Iowa State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) at Colorado (2-4, 0-3 Big 12)
When/where: 1:30 p.m. Saturday/Folsom Field
TV/Radio: ESPN/KOA 850 AM
BetMGM Line: CU +3, 51.5 over/under
Weather: 74 degrees, slightly cloudy
Series History: CU leads 49-15-1; Buffs won last matchup in 2010, a 34-14 win in Boulder
Three storylines
Becht vs. CU defense: The Buffs have struggled with dual-threat QBs during head coach Deion Sanders’ tenure, so Iowa State QB Rocco Becht poses a problem. He’s the third QB in Cyclones history to throw for 8,000 career yards and have 23 career wins. This season, Becht has nine TDs by air with 1,417 yards, a 151 rating and seven TDs by ground, which leads all players in the Big 12. Meanwhile, the struggling CU defense with a porous secondary ranks 14th in the conference by allowing 398.8 total yards per game.
CU finishing strong: The Buffs jumped out to 14-0 leads in each of their last two games, only to see both those advantages slip away in a 24-21 loss to BYU at home and then a 35-21 defeat to TCU last week in Fort Worth. CU got out-coached and out-played in the second half of both games. Putting this issue into stark relief: Becht has a history of coming up clutch. He’s led seven game-winning drives when Iowa State was tied or trailed in the fourth quarter. And since ’24, Iowa State ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in fourth-quarter point differential (+102).
Coach Prime’s health: Deion Sanders was limping with his shoe off during the game at TCU, and also sitting at times. He revealed afterward that he thought he was dealing with blood clots again. He had surgery on Tuesday to address the issue, but said he planned on being back at practice later in the week and to coach against the Cyclones on Saturday. Sanders has had multiple health issues since arriving in Boulder, including recurring blood clots and a recent bladder cancer diagnosis. While none of those issues have kept him from coaching games, they have made a tough job even more difficult.
Predictions
Kyle Newman, sportswriter: Iowa State 41, CU 28
In a rivalry that dates back to 1946, Iowa State hasn’t won in Boulder since 2000 as the Buffs are riding a five-game home winning streak against the Cyclones. That ends on Saturday as Rocco Becht throws for three TDs and runs for two more, and the Cyclones take control of the game early and never look back. A bright spot for CU: freshman QB Julian Lewis takes over in the second half and throws two TDs.
Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Iowa State 27, CU 23
Is Rocco Becht playing? Then the Buffs are losing. The Cyclones don’t want to risk a Rocco injury, but CU’s Achilles heel is no secret — the Buffs have given up 156 on the ground to Haynes King, 83 to Conner Weigman, and 98 to Bear Bachmeier. Becht, son of ex-NFL TE Anthony Becht, isn’t the volume runner those three are, but the Florida native’s already rushed for as many scores on the ground this season (seven) as he had all of last year (eight). He’s everything we hoped Kaidon Salter would be.
Matt Schubert, sports editor: Iowa State 28, CU 20
Cincinnati didn’t do CU any favors upsetting the Cyclones a week before their trip to Boulder. There’s no way Iowa State overlooks the Buffs now that it desperately needs a win. The other bit of bad news for CU — outside of Iowa State having an effective running QB — is that the one area where Iowa State’s defense looks most vulnerable (against the run) is still not a strength of Coach Prime’s Buffs. This game will be close, because all of CU’s games are. But expect more heartbreak.
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