Colorado football report card following upset win over Iowa State

The 2025 season has been one of turmoil for the Colorado Buffaloes, as they entered their Week 7 matchup at 2-4 and 0-3 in the Big 12 Conference, facing a gauntlet of opponents.

However, in nearly every single one of their games, they hung around, just waiting for a chance to strike. That day was Saturday, as the stars aligned behind the gray skies of Boulder for Colorado to upset No. 21 Iowa State 24-17. Several standout performances helped them get there, but their win against the Cyclones was a complete team effort. Here is the report card from the Buffs' Week 7 win:

Quarterback

Grade: A-

Kaidon Salter played by far his best game in the black and gold, totaling 255 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. It's a stark contrast from the disaster that was his performance last week, but a very welcome sight for the Buffs' fans. While he continued to use his scambling ability effectively and got the offense jump-started with a 24-yard keeper on a read option, what really impressed was the passing game.

The underthrown deep balls that Salter was chucking against TCU turned into pinpoint accurate dots over the middle on Saturday. His decision-making was much improved, as he completed 64% of his passes and limited the mistakes that had hampered him. He falls just short of a perfect grade because he was ice cold to begin this game, and if he was on it, the Buffaloes could have won by much more.

Running Backs

Grade: C-

The battered group of Micah Welch, Dallan Hayden and Kam Mikell did what they could with what was in front of them. For much of the day, Iowa State sent aggressive blitzes and showcased some stellar run fits, which limited much of what the backs could do. Hayden didn't get many of his carries until late, but he continued his strong showing from the TCU game, averaging almost five yards per carry and nearly icing the game.

Mikell, like Dre'lon Miller, is a converted wideout who's had to step into the running back role, and he looked just okay against Iowa State. A pre-snap penalty eliminated his only wildcat formation call, and his chances outside of that were few and far between.

Receivers and Tight Ends

Grade: A+

While Salter had a fantastic day through the air, it was because his pass catchers went on an absolute tear. Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams took full advantage of the Cyclones' injured secondary, routing them up for easy completions. Miller only racked up three catches, but one was a coverage bust for a 70-yard touchdown that swung the momentum back in the Buffaloes' favor to open the second half.

The true standout was Williams, who totaled 128 yards on eight catches and threw in a touchdown to boot. He caught half of Salter's completions today, which asked a lot of him. From low throws to catches over the middle where he knew he was going to get hit, Williams stepped up and earned his group a perfect grade.

Defense

Grade: B+

Colorado's pass rush has been a strength all year, but that group turned it up to 11 against Iowa State. Rocco Becht was constantly under pressure, and the front-7 mustered four tackles for loss. The overall group was aided significantly by some Cyclone mistakes, like dropped passes and baffling playcalling, but made plays when they needed to.

An area that looked disastrous and kept them out of the A range was the run defense, which let Abu Sama run all over them. Sama dominated on the ground to the tune of 177 yards and two touchdowns on just 24 attempts. Outside of that, though, it was the best the Buffaloes' defense has looked in 2025.

Special Teams

Grade: A

The Buffaloes didn't need to go to their fourth-string kicker, who is an offensive lineman (as the Cyclones did), and they didn't turn the ball over on special teams, which I consider a stellar day. Quentin Gibson had a couple of nice kick returns, setting the Buffaloes up in good field position —a welcome bounce-back week for the freshman. Meanwhile, Damon Greaves was key to helping the Buffaloes stay in the game during the first quarter's field position battle.

Coaching

Grade: B+

Much of this grade comes from the heart with which Colorado played against Iowa State. The Buffaloes' season is pretty much over; they won't be playing for much more than a decent bowl game, but it didn't look like the team had quit on Deion Sanders and his staff, not even close. While I didn't love how conservative the offensive playcalling got late, leaning on Salter runs for no gain, that isn't enough to outdo the good I saw on the field. Sanders coached this game four days after getting surgery; that's commendable in its own right, but a statement win is the cherry on top.

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football report card vs. Iowa State