Halloween at Folsom Field, noon kickoff, and both teams have a quarterback problem. Kansas State will likely start its third different quarterback in three games, and the market still has Colorado as the favorite. I'm taking Kansas State to win outright at plus money. This price comes down to K-State's quarterbacks. Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth are both out. The starter is either Dillon Duff, who has never taken a college snap, or Blake Barnett, who has thrown five passes all season. That's a real downgrade. But Colorado is 2-5, 1-5 against FBS teams, has lost five straight, and is 0-4 when Isaac Wilson throws most of the passes. That's not a team I want to pay a favorite's price for. This looks like a coin flip, and coin flips come down to mistakes and kicking. Colorado has 16 giveaways and 7 takeaways; K-State has given it away 6 times. Colorado has 66 penalties for 590 yards; K-State has 27 for 261. Colorado is 5-of-9 on field goals; Luis Rodriguez is 11-of-11. Wilson has thrown 7 interceptions on 126 attempts, and Deion Sanders pulled him last week, saying he was trying to "save Wilson from himself." Colorado has been outscored 48-110 in second halves against FBS teams. K-State has already shown how it plays with a backup. At Arizona State, in Knuth's first start, the Wildcats had zero giveaways and three penalties and led 17-14 after three quarters. Expect the same here: run the ball, throw short, use Joe Jackson in the Wildcat, and let Rodriguez finish drives. The risk is real. K-State ran 29 times for 106 yards at Arizona State and went 4-of-15 on third down, and a quarterback making a first career start could be worse. Joseph Williams just went for 135 yards and gives Colorado a big-play threat. K-State's run defense is soft, but Colorado can't run well, and Micah Welch is out. At +122, I'm getting better than even money in a game that should go to whoever makes fewer mistakes, and all season that's been K-State. Keep it small, but I'll take the careful team with the reliable kicker over the one that keeps beating itself.
Halloween at Folsom Field, noon kickoff, and both teams have a quarterback problem. Kansas State will likely start its third different quarterback in three games, and the market still has Colorado as the favorite. I'm taking Kansas State to win outright at plus money.
This price comes down to K-State's quarterbacks. Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth are both out. The starter is either Dillon Duff, who has never taken a college snap, or Blake Barnett, who has thrown five passes all season. That's a real downgrade. But Colorado is 2-5, 1-5 against FBS teams, has lost five straight, and is 0-4 when Isaac Wilson throws most of the passes. That's not a team I want to pay a favorite's price for.
This looks like a coin flip, and coin flips come down to mistakes and kicking. Colorado has 16 giveaways and 7 takeaways; K-State has given it away 6 times. Colorado has 66 penalties for 590 yards; K-State has 27 for 261. Colorado is 5-of-9 on field goals; Luis Rodriguez is 11-of-11. Wilson has thrown 7 interceptions on 126 attempts, and Deion Sanders pulled him last week, saying he was trying to "save Wilson from himself." Colorado has been outscored 48-110 in second halves against FBS teams.
K-State has already shown how it plays with a backup. At Arizona State, in Knuth's first start, the Wildcats had zero giveaways and three penalties and led 17-14 after three quarters. Expect the same here: run the ball, throw short, use Joe Jackson in the Wildcat, and let Rodriguez finish drives.
The risk is real. K-State ran 29 times for 106 yards at Arizona State and went 4-of-15 on third down, and a quarterback making a first career start could be worse. Joseph Williams just went for 135 yards and gives Colorado a big-play threat. K-State's run defense is soft, but Colorado can't run well, and Micah Welch is out.
At +122, I'm getting better than even money in a game that should go to whoever makes fewer mistakes, and all season that's been K-State. Keep it small, but I'll take the careful team with the reliable kicker over the one that keeps beating itself.
Kansas State Moneyline