Arizona State heads into Saturday’s Big 12 matchup with Kansas State trying to steady itself after a rough night in Lubbock and a quarterback question that still isn’t settled.
The Sun Devils are back in Tempe, Ariz., coming off a 53-25 loss to then-No. 10 Texas Tech, while Kansas State arrives after picking up its first conference victory of the season, a 35-24 home win against rival Kansas.
The biggest storyline for Arizona State is under center. Coach Kenny Dillingham pulled starter Cutter Boley at halftime against Texas Tech and turned to senior backup Mikey Keene.
Boley was picked off twice, with one of those turnovers going back for a touchdown, while Keene gave the offense a lift after the break. He finished 25 of 34 for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
Even with that second-half spark, Dillingham wasn’t ready Monday to reveal who will start against the Wildcats.
"Conference opponent, I'm not gonna get into much detail about that," Dillingham said. "Our players will know.
Who knows, it may leak it out. I hope not."
Dillingham also said he and his staff spent almost four hours Sunday going over where this year’s team has fallen short and how to avoid "falling short in our plan again" next season.
Arizona State’s issues against Texas Tech were clear in the box score. The Sun Devils were held to 35 rushing yards and gave up 260 on the ground.
Kansas State showed the kind of balance Arizona State will have to deal with. Against Kansas, the Wildcats piled up 568 total yards, with 359 coming on the ground. Avery Johnson passed for 209 yards and rushed for 132, while Joe Jackson led the team with 159 rushing yards.
The Wildcats have also been highly efficient on third down, converting 59.3% of their attempts, which ranks second nationally this season.
"We have to keep building, we have to keep improving, and keep working our process and keep moving it forward because there's a lot out there for us," Wildcats coach Collin Klein said Monday in his weekly press conference. "We got a big challenge this week in Arizona State.
It's a very talented group. ... A lot of respect."
In Other News...
K-State Heads To Arizona State With More Uncertainty Than Usual
Kansas State arrives in Tempe with the kind of background that would normally suggest confidence, even after a routine win over Kansas extended its dominance in that rivalry to 18 straight. But the Wildcats have developed an odd pattern around that game, dropping the one that follows each of the past few seasons, and now they head into Saturdays matchup with Arizona State carrying a little more unease than usual.
The uncertainty starts with Avery Johnson, whose status remains questionable because of injury, and it extends to a team that has not exactly been reliable in this spot. Arizona State has struggled on both sides of the ball lately, which should give Kansas State a chance to steady itself, but the Wildcats have also not covered the spread as a road favorite since 2024, leaving plenty of room for a game that could turn messy before anyone expected it to. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Took A Chance On One Of The Portals Biggest Mysteries
Kansas State added a little intrigue to its frontcourt mix by taking a chance on Matt Gilhool, a former four-star recruit from the 2024 class whose college path has already been interrupted by health concerns. Gilhools senior year of high school was derailed by a significant heart issue, and that setback carried into his first season at LSU before he redshirted the 2025-26 season to recover and rebuild his conditioning.
Now healthy, Gilhool arrives in Manhattan with the kind of resume that still makes evaluators pause, even if the sample size remains thin. For Kansas State, he projects as a reserve forward-center who could provide depth right away, but the bigger appeal is the possibility that a player once seen as a major prospect can finally start to show why he was so coveted in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Has Kansas State Pushing Hard For A Texas Prize
Kansas States recruiting board has been busy across several classes, with the Wildcats sending out scholarship offers to high school prospects at a range of positions and from several states. Among the players drawing attention is Jordan Hall, a cornerback from Aledo High School in Texas, as the program continues to cast a wide net for help on both sides of the ball.
The group of offers also includes offensive tackles, linebackers, defensive backs and tight ends, a sign that Kansas State is still building for the long haul under its current approach. For a program that has made finding the right fits a priority, the presence of a Texas defensive back on the list is another reminder that the Wildcats are working hard to stay in the mix far beyond the Big 12 footprint. [Read more 🡒]