No. 18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1) at Colorado (4-1, 2-0)

When/Where: 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Folsom Field

TV/Radio: ESPN/850 AM

BetMGM line: CU +4, O/U 56.5

Weather: 69 degrees and mostly clear

Series history: CU leads 45-20-1 (last game: a 44-36 Buffs win in Boulder, 2010)

Three storylines

Travis Hunter factor. What will No. 12 do next? The Buffs’ Heisman candidate had another exceptional performance two weeks ago in CU’s win over UCF, with nine catches for 89 yards and a TD on offense, as well as a pick, pass breakup and two tackles on defense. So far, he has 46 catches for 561 yards and two interceptions. Throwing in his direction is a dangerous proposition for any quarterback, while his game-changing abilities on offense allow fellow wideouts Will Sheppard, LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. to make plays.

CU’s D-Front. UCF entered CU as the top rushing team in the country, but CU’s front won the battle in the trenches, holding the Knights to 177 rushing yards. CU also had five sacks for 21 yards and 13 tackles for loss of 40 yards, as 13 different players had at least half a tackle for loss. The Buffs will face another prolific rushing attack on Saturday, with Kansas State bringing the seventh-best running game in FBS (252.2 yards per game) to Boulder. DJ Giddens (621 yards, 2 touchdowns) gets the lion’s share of the work, but his old friend Dylan Edwards (204 yards) can also step up at a moment’s notice.

Talented QBs. While CU senior QB Shedeur Sanders needs no introduction and has picked apart defenses when given adequate protection, KSU sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson is also playing well in his first full season as a starter. He is one of only eight QBs in the country and the only Big 12 player with at least 800 passing yards and 300 rushing yards this year. It will be up to the CU secondary, which returns Shilo Sanders to safety after an arm injury he suffered in the game against Nebraska, to keep the Wildcats’ offense under control. An improved Buffs pass rush, which produced half of their season-high sacks two weeks ago, could help.

Predictions

Kyle Newman, sports journalist: Kansas State 31, CU 24

That’s a difficult question. It’s hard to choose against the Buffs after they destroyed UCF, but my gut tells me the offensive line will return to its porous form on Saturday. Shedeur Sanders has a number of impressive plays and Travis Hunter records another outstanding interception, but Sanders is sacked six times and the Buffs defense ultimately has a sloppy third quarter. CU’s last-minute push to force OT, as it did in its dramatic win over Baylor via a converted Hail Mary, ends in heartbreak instead of celebration.

Sean Keeler, sports columnist: CU 36, Kansas State 30 (OT)

If you want to say that North Dakota State is the only truly “good” team to beat CU, I won’t argue. CSU (1-1), Baylor (0-2) and UCF (0-2) have had some chaotic moments since late September. If you want to claim that K-State presents the first “real” defensive CUs since Nebraska, you can’t argue with that. And yet…remember the Stanford game a year ago and how CU just never got it right after that? I’m starting to wonder if the Mile High Miracle over the Bears is having the exact opposite effect. And at the perfect time.