BOULDER, Colo. – Kaidon Salter's two touchdown passes and a strong defensive performance propelled Colorado to a 24-17 upset victory over No. 22 Iowa State on Saturday. The Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) snapped a two-game losing streak with their first Big 12 Conference win of the season.
Salter completed 16 of 25 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed 57 rushing yards. Omarion Miller had three receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Joseph Williams caught eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Abu Sama III rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State (5-2, 2-2), which has now lost two straight games. Rocco Becht completed 18 of 33 passes for 205 yards and an interception.
Colorado's defense came up big in the fourth quarter, highlighted by an interception and a crucial fourth-down stop. With the Cyclones facing third-and-goal at the 7-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Becht's pass was intercepted by Tawfiq Byard. Later, the Buffaloes defense stuffed Iowa State on a fourth-and-1 attempt at their own 18-yard line.
The game was the first meeting between the two teams since 2010. Colorado's coach Deion Sanders was on the sideline after undergoing surgery related to blood clots earlier in the week.
The Buffaloes took an early lead when Micah Welch rushed for an 8-yard touchdown on the last play of the first quarter. Iowa State responded with a 38-yard field goal by Chase Smith in the second quarter. The Cyclones then took a 10-7 halftime lead after Sama capped a 96-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
In the third quarter, Salter connected with Miller on a 70-yard touchdown pass to put Colorado back in front, 14-10. Iowa State quickly answered with Sama's second one-yard touchdown run, regaining a 17-14 lead. Salter then found Williams in the corner of the end zone with 4:26 left in the third quarter, giving Colorado a 21-17 advantage.
After the Colorado defense held on fourth down, Alejandro Mata hit a 29-yard field goal to extend the lead to 24-17 with 5:13 remaining. Salter then connected with Williams for a 38-yard gain late in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory.
Iowa State committed seven penalties in the game, a trend that has plagued them in recent weeks. Colorado's win marks their second victory over an AP Top 25 team since Deion Sanders became head coach.
