The Wildcats and Buffs renew their old conference rivalry, meeting for the first time since 2010.
Welcome to #Big12AfterDark, Wildcat fans. For the second time in three games we’ve got the latest game on the slate, as our Kansas State Wildcats head west to the mountains to take on a newcomer to the Big 12.
But of course, Colorado isn’t really a newcomer. From 1948 through 2010, the Buffaloes were conference mates of the Big 7/8/12 with Kansas State. Colorado was part of the four-team defection during the first salvo of major conference realignment, and fled west to the Pac 12 with the promise of higher revenues and better “cultural fit”. Now we know that neither of those things actually panned out. And now the Buffs are back.
The last time these two teams met on the field, the Dan Hawkins-led Buffs beat the Cats 44-36 in Bill Snyder’s second season back after retirement. Colorado holds a 45-20-1 edge over the Cats all-time. But like most records against K-State, it’s far closer in the past 35 years, with a 13-8-1 margin for the Buffs since Bill Snyder’s arrival in Manhattan, including a 2-1 run by Ron Prince.
Chris Klieman will look to make his own mark on the series for K-State, and the Wildcats should hopefully be more prepared for the late kick and the tough road atmosphere. Just can’t let mistakes compound on the road.
Time for the Cats to welcome the Buffs back, and show them who is in charge around here now.
We’ve got a 9:15pm CT kickoff for tonight’s game from Folsom Field in Boulder, and you can catch the action on ESPN (or online via WatchESPN) with Mark Jones (Play-by-Play), Roddy Jones (Analyst), and Quint Kessenich (Sidelines) on the call.
If you don’t have ESPN or can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst), and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 119 or 198, and available online at K-Statesports.com. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!