Collin Klein didn’t sugarcoat what Kansas State just lived through.
After the Wildcats were blasted 66-28 by Oklahoma State on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the first-year head coach called it one of the worst games he has been part of.
“When you’re part of one like this, they do stick with you,” Klein said. “There have been a handful of those as a player and as a coach. When you go through these times you really get to figure out where ground zero is and where you’re at individually.”
It was that kind of afternoon for K-State, which fell to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12. Oklahoma State moved to 6-3 and 4-2, and the Cowboys never really let the Wildcats breathe. K-State has now dropped three straight, and its bowl chances are hanging by a thread.
The game’s biggest star was Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, and the New York Jets had three scouts on hand to watch him. He gave them plenty to see, finishing 22 of 28 for 313 yards and four passing touchdowns. He also ran for a score and caught one, though the Cowboys eased off in the second half and kept the numbers from getting even bigger.
The defining defensive snap came from Logan Bartley, who jumped a pass from Mestemaker and took it 18 yards the other way for a touchdown. Bartley started near the line of scrimmage, then dropped into coverage and made a clean read for the pick six.
And here’s the stat that tells the whole story: Oklahoma State scored 66 points on 64 plays.
Kansas State’s offense never found a rhythm. The Wildcats finished with 327 yards and three offensive touchdowns, but they also turned it over three times, with Blake Barnett throwing two interceptions and Dillon Duff adding another.
K-State went 8 of 18 on third down and 3 of 6 on fourth down. The one explosive play came on a 73-yard touchdown from Barnett to Derrick Salley, and even that was aided by a busted Oklahoma State coverage.
Klein handed play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson, but the change didn’t produce much of a lift.
The defense had an even rougher day. Jordan Peterson’s group was shredded from the start, with Oklahoma State up 28-7 after one quarter and 49-14 by halftime. By the time the Cowboys backed off, the damage was already done, and the final score could have been even uglier if they had kept pressing.
Special teams at least offered a couple of bright spots. Simon McClannan turned in another solid outing, and Monterrio Elston helped K-State in the return game.
Klein’s own grade for the day would not be hard to guess, and the coaching side gets an F here as well. He is not on the hot seat, and Kansas State will give him time to build the program, but this season has fallen well short of expectations. Other first-year coaches, like Eric Morris at Oklahoma State, have already found quick success.
Now the Wildcats have to turn the page fast. They travel to face TCU at 1 p.m.
Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
TCU is favored by 9.5 points, and the over/under is 46.5.
That matchup brings a different challenge. The Horned Frogs are averaging only 23.8 points per game, but their defense has been the real strength, allowing 15.8 points per game, which leads the Big 12.
Klein said the quarterback situation is still open. He will run a competition through the week and decide closer to game time whether Blake Barnett or Dillon Duff gets the start, though both are expected to play.
With three games left, Kansas State needs two more wins to become bowl eligible.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Loss
Kansas States lopsided 66-28 loss to Oklahoma State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium was ugly from the opening stretches, but the score only told part of the story. Drew Mestemaker carved up the Wildcats for 313 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Caleb Hawkins added 175 rushing yards and three scores, giving Oklahoma State answers in every phase and leaving Kansas State chasing the game almost immediately.
For the Wildcats, the bigger concern was how little resistance they offered on either side of the ball. Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff combined for multiple interceptions, and the run game never provided much relief, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. One bad afternoon can happen, but this kind of collapse raised questions well beyond the final margin. [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 🡒]