Led by senior operating again Devin Neal‘s 287 complete yards and 4 touchdowns, unranked Kansas handed No. 16 Colorado its first loss since Oct. 12. on Saturday.
With the victory, the Jayhawks improved their document to 5-6 this season, and Saturday’s win was the varsity’s third in a row over a ranked opponent.
Kansas is now the first team in FBS history with a shedding document to get three straight victories in opposition to ranked colleges.
For a Jayhawks squad that acquired off to an abysmal 1-5 begin this yr, they’ve actually seemed extra just like the staff that entered the 2024 season ranked No. 22 within the AP Top 25 preseason poll throughout the previous couple of weeks.
Neal and Kansas did not waste any time on Saturday letting everybody know that Colorado was about to have its arms full.
On the Jayhawks’ opening offensive drive of the matchup, the senior operating again caught a brief swing move and proceeded to show it right into a 51-yard landing to present his staff an early 7-0 lead over the Buffaloes.
Then, after a nine-yard landing run by Neal on the staff’s third offensive drive of the competition, the Jayhawks discovered themselves main the No.16 college within the nation by a rating of 17-0.
The Buffaloes did handle to stage a comeback and reduce their deficit to only two factors within the third quarter. However after Kansas added 14 extra factors to its complete on the varsity’s subsequent two offensive drives to go up 37-21 within the fourth quarter, Colorado did not have sufficient left within the tank to maintain up.
With the loss, the Buffaloes’ document fell to 8-3, and any hope that they had of taking part in on this season’s 12-team School Soccer Playoff probably went out the window.
There’s nonetheless a path for Colorado to make the School Soccer Playoff, however the college is now not in command of its personal future.
To qualify for the Huge 12 title sport, the Buffaloes no longer solely have to defeat Oklahoma State subsequent Friday, however additionally they want plenty of different eventualities to play out so as to end as one of many prime two groups within the convention.
Something is feasible on the planet of faculty soccer, however a win over the Jayhawks on Saturday would have undoubtedly made Colorado’s future a lot simpler to foretell. As a substitute, the Buffaloes will take the sector subsequent week surrounded by uncertainty.