Kansas State heads into Saturday’s final non-conference game looking every bit like a team that has found its early-season stride. The Wildcats have yet to give up a touchdown on defense, and on the other side of the ball they’ve been pounding away for more than 300 rushing yards per game. That kind of start makes the Sept. 19 matchup with Tulane at Bill Snyder Family Stadium feel less like a mystery and more like a chance for K-State to sharpen itself before Big 12 play begins.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2, with Collin Klein’s 2-0 team set to visit Cincinnati next week after one more tune-up at home. Tulane, meanwhile, comes in at 1-1 and has been a stubborn opponent for Kansas State in recent years, which gives this one a little more edge than a typical non-conference date.
The biggest reason Kansas State looks positioned to control this game is what Tulane has had to replace. The Green Wave took a major hit after earning an automatic bid to last year’s College Football Playoff, losing coach Jon Sumrall to Florida and then having to rebuild around a new quarterback, four of their top rushers, three of their four top receivers, and six of their top tacklers. New coach Will Hall, who was last season’s pass-game coordinator, was fired in 2024 during his fourth season as Southern Miss’ coach.
That turnover has shown up on the field. Tulane has the second-fewest first downs among FBS teams, and its defense has been gashed for an average of 216 rushing yards, which ranks 131st out of 138 teams.
Discipline has been an issue too, with the Green Wave averaging 69.5 penalty yards per game. Kansas State, by contrast, ranks first in the country in fewest penalties.
That’s a dangerous combination for a Wildcats team that wants to lean on its ground game anyway. Through two games, Kansas State is averaging 303.5 rushing yards, and Rodney Fields has topped 100 yards in both of his starts.
After an uneven outing, Klein will also be looking for quarterback Avery Johnson to settle in before league play starts. On paper, the Wildcats have the edge everywhere you look.
Still, Tulane has shown it can make this matchup uncomfortable. In the first two games of the two-for-one agreement that ends with this one, the Green Wave pushed Kansas State hard.
They also beat the Wildcats 17-10 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 2022, when Klein was K-State’s offensive coordinator. Insert Klein's death stare here
Tulane may also have a bit more stability at quarterback this week. Kadin Semonza is expected to start for the second straight game, which would give the Green Wave some continuity after a shaky stretch from Week 1 to Week 2.
And then there’s running back Jaylin Lucas, who may be the most explosive athlete Kansas State has faced so far. He rushed for 214 yards on 11 carries against South Alabama after managing just three carries for three yards the previous week at Duke.
Even with that, the matchup still tilts heavily toward Kansas State. Tulane has no obvious edge, but the recent history between these teams keeps it from feeling routine.
Kansas State 37, Tulane 14
That kind of score would fit the mood around Manhattan, where fans love to say "Cats by 90." Klein, for his part, has every reason to want a statement win after the 2022 loss, and the Wildcats should have plenty of chances to make one.
A third straight 100-yard game from Fields looks realistic, and Joe Jackson should also find room to work. Johnson is due for a bounce-back performance, and the defense will try to keep its shutout streak alive after two games without allowing a touchdown. That streak has to end sometime, but it’s tough to see Tulane being the team to do it.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem At The Worst Time
Kansas States early-season momentum has come with an unwelcome complication under center. Blake Barnett was hurt in the opener and is expected to miss more time, while backup Dillon Duff is also banged up and listed day-to-day, leaving Collin Klein with a quarterback room that suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a week ago. Even with the Wildcats sitting at 2-0, the timing is less than ideal with Tulane and Cincinnati coming up next.
Klein said both quarterbacks are progressing and that the staff has plans to manage the position moving forward, which at least gives Kansas State some stability on paper. Still, the Wildcats now have to navigate a stretch that could shape their season without much certainty at the most important spot on the field, and the next few days will matter a lot as they try to sort out who can go and how much help they might need around him. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Building A Big 12 Strength Fans Can't Ignore
A wild opening stretch around the Big 12 has only sharpened the sense that the leagues middle and upper tiers may be tougher than they first looked, and Kansas State has been part of that conversation in a way its fans should appreciate. Oklahoma States upset of Oregon turned heads nationally, Iowa States narrow loss to Iowa showed how thin the margin can be in these heavyweight-style September games, and Kansas States own defensive work has kept it in the same broader conversation about which teams are setting the standard early.
What makes it even more interesting from a Wildcats perspective is that the leagues next wave of games could keep sorting out who really belongs in that upper class. Houstons trip to Texas Tech, Kansas London matchup with Arizona State, and West Virginias meeting with Virginia all carry their own stakes, but Kansas States ability to keep leaning on defense gives it a foundation other Big 12 teams are still trying to match. If the conference continues to look this deep, that kind of edge could matter a lot more than style points. [Read more 🡒]