Just like 15 years ago, Colorado welcomes Iowa State to Boulder in the midst of a losing streak and with a winless record in Big 12 play.

But the circumstances surrounding this Saturday’s game at Folsom Field (1:30 p.m. ESPN) couldn’t be much different from the last time these two programs met on the football field.

The Buffaloes were coming off a disastrous 45-42 loss at Kansas that saw head coach Dan Hawkins lose his job the following day. CU rallied behind interim coach Brian Cabral and took down a Cyclones team that also failed to miss a bowl game that season due to three straight losses to end it. 

Both programs have come a long way since as the Deion Sanders era has resurrected the Buffs after a long period of irrelevancy, while coach Matt Campbell is in year 10 in charge of an ISU team that has failed to reach a bowl game just twice under his leadership.

Here are five storylines to watch as these old Big Eight rivals meet for the first time since 2010:

The third quarter

Outscored 34-14 in the third quarter through six games, Coach Prime’s team is eager to find some kind of a spark in the second halves of games. The Buffs have not had an issue starting fast in the first quarter, so they’re hoping to find similar success out of the halftime locker room. It won’t be easy against a Cyclones team that has dominated third quarters this season, outsourcing their opponents 42-13 in that period.

Injuries, injuries, injuries

The two longest injury reports in the Big 12 are set to square off this Saturday. While Sanders said not to believe everything you see in regards to his team’s lengthy injury list, the Buffs are still set to be without several key contributors at running back and on the defensive line. There are also several players whose status is in doubt for the game, notably wide receiver Dre’lon Miller, defensive end Arden Walker, and safety Carter Stoutmire. Meanwhile, Iowa State is down a dozen players, including their pair of all-conference-caliber starting cornerbacks, Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. This could be a game of unsung heroes.

A chance to run the ball

A big reason the Cyclones found themselves down 17-0 in the first quarter last week at Cincinnati was their run defense. The Bearcats rushed for 260 yards while handing ISU its first loss of 2025 and the Buffs feel like there is an avenue for them to have similar success on the ground. Dallan Hayden found success out of the backfield in his first extended action of the season, while sophomore Micah Welch continues to be a steady force for the CU run game.

The two quarterbacks

On the surface, there’s not much separating CU’s Kaidon Salter and Iowa State’s Rocco Becht in terms of ability to lead their teams to wins. But the former has just been a little bit better in the second halves of games in 2025 and that’s why the Cyclones remain in Big 12 contention, while the Buffs are firmly out of it. Salter’s three interceptions last week at TCU played a big role in the loss and CU will need a much better version of him in the second half this week to take down ISU.

Special teams bounce back

After weeks of praise from Coach Prime, the Buffs’ special teams unit finally made its first real blunder of 2025. On a key TCU punt in the fourth quarter last week, the ball hit redshirt freshman wide receiver Kam Mikell and fell to the ground for the Horned Frogs to pounce. They scored the game-winning touchdown just a few plays later. Sanders called it a “rookie mistake” this week and expects the same consistency he saw from his special teams units in the first five games.

King’s Prediction

No. 22 Iowa State 31, Colorado 28
With a chance to continue a potentially game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter, Deion Sanders is going to leave the offense on the field for a fourth-and-short situation just past midfield. Iowa State will send a blitz and Kaidon Salter’s pass under duress will fall incomplete, handing the ball back to the Cyclones. Rocco Becht will pick up two first downs to get ISU in field goal range and the Cyclones will leave Boulder with a walk-off field goal to give Coach Prime another cruel feeling of deja vu.