Kansas State is heading into its bye week with some much-needed breathing room, and coach Collin Klein sounds relieved to have it.
“The bye week comes at a good time,” Klein said Monday at his weekly news conference, “with us being able to get healthy. Getting some guys back is definitely foreseeable.”
That optimism starts at quarterback. Avery Johnson was the only healthy quarterback on K-State’s roster last week, a situation that even forced a freshman defensive back into scout-team duty at the position during practice. Klein was also sorting through emergency quarterback possibilities before the Wildcats’ 31-26 loss to Cincinnati.
There’s better news now for the depth chart. Backup quarterbacks Dillon Duff and Jacob Knuth both dressed for the Cincinnati game Saturday, and the expectation is that both will be closer to full strength when Kansas State returns to play Houston on October 10 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Klein also hinted that Oliver Miller could be back on the offensive line in two weeks.
Not every update was upbeat. Senior tight end Will Anciaux will miss time after suffering a foot injury against the Bearcats, and the Wildcats are still waiting on a long-term diagnosis. Klein said Anciaux is not expected to make a quick recovery, which leaves more on the shoulders of Linkon Cure and Garrett Oakley at tight end.
At wide receiver, though, the report was more encouraging. Jaron Tibbs did not return after taking a hard hit in the first half against Cincinnati and spent the rest of the night on the sideline without a helmet, but Klein said Tibbs “will be fine” moving forward.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Big 12 Problem It Can't Ignore
The loss to Cincinnati left Kansas State with more than just a mark in the standings. Collin Klein made it clear afterward that the Wildcats have a run-defense issue to clean up, after the Bearcats rolled up 271 rushing yards on 38 carries and controlled enough of the game to leave Manhattan with a 31-26 win. Gi'Bran and Cole Tabb fueled that ground attack, giving Kansas State a long afternoon trying to slow things down at the line of scrimmage.
Klein also pointed to the offense's stalled drives as part of why the Wildcats came up short, which only adds to the pressure heading into the stretch ahead. For a team with Big 12 aspirations, getting pushed around on the ground is the kind of problem that can follow you if it is not corrected quickly, especially when the margin for error is already getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Just Made The Kind Of Big 12 Statement Fans Needed
Cincinnatis first Big 12 game of the season delivered exactly the kind of message the league tends to notice, and Kansas State was on the wrong side of it. The Bearcats pushed through an early deficit, leaned on their run blocking and got important production on the ground from GiBran Payne and Cole Tabb. For a team trying to show it can handle life in this conference, the win mattered plenty, and it lifted Cincinnati to 4-0 for the first time since 2021.
For Kansas State, the loss serves as an early reminder that Big 12 openers can turn fast when the other side starts controlling the line of scrimmage. Cincinnatis second-half response was the difference, and it left the Wildcats having to sort through how a game they led early slipped away. In a league where every road test can turn into a statement opportunity, this one belonged to the Bearcats. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Wasted A Huge Day With One Crushing Mistake
Derrick Salley Jr. gave Kansas State plenty to build on with a huge afternoon against Cincinnati, piling up seven catches for 140 yards and a touchdown in a game that had the Wildcats in position to make a statement. For most of the day, he looked like the kind of difference-maker who can tilt a close Big 12 matchup, giving the passing game a needed spark and keeping Kansas State within reach.
Collin Klein, though, knows the Wildcats were left to rue one costly sequence. Salleys fumble on the first play of the second half swung the momentum toward Cincinnati and helped turn a promising spot into a 31-26 loss. It was the kind of mistake that can erase a big individual performance in a hurry, and Kansas State now has to sort out how to pair production with cleaner execution when the margin is this thin. [Read more 🡒]