Kansas State gets a stiffer test Saturday morning when Washington State comes to Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and the matchup should tell a lot more than the opener did about where Collin Klein’s team stands.
The Wildcats are coming off a demolition job, a 71-3 win over Nicholls that featured nine different players reaching the end zone. K-State had not scored 70 points in a game since 2000, and it finished just five points shy of the school record of 76. That kind of runaway start makes the next step even more interesting.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. Saturday in Manhattan.
The game will air on TNT/HBO Max, with radio coverage on KFNZ (96.5 FM and 610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita. K-State is a 17.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 50.5.
Washington State arrives with more credibility than Nicholls, even after a 24-10 loss to rival Washington in its opener. The Cougars were competitive against a ranked opponent on the road, won seven games last season, and are expected to be one of the better teams in the Pac-12 this year.
There’s also a familiar face on the other sideline. Kirby Moore, the former Missouri offensive coordinator, is Washington State’s head coach.
Missouri followers should know the style he brings. Moore called plays for Eli Drinkwitz from 2023 to 2025, and Washington State hired him away to run the program.
K-State’s offense looked comfortable right away in Week 1, and Avery Johnson was a big reason why. The quarterback threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns against Nicholls. Afterward, he said, “It felt like I was back where I was my freshman year,” Johnson said, “with his ability to trust me and my process leading up to the game.”
The Wildcats also had a huge day on the ground. Rodney Fields led the way with 101 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, but he was far from alone.
Joe Jackson added 38 yards and a touchdown, Jay Harris ran for 53 yards and a touchdown, and Monterrio Elston chipped in 76 yards and a score. By the end of the afternoon, Kansas State had piled up 312 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
In Other News...
Collin Klein Knows Exactly How K State Should Remember Chris Klieman
Chris Kliemans retirement did not send Kansas State into a search for a stranger. Instead, the Wildcats handed the program to one of its most familiar figures in Collin Klein, who was named head coach after Klieman stepped aside following seven years on the job. Klieman also gave his blessing to the move, endorsing Klein as his successor and staying around the program in an advisory role.
For Klein, the transition has made the messaging around his predecessor pretty simple. He has spoken with clear appreciation for the mentorship Klieman provided and pointed to both the man and the resume as reasons the Wildcats should think of this as a continuation of a standard already set, not an ending. In Manhattan, that matters because Klieman leaves behind more than a coaching vacancy. He leaves a template for how the program expects to be led. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Heads Into Road Test With One Big Health Concern
Kansas States trip to Washington State comes with the usual early-season injury watch, and the Wildcats have at least one notable situation to monitor on the other sideline. Cougars senior receiver Tony Freeman is likely to miss the game after hurting his knee in the previous matchup, a blow that could alter how Washington State approaches its passing game against a Kansas State defense trying to settle in on the road.
The Wildcats have some health questions of their own, though the outlook appears better than it first looked for starting linebacker Mekhi Mason after he left a recent game with an injury. Left guard Tanner Morley is also still working back from a fall camp injury and was limited in his snaps, leaving Kansas State with a few moving parts as it prepares for a tricky road test and tries to get as close to full strength as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Gets Encouraging News On A Key Defensive Starter
Kansas State got a little relief in the aftermath of its season opener, where linebacker Mekhi Mason went down with a lower-body injury and left the Wildcats waiting for an update. Coach Collin Klein said the issue may not be as serious as it first appeared, a welcome development for a defense that had already built Mason into a key piece alongside Gabe Powers in the middle of the linebacker group.
Mason arrived as a transfer from Louisiana Tech with a rsum that included second-team All-Conference USA honors, and his role showed how quickly Kansas State trusted him to stabilize the unit. The encouraging part now is not just that the injury appears less severe, but that a return could come soon, leaving the Wildcats with a meaningful decision about how quickly to ease him back into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]