Kansas State heads west again on Saturday with plenty still on the line, riding the momentum of an 18-game streak and carrying a winning record into Tempe. The Wildcats get a chance to make a real statement, but Arizona State has been anything but a comfortable matchup for them.
This is the eighth meeting between the programs, and the history tilts heavily toward the Sun Devils. Arizona State won the first five games in the series, usually by at least three touchdowns, and most recently knocked off K-State 24-14 in Manhattan in 2024. The Wildcats’ lone victory over Arizona State came in the 2002 Holiday Bowl, a 34-27 win.
The Sun Devils come in at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play, while Kansas State sits at 4-2 and 1-2. Arizona State is coached by Kenny Dillingham, who is 7 months younger than K-State’s Collin Klein but already in his fourth season guiding the program. Dillingham has gone 25-20 at Arizona State, and that includes an 11-3 season and a playoff berth in 2024 after the Sun Devils rolled Iowa State to win the Big 12 in their first year in the league.
The record can be a little deceptive, though. Arizona State’s losses have been lopsided, including defeats to Texas A&M and Texas Tech, plus a blowout loss to Baylor.
The wins haven’t offered much separation either: they beat Kansas by one touchdown and struggled to put away Hawai’i before getting thrashed by Texas Tech. That shakiness has led to a quarterback change, with Mikey Keene taking over for Cutter Boley.
Keene, a sixth-year transfer who spent a couple of strong seasons at Fresno State, looked much sharper in relief against Texas Tech than Boley had all year.
Offensively, the Sun Devils have been below average on the ground and a bit better than average through the air, though Keene’s brief showing makes that passing profile a little harder to pin down. On defense, Arizona State has been middle of the pack against the pass and has had about the same kind of trouble stopping the run as Kansas State has this season.
Kickoff is set for Saturday, September 26, at 2:45 p.m. CT from Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
If you’re making the trip, tickets are available at manageable prices through third-party vendors. The cheapest entry is listed at $13, with end zone seats starting at $21 and seats behind the K-State bench running around $50. The median price is $70.
Weather should cooperate nicely. Morning temperatures will sit in the high 60s before rising into the low 70s during peak tailgating hours, then climbing into the upper 70s by kickoff. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies most of the day, with steady sun in the first half and a game-time temperature of 76 degrees.
Wyatt Thompson, Stan Weber, and Matt Walters will have the call on the K-State Sports Network and on SiriusXM 269.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Faces A Huge Avery Johnson Concern
Avery Johnsons status suddenly turned into the biggest pregame storyline for Kansas State after he landed on the Wildcats Friday availability report as doubtful ahead of the matchup with Arizona State. The quarterback had briefly left the previous game after a run, then came back and finished without any obvious sign of trouble, so the late-week designation caught plenty of attention around a team that has built its offense around his presence.
If Johnson cant go, Kansas State would be forced to turn to backup Jacob Knuth, a situation that changes both the game plan and the pressure on the rest of the offense. For a Wildcats team trying to keep momentum against a tough Big 12 opponent, the final decision on Johnson looms as one of the most important developments of the week. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Suddenly Has A Bigger Question Than Arizona State
Avery Johnsons status has become the biggest storyline for Kansas State heading into its matchup with Arizona State, and the latest injury report did little to clear things up. The Wildcats quarterback is still listed as doubtful after briefly leaving the previous game with an injury before returning to finish it, leaving the staff to keep one eye on preparation and another on the final availability report still to come.
If Johnson cant go, Jacob Knuth would be in line to start, which changes the shape of the game plan well before kickoff. For a Kansas State team trying to stay on schedule in a key conference test, the uncertainty at quarterback now looms larger than the opponent across the field. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Finally Get Their First Look At Casey Alexanders Team
Kansas State fans are about to get their first real glimpse of the Casey Alexander era, with the Wildcats set to face Missouri in an exhibition at Bramlage Coliseum as part of preparations for the 2026-27 season. It will be an early chance to see how a nearly completely rebuilt roster fits under a nearly entirely new coaching staff, with Alexander taking over after Jerome Tang was fired.
The matchup should draw plenty of attention simply because so much has changed in Manhattan, and exhibition games often tell at least a little about where a team is headed. Fans who cannot make it inside Bramlage will still have multiple ways to follow along, with the game set for ESPN+ and the K-State Sports Network, plus live stats and social media coverage throughout the night. [Read more 🡒]