Cu Drills K-State In Final 2 Minutes Buffaloes’ Win Over Wildcats Probably Earns Cotton Bowl Bid

It was proclaimed the biggest game in Kansas State’s 100-year football history. And Colorado was not intimidated.

Scoring twice in the final 1:04, including John Hessler’s 20-yard TD strike to James Kidd, No. 9 Colorado (9-2, 5-2 Big Eight) beat No. 7 Kansas State 27-17 Saturday and probably earned a Cotton Bowl bid.

Kansas State (9-2, 5-2) was after its first 10-win season in 85 years and its first-ever New Year’s Bowl berth.

Fans all week had proclaimed it their biggest game of all time, and with the nation’s top-ranked defense giving up only 223 yards a game, the Wildcats were favored by 4.

“It was also a big game for us,” said Colorado safety Steve Rosga, whose interception thwarted a scoring threat in the third quarter. “In the past, we kind of watched Oklahoma-Nebraska, and whoever won decided where we would go. But this year we had it in our own hands.”

Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said he had not been promised the Cotton Bowl if his team won.

“But it’s my understanding the Cotton Bowl had decided the winner would be invited,” he said. “I would say the chances are probably pretty good. We’ve got our fingers crossed.”

Hessler, who threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns, moved the Buffs 80 yards after Eric Hickson’s 1-yard plunge put K-State on top 17-13 with 2:24 left, hitting Kidd with a 20-yarder for the go-ahead score with 1:04 left. Colorado got another touchdown with 45 seconds left when Kerry Hicks recovered a Kansas State fumble in the end zone.

“They were trying (to play manto-man defense) and I couldn’t figure out why they were just letting us run down the field,” Hessler said. “They went man on us and James ran right past them.”

The Buffs piled up 526 yards - more than twice as much as the Wildcats had yielded while beating everyone on their schedule except No. 1 Nebraska.

“Defensively, we played great all day, with the exception of one drive,” Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. “It was a tribute to Colorado that their 2-minute drill has been so great.”

It was only the fourth loss for Kansas State in 37 home games in the 1990s.

In the final year of the Big Eight, Kansas, K-State and Colorado finished in a three-way tie for second.

Chris Canty, Kansas State’s sophomore cornerback, intercepted two passes and set a school season record with eight as the two teams spent much of the first half wasting scoring opportunities.