Kansas State is back home Saturday afternoon for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Houston, and this one has all the ingredients of a tight finish.
The Wildcats and Cougars meet at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, with FOX carrying the game. Radio coverage is on KFNZ (96.5 FM and 610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita. Kansas State is listed as a 2.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 55.5.
That slim spread tells the story. This is the first true tossup Kansas State has faced this season, after opening as a heavy favorite in its first three games and then laying 6.5 points at Cincinnati in its Big 12 opener. The Wildcats are coming off that loss, while Houston arrives at 4-1 and with plenty of momentum.
On paper, the Cougars look like the sharper team. Conner Weigman has been steady at quarterback, piling up 1,186 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while also giving Houston a threat on the ground. Add in the Big 12’s top rushing defense - one that is giving up only 65.4 yards per game - and it’s easy to see why Houston is sitting in the Top 25.
Willie Fritz also has Kansas State’s number lately, having beaten the Wildcats the last two times he has coached against them.
Still, this sets up as a tricky spot for Houston. Kansas State is coming off a bye week and should be in good shape at several positions, even with season-ending injuries to left tackle John Pastore and tight end Will Anciaux.
There is also the question of whether Collin Klein has learned how to use extra time well. His K-State teams went 0-2 after bye weeks when he was the offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, but Texas A&M went 3-0 after bye weeks when he called plays for the Aggies in 2024 and 2025.
That could matter if the Wildcats find a way to spring a few surprises.
The bigger issue for Kansas State may be how it moves the ball. Houston’s run defense is stout, which could force Avery Johnson into another heavy passing day.
Johnson has the arm talent to make that work, especially against a Houston defense that has been vulnerable through the air. But he couldn’t carry the Wildcats past Cincinnati two weeks ago when he was asked to throw 50 times.
Kansas State’s defense has its own questions. Houston is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 229.4 rushing yards per game, so the Wildcats will have to prove they can slow that ground game down.
There are also reasons to be cautious about reading too much into Kansas State’s early record. The Wildcats’ wins have come against teams that have combined for just five victories, and Jeff Sagarin’s strength-of-schedule ranking has Kansas State at 131st nationally. Houston’s schedule has been far tougher, ranking 40th.
One more number leans toward the visitors: Houston has won seven of its last eight road games, with the lone loss coming by two points at Texas Tech earlier this season.
This feels like a game that stays close and turns into a shootout. Kansas State has enough to make it interesting, but Houston gets the slight nod. Season record O/U: 2-2.
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Arizona State is part of the stretch that may define whether Colorado keeps that hope alive or watches it slip away. The Buffaloes have to find more dependable offense and hold up better on defense against a run of opponents that includes several ranked teams, which means every remaining week carries more weight than the last and the games against the Big 12 middle can no longer be treated like soft landing spots. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Faces A Huge Big 12 Test With Early Stakes Already Rising
Houstons trip to Manhattan stands out as one of the most intriguing Big 12 games of the week, even in a slate filled with eye-catching matchups. Kansas State gets the kind of early measuring-stick game that can sharpen the picture of where both teams really belong in the league race, while Houston arrives with a chance to show it can handle the week-to-week grind that comes with life in the conference.
The broader Week 6 board also gives this one extra texture, with Arizona at West Virginia, Iowa State at BYU, UCF at Oklahoma State, Kansas at Utah and Hawaii at Arizona State each carrying their own hooks. Still, the Houston-Kansas State game has a little more edge to it because early stakes are already starting to matter, and both sides can turn a solid performance into something bigger as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Recruiting Push Just Reached An Interesting New Place
Kansas States recruiting footprint keeps stretching beyond the familiar Midwest lanes, and Collin Kleins latest offer is another sign of how wide the Wildcats are casting the net. Linebacker Cortez Jones of Westlake High School in Georgia is now on the board, giving Kansas State a presence in a talent-rich state that routinely attracts Power Four attention. It also fits the broader pattern of a staff that has been active in identifying early targets and building relationships before the chase gets crowded.
Jones joins a growing list of prospects to hear from Kansas State, alongside names such as Noah Gigger, Jamison Mobley, Elijah Smith, Dailon Denkins, Julian Dwyer, Jekai Lee, Brady Reeves, Sloan Blackwell and Jerry Richmond. The varied list of schools attached to those offers shows just how competitive the Wildcats recruiting board already is, and it leaves open the next question: which of these early pushes will turn into a real momentum swing for Klein and his staff? [Read more 🡒]