The Collin Klein era at Kansas State opens Saturday night, and the first test comes at home against Nicholls.
After nine months without football, Bill Snyder Family Stadium gets its first game of the 2026 season at 6 p.m. The Wildcats will host the Colonels in a non-conference matchup, and for Klein it will be his first game as a head coach. Plenty of K-State players will also be stepping into a purple uniform for the first time, which has pushed the anticipation up around Manhattan.
Nicholls is not exactly new to this stage. Seven years ago, the Colonels came to Manhattan for Chris Klieman’s first game as K-State’s head coach, and the Wildcats rolled to a 49-14 win. That old scoreline gives Saturday’s opener an easy comparison point, even if the result ends up looking different.
The betting market expects K-State to handle business comfortably, with the Wildcats listed as 40.5-point favorites and the over/under set at 55.5.
There’s also a little more on the Nicholls side to chew on than a typical opener. The Colonels are already 1-0 after beating Mississippi Valley State 44-10 on Thursday.
Ean Rodrigue threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns, Tamaj Hoffman ran for 53 yards and two scores, and Nicholls’ defense picked off three passes. The opponent may have something to say about how much weight to put on that result, but it still gave Nicholls a live-game tune-up before coming to Manhattan.
For K-State, the biggest personnel watch may be up front. With John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick out of the mix, the Wildcats are expected to lean on younger options along the offensive line.
Tanner Morley is also working back from an injury. On Saturday, fans should expect to see Ryan Howard and Oliver Miller at left tackle, with Miller potentially sliding over to left guard as well.
Second-year player Dylan Villarouel is in line to handle center, which makes the front five look very much like a unit in transition.
And then there’s the new face of it all. Klein spent much of his time on game days in the press box after returning to the program as an assistant coach, but Saturday changes that. He’ll be on the sideline with a headset, leading the team out of the tunnel and calling plays from the field.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan. The game will air on ESPN+, with radio coverage on KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita.
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