Devin Neal had an outstanding performance, rushing for 207 yards and three touchdowns, catching four passes for 80 yards and another score, and leading Kansas to a 37-21 win over No. 16 Colorado on Saturday. The victory significantly hurt Colorado’s chances of reaching the Big 12 title game.
Jalon Daniels passed for 189 yards and a touchdown, and the Jayhawks (5-6, 4-4) managed to score on every offensive possession except their last one, which kept Colorado’s star players, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, sidelined for much of the game.
“We controlled our own destiny,” said Colorado coach Deion Sanders, “and we fumbled it.”
Now, the Buffaloes (8-3, 6-2 Big 12, No. 16 CFP) must beat Oklahoma State next week and hope for other results to have a shot at the Big 12 title and the automatic spot in the College Football Playoff.
Shedeur Sanders passed for 266 yards and three touchdowns, setting a new Colorado single-season record with 30 touchdown passes. Hunter had eight receptions for 125 yards and two scores, continuing his Heisman Trophy campaign. However, neither Hunter nor the rest of the defense was able to stop Kansas, who dominated possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes. The Jayhawks ran for 331 yards and finished with 520 total yards of offense.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold spoke about the criticism his team had faced earlier in the season but praised his players for their hard work. “They owned it, they kept working, they stuck together and you can see the results of that,” he said.
The Jayhawks, who had gained confidence from wins over Iowa State and BYU, now resemble the team that was expected to contend for the Big 12 title before struggling early in the season. “We’ve just played with an extra edge… We were just tired of losing,” Neal said. He also made history by becoming the first Kansas player to have three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Kansas started the game strong, with Neal catching a 51-yard touchdown pass and scoring again after a three-and-out. They quickly went up 17-0 before Hunter’s 51-yard touchdown reception pulled Colorado back within 17-7. The teams traded scores, and Kansas held a 23-14 lead at halftime.
The Jayhawks extended their lead to 37-21 after a series of successful drives, with Neal scoring two more touchdowns. Colorado’s attempts to come back were stopped, and their hopes were dashed when Cobee Bryant broke up a pass in the end zone on fourth down late in the game.
“It was fun in the locker room, man,” Bryant said. “Just to see the whole team smiling, having fun, jumping around.”
