Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, September 25
Stillwater, Okla.
6 PM
Kansas State University
at
Oklahoma State
K-State Opens Big 12 Play on the Road at Oklahoma State
Sep 20, 2021 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Following an impressive 38-17 win over Nevada – a game in which the Wildcats scored 21 fourth-quarter points to break a 17-17 tie – K-State hits the road to open Big 12 play as the Wildcats travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Shawn Kenney (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Shane Sparks (sidelines) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. Fans can also catch the game on SiriusXM (S: 137; XM: 202, App: 965) in addition to The Varsity Network app.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State is looking to start 4-0 for the first time in the Chris Klieman era when it travels to OSU on Saturday.
• The Wildcats have rushed for 677 yards through three games – led by Deuce Vaughn's 371 yards – while surrendering just 54.7 yards per game on the ground to rank sixth in the nation.
• Vaughn has recorded five straight 100-yard games dating back to last season, which are the most by a Wildcat since Darren Sproles had five in 2003.
• Quarterback Skylar Thompson, who is back for his "Super Senior" season, ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories, but he missed the Nevada game due to injury.
• In his absence against the Wolf Pack, Will Howard (starter) and Jared Lewis were efficient in the win as they combined to go 9-for-13 for 129 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers, while Howard added 56 rushing yards with two scores.
• K-State quarterbacks have the luxury of playing behind an experienced offensive line that brought back 100% of its starts from a year ago in addition to playmakers at every skill position.
• Vaughn headlines the skill group after he was named the True Freshman of the Year by 247Sports in 2020, as well as an All-American and Freshman All-American by multiple outlets. All three of his games have included at least 120 rushing yards, while he ranks first nationally among active players in all-purpose yards per game (124.7).
• Wide receivers Malik Knowles and Phillip Brooks, the latter a 2020 All-American as a punt returner, are back, while the Wildcats welcomed tight end transfer Daniel Imatorbhebhe, who has spent time at both USC and Illinois. The trio have combined for 18 catches for 361 yards, which includes a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Imatorbhebhe against Nevada.
• Defensively, K-State has allowed just 164 total rushing yards to rank sixth nationally at 54.7 yards allowed per game.
• The Cats have totaled 13 sacks and 22 tackles for loss to rank sixth and 26th in the nation, respectively.
• K-State has rotated nearly 10 players along the defensive front, while its linebacker corps are led by Daniel Green and his team-high 22 tackles, along with Cody Fletcher with 16 stops.
• The Wildcats have four interceptions on the year as safeties Russ Yeast and TJ Smith each recorded a pick against Stanford, defensive tackles Jaylen Pickle had one against Southern Illinois, and cornerback Tee Denson picked off Nevada.
A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA STATE
• Oklahoma State heads into conference play with a 3-0 record following a hard-fought 21-20 win at Boise State.
• The Cowboys are averaging 24.0 points a game, and 336.7 yards per game.
• The Cowboys ran for 246 yards and three scores last week at Boise State.
• Jaylen Warren – the reigning Big 12 Offensive and Newcomer of the Week – has 264 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year, which includes a 218-yard, two-touchdown performance at Boise State.
• Spencer Sanders is back at quarterback and has thrown for 255 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 25 times for 102 yards and another score.
• Sanders' favorite receiver has been Brennan Presley, who has nine catches for 125 yards, while Jaden Bray leads the team with 136 receiving yards and one touchdown.
• The defense is led by Malcolm Rodriguez, who leads the Big 12 in tackles with 37.
• OSU has given up 328.7 yards a game this season, 233.3 through the air and 95.3 on the ground.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 41-26, which includes a slight 9-8 advantage since the Big 12 began in 1996.
• Games between the Wildcats and Cowboys have been hotly contested as of late with nine of the last 14 games being decided by a touchdown or less with six of those decided by four points or less.
• Last year, K-State was down by one point and driving before an 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown helped the Cowboys to earn a 20-18 victory.
• The last time in Stillwater – the first Big 12 game in the Chris Klieman era – K-State trailed 23-3 before scoring 10 fourth-quarter points to get to within 10, but the Wildcats ran out of time in a 26-13 defeat.
BIG 12 ROAD OPENERS
• Opening Big 12 play on the road is nothing new to the Wildcats as this weekend will be the 21st time in the 26-year history of the league that K-State will open Big 12 play away from home, including the eighth time in the last nine years.
• The Wildcats are 11-14 all-time in their first Big 12 road game of the season and are looking for their second-straight win after last year's 38-35 victory at No. 3 Oklahoma.
• This is the third-straight year the Wildcats will open Big 12 play in the Sooner State after starting in Stillwater in 2019.
TWO OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• Two of the top teams in the Big 12 both overall and as of late will square off this Saturday as K-State ranks third in Big 12 wins since the league's inception in 1996, while OSU is fourth.
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 58.9% (53-37), trailing only Oklahoma (82.0%; 73-16) and Oklahoma State (64.4%; 58-32).
PERFECT NON-CON SLATE
• Kansas State put the finishing touches on a perfect non-conference schedule with an impressive 38-17 victory over Nevada. It is the Wildcats' 17th unblemished non-conference record since 1993, and the second in Chris Klieman's two full non-conference schedules since arriving in Manhattan.
IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• The three opponents that the Wildcats defeated in non-conference play have found success when not playing K-State as Stanford, Southern Illinois and Nevada have combined for a 6-0 record – including a 3-0 mark against Power 5 teams – in their other games.
• The average score for those three teams in their games not against K-State is 42.7-17.0.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 211 victories since 1995, ranking 23rd among all FBS teams. The Wildcats are one of just 28 schools to reach the 200-win mark over the last 26-plus seasons.
• Among current Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind Oklahoma (255), Texas (230) and TCU (216).
A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds an 87-24 career record as his 78.4% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least eight years.
• Klieman came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. Klieman guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
WINNING THE FINAL FRAME
• Kansas State is off to a 3-0 start thanks in part to its play in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 38-7, in the final frame.
• The Wildcat offensive line and defense have been catalysts in the fourth quarter as K-State is averaging 60.7 rushing yards in the fourth quarter as opposed to 2.0 yards per game by its opponents, which includes negative rushing totals by Southern Illinois and Nevada.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 122 since 1999, nine more than the next closest team.
• Kansas State had three non-offensive touchdowns in last year's win over Kansas as Phillip Brooks returned two punts for scores, and Justin Gardner had a pick-six.
• It was the first time the Cats had three non-offensive scores in one game since doing so against Montana State in 2008, while it was the first time K-State had a punt return score and a pick-six in the same game since the 2007 Texas contest.
• K-State has had at least five non-offensive scores in seven of the last 10 years. Last year, the Cats missed that mark by just one during their shortened 10-game schedule.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
200 OR MORE
• Dating back to last season, Kansas State has rushed for 200 yards in five-straight games, the longest streak by the Wildcats with 200 yards of rushing since the 2016 team did so in seven-straight games against Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas, TCU and Texas A&M.
• The latest effort was a 269-yard output against Nevada, the sixth time under head coach Chris Klieman that the Wildcats have totaled at least 250 yards on the ground.
• The Wildcats rushed for 200 yards against Stanford, 208 yards against SIU and 269 yards vs. Nevada as K-State is currently 20th nationally and third in the Big 12 in rushing offense.
SHOT PLAYS
• K-State had seven plays from scrimmage of at least 60 yards last season, which ranked fifth in the nation behind Louisville (9), Alabama (8), Appalachian State (8) and North Carolina (8).
• Against Stanford, K-State had five plays from scrimmage that went for 20 or more yards, including a 56-yard catch by Phillip Brooks and a 59-yard touchdown run by Deuce Vaughn, while the Wildcats added another on a 50-yard pass to Malik Knowles against Southern Illinois.
• Against Nevada, Kansas State scored on the second play of the game, a 68-yard pass from Will Howard to Daniel Imatorbhebhe with 14:16 left on the clock. It was tied for the ninth-quickest score in school history.
• The Wildcats' four plays of 50 or more yards this season are tied for 12th in the nation.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• In the first two-plus years under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham, Kansas State has converted on 92-of-97 (94.8%) of its red zone opportunities.
• Included in that stretch is a streak of 67-straight red zone conversions, as the Wildcats were true on their final 39 tries of 2019 and their first 24 opportunities of 2020.
• The Wildcats led the nation in red zone offense in 2019 at a 96.2% clip (50-of-52). K-State was fourth last year at 93.9% (31-of-33) but second among teams with 30 or more attempts.
• K-State is the only team in the nation to rank in the top five of red zone offense each of the last two years.
RETURNING 100%
• K-State returned every start along the offensive line from last year, the second time in the last eight seasons that 100% of the starts from the previous season are back.
• The list includes a 10-game starter at center in Noah Johnson, while Ben Adler, Cooper Beebe and Josh Rivas each made eight starts.
• The 2021 season is a drastic change from last year as, entering the 2020 season, the Wildcats did not return a single start along the line from the year prior.
• The Wildcats brought back eight offensive linemen that have started at least one game on the FBS level, which is tied for the 10th most in the nation.
AN EXPERIENCED SIGNAL CALLER
• Skylar Thompson is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in K-State history as he has made 32 career starts, which are tied for the most among K-State signal callers since 1990.
• Thompson is tied with Ell Roberson, who made 32 starts over the 2001 through 2003 seasons.
• Thompson's 19 victories as a starter rank fifth by a Wildcat since 1990, just three behind a three-way tie for first place between Roberson, Collin Klein and Michael Bishop.
CHASING MILESTONES
• Not only did Skylar Thompson return to end his career on a high note with the team, but he is also hunting some records during his final season in Manhattan.
• A product of Independence Missouri, Thompson ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories. A detailed list of records can be found on page 45.
• Additionally, Thompson needs 739 more passing yards to become the first player in school history with 6,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career.
5x100
• Sophomore running back Deuce Vaughn is on a streak of five-straight games of 100 rushing yards dating back to last year.
• The streak is tied for the third longest in school history. Darren Sproles holds the record with 10-straight that spanned over the 2002 and 2003 seasons, while Isaac Jackson had a six-game streak in 1976. Sproles also had a five-game streak later in 2003.
• The last four games of Vaughn's current four-game streak have been of 120 or more yards, the longest stretch of games with at least 120 rushing yards since Darren Sproles did so in five-straight games in 2003.
• His latest effort was a 127-yard output against Nevada, a new career high.
QUICK TO 1,000
• Deuce Vaughn reached the 1,000-yard mark for his career during the Nevada game, becoming the 32nd player in school history to hit the mark.
• However, Vaughn was one of the quickest in school history reach the milestone, doing so on his 183rd career carry. It was the fifth quickest in school history to 1,000 career rushing yards.
DEUCE TO PAYDIRT
• Deuce Vaughn has five rushing touchdowns in three games this year, which ranks ninth in the nation.
• Vaughn had seven rushing touchdowns in 10 games last year.
• His total this year was boosted by a three-touchdown performance against Southern Illinois. It was the most by a Wildcat since Skylar Thompson also had three last year at Oklahoma, while it was the most by a K-State running back since Alex Barnes had four against Oklahoma State in 2018.
DEUCE ON THE LOOSE
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn has been one of the best all-purpose backs in the nation over the first 13 games of his career.
• Vaughn ranks first in the nation among active players in career all-purpose per game at 124.69.
MALIK MAKING MOVES
• Junior Malik Knowles put together a 112-yard receiving game against Southern Illinois, a new career high. His previous high was 99 yards against Bowling Green in 2019.
• Paired with Deuce Vaughn's 100-yard rushing game, it marked the first time since the 2014 Texas Tech game that the Wildcats had a player with 100 rushing yards and another with 100 receiving yards.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
BEHIND THE LINE
• Kansas State totaled 68 tackles for loss in just 10 games a year ago, which were the most by the Wildcats since the 2016 squad had 70 during a 13-game season.
• A total 22 Wildcats carded at least a half tackle for loss, 16 of which are back in 2021.
• In the season opener against Stanford, the Wildcats recorded eight tackles for loss with seven different players chipping in, while they added seven tackles for loss against SIU and six more against Nevada.
• The Wildcats have 22 tackles for loss in three games this year, as their average of 7.3 per game rank 25th in the nation and third in the Big 12.
MEET ME AT THE QB
• Included in K-State's 68 tackles for loss last year were 28 sacks in 10 games, which were the most for an entire season since a 13-game 2016 campaign (30).
• The Wildcats' per game total of 2.8 tied for 27th nationally, which was their highest NCAA ranking in the category since 2015 (ninth).
• Kansas State has at least one sack in 25 of the 26 games since Chris Klieman took over as head coach in 2019 with the lone non-sack game being the 2019 opener against Nicholls.
• The Wildcats have 13 sacks this year with at least three in every game. Nine different players have recorded a sack, led by Felix Anudike-Uzomah's three, all of which came against Southern Illinois.
• Through three games in 2021, K-State is ranked sixth in the nation with 4.33 sacks per game.
RUN STOPPERS
• In three games this season, K-State has allowed just 164 total yards rushing on 85 carries (1.9 yards per rush) which ranks them sixth nationally with a 54.7 yards per game average.
• Stanford rushed 22 times for 39 yards in the opener, SIU had 100 yards on 40 carries, while Nevada had 25 yards on 23 carries.
• It is the first time the Wildcats allowed 100 or fewer rushing yards in three-straight games since the first three games of the 2007 season against Auburn, San Jose State and Missouri State.
• The 164 rushing yards allowed in the first three games are the fewest since surrendering only 154 yards to open up the 2001 campaign against USC (100), New Mexico State (45) and Oklahoma (9).
IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE
• After allowing 69 points and 608 total yards – including 334 yards on the ground – in last year's season finale against Texas, the revamped K-State defense has made a statement to begin 2021.
• The Wildcats allowed just seven points to Stanford – which came with less than four minutes remaining in a 24-0 game – 233 total offensive yards and only 39 rushing yards.
• The seven points allowed were the fewest since shutting out Bowling Green in 2019, the fewest against a Power 5 program since the 2018 Texas Tech game (6) and the fewest in a non-conference Power 5 game since the 2001 season opener against USC (6).
• The 233 yards of total offense allowed was the fewest since allowing 140 to Bowling Green in 2019, while the 39 rushing yards was the fewest since surrendering only 31 to Texas Tech in 2018.
• The Wildcats then shut out Southern Illinois in the second half of the next game. It was the first time K-State shut out an opponent in a half in back-to-back games since doing so in the first two games of 2019. That year, K-State blanked Nicholls in the first half of the season opener prior to shutting out Bowling Green for the entire game the next week.
STRONG AT THE START
• The Kansas State defense has been strong at the beginning of games since the start of 2020 as nine of the Wildcats' last 13 opponents have come up empty on their first possession of the game.
• Over the last 13 games, K-State has allowed only 13 total first downs (1.0 per game) and 299 total yards (23.0 yards).
• Included in that total is three-and-outs last year against Arkansas State, Kansas and Baylor, in addition to an interception against Southern Illinois and punt against Nevada this season.
EXPERIENCE COMING BACK, EXPERIENCE COMING IN
• Of the 12 combined players that are either coming back to K-State for a second senior season or transferring in from another FBS school, nine are on the defensive side of the ball.
• Included in the defensive list are starters Julius Brents (DB; Iowa), Cody Fletcher (LB), Jahron McPherson (DB), Reggie Stubblefield (DB; Prairie View A&M) and Russ Yeast (DB; Louisville).
• The nine players have combined for 303 career games played and 161 starts at the Division I level.
DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY
• Of the six defensive transfers, four are in the secondary that have combined for 87 career Division I starts, which includes starts by Julius Brents, Reggie Stubblefield and Russ Yeast.
• Yeast started 29 games over four years at Louisville, Cincere Mason started 28 games over three seasons at Kennesaw State, Stubblefield started 18 games over four years at Prairie View A&M, and Brents started five games in 2018 at Iowa.
• Pairing the 87 starts from the transfers with the rest of the secondary, the Wildcats are currently at 140 combined career starts by defensive backs.
ANOTHER DEUCE
• Nicknamed "Deuce" by the defensive staff, linebacker Daniel Green has been impressive through the first three games of 2021.
• Green leads the team in tackles with 22 despite missing the first half of the Southern Illinois game due to a targeting call in the opener against Stanford.
• A native of Portland, Oregon, Green is averaging 5.7 solo tackles per game, which ranks 17th in the nation and second in the Big 12.
FELIX IS FLASHING
• Sophomore Felix Anudike-Uzomah had a career-best game against Southern Illinois when he totaled five tackles, which included three sacks. Of those trio of sacks, two were on forced fumbles that were recovered by K-State.
• His three sacks are tied for the fifth most nationally in a game this season, while it was the most by a Wildcat since Jordan Willis had 3.5 against Louisiana Tech in 2015.
• Anudike-Uzomah's two forced fumbles are tied for the second most in the nation in a game this year and are the most by a Wildcat since Reggie Walker also had two against Texas Tech in 2018.
• For his effort against the Salukis, Anudike-Uzomah was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.
• Since 2005 (17 seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 55 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 21 more than second-place Alabama (34) and 24 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State – 31).
BLOCKED KICKS
• K-State blocked punts in the first three games of 2020 and blocked a field goal in its fourth game of the year at TCU.
• It was the first time K-State blocked a kick in four-straight games since at least 1990. Additionally, the blocked punts in the first three games marked the first time the Wildcats accomplished that feat in three-consecutive games since 1995 (Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma).
• K-State was the first team in the FBS to block kicks in each of the first four games of a season since Texas did so in 2016.
• When the Cats blocked punts in each of the first three games, they were the first FBS team to do so since Memphis in 2012.
BROOKS LOOKS TO ADD TO IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• Junior Phillip Brooks was one of the top return men in the nation last season as he was a Third Team All-American selection after averaging 23.7 yards on 11 attempts.
• This year, Brooks has earned Preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele, USA TODAY, CBS Sports and 247Sports.
• Brooks' average last season would have led the nation and been the best in school history if he had one more return to meet the NCAA required minimum.
• A product of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks ranks second in school history and tied for sixth in Big 12 history with three punt-return touchdowns, while he is 23 yards shy of entering the school's top-10 list for career punt return yards.
WINKEL IN AS NEW KICKER
• Junior Taiten Winkel has taken over as the Wildcats' new kicker in 2021, the first time in three years that K-State is breaking in a new kicker.
• So far this season, Winkel has connected on 2-of-3 field goal attempts with a 40-yard connection against Stanford and a 37-yarder against Nevada. Additionally, Winkel is 12-for-12 on extra-point attempts, including a 5-for-5 mark against Nevada.
• Prior to K-State, Winkel was primarily a punter at Butler Community College as he was just 1-for-3 on field goals in 2019.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
• K-State is looking to start 4-0 for the first time in the Chris Klieman era when it travels to OSU on Saturday.
• The Wildcats have rushed for 677 yards through three games – led by Deuce Vaughn's 371 yards – while surrendering just 54.7 yards per game on the ground to rank sixth in the nation.
• Vaughn has recorded five straight 100-yard games dating back to last season, which are the most by a Wildcat since Darren Sproles had five in 2003.
• Quarterback Skylar Thompson, who is back for his "Super Senior" season, ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories, but he missed the Nevada game due to injury.
• In his absence against the Wolf Pack, Will Howard (starter) and Jared Lewis were efficient in the win as they combined to go 9-for-13 for 129 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers, while Howard added 56 rushing yards with two scores.
• K-State quarterbacks have the luxury of playing behind an experienced offensive line that brought back 100% of its starts from a year ago in addition to playmakers at every skill position.
• Vaughn headlines the skill group after he was named the True Freshman of the Year by 247Sports in 2020, as well as an All-American and Freshman All-American by multiple outlets. All three of his games have included at least 120 rushing yards, while he ranks first nationally among active players in all-purpose yards per game (124.7).
• Wide receivers Malik Knowles and Phillip Brooks, the latter a 2020 All-American as a punt returner, are back, while the Wildcats welcomed tight end transfer Daniel Imatorbhebhe, who has spent time at both USC and Illinois. The trio have combined for 18 catches for 361 yards, which includes a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Imatorbhebhe against Nevada.
• Defensively, K-State has allowed just 164 total rushing yards to rank sixth nationally at 54.7 yards allowed per game.
• The Cats have totaled 13 sacks and 22 tackles for loss to rank sixth and 26th in the nation, respectively.
• K-State has rotated nearly 10 players along the defensive front, while its linebacker corps are led by Daniel Green and his team-high 22 tackles, along with Cody Fletcher with 16 stops.
• The Wildcats have four interceptions on the year as safeties Russ Yeast and TJ Smith each recorded a pick against Stanford, defensive tackles Jaylen Pickle had one against Southern Illinois, and cornerback Tee Denson picked off Nevada.
A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA STATE
• Oklahoma State heads into conference play with a 3-0 record following a hard-fought 21-20 win at Boise State.
• The Cowboys are averaging 24.0 points a game, and 336.7 yards per game.
• The Cowboys ran for 246 yards and three scores last week at Boise State.
• Jaylen Warren – the reigning Big 12 Offensive and Newcomer of the Week – has 264 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year, which includes a 218-yard, two-touchdown performance at Boise State.
• Spencer Sanders is back at quarterback and has thrown for 255 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 25 times for 102 yards and another score.
• Sanders' favorite receiver has been Brennan Presley, who has nine catches for 125 yards, while Jaden Bray leads the team with 136 receiving yards and one touchdown.
• The defense is led by Malcolm Rodriguez, who leads the Big 12 in tackles with 37.
• OSU has given up 328.7 yards a game this season, 233.3 through the air and 95.3 on the ground.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
• Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 41-26, which includes a slight 9-8 advantage since the Big 12 began in 1996.
• Games between the Wildcats and Cowboys have been hotly contested as of late with nine of the last 14 games being decided by a touchdown or less with six of those decided by four points or less.
• Last year, K-State was down by one point and driving before an 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown helped the Cowboys to earn a 20-18 victory.
• The last time in Stillwater – the first Big 12 game in the Chris Klieman era – K-State trailed 23-3 before scoring 10 fourth-quarter points to get to within 10, but the Wildcats ran out of time in a 26-13 defeat.
BIG 12 ROAD OPENERS
• Opening Big 12 play on the road is nothing new to the Wildcats as this weekend will be the 21st time in the 26-year history of the league that K-State will open Big 12 play away from home, including the eighth time in the last nine years.
• The Wildcats are 11-14 all-time in their first Big 12 road game of the season and are looking for their second-straight win after last year's 38-35 victory at No. 3 Oklahoma.
• This is the third-straight year the Wildcats will open Big 12 play in the Sooner State after starting in Stillwater in 2019.
TWO OF THE BIG 12'S BEST
• Two of the top teams in the Big 12 both overall and as of late will square off this Saturday as K-State ranks third in Big 12 wins since the league's inception in 1996, while OSU is fourth.
• The Wildcats also rank third in the conference in winning percentage since round-robin play began in 2011. They sit at 58.9% (53-37), trailing only Oklahoma (82.0%; 73-16) and Oklahoma State (64.4%; 58-32).
PERFECT NON-CON SLATE
• Kansas State put the finishing touches on a perfect non-conference schedule with an impressive 38-17 victory over Nevada. It is the Wildcats' 17th unblemished non-conference record since 1993, and the second in Chris Klieman's two full non-conference schedules since arriving in Manhattan.
IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• The three opponents that the Wildcats defeated in non-conference play have found success when not playing K-State as Stanford, Southern Illinois and Nevada have combined for a 6-0 record – including a 3-0 mark against Power 5 teams – in their other games.
• The average score for those three teams in their games not against K-State is 42.7-17.0.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 211 victories since 1995, ranking 23rd among all FBS teams. The Wildcats are one of just 28 schools to reach the 200-win mark over the last 26-plus seasons.
• Among current Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind Oklahoma (255), Texas (230) and TCU (216).
A WINNING HISTORY
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds an 87-24 career record as his 78.4% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least eight years.
• Klieman came to Manhattan after capping his five-year stint as head coach at North Dakota State by winning his fourth national championship in 2018. Klieman guided the 2018 Bison to a perfect 15-0 record.
WINNING THE FINAL FRAME
• Kansas State is off to a 3-0 start thanks in part to its play in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 38-7, in the final frame.
• The Wildcat offensive line and defense have been catalysts in the fourth quarter as K-State is averaging 60.7 rushing yards in the fourth quarter as opposed to 2.0 yards per game by its opponents, which includes negative rushing totals by Southern Illinois and Nevada.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 23 seasons as it has 122 since 1999, nine more than the next closest team.
• Kansas State had three non-offensive touchdowns in last year's win over Kansas as Phillip Brooks returned two punts for scores, and Justin Gardner had a pick-six.
• It was the first time the Cats had three non-offensive scores in one game since doing so against Montana State in 2008, while it was the first time K-State had a punt return score and a pick-six in the same game since the 2007 Texas contest.
• K-State has had at least five non-offensive scores in seven of the last 10 years. Last year, the Cats missed that mark by just one during their shortened 10-game schedule.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
200 OR MORE
• Dating back to last season, Kansas State has rushed for 200 yards in five-straight games, the longest streak by the Wildcats with 200 yards of rushing since the 2016 team did so in seven-straight games against Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas, TCU and Texas A&M.
• The latest effort was a 269-yard output against Nevada, the sixth time under head coach Chris Klieman that the Wildcats have totaled at least 250 yards on the ground.
• The Wildcats rushed for 200 yards against Stanford, 208 yards against SIU and 269 yards vs. Nevada as K-State is currently 20th nationally and third in the Big 12 in rushing offense.
SHOT PLAYS
• K-State had seven plays from scrimmage of at least 60 yards last season, which ranked fifth in the nation behind Louisville (9), Alabama (8), Appalachian State (8) and North Carolina (8).
• Against Stanford, K-State had five plays from scrimmage that went for 20 or more yards, including a 56-yard catch by Phillip Brooks and a 59-yard touchdown run by Deuce Vaughn, while the Wildcats added another on a 50-yard pass to Malik Knowles against Southern Illinois.
• Against Nevada, Kansas State scored on the second play of the game, a 68-yard pass from Will Howard to Daniel Imatorbhebhe with 14:16 left on the clock. It was tied for the ninth-quickest score in school history.
• The Wildcats' four plays of 50 or more yards this season are tied for 12th in the nation.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• In the first two-plus years under offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham, Kansas State has converted on 92-of-97 (94.8%) of its red zone opportunities.
• Included in that stretch is a streak of 67-straight red zone conversions, as the Wildcats were true on their final 39 tries of 2019 and their first 24 opportunities of 2020.
• The Wildcats led the nation in red zone offense in 2019 at a 96.2% clip (50-of-52). K-State was fourth last year at 93.9% (31-of-33) but second among teams with 30 or more attempts.
• K-State is the only team in the nation to rank in the top five of red zone offense each of the last two years.
RETURNING 100%
• K-State returned every start along the offensive line from last year, the second time in the last eight seasons that 100% of the starts from the previous season are back.
• The list includes a 10-game starter at center in Noah Johnson, while Ben Adler, Cooper Beebe and Josh Rivas each made eight starts.
• The 2021 season is a drastic change from last year as, entering the 2020 season, the Wildcats did not return a single start along the line from the year prior.
• The Wildcats brought back eight offensive linemen that have started at least one game on the FBS level, which is tied for the 10th most in the nation.
AN EXPERIENCED SIGNAL CALLER
• Skylar Thompson is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in K-State history as he has made 32 career starts, which are tied for the most among K-State signal callers since 1990.
• Thompson is tied with Ell Roberson, who made 32 starts over the 2001 through 2003 seasons.
• Thompson's 19 victories as a starter rank fifth by a Wildcat since 1990, just three behind a three-way tie for first place between Roberson, Collin Klein and Michael Bishop.
CHASING MILESTONES
• Not only did Skylar Thompson return to end his career on a high note with the team, but he is also hunting some records during his final season in Manhattan.
• A product of Independence Missouri, Thompson ranks in the top 10 in school history in 15 career categories. A detailed list of records can be found on page 45.
• Additionally, Thompson needs 739 more passing yards to become the first player in school history with 6,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career.
5x100
• Sophomore running back Deuce Vaughn is on a streak of five-straight games of 100 rushing yards dating back to last year.
• The streak is tied for the third longest in school history. Darren Sproles holds the record with 10-straight that spanned over the 2002 and 2003 seasons, while Isaac Jackson had a six-game streak in 1976. Sproles also had a five-game streak later in 2003.
• The last four games of Vaughn's current four-game streak have been of 120 or more yards, the longest stretch of games with at least 120 rushing yards since Darren Sproles did so in five-straight games in 2003.
• His latest effort was a 127-yard output against Nevada, a new career high.
QUICK TO 1,000
• Deuce Vaughn reached the 1,000-yard mark for his career during the Nevada game, becoming the 32nd player in school history to hit the mark.
• However, Vaughn was one of the quickest in school history reach the milestone, doing so on his 183rd career carry. It was the fifth quickest in school history to 1,000 career rushing yards.
DEUCE TO PAYDIRT
• Deuce Vaughn has five rushing touchdowns in three games this year, which ranks ninth in the nation.
• Vaughn had seven rushing touchdowns in 10 games last year.
• His total this year was boosted by a three-touchdown performance against Southern Illinois. It was the most by a Wildcat since Skylar Thompson also had three last year at Oklahoma, while it was the most by a K-State running back since Alex Barnes had four against Oklahoma State in 2018.
DEUCE ON THE LOOSE
• A product of Round Rock, Texas, Deuce Vaughn has been one of the best all-purpose backs in the nation over the first 13 games of his career.
• Vaughn ranks first in the nation among active players in career all-purpose per game at 124.69.
MALIK MAKING MOVES
• Junior Malik Knowles put together a 112-yard receiving game against Southern Illinois, a new career high. His previous high was 99 yards against Bowling Green in 2019.
• Paired with Deuce Vaughn's 100-yard rushing game, it marked the first time since the 2014 Texas Tech game that the Wildcats had a player with 100 rushing yards and another with 100 receiving yards.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
BEHIND THE LINE
• Kansas State totaled 68 tackles for loss in just 10 games a year ago, which were the most by the Wildcats since the 2016 squad had 70 during a 13-game season.
• A total 22 Wildcats carded at least a half tackle for loss, 16 of which are back in 2021.
• In the season opener against Stanford, the Wildcats recorded eight tackles for loss with seven different players chipping in, while they added seven tackles for loss against SIU and six more against Nevada.
• The Wildcats have 22 tackles for loss in three games this year, as their average of 7.3 per game rank 25th in the nation and third in the Big 12.
MEET ME AT THE QB
• Included in K-State's 68 tackles for loss last year were 28 sacks in 10 games, which were the most for an entire season since a 13-game 2016 campaign (30).
• The Wildcats' per game total of 2.8 tied for 27th nationally, which was their highest NCAA ranking in the category since 2015 (ninth).
• Kansas State has at least one sack in 25 of the 26 games since Chris Klieman took over as head coach in 2019 with the lone non-sack game being the 2019 opener against Nicholls.
• The Wildcats have 13 sacks this year with at least three in every game. Nine different players have recorded a sack, led by Felix Anudike-Uzomah's three, all of which came against Southern Illinois.
• Through three games in 2021, K-State is ranked sixth in the nation with 4.33 sacks per game.
RUN STOPPERS
• In three games this season, K-State has allowed just 164 total yards rushing on 85 carries (1.9 yards per rush) which ranks them sixth nationally with a 54.7 yards per game average.
• Stanford rushed 22 times for 39 yards in the opener, SIU had 100 yards on 40 carries, while Nevada had 25 yards on 23 carries.
• It is the first time the Wildcats allowed 100 or fewer rushing yards in three-straight games since the first three games of the 2007 season against Auburn, San Jose State and Missouri State.
• The 164 rushing yards allowed in the first three games are the fewest since surrendering only 154 yards to open up the 2001 campaign against USC (100), New Mexico State (45) and Oklahoma (9).
IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE
• After allowing 69 points and 608 total yards – including 334 yards on the ground – in last year's season finale against Texas, the revamped K-State defense has made a statement to begin 2021.
• The Wildcats allowed just seven points to Stanford – which came with less than four minutes remaining in a 24-0 game – 233 total offensive yards and only 39 rushing yards.
• The seven points allowed were the fewest since shutting out Bowling Green in 2019, the fewest against a Power 5 program since the 2018 Texas Tech game (6) and the fewest in a non-conference Power 5 game since the 2001 season opener against USC (6).
• The 233 yards of total offense allowed was the fewest since allowing 140 to Bowling Green in 2019, while the 39 rushing yards was the fewest since surrendering only 31 to Texas Tech in 2018.
• The Wildcats then shut out Southern Illinois in the second half of the next game. It was the first time K-State shut out an opponent in a half in back-to-back games since doing so in the first two games of 2019. That year, K-State blanked Nicholls in the first half of the season opener prior to shutting out Bowling Green for the entire game the next week.
STRONG AT THE START
• The Kansas State defense has been strong at the beginning of games since the start of 2020 as nine of the Wildcats' last 13 opponents have come up empty on their first possession of the game.
• Over the last 13 games, K-State has allowed only 13 total first downs (1.0 per game) and 299 total yards (23.0 yards).
• Included in that total is three-and-outs last year against Arkansas State, Kansas and Baylor, in addition to an interception against Southern Illinois and punt against Nevada this season.
EXPERIENCE COMING BACK, EXPERIENCE COMING IN
• Of the 12 combined players that are either coming back to K-State for a second senior season or transferring in from another FBS school, nine are on the defensive side of the ball.
• Included in the defensive list are starters Julius Brents (DB; Iowa), Cody Fletcher (LB), Jahron McPherson (DB), Reggie Stubblefield (DB; Prairie View A&M) and Russ Yeast (DB; Louisville).
• The nine players have combined for 303 career games played and 161 starts at the Division I level.
DEPTH IN THE SECONDARY
• Of the six defensive transfers, four are in the secondary that have combined for 87 career Division I starts, which includes starts by Julius Brents, Reggie Stubblefield and Russ Yeast.
• Yeast started 29 games over four years at Louisville, Cincere Mason started 28 games over three seasons at Kennesaw State, Stubblefield started 18 games over four years at Prairie View A&M, and Brents started five games in 2018 at Iowa.
• Pairing the 87 starts from the transfers with the rest of the secondary, the Wildcats are currently at 140 combined career starts by defensive backs.
ANOTHER DEUCE
• Nicknamed "Deuce" by the defensive staff, linebacker Daniel Green has been impressive through the first three games of 2021.
• Green leads the team in tackles with 22 despite missing the first half of the Southern Illinois game due to a targeting call in the opener against Stanford.
• A native of Portland, Oregon, Green is averaging 5.7 solo tackles per game, which ranks 17th in the nation and second in the Big 12.
FELIX IS FLASHING
• Sophomore Felix Anudike-Uzomah had a career-best game against Southern Illinois when he totaled five tackles, which included three sacks. Of those trio of sacks, two were on forced fumbles that were recovered by K-State.
• His three sacks are tied for the fifth most nationally in a game this season, while it was the most by a Wildcat since Jordan Willis had 3.5 against Louisiana Tech in 2015.
• Anudike-Uzomah's two forced fumbles are tied for the second most in the nation in a game this year and are the most by a Wildcat since Reggie Walker also had two against Texas Tech in 2018.
• For his effort against the Salukis, Anudike-Uzomah was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• One of the main reasons the Wildcats have been a successful program the last three decades is a knack for momentum-swinging plays in the return game.
• Since 2005 (17 seasons), the Wildcats have a combined 55 kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns, 21 more than second-place Alabama (34) and 24 more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma State – 31).
BLOCKED KICKS
• K-State blocked punts in the first three games of 2020 and blocked a field goal in its fourth game of the year at TCU.
• It was the first time K-State blocked a kick in four-straight games since at least 1990. Additionally, the blocked punts in the first three games marked the first time the Wildcats accomplished that feat in three-consecutive games since 1995 (Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma).
• K-State was the first team in the FBS to block kicks in each of the first four games of a season since Texas did so in 2016.
• When the Cats blocked punts in each of the first three games, they were the first FBS team to do so since Memphis in 2012.
BROOKS LOOKS TO ADD TO IMPRESSIVE RESUME
• Junior Phillip Brooks was one of the top return men in the nation last season as he was a Third Team All-American selection after averaging 23.7 yards on 11 attempts.
• This year, Brooks has earned Preseason All-America honors from Phil Steele, USA TODAY, CBS Sports and 247Sports.
• Brooks' average last season would have led the nation and been the best in school history if he had one more return to meet the NCAA required minimum.
• A product of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Brooks ranks second in school history and tied for sixth in Big 12 history with three punt-return touchdowns, while he is 23 yards shy of entering the school's top-10 list for career punt return yards.
WINKEL IN AS NEW KICKER
• Junior Taiten Winkel has taken over as the Wildcats' new kicker in 2021, the first time in three years that K-State is breaking in a new kicker.
• So far this season, Winkel has connected on 2-of-3 field goal attempts with a 40-yard connection against Stanford and a 37-yarder against Nevada. Additionally, Winkel is 12-for-12 on extra-point attempts, including a 5-for-5 mark against Nevada.
• Prior to K-State, Winkel was primarily a punter at Butler Community College as he was just 1-for-3 on field goals in 2019.
Players Mentioned
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LB
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QB
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TE
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OL
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DT
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