Oklahoma State heads to Manhattan on Saturday trying to stop a slide that has started to tilt this series back toward Kansas State.
The Cowboys are coming off a gut-punch loss at Iowa State and now sit at 3-2 in Big 12 play. Kansas State has its own frustration to shake off after a late collapse at Colorado in overtime, leaving the Wildcats at 1-4 in conference play.
The matchup kicks at 12 p.m. Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Even with both teams searching for a reset, the series itself still leans Oklahoma State. The Cowboys own a 43-26 edge overall, including a 24-10 mark in Stillwater and a 19-16 advantage in Manhattan. The past 10 meetings have been dead even at 5-5, though Kansas State has taken the last two, winning 14-6 in Stillwater last year and 42-20 in 2024 in the Little Apple.
The first meeting came all the way back in 1917, when Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 23-0 in Manhattan. The most recent matchup was that 14-6 Wildcats win in Stillwater in 2025.
This season also has both programs starting over in Year 1 under new coaching regimes. Eric Morris arrived in Stillwater after more than two decades of Mike Gundy’s run, while Kansas State turned to its own former All-American quarterback alum to help steady the program this offseason.
That connection adds another layer to a series that has already produced some memorable quarterback duels. Klein faced Oklahoma State three times, dropping the first two in 2010 and 2011 before winning in 2012. Since he did not throw a pass in 2010 and only ran for three yards, the record is counted as 1-1 against the Cowboys.
The 2011 meeting stands out as one of the tightest battles in the series. No.
17 Kansas State pushed No. 3 Oklahoma State harder than any team had in the six games since the Cowboys’ 30-29 win over No.
8 Texas A&M. Oklahoma State still escaped with a 52-45 win in Stillwater, but not before Klein tied the game at 45 with a 12-yard touchdown run and 3:18 left.
Joseph Randle answered with a 23-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 2:18 remaining, and the Cowboys finished the job. Klein finished with 231 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, plus 144 rushing yards and three scores.
Brandon Weeden threw for 502 yards and four touchdowns, though he also had two interceptions.
Klein got his revenge the next year. In 2012, No.
3 Kansas State beat unranked Oklahoma State 44-30 at home in a game where Clint Chelf and Wes Lunt split snaps for the Cowboys. Klein threw for 245 yards without a touchdown or interception and added 64 rushing yards and a score.
The broader trend has swung back and forth over the years. Oklahoma State has had the longest run in the series, winning 11 straight from 1947 to 1962.
Kansas State’s best stretch was nine straight from 1990 to 2002. The Cowboys also put together six straight wins from 1984 to 1989.
A win Saturday would keep Oklahoma State from losing three in a row to Kansas State for the first time since that 2002 stretch.
In Other News...
Oregon States Offense Is Facing A Tough Internal Challenge
Fresno States defense found enough tells in Oregon States offense to keep the Beavers out of the end zone as often as they had been all season, and that has turned into a self-scouting issue in Corvallis. Fresno State coach Matt Entz pointed to tendencies that helped his group stay ahead of the Beavers, while Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard pushed back on the idea that the offense was too static, saying the staff does have checks in place to keep opponents from getting a clean read.
The bigger concern now is less about the game plan and more about how quickly Oregon State can clean up the execution around it. Offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen said the group needs faster quarterback decisions and better effort after the loss, a sign the Beavers are treating this as more than a one-game stumble. For an offense trying to find its footing, the challenge is not just adding answers, but making sure the answers show up before a defense can take them away. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Defensive Problems Just Got Bigger Before Oregon State
Oklahoma States defense comes into the Oregon State game with some real questions after last weeks loss to Iowa State, when the unit turned in its worst outing of the season. The Cowboys allowed a season-high 8.1 yards per play and surrendered 15 big plays, the kind of breakdowns that leave little room for comfort this late in the week. Coach Eric Morris and linebacker Isaiah Chisom both pointed to tackling and execution as the biggest fixes needed before another test.
Chisom is one of the players who could be pressed into a bigger spotlight, especially with Tate Romneys injury situation still hanging over the depth chart. For a defense already trying to clean up its missed assignments, any uncertainty at linebacker only adds to the challenge. Oregon State will be watching closely to see whether Oklahoma State can tighten things up fast enough to avoid another long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Defense Faces A Test That Could Shake Early Confidence
Brad Jackson is the kind of quarterback who can stress a defense in more than one way, and Oregon State knows it. Texas States signal-caller has been one of the most efficient passers in the Pac-12 while also giving opponents problems as a runner, which makes this weeks matchup a useful early measuring stick for a Beavers defense trying to establish itself.
Inside the Oregon State camp, the focus has been on keeping Jackson from turning broken plays into momentum swings. The staff and players have talked openly about the need for cleaner execution, especially when it comes to controlling his scrambling and limiting the kind of explosive moments that can change a game in a hurry. For a defense looking to build confidence, this is exactly the sort of assignment that can either reinforce it or expose the gaps. [Read more 🡒]