Collin Klein’s start at Kansas State has been about as clean as the Wildcats could have hoped for.
Through two games, he’s 2-0, and the numbers jump off the page: a combined 105-10 in wins over Nicholls and Washington State. The defense still hasn’t allowed a touchdown, with the only points surrendered coming on an interception return against the Cougars.
“So very, very proud of our guys,” Klein said, reflecting on the early run. “I think we're headed in the right direction in a lot of areas, but there's also a lot that we have to do better as coaches to detail to help take this group where they can go.”
That fast start has Kansas State at least knocking on the door of the rankings. The Wildcats are still unranked in both major polls, but they did pick up a little notice this week.
In the AP Poll, they landed in the “Others Receiving Votes” section with one vote. The American Football Coaches Association Poll was a little kinder, giving them 24 votes.
A win over Tulane next weekend could be the next step toward breaking into the Top 25, though the path likely gets even clearer if K-State can open 4-0. That would mean beating Tulane and then Cincinnati in the Big 12 opener.
For now, the bigger story is the steady climb under a first-time head coach who knows exactly what this job means. Klein spent two seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M before taking over after Chris Klieman stepped down following a disappointing 6-6 season. He has called Kansas State his dream job, and the Wildcats clearly believed in him enough to hand him the keys.
If the early results keep stacking up, this could turn into much more than a strong opening stretch. A conference title or even a College Football Playoff berth is still on the table if the progress continues. For now, plenty of people already see Kansas State as one of the country’s sleeper teams, and Klein’s first season is off to the kind of start that makes that conversation feel real.
In Other News...
Rodney Fields Is Forcing A Kansas State Backfield Decision
Rodney Fields has gone from portal addition to one of the more interesting pieces in Kansas States offense in a hurry. The Oklahoma State transfer has topped 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the Wildcats, including a 105-yard outing with a touchdown against Washington State, and Collin Klein has rewarded that surge by naming him the starting running back over senior Joe Jackson. Fields now leads the team in carries, which says plenty about how quickly he has earned the staffs trust.
For Kansas State, the bigger question is not just what Fields has done, but how long the Wildcats will ride the current arrangement in the backfield. Any shift at running back tends to ripple through the offense, and the added attention around the recent game was a reminder that the programs future remains in view too, with top quarterback recruit Titus Huard in attendance. Fields has made the decision for Klein simpler in the short term, but the way the rest of the backfield settles in is still a storyline worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Already Has A QB Concern Collin Klein Cant Ignore
With Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth standing as the only healthy quarterbacks available, Kansas State is already living a little closer to the edge than it would like this early in the season. Sophomore Dillon Duff and junior Blake Barnett are both sidelined with injuries, and head coach Collin Klein is having to think through a depth-chart problem that most teams hope never becomes urgent.
Johnson has been the stabilizing force in the room, starting 28 consecutive games and giving the Wildcats the kind of durability every staff covets. But with Duff day-to-day and Barnett expected to miss several weeks, Klein is considering an emergency quarterback designation if the injury situation gets any worse, a reminder that even a stable position can feel precarious when the numbers are this thin. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Kleins First Big Decisions Are Already Fueling Debate Among K-State Fans
Before Kansas States first two games under Collin Klein, the new head coach was already leaning on familiar voices, including former coach Chris Klieman, to help shape how he wanted to handle the pressure points that come with running a game. Klein has since looked back on a handful of calls from those opening weeks, especially the fourth-down and field-goal decisions that tend to draw the most scrutiny when a game is still in the balance.
The results have helped soften the debate, since the Wildcats opened with two straight wins, but Klein sounded like a coach still sorting out his own comfort level in those moment-of-truth situations. He has been open about thinking through what he might handle differently next time, and that kind of self-assessment is part of the adjustment as he settles into the job and the fan base starts reading every choice a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]