Kansas State Wildcats Come Up Short In Chance To Put Deion Sanders On Hot Seat

If anything, Saturday proved Kansas State Wildcats first-year coach is always willing to pull the trigger regarding a lineup change. 

That was evident against the Colorado Buffaloes. 

After making the decision to start sophomore Dillon Duff, he made the change to Blake Barnett. The Wildcats struggled on offense under Duff before Barnett nearly led a comeback victory. 

In the end, Kansas State dropped a hard-fought 27-24 decision in overtime against the Buffaloes. It was K-State's second straight loss and fourth in the last five games. For Colorado, it was its first Big 12 conference victory this season. 

The Wildcats drove to the Buffaloes 4-yard line but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez. Colorado then sealed with an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Isaac Wilson to tight end Charlies Williams. 

The victory likely saved Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders' job for now. The Wildcats had the opportunity to put the flamboyant "Coach Prime" on the hot seat. Instead, Klein is left once again searching for answers after losing a winnable, potential statement game. 

Barnett, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, led the Wildcats on a last-minute drive to force overtime. Taking possession at its 38 with 55 seconds left, he capped it with an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Garrett Oakley. The Wildcats contemplated going for two but chose the extra point. 

Many were surprised the Wildcats were even in the game with all the adversity they dealt with during the week at the quarterback position. Starter Avery Johnson was ruled out for a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. 

It was reported Duff would be the starter several hours before kickoff. It didn't take long for the struggles to surface. Not only was this his first start, it was also the first snaps of his collegiate career. 

Despite being a state-championship quarterback at DeSmet High School in St. Louis as a senior, Duff completed 1 of 1 passes for 16 yards in three drives. Those possessions led to zero points. 

That prompted Klein to make a change with the Wildcats trailing. It was a surprise to see Barnett enter the game because he was also dealing with an injury. He shook off the setback and played with super confidence. It should make for an easy decision for Klein if Johnson is out another week. If so, Barnett should be under center. 

The Wildcats return home to Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan next Saturday to play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.