Kansas State and Cincinnati both arrive at Saturday night’s Big 12 opener with clean records and real momentum, which makes the matchup at Nippert Stadium feel like a test of who can impose its style first. The Wildcats are 3-0 after three home wins to start the Collin Klein era, while the Bearcats have matched that mark with three victories in the city to open 2026.
For Kansas State, the early story has been pretty simple: Avery Johnson has driven the offense, and the defense has smothered opponents. Johnson has thrown for nearly 200 yards in each game and added 152 rushing yards against Tulane, giving the Wildcats a steady threat through the air and on the ground.
The results have been decisive, too - a 71-3 win over Nicholls, a 34-7 win over Washington State and a 31-20 win over Tulane. On the other side of the ball, K-State has allowed just 30 points total and leads the nation in passing yards allowed at 86.7 per game.
Cincinnati has been just as productive offensively. The Bearcats opened with a 34-15 win over Boston College, followed that with a 62-10 rout of Western Carolina, then pulled off a 35-31 comeback against Miami (OH) at TQL Stadium after erasing a 21-point deficit to reclaim the Victory Bell.
J. French IV has been on point in the last two games, throwing for 245 and 309 yards, while G.
Payne has topped 100 rushing yards in each of the first two contests. That production has Cincinnati averaging 43.7 points.
The coaches bring their own storylines into the night. Collin Klein, now in his first season leading Kansas State, starred as the Wildcats’ quarterback and finished third in the 2012 Heisman race before returning from two years as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator.
Scott Satterfield is in his fourth year at Cincinnati after previous stops at Appalachian State and Louisville. He is 19-22 at UC and 95-70 overall, and the Bearcats are 3-0 after last week’s 21-point comeback.
Saturday is Klein’s first road test and Satterfield’s first Big 12 game of 2026, though he says he has a history of fast starts with the Bearcats.
The setting adds another layer: conference play opens for both teams inside historic Nippert Stadium on the UofC campus. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with the game on ESPB2. Both sides know a fourth win would give them a strong launch point to the season, and the line play could end up deciding which team leaves the night feeling that much better.
In Other News...
K-State Defense Faces Its First Real Big 12 Stress Test
Kansas States defense has spent the early part of the season looking like one of the nations better units, but the next challenge is less about reputation and more about the kind of plays that can flip a game in an instant. The Wildcats have been strong in several statistical categories, yet the one vulnerability that keeps surfacing is the occasional explosive run, and that is not the sort of crack you want to carry into Big 12 play.
Cincinnati arrives with the kind of offensive line that has earned national recognition and helped fuel one of the countrys top rushing attacks, which makes this a useful early test of how sturdy K-State really is against power and movement up front. If the Bearcats lean on that ground game, the Wildcats could be forced to handle long drives and broken tackles, while quarterback JC French IV adds another wrinkle with his efficient, conservative passing style that keeps the offense on schedule without asking for much downfield risk. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Starting Earlier Than Ever On One Key Roster Need
Kansas State is wasting no time looking ahead, and that urgency is showing up in the early pursuit of its 2028 class. Among the latest names on the board is Allen High School defensive back Elijah Smith, part of a growing list of young prospects the Wildcats have already reached out to as they try to get an early jump on one of the most important spots on the roster.
The group of offers also includes Quinn Jacobs, Dailon Denkins, Julian Dwyer, Jekai Lee, Brady Reeves, Sloan Blackwell, Jerry Richmond and Asher Megonnell, a sign that Kansas State is casting a wide net well before those players are close to signing day. The timing says as much about the Wildcats recruiting priorities as the names themselves, with the staff clearly treating this as a position it wants to stay ahead of for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Should Watch One Overlooked Wildcats Target Saturday
Kansas State heads into Saturdays matchup with Cincinnati as a 6.5-point favorite, and the Wildcats passing game offers a few interesting angles for bettors looking beyond the usual names. One of the more overlooked options is Garrett Oakley, whose growing chemistry with quarterback Avery Johnson has started to make him a worthwhile piece of the offense, especially against a Bearcats defense that leans on zone coverage.
Oakleys role could be the kind that pays off quietly rather than loudly, which is often where value lives in the prop market. With the total sitting at 55.5, Kansas State should have chances to move the ball through the air, and Oakleys usage gives him a path to turn into a steady contributor if the game script opens up the right way. [Read more 🡒]