Buffs, Cyclones Clash for First Time in 15 Years: Five Things to Know

Saturday, October 11

Boulder, Colo.

1:30 PM

Colorado

Iowa State

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

Buffs, Cyclones Clash for First Time in 15 Years: Five Things to Know

October 10, 2025 | Football

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By: Seth Pringle, Athletic Communications

BOULDER – Head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes return to Folsom Field on Saturday for a meeting with the Iowa State Cyclones (1:30 p.m. MT).

The matchup will be the 66th all-time between the Buffs and Cyclones, but the first since Nov. 11, 2010.

Colorado (2-4, 0-3) has been steady in the special teams department this season. The Buffs' kicking specialists have been difference-makers in 2025 and have been rewarded by being the "captains" of the team, dubbed Leaders and Dawgs by Coach Prime.

Alejandro Mata is near perfect on kicks, hitting 19-of-19 PATs and 3-of-4 field goals this year while extending his streak to 96 straight PATs.

Damon Greaves had a bit of an off game at TCU, but has been stellar, nonetheless. When kicking from 60 yards or shorter, he has pinned 11 of 14 punts inside the 20 and four inside the 5-yard line.

Buck Buchanan has already blasted 25 touchbacks in 29 kicks, already 10 more touchbacks than the entirety of last season (15).

Five Things to Know

ISU 7th & 2nd: The Buffs have faced Iowa State 65 times, but not in the past 15 years. Iowa State is CU's seventh-most frequent opponent, and CU's 49 wins over the Cyclones are the second-most against any team (behind 69 vs. Colorado State.
Dallan Hayden: After returning from injury, Dallan Hayden is beginning to pop. He had two runs of 20+ yards in his 9-carry, 61-yard performance at TCU. Prior to Saturday, he had just two carries for 10 yards on the season.
Long Rushes/Rushing Yards: The Buffs have eclipsed 100 rushing yards in five of six games this season—just one fewer than the total from the previous 25 games. CU also has 12 runs of 20+ yards this year, surpassing the combined total from the previous two seasons (11 total: six in 2024 and five in 2023).
Omarion Miller: After showing flashes of brilliance in CU's deep receiver room in 2023 and '24, Omarion Miller is proving to be a consistent threat in 2025. He caught six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns at TCU; entering the game, he had just three career TDs (one each season). In 2025, he has 17 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
Third Down: Despite the loss, the Buffs turned in one of their best third-down performances in program history, converting 9-of-13 overall and 6-of-7 in the first half. The 85.7% conversion rate in the half tied the CU record (Oct. 14, 2017 at Oregon State, second half).

Mike Monaco and Louis Riddick will be in the booth, and Kris Budden will be on the sideline for ESPN.

Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson and former head coach Gary Barnett will have pregame coverage starting at 11:30 a.m. MT on the Colorado Radio Network, locally on 850 KOA (AM) and 94.1 FM.