Kansas State has opened the season with a pair of convincing wins, but first-year coach Collin Klein still isn’t ready to put a ceiling on what the Wildcats might become.
After blowing past Nicholls by 68 points and handling Washington State by 27, Kansas State heads into Saturday’s nonconference matchup with Tulane in Manhattan, Kansas, carrying momentum and a defense that has yet to give up a touchdown. The only touchdown the Wildcats have allowed came on a 50-yard interception return against Avery Johnson on the final play of the first half against Washington State.
Even with Johnson on track to challenge nearly every major school career passing record by the time this season ends, Klein said the quarterback is still on the rise.
"We are truly a work in progress," Klein said.
"I've been really pleased with Avery," Klein said. "No one's going to be harder on him than me, and no one's going to see how high his ceiling is than us in this building. But I think he is really, really growing and doing some really, really nice things.
"I think the exciting part is there are things out there for him, and he knows that. We know that."
Tulane comes in at 1-1, and first-year coach Will Hall is still sorting out his own quarterback situation. Zeon Chriss-Gremillion won a four-man battle to start the opener, but he struggled in a 17-3 loss at Duke and was replaced by Kadin Semonza. Semonza then started last week and delivered in a 28-24 win over South Alabama, completing 14 of 22 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Hall also got a huge ground effort from Jaylin Lucas, who rushed for 214 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries.
"We've got to improve," Hall said, "but I do love our intent with how we're going about working to improve."
"We were extremely explosive last week, but we've got to be more consistent offensively to make sure that we control the ball to help our defense out," Hall said.
In Other News...
Collin Klein Has K-State Carrying Extra Edge Into Tulane Rematch
Collin Klein still carries the memory of Tulanes visit to Manhattan in 2022, when Kansas State came up short at home and he was serving as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. The matchup has lingered because these programs have already built a small but meaningful history, with the teams splitting the previous two meetings before this final game in their three-game series. Now Klein is back in charge of the program, and the rematch has given the Wildcats a little extra edge as they prepare to see a familiar opponent one more time.
Kansas State players have noticed the tone around the game, with the past meeting and the coaching changes since then helping frame it as more than just another nonconference date. For the Wildcats, it is a chance to close out a series that has stayed relevant inside the program for a few seasons, and to do it with the coach who remembers the last setback most vividly. Whether that memory turns into motivation or just adds to the tension is part of what makes this one worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Is Rewarding The K-State Grind Fueling This Offense
Collin Klein has leaned into the kind of details that tend to define Kansas State football, and one of the clearest examples this fall is a program built around blocking. The Wildcats coach introduced EMAW 10 as a way to recognize players who do the dirty work that helps spring big plays, with rewards ranging from T-shirts and shorts to hoodies and dinners depending on how often those blocks show up.
It is the sort of internal incentive system that fits a team trying to make every rep matter, and it has already put a spotlight on senior wide receiver Jaron Tibbs. His blocking on a touchdown play against Washington State drew notice, the kind of selfless work Klein wants to keep highlighting as this offense tries to build more of its identity around effort and execution away from the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State's Defense Just Made Avery Johnson's Rough Night Easier
A rough night for Avery Johnson and the Kansas State offense could have turned into a much more stressful September home opener, but the Wildcats defense made sure it never got there. Kansas State beat Washington State 34-7 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and the tone was set by a unit that kept the Cougars bottled up for long stretches while Rodney Fields provided the biggest spark with a 75-yard touchdown run.
Washington State managed only 166 yards of offense, and after its lone touchdown the Cougars never found the end zone again. For a Kansas State team still looking to settle in on offense, that kind of defensive control is exactly what Collin Klein can point to as the Wildcats keep building, and it offered a reminder that this group can win in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]