Collin Klein’s return to Kansas State has been built on the expectation that winning is the norm. On Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, though, the Wildcats got flattened in a way that felt completely out of character for the program Klein once helped define.
Oklahoma State rolled to a 66-28 win, and the game was effectively over before it had a chance to settle in. The Cowboys raced out to a 28-7 lead after one quarter and were up 49-14 by halftime, turning the afternoon into a long, ugly lesson for K-State. The Wildcats could not get consistent stops, and they also couldn’t generate enough on offense to keep pace.
The loss dropped Kansas State to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12 with three games left. The Wildcats still need two more wins to become bowl eligible, but right now they are carrying three straight losses and five defeats in their last six games.
Oklahoma State had its way with the game from start to finish. The Cowboys piled up 560 yards and 66 points on 64 plays, and no team had scored that many points against Kansas State since Texas put up 69 in 2020. K-State managed 327 yards and 28 points, which simply wasn’t close to enough.
Up next is a road trip to TCU, and the Wildcats have plenty to sort through before then.
The biggest issue was on defense, where Kansas State had no answer for Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker or the offense around him. Mestemaker threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns while four NFL scouts watched.
He also ran for a touchdown and caught one. Running back Caleb Hawkins added 175 rushing yards and three scores, and the Cowboys kept moving the ball with ease on the ground and through the air.
Logan Bartley’s pick six was the one real defensive spark for Kansas State, but otherwise it was a rough day for that side of the ball. K-State entered the game allowing 29 points per contest, and that number only looked worse after Oklahoma State’s barrage. Jordan Peterson, in his first year as defensive coordinator, appears to have a major rebuild ahead of him.
The quarterback picture didn’t settle anything either. Blake Barnett, who had given K-State hope after throwing for 224 yards and three touchdowns off the bench against Colorado, struggled badly in his first college start.
He completed 7 of 17 passes for 106 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His day could have looked even worse if not for a 73-yard touchdown to Derrick Salley in the first quarter, when Oklahoma State simply lost him deep.
Barnett played only the first half. Dillon Duff took over in the third quarter after Jacob Knuth and Avery Johnson, both injured, remained on the sideline.
Duff gave the Wildcats a little life, leading two touchdown drives while going 10 of 17 for 94 yards and a score, though he also threw an interception. With TCU next, Kansas State may have to rethink who gets the nod at quarterback.
Even in a blowout, Bartley and Salley gave the Wildcats something to point to. Bartley made the play of the day for K-State when he dropped into coverage, picked off Mestemaker and took it back for a touchdown.
Klein pumped his fist as Bartley crossed the goal line. Salley, meanwhile, caught three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, beating the Oklahoma State secondary deep twice.
Klein also pushed the envelope in the first half as the game slipped away. Kansas State went for it on fourth down three times and tried a surprise onside kick, but the gambles backfired. The Wildcats failed twice on fourth down and couldn’t recover the onside kick, giving Oklahoma State short fields that helped the Cowboys build an overwhelming lead.
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Kansas State Got Its First Win But Creighton Looms Large
Kansas State opened the Casey Alexander era with a much-needed 95-78 win over Cal State Northridge on Nov. 6 at Bramlage Coliseum, and Brandon Rechsteiner made sure the night carried some early momentum. He poured in a career-high 26 points and knocked down six 3-pointers, giving the Wildcats a clear offensive spark in their first victory under the new coach.
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Kansas State Returns Home Facing A Season-Saving Test
After a promising win over rival Kansas, Kansas State has hit a rough patch with two straight road losses, and the Wildcats are back home trying to stop the slide before it swallows the season. At 4-4 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play, there is little margin left, especially with Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth both dealing with injuries that have limited the offenses options and put more pressure on the rest of the roster to carry the load.
Oklahoma State arrives as the next chance to steady things, and the setting only adds to the urgency for a team that has not looked like itself away from home. The defense still has talent, but it has not played to that level often enough, which makes this matchup feel less like a routine conference game and more like a test of whether Kansas State can regroup quickly enough to keep its season from slipping further out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Finally Showed The Response Fans Wanted Under Casey Alexander
After a rocky start to the Casey Alexander era, Kansas State finally gave its home crowd something to build on with a 95-78 win over Cal State Northridge at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats looked sharper from the opening stretch, playing with more energy and a better rhythm on offense, and the result was their first victory under their new head coach.
Brandon Rechsteiner set the tone with 26 points, five assists and three rebounds, while Montana Wheeler and Matt Gilhool added 12 points apiece. Just as important for K-State was the balance around them, with seven players hitting at least one 3-pointer and the Wildcats connecting at a 41% clip from beyond the arc, a sign the offense may be starting to find a more reliable shape. [Read more 🡒]