Kansas State walked into Saturday hoping to steady itself. Instead, the Wildcats got steamrolled.
Oklahoma State left Bill Snyder Family Stadium with a 66-28 win, and the damage was obvious almost immediately. By the time the first quarter ended, Kansas State was already staring at a 28-7 hole, and the Cowboys kept piling on through the next two quarters before backing off in the fourth.
For first-year head coach Collin Klein, it was not the kind of home showing he wanted for his team or for the fans in the stands. Kansas State had been beaten badly only once before this season, against Houston, and even in the other losses the Wildcats had at least been competitive. They also had the built-in explanation of playing the previous two games without starting quarterback Avery Johnson.
None of that mattered here.
Oklahoma State controlled the game from start to finish and finished with a 565-327 advantage in total yards. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker was at the center of it all, completing 22 of 28 passes for 313 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Running back Caleb Hawkins added another layer of punishment, rushing for 175 yards on 20 carries and scoring three times. In all, five different Cowboys found the end zone in the rout.
Kansas State’s offense never found a rhythm, and the quarterback situation only made things messier. Blake Barnett made his first start after looking solid in relief last week against Colorado, but this one went sideways fast.
The junior finished 7 of 17 for 106 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before giving way to backup Dillon Duff, who started last week. Duff didn’t provide the spark Kansas State needed, going 10 of 17 for 94 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Wildcats did get one bright spot from Derrick Salley Jr., who hauled in three catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Outside of that, there was little to hang onto. Kansas State’s run game never got going, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, which put even more pressure on a passing attack that couldn’t hold up.
Now the Wildcats have to turn around quickly. They head to Texas Christian next week, and with Johnson likely out for the season, Barnett or Duff will have to give Kansas State something better if the rest of the year is going to look any different.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than Just One Loss
Kansas States rough November got a lot uglier in Stillwater, where the Wildcats were blown out by Oklahoma State 66-28 and absorbed a third straight loss. The defeat pushed the season into dangerous territory, with bowl eligibility suddenly no longer a given, and it left head coach Collin Klein describing the afternoon as one of the worst he has experienced.
The problems were everywhere for Kansas State, from an offense that never found any rhythm to a defense that could not slow Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who finished 22 of 28 for 313 yards and four touchdowns. After a game like that, the Wildcats are not just trying to bounce back from one bad result, they are trying to stop a slide before it turns into something much harder to fix. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has No Answer At QB After Another Loss
Kansas States quarterback situation has become the defining issue of a three-game skid, and the latest loss only added to the uncertainty. The Wildcats have now gone through four different starters in four games, a jarring stretch for a team trying to find any kind of offensive rhythm while Avery Johnson remains sidelined.
Collin Klein said after the setback to Oklahoma State that Dillon Duff and Blake Barnett were both evaluated and will keep getting chances, which leaves the position in a state of constant audition. Johnson, who had been the steady presence before the injury, is unlikely to play again this season, though there is still the possibility he could pursue a fifth year of eligibility under the new NCAA rules. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Sent A Message But The Playoff Math Barely Budged
Kansas States place in the postseason picture got a small but noticeable nudge after the latest round of Week 10 results, as ESPNs FPI adjusted the Wildcats along with a handful of other power-conference teams. The changes reflected recent performance more than any dramatic rewrite of the season, with the metric continuing to sort out who is trending up and who is simply hanging on in the race for a meaningful finish.
For Kansas State, the update is another reminder that the margin for movement is thin at this stage of the year. Dukes rise drew plenty of attention in the broader FPI refresh, but the Wildcats own outlook barely shifted in a way that changes the bigger conversation, leaving their postseason path still tied to what they do next rather than what the numbers say today. [Read more 🡒]