Kansas State didn’t just open the 2026 season with a win Saturday night. It came out and delivered a statement in Collin Klein’s first game as head coach, burying Nicholls 71-3 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats were in control almost immediately, scoring on their first two offensive possessions and then getting a special-teams jolt when Brandon White returned a Nicholls punt 65 yards for a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, K-State had already built a 20-0 cushion and had Nicholls pinned down to three punts on three possessions.
The avalanche kept coming from there. Avery Johnson opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs at 12:36 of the first quarter, then added a 10-yard keeper later in the period.
Linkon Cure finished the two-point conversion on that second score. Johnson kept steering the offense in the second quarter, too, first hitting Joe Jackson on a 43-yard wheel-route touchdown just before halftime and later finding Josh Manning for an 11-yard score in the third.
Johnson finished 15 of 21 for 199 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Blake Barnett completed 4 of 5 passes for 41 yards, and Jacob Knuth went 1 for 1 for 7 yards.
The ground game was just as punishing. Rodney Fields Jr. ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Monterrio Elston Jr. added 76 yards and a score on six attempts.
Jay Harris chipped in 53 yards and a touchdown, Joe Jackson ran for 38 yards and a score, and Knuth also found the end zone on the ground. Johnson added 23 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own.
K-State’s second-quarter surge included Fields Jr.’s 26-yard touchdown run and a Nicholls field goal from Kingston Phan from 32 yards out to make it 27-3. But the Wildcats answered quickly when Johnson connected with Jackson, and the game never moved back into reach.
The third quarter brought more of the same. After Johnson’s touchdown to Manning, Darien Whitaker stripped Ean Rodrigue on a sack and recovered the fumble at the Nicholls 24. Jackson turned that short field into another touchdown, breaking off an 11-yard run, and Harris added his own 11-yard score to make it 55-3.
Even with reserves in the game, Kansas State kept stacking points in the fourth quarter. Elston Jr. ripped off a 46-yard touchdown run, and Knuth capped another long drive with a 2-yard score.
The defense matched the offense’s pace. K-State held Nicholls to 122 total yards, including just 30 through the air and 92 on the ground.
Nicholls finished with nine first downs, went 4 of 16 on third down, and averaged just 2.1 yards per play. The Wildcats, by contrast, piled up 559 total yards, 34 first downs, and 7.9 yards per snap.
The 71-point output was Kansas State’s highest since Sept. 16, 2000, when it beat Ball State 76-0. It was only the fourth 70-point game in program history.
In Other News...
Collin Klein Had The Perfect Reaction To K-States 71-Point Outburst
Kansas States 71-point outburst against Nicholls was the kind of offensive showing that still stands out around Manhattan, especially because it was the first time the Wildcats had topped 70 since 2000. It also brought one of the programs more unusual traditions back into the spotlight, with Willie the Wildcat assigned a marathon push-up challenge tied to the scoring binge.
Collin Klein noticed the toll it took. The head coach offered a knowing reaction to Willies fatigue, saying he could relate to the physical grind of the task, which stretched over three hours. It was a lighthearted postgame footnote, but one that fit the mood around a rare offensive explosion and the kind of celebration that only Kansas State seems to make feel routine. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Backfield Battle Just Got More Interesting Before Washington State
Kansas States Week 2 depth chart came with a small but notable shakeup after the Wildcats 71-3 win over Nicholls, and it landed in the part of the roster that tends to draw the most attention. Collin Klein adjusted the running back order, moving Rodney Fields to the top of the group as Kansas State heads into its next matchup, a sign that the battle in the backfield is already worth watching this early in the season.
Elsewhere, the depth chart stayed mostly intact, which suggests the staff liked what it saw across most position groups in the opener. There were also some updates tied to snap counts and player availability, leaving the backfield change as the clearest indication that Kansas State is still sorting out exactly how it wants to distribute touches before Washington State comes to town. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson Gave Kansas State Exactly What Fans Needed To See
Avery Johnson gave Kansas State a strong early-season reminder of why the Wildcats are counting on him to steer the offense, and Collin Klein had plenty to like in the wake of the lopsided win over Nicholls. In a 71-3 rout that never stopped being comfortable, Johnson looked poised throughout the afternoon, completing 15 of 21 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns while setting a school record for passing scores.
Klein pointed to more than the box score, too, praising Johnsons pocket presence, decision-making and communication. For a team that still wants to sharpen its identity as the schedule gets tougher, those were the kinds of details that mattered most, and the performance offered exactly the kind of reassurance Wildcats fans were hoping to see. [Read more 🡒]