There wasn’t much for Kansas State fans to nitpick after a 71-3 opening-night demolition of Nicholls, and that’s putting it mildly. Collin Klein’s debut as K-State head coach could hardly have gone better: the Wildcats rolled to 71 points, their highest total since putting up a school-record 76 against Ball State in 2000, while the defense smothered Nicholls to the tune of 122 total yards, the fewest allowed since Tennessee Tech managed only 109 in 2009.
The offense looked explosive from the jump, but the night wasn’t just about piling up numbers. K-State leaned into the kind of pageantry and familiar touches that had the home crowd buzzing before the game even got rolling.
Former head coach Chris Klieman was back in the spotlight, helping fire up the fans and welcoming the team out of the tunnel before kickoff. The interaction between Klieman and Klein drew plenty of attention, and the pregame energy carried straight into the stands.
Fans also got the return of the Willie skit, with Willie tackling a fake Nicholls fan at midfield before the loud “K-S-U” chant rolled through the stadium. The scene brought back a tradition that clearly landed well with the crowd, though there was also a reminder to handle it carefully after a previous version left the kid playing the opposing fan seriously hurt and carted off the field.
The atmosphere matched the performance. K-State drew a sellout crowd of close to 52,000 on a 95-degree day, and that kind of turnout did not go unnoticed. The moment also prompted some social-media jabs at USC’s opening-game crowd against Fresno State, but the bigger point was simple: K-State fans showed up in force and stayed locked in all night.
There was plenty happening on the field to keep them occupied. Willie Wildcat ended up on the hook for 394 pushups as the scoring kept coming, and the Wildcats’ 71-point outburst turned the sideline into a celebration of its own. By the end, the team’s huddle-up-and-jog-off-the-field routine with arms interlocked fit the mood perfectly.
Avery Johnson was right in the middle of the offensive fireworks. He finished 15-of-21 for 199 yards and three touchdowns, and after the game he said, “I mean, this is about as good as you could draw up for a first game.
We came in with the mindset to dominate. We have to have that killer mindset no matter the score or who we’re playing to get better.
We had nine different players score a touchdown in a 10-touchdown game. It’s truly amazing and a credit to the depth on our roster and how many people can make a play when the ball is in their hands.
CK (Collin Klein) called a great game. It was just playing catch.”
That performance also pushed Johnson into the K-State record book. He became the program’s all-time leader with 51 career touchdown passes, giving the night an extra layer of significance beyond the scoreboard.
Klein, meanwhile, kept his tone steady after the win. He called it “a really good night” and praised the atmosphere, the fans, and the way his players handled an environment many of them had never experienced before.
He said his message before kickoff was about maximum effort, focus on every snap, and finishing everything, adding that the team had been working on that mindset since January. He also said the group was dialed in all week and attacked the game plan, but stressed that the standard has to continue.
And that’s the part that matters now. As dominant as this one looked, Washington State comes to Manhattan next week, and that will be a different test.
The Cougars pushed No. 17 Washington before falling 24-10, so the bar rises quickly.
For one night, though, K-State looked fast, deep, loud, and fully in control - exactly the kind of opener Klein and the Wildcats wanted.
In Other News...
Kansas State Backfield Battle Just Got More Interesting Before Washington State
After Kansas States 71-3 win over Nicholls, Collin Klein made a few tweaks to the Week 2 depth chart, and the most notable one was in the backfield. Rodney Fields was moved to the top of the running back group, a small but meaningful sign of how the Wildcats are sorting out roles early in the season as they turn their attention to Washington State.
The rest of the depth chart stayed mostly steady, with the changes focused more on roster housekeeping than major reshuffling. Even so, the adjustment at running back adds a little extra intrigue to a group that is still taking shape, especially with snap counts and player availability already being part of the conversation heading into a tougher test. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Had The Perfect Reaction To K-States 71-Point Outburst
Kansas States 71-point outburst against Nicholls was the kind of offensive showing that still feels rare enough to draw a little extra celebration around the program. It also brought out one of the more lighthearted traditions tied to big scoring nights, with Willie the Wildcat on push-up duty for three hours after the game. Since it was the first time the Wildcats had topped 70 points since 2000, the whole thing carried a little extra weight, even if the mood around it stayed mostly playful.
Collin Klein noticed the toll it took on the mascot and said he could relate to the physical grind, a fitting response from a coach who knows exactly how much effort those kinds of nights can demand. It was a small moment, but one that captured the energy around Kansas State after an offense explosion the program does not see often, and one that left the celebration with a familiar question attached to it: what happens when the next big scoring night comes around? [Read more 🡒]
Darien Whitaker Is Giving Kansas State Reason To Feel Better Up Front
Darien Whitakers move from linebacker to defensive end is already giving Kansas State a different kind of presence up front. In the Wildcats 71-3 win over Nicholls, he turned in two tackles and a sack, a small line that still carried real weight for a defense trying to build depth and impact on the edge.
Collin Klein has noticed the work Whitaker has put in as the transition has taken hold, and Kansas State can use more of that kind of growth as the schedule tightens. The Wildcats head home next for Washington State, where the test will be less about cleanup and more about whether those early signs up front can hold up against a tougher challenge. [Read more 🡒]