Kansas State heads into Saturday with a little confidence and a clear objective: keep the momentum from last week’s Big 12 win and get its first road victory of the season.
The Wildcats will face Arizona State on Oct. 24 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, with kickoff set for 2:45 p.m. CT. ESPN2 will carry the game nationally, and it will also stream on ESPN+.
Kansas State arrives at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play after beating Kansas 35-24. That win came with a strong closing stretch, as the Wildcats finished by scoring the final 17 points and piled up 359 rushing yards.
Arizona State enters at 3-3 and 1-2 in the conference after a rough 53-25 loss at Texas Tech. In that game, the Sun Devils were limited to 35 rushing yards and surrendered 260.
The matchup sets up as one that could hinge on Kansas State’s ground game. Arizona State sits 14th in the Big 12 in rushing and 13th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game, which gives the Wildcats a path if they can keep leaning on what worked against Kansas. Kansas State’s run defense, though, has been shaky at times.
Arizona State is still tough to pin down. The Sun Devils were not competitive against Texas Tech, and their three wins have come against Morgan State, Hawaii and Kansas in a 24-17 game in London.
Kenny Dillingham’s coaching is a factor, but the overseas trip is noted as something that tends to hurt teams. Their issues on third downs, turnovers and special teams also stand out.
Prediction: Kansas State 27, Arizona State 24
This one looks like a coin flip.
In Other News...
Kansas State May Need Another Tight End Fix Against Arizona State
Garrett Oakley is expected to miss a second straight game, leaving Kansas State to keep adjusting at tight end as it prepares for Arizona State. Coach Collin Klein said the starting tight end is dealing with a viral illness, and Oakley was already out for the Wildcats game against Kansas, forcing the staff to shuffle personnel and look for help elsewhere on the offense.
One of those fixes has been using freshman offensive tackle Oliver Miller in a tight end role in recent games, a move that shows how much the Wildcats have had to improvise around the spot. With Oakley unlikely to return this week, Kansas State will again have to manage its tight end plan on the fly while trying to stay on schedule against the Sun Devils. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Revives A Throwback Look Fans Never Expected This Soon
Kansas State is reaching back into its wardrobe for a look that feels equal parts familiar and fresh, unveiling alternate uniforms with purple helmets and purple pants for its upcoming game against Arizona State. The Wildcats shared images of the set on social media ahead of the matchup, and the combination brings back a style that has been part of the programs history but not its recent game-day routine.
The purple helmets are especially notable, since Kansas State has not worn them since 1988. The purple pants also make their return after last being used during the Ron Prince era, giving this weeks matchup a vintage feel before the Wildcats even take the field. For fans who like a little nostalgia mixed into the present, it is a throwback worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Faces Another Deion Sanders Pressure Game Against Kansas State
Colorado will get an early spotlight on Halloween when it hosts Kansas State on Oct. 31, with both schools announcing a noon kickoff that will air on TNT Sports and Tru TV. It will be Colorado's first game on Turner Broadcasting this season, another sign that even as the Buffaloes work to steady themselves, they remain a must-watch draw on the schedule.
For Kansas State, the trip comes with a familiar backdrop in coach Deion Sanders and a matchup that has not gone his way yet. Colorado is trying to snap its losing streak while also improving against the Wildcats, who have been part of the pressure games attached to Sanders since he arrived in Boulder, and this one now lands in a national window with plenty riding on the result. [Read more 🡒]