered a last-minute 51-47 loss at No. 12 Utah in one of the most bizarre and heartbreaking finishes for the Wildcats in the past three decades.
"It was as good of effort as I've been a part of with college football with our guys laying it on the line while going against a Top 12 team in the country toe to toe," Klieman said. "We did some really good things but came up short."
Still, K-State has won three of its last five games overall, and it has lost just once at home against a Big 12 opponent — to then-No. 13 Texas Tech on November 1.
Colorado suffered its fourth-straight defeat in a 42-17 loss to Arizona State this past Saturday and is winless on the road as frustration continues after going 9-4 last season and finishing No. 25 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.
"I know how to get it right," Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said at his weekly news conference. "We're headed in the right direction. Some things happened, and we took a quick left instead of staying right, but I know how to get it right, and I will."
As for finishing out the season at K-State?
"They're a respectful team, a great group of guys, and they definitely have a bowl riding on it, and we're trying to keep them from that," Sanders said. "We're trying to play spoiler this week."
Colorado will likely have to stop sophomore running back Joe Jackson and the Wildcats' powerful offensive line in order to do it.
Jackson, in just his ninth-career start, rushed for a school-record 293 yards and three touchdowns behind an offensive line that had its way with the Utes defensive front. Jackson was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, and the offensive line was named Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week, as the Wildcats racked up a school-record 472 rushing yards while averaging 11.2 yards per rushing attempt.
"We celebrated it and had fun with it, but we're moving on with it," Jackson said. "We've put another week of preparation together, we've gone back to basics and found the things we didn't do so well and work on those for Saturday. We've been finding things we can be better at.
"The offensive line gained a lot of confidence. It's been a pretty up and down season. As the season has gone along, they've gained a lot of confidence. They came together."
Unfortunately for Colorado, it must only turn on tape from the Buffaloes' most recent game to understand the magnitude of Saturday's tall task, particularly on the ground.
Colorado trailed Arizona State 21-17 entering the fourth quarter before the Sun Devils finished the game out with 21 unanswered points in a 42-17 win in Boulder. Arizona State racked up 355 of its 580 total offensive yards on the ground and averaged 8.2 yards per play while the Buffaloes surrendered a few explosive scoring plays — passing touchdowns of 33 and 68 yards, and an 88-yard rush for another score.
Colorado ranks No. 132 in rushing defense in giving up 224.0 yards per game, and Colorado ranks No. 125 in surrendering 435.2 total offensive yards per game.
Jackson, coupled with quarterback Avery Johnson, could make for a nasty recipe for the Buffaloes.
Johnson anchors an offense that is ranked 11th in scoring amount Power 4 teams since September 27 at 33.1 points per game. He has thrown for 2,270 yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with eight rushing touchdowns. He is one of nine FBS quarterbacks with 18 touchdown passes and eight rushing touchdowns this season.
"(K-State is) physical when they run the ball," Sanders said. "Whenever you have a quarterback who throws the ball and whenever you have a quarterback who's a running threat also that's a threat because he can run the ball as well. You're going to load the box up and challenge him to throw the football instead of running the football.
"It's demoralizing when people run the football on you at that clip. Throwing the football, that hits you quick. Those guys are pretty good and know what they're doing. They've been successful with running the ball downhill. It's not like we don't know what's coming. Sooner or later you just have to man up and take on the responsibility to stop the run."
Meanwhile, K-State will brace for Colorado senior quarterback Kaidon Salter following the announcement earlier this week that freshman Julian Lewis will redshirt and not play Saturday. Salter, who was benched in favor of Lewis twice this season, has completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Salter went 11-of-15 for 49 yards and one touchdown and one interception last Saturday against Arizona State.
"It's collectively as good of a group of wide receivers as we're going to play," Klieman said. "There's a number of guys who can beat you with explosive plays at wide receiver. Defensively, we're going to have our hands full to try and make sure we don't give up explosive plays, because that's what hurt us and that's what kickstarts them."
However, too often this season, just when it looks like Colorado is going to kickstart things, the Buffaloes stall, and then fizzle.
"They're a good football team when they put things together," Klieman said. "I've seen that. There are some games out there where maybe it got away from them early on, but they're going to come ready to play. It's their last game for kids in their program just like it's the last game for us."
And of course, it's the last home game for K-State seniors.
The motivation is everywhere.
"I want to show how much I care for the team and lay it on the line for the last time in The Bill," Payne said. "I care so much for the people here. Let's just go out with a bang."
Players Mentioned
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