Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, October 25
Lawrence, Kan.
11 a.m.
Kansas State University
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Kansas
K-State Travels to Lawrence for Dillons Sunflower Showdown
Oct 20, 2025 | Football
Game 8
K-State at Kansas
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (50,250)
Series: Kansas Leads, 64-53-5
TV: TNT
J.B. Long (Play-by-Play)
Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst)
Coy Wire (Sidelines)
K-State Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)
Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)
Stan Weber (Analyst)
Matt Walters (Sidelines)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 380, and on the SiriusXM App
Big 12 Radio on TuneIn
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
THE TOP 5
1) Coming off a convincing 41-28 victory over TCU and its second bye week of the season, Kansas State travels to Lawrence for the 123rd edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium. The game kicks off at 11 a.m., and will be shown on TNT with a simulcast on truTV and HBO Max with J.B. Long (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) and Coy Wire (sidelines) on the call.
2) After starting the season with a 1-3 record, the Wildcats have rebounded the last two games by going 2-1 as their lone loss in that stretch was a one-point defeat at Baylor. Five of K-State's games this season have been decided by one score as the Wildcats are one of only three Power 4 teams to already have five games decided by one possession. Two of their three wins this season have been by two scores.
3) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 22nd-career start under center having thrown for 1,561 yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions as his 0.9% interception ratio ranks 17th in the nation and second in the Big 12. He has thrown touchdown passes to six different receivers this season, with tight end Garrett Oakley (4) wide receiver Jayce Brown (3) leading the way.
4) Austin Romaine leads the team with 49 tackles, followed by 37 from Des Purnell, who is coming off a career day vs. TCU when he recorded a sack and a pick-6 on consecutive plays, part of a day with two picks and four total passes defended. Cornerback Zashon Rich is tied for the Big 12 lead and is ninth nationally with seven pass breakups, and the Cats rank fourth in the country with seven fumble recoveries.
5) Kicker Luis Rodriguez is 10-for-11 on field goals to open the year, ranking 22nd in the country with a 90.9% conversion rate as his only miss was a blocked 56-yard attempt at the end of the Baylor game. Punter Simon McClannan ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 43.3-yard average. The Cats rank ninth nationally in kickoff return average, thanks in part to Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard score against Army.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
138 – Nation-leading non-offensive scores by K-State since 1999 after two its last time out against TCU.
90.3 – K-State's red zone success rate under head coach Chris Klieman, the highest in the Big 12 since 2019.
26 – Games it took Avery Johnson to hit 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career, the second-fastest in school history.
11 – Career receiving touchdowns by Garrett Oakley, which is the school record for a tight end.
2 – Number of Cure brothers playing in Saturday's game – Linkon for the Wildcats and Leyton for the Jayhawks.
TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
• Kansas State is coming off its second bye week of the season with two wins in its last three games, as the Wildcats' only loss during that stretch was a one-point defeat at Baylor.
• Last time out, the Wildcats earned a 41-28 victory over TCU, a game that featured defensive touchdowns by safety Wesley Fair (15-yard fumble return) and linebacker Des Purnell (25-yard interception return).
• Purnell's pick-6 came on the very next play after he had a sack and was part of a two-interception game with four total passes defended en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Quarterback Avery Johnson threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Garrett Oakley, which gave him 11 in his career to set the school record by a tight end.
• The Wildcats has one of their best offensive performances of the season at Baylor – topping the 500-yard mark – and won the turnover battle, but a late 53-yard Bear field goal and a blocked 56-yard K-State field goal as time expired gave Baylor a 35-34 win.
• Johnson threw for 344 yards at Baylor, and Jayce Brown topped the 100-yard receiving mark in the contest.
• The week prior, Kansas State took advantage of the first of three bye weeks in the 2025 season with a 34-20 win over UCF.
CURE vs. CURE
• K-State and Kansas will see sibling tight ends go head-to-head as Linkon Cure and his brother, Leyton, will face off.
• Linkon is a true freshman for the Wildcats who has played in each of the last four games after missing the first three games due to injury. He came to K-State after being rated the 30th-best overall player in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports.
• Leyton is in his second year at Kansas after spending the first three years of his career at Fort Hays State.
• It is the second-straight game K-State has played in which siblings have faced off. Against TCU, Wildcat defensive end Chiddi got the win over his brother Namdi, a TCU linebacker.
FIVE ONE-SCORE GAMES
• Of Kansas State's last 20 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2024 season, 11 have been decided by just one score.
• Last year, the Wildcats went 4-2 in one-possession games. All four of the victories were fourth-quarter comebacks, which ranked second in the nation to Illinois' five.
• This season, K-State has played five one-possession games but has only come out on the winning side one time. In four of those games, the Wildcats had the ball with a chance to either tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
• The five one-score games this year are tied for the most among Power 4 teams (Iowa State, Ole Miss).
TOWARD THE TOP IN CONSISTENCY
• K-State is one of only 10 Power 4 schools that have won at least nine games in each of the last three seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee.
• Among those teams, only Kansas State, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon have accomplished that feat in addition to winning a conference championship during that time frame.
• The Wildcats are tied for second among current Big 12 teams and 18th among Power 4 teams with 31 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 234 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (246), TCU (243) and Utah (238).
A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has totaled 146 Big 12 victories since the conference's formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are also tied for first among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.2% (77-53) along with Oklahoma State (59.2%; 77-53).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 44-21 (67.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-32 (50.7%) on the road/neutral.
STATE PRIDE
• Among players that have started at least three games, Kansas State has 10 starters that hail from the Sunflower State.
• On offense, the Kansans are quarterback Avery Johnson (Wichita), offensive linemen Taylor Poitier (Kansas City) and Sam Hecht (Shawnee), tight end Will Anciaux (Wichita) and running back Dylan Edwards (Derby).
• Defensively, the list includes defensive ends Cody Stufflebean (McPherson) and Tobi Osunsanmi (Wichita), defensive tackle Damian Ilalio (Manhattan), linebacker Des Purnell (Topeka) and safety Wesley Fair (Wichita).
A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 123-45 career record, as his 73.2% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have completed at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 16 current Power 4 full-time head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
• Klieman, who is 51-32 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.
FEW PENALTIES
• K-State enters this week's game against Kansas ranked third nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.29) and eighth in fewest penalty yards per game (33.43).
• Since 2022, the Wildcats have averaged 42.49 penalty yards per game (47 games) and 4.91 penalties per game to rank seventh among Power 4 teams.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 138 since 1999, 11 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 127) and 19 more than the next Big 12 program (Utah – 119).
• K-State recorded four non-offensive scores during the 2024 season, its most since also recording four in 2020.
• The Wildcats got on the board in 2025 when Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard kickoff return against Army.
• Then, against TCU, Wesley Fair had a 15-yard fumble return touchdown in the second quarter before Des Purnell recorded a 25-yard interception return. It was the first time since the 2023 Baylor game that the Wildcats had two defensive touchdowns in one contest.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
TOTAL OFFENSE
• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 36 of the last 47 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
• The 36 games with at least 375 yards are tied for eighth among Power 4 programs and ranks second among Big 12 schools (TCU – 39).
• Georgia and USC lead the way with 41, followed by Oregon and TCU with 39, Ole Miss with 38, and Washington and Tennessee with 37.
• During that stretch, K-State holds a 28-8 record when totaling at least 375 yards, while the Wildcats are 3-8 when going under that mark.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked 16th nationally and third in the Big 12 by converting on 95.2% (20-of-21) of its red zone opportunities.
• That includes a streak of 19-straight red zone scores, which is the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 (Cincinnati, 28).
• Since Chris Klieman's first season at K-State in 2019, the Wildcats have been the best in the Big 12 in terms of converting red-zone opportunities into points.
• The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 with a 90.3% (289-of-320) success rate in the red zone since 2019, just ahead of Texas Tech (88.0%) and Oklahoma State (87.2%).
• K-State also ranks first in the league in touchdown success rate at 66.9% (214-of-320), ahead of Utah (66.0%) and Kansas (65.7%).
LIMITED SACKS PER GAME
• K-State has been one of the nation's best in terms of limiting sacks since head coach Chris Klieman's first season of 2019.
• The Wildcats are tied for fifth among Power 4 teams and rank second in the Big 12 by allowing only 1.44 sacks per game over the last six-plus seasons, a span of 83 games.
• K-State ninth in the nation by allowing 0.86 sacks per game this season.
T.O.P. TURNAROUND
• Over its first four games of 2025, Kansas State averaged 24:28 in time of possession, ranking 131st out of 134 teams entering its Week 5 game against UCF.
• Over the last three games, K-State is averaging 31:45 in time of possession. The Wildcats now rank 89th nationally in that department – a 42-spot jump in the rankings – with a season average of 29:09 – a 4:41 rise in their average.
4,000/1,000
• Quarterback Avery Johnson became the fifth quarterback in program history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career as he went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark against UCF.
• He was the second-fastest player in school history to hit that mark as he did so in his 26th career game, just four games shy of Michael Bishop.
OVER 300 AGAIN
• Avery Johnson passed for 344 yards at Baylor, a new career high, the 17th-most passing yards in a game in school history and the second time this season he threw for over 300 yards in a game (318 yards vs. North Dakota).
• His 344 passing yards were part of a 416-yard output in total offense, which ranked as the sixth most in school history.
• He is the first K-State quarterback with multiple 300-yard passing games in a season since Skylar Thompson in 2021 against Oklahoma (320 yards) and Texas Tech (306).
• Johnson needs one more 300-yard passing game to tie for second in school history for a season. The record is four held by Josh Freeman in 2007.
AVERY ON THE RUN
• Avery Johnson ranks fifth in school history among quarterbacks with 1,139 career rushing yards, while his 5.06-yard career average on 225 carries ranks eighth in school history among all players and second among quarterbacks (Jesse Ertz, 2014-17 – 5.46).
• When taking away sack yardage, Johnson has rushed for 1,303 yards on 205 true rushing attempts, good for a 6.36-yard clip.
THREE SCORING STRIKES
• Avery Johnson threw three touchdown passes against TCU, the second time this season and sixth in his career he had three passing touchdowns in a game.
• During the game against the Horned Frogs, Johnson moved into third place in school history with 43 career passing touchdowns. He is one shy of tying Josh Freeman (2006-08) for second place and five shy of the record held by Will Howard (2020-23).
• Johnson has 13 passing touchdowns this season to rank sixth in the Big 12, and he is one shy of tying for fifth in school history by a junior.
• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson has a 0.9% interception rate this season to rank 17th in the nation and second among Big 12 signal callers.
BROWN DELIVERS
• Wide receiver Jayce Brown leads the Wildcats this season with 32 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns.
• He has 4.57 receptions per game this season to rank fifth in the Big 12, while his 18.8-yard career average ranks sixth nationally among active players.
• Brown tallied at least 100 scrimmage yards in the final two games of 2024 and in four games this year after only one such performance in the first 21 games of his career.
HARD RUNNING BY JACKSON
• Running back Joe Jackson tallied the first 100-yard rushing game of his career against TCU, going for 110 yards on a career-high 27 attempts. It shattered his previous bests of 61 yards on 13 carries the week prior at Baylor.
• It was the most rushing attempts by a Wildcat since current Indianapolis Colt DJ Giddens had 28 rushes against NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, while it was the most against a Big 12 opponent since Giddens had 31 totes in the 2023 regular-season finale against Iowa State.
• Most of Jackson's damage against the Horned Frogs came in the second half when he tallied 88 yards on 21 carries.
CAREER RECORD FOR OAKLEY
• Tight end Garrett Oakley had two receiving touchdowns against TCU to bring his career total to 11, which is the most in school history by a tight end.
• The previous record of 10 was shared by current Washington Commander Ben Sinnott (2021-23) and Henry Childs (1971-73).
• Each of Oakley's four receiving touchdowns this season have come since Week 5, the most in the nation among tight ends. He enters the week tied for fourth nationally in receiving touchdowns by tight ends.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
OPENING DRIVE DEFENSE
• Kansas State has allowed points only once on opponents' first drive of the game or second half, which was a field goal to open the game at Baylor.
• In the 14 total drives to start a half, the K-State defense has forced 11 punts – including six 3-and-outs – a missed field goal and a turnover on downs.
• Of the six 3-and-outs, four have come to start the second half.
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the 2021 season (60 games), the Cats are allowing 22.4 points per game, which ranks third among current Big 12 teams and 20th among Power 4 teams (minimum 40 games).
• Additionally, the Cats have allowed 153 offensive touchdowns (2.6 per game) over that time to rank 20th among Power 4 schools.
• The Wildcats have finished each of the previous three seasons allowing less than 24.0 points per game, their longest streak since going 13-straight years from 1991 through 2003.
• Since head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 45 of their 57 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats (excluding 2025 season opener against Iowa State).
TURNOVER TURNAROUND
• After beginning the 2025 season with a minus-1 turnover margin in the first three games (4 giveaways, 3 takeaways) to rank 86th in the nation and 12th in the Big 12, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• Over the last four games, K-State is plus-7 in turnover margin, thanks to six interceptions and four fumble recoveries by the defense while only losing one fumble and throwing two picks.
• K-State has made a 71-spot improvement in the national rankings from Week 3 to now as the Wildcats are tied for 15th nationally and tied for first in the Big 12 in turnover margin.
• Additionally, K-State enters the week ranked 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 13 turnovers gained.
CREATING TURNOVERS
• After beginning the 2025 season with a minus-1 turnover margin in the first three games (4 giveaways, 3 takeaways) to rank 86th in the nation and 12th in the Big 12, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• Over the last four games, K-State is plus-7 in turnover margin, thanks to six interceptions and four fumble recoveries by the defense while only losing one fumble and throwing two picks.
• K-State has made a 71-spot improvement in the national rankings from Week 3 to now as the Wildcats are tied for 15th nationally and tied for first in the Big 12 in turnover margin.
• Additionally, K-State enters the week ranked 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 13 turnovers gained.
JUMPING ON THE BALL
• K-State has done the most damage this year in the turnover department by falling on fumbles as it ranks fourth nationally and is the best in the Big 12 with seven recoveries.
• The seven fumble recoveries this season are the most through the first seven games of a season since the 2017 team also had seven recoveries in the first seven games. Last year, the Wildcats only had five fumble recoveries in 13 games.
• K-State's seven recoveries this season have come from seven different players in Austin Romaine (Iowa State), Chiddi Obiazor (Iowa State), Tobi Osunsanmi (North Dakota), long snapper Mason Olguin (Arizona), Justice Clemons (UCF), Asa Newsom (Baylor) and Wesley Fair (TCU), the latter of which was returned 15 yards for a touchdown.
ROMAINE LEADING THE WAY
• After leading the Wildcats in tackles last season en route to All-Big 12 Second Team honors, linebacker Austin Romaine is at it again in 2025.
• A product of Hillsboro, Missouri, Romaine has a team-leading 49 tackles, ranking 12th in the Big 12 with 5.4 tackles per game.
• Romaine has at least four tackles in every game this season, including 10 apiece against North Dakota and Army.
• Last season, Romaine led the Wildcats and ranked ninth in the conference with 96 tackles (7.38 per game). He was the first Wildcat with at least 90 tackles in a season since Jayd Kirby had 99 in 2017.
PURNELL THE PLAYMAKER
• Senior linebacker Des Purnell is coming off an outstanding game against TCU as he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after carding five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions – including one he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups.
• His sack and pick-6 came on consecutive plays, the first K-State player since at least 1989 to have both on consecutive plays and the only player in the nation to accomplish the feat this season.
• He is the only Big 12 player with a pick-6 and a sack in the same game this season and one of seven in the country.
• His four total passes defended are tied for third in the country for a single game this season and are tied for the most among linebackers. He was the first Wildcat with four passes defended in a game since safety Russ Yeast against West Virginia in 2021 and the first K-State linebacker to do so since at least 2003.
• His pick-6 against TCU was the third time in his career he found paydirt as he returned a fumble for a touchdown against Baylor in 2023 and returned a blocked punt for a score against South Dakota in 2022. He is one of only two players in school history to have a pick-6, fumble return touchdown and a punt return score in a career (Courtney Herndon, 2006-09).
• A native of Topeka, Kansas, Purnell ranks fifth nationally among active players with two defensive touchdowns, and he is the only active Big 12 player with a fumble return score and a pick-6 in Big 12 games in his career. He also ranks fifth nationally among active players with three career non-offensive touchdowns.
BREAKING UP THE PASS
• Sophomore cornerback Zashon Rich has seven pass breakups in seven games this season to tie for the Big 12 lead and tie for ninth in the country.
• His seven pass breakups are already equal to the top mark by a Wildcat last year. Jacob Parrish had seven pass deflections in 2024 before going on to be selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay.
• A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rich added to his repertoire against UCF when he had a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss, including his first-career sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• The Wildcats continue to lead the nation in total kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005 with 63, which is 23 more than the next closest team in Alabama (40) and 29 more than the next closest Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and TCU (34).
• Of the 63 total returns, a nation-leading 32 are on kickoff returns, and the next closest team is Houston with 21.
HIGH AVERAGE ON RETURNS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked ninth nationally and tops in the Big 12 with a 28.17-yard average on kickoff returns, a mark that would rank third in school history.
• The Wildcats are looking to rank in the top-10 in kickoff return average for the first time since 2021 (9th – 27.22). In head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, K-State led the nation with a 29.50-yard average, which was the top mark in school history.
• The high average is boasted by a 99-yard touchdown by Bryce Noernberg against Army, the 12th kickoff return of at least 99 yards in school history.
EIGHT STRAIGHT
• With Garrett Harstad's blocked punt at Arizona, K-State has now blocked a punt in eight-straight seasons, which is the longest streak in the nation.
• San Diego State is next on the list with seven-straight years, while Iowa State, Michigan, Oregon State, Rutgers, South Carolina and Toledo are tied for third with five-consecutive years.
RODRIGUEZ CONNECTS
• Due to injuries at kicker late in the summer, the Wildcats scrambled to find a replacement, and they landed community-college transfer Luis Rodriguez from College of the Canyons.
• After arriving in Manhattan just as preseason practices commenced, all Rodriguez has done over his first seven games is connect on 10-of-11 field goal and all 24 extra-point attempts. His lone miss this season was a blocked 56-yard attempt as time expired at Baylor.
• Rodriguez ranks 22nd nationally and fifth in the Big 12 by connecting on 90.9% of his field goal attempts.
HIGH AVERAGE BY McCLANNAN
• Sophomore punter Simon McClannan has gotten off to a great start in 2025, ranking fifth in the Big 12 with a 43.3-yard average on 28 punts. His high average is due to eight punts that have traveled at least 50 yards, which is tied for fifth in the Big 12. Last year, McClannan only had six punts of 50 or more yards over 13 games.
• A native of Omaha, Nebraska, McClannan recorded a career-best 50.8-yard average on five punts at Arizona and came back with a 51.0-yard average on four punts against UCF. Following the game against the Knights, he was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week.
• It was the first time in the Big 12 era that Kansas State had a punter average at least 50.0 yards on at least four punts in consecutive games.
• McClannan enters his 23rd-career game with a 42.71-yard average on 75 career punts, which ranks fifth in school history.
DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2013 season, going the last 158 games and 454 returns without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.
• The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, 260 returns better than the next closest team (Arizona State – 194).
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 15 of their own.
K-State at Kansas
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (50,250)
Series: Kansas Leads, 64-53-5
TV: TNT
J.B. Long (Play-by-Play)
Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst)
Coy Wire (Sidelines)
K-State Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)
Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)
Stan Weber (Analyst)
Matt Walters (Sidelines)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 380, and on the SiriusXM App
Big 12 Radio on TuneIn
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
THE TOP 5
1) Coming off a convincing 41-28 victory over TCU and its second bye week of the season, Kansas State travels to Lawrence for the 123rd edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday inside Memorial Stadium. The game kicks off at 11 a.m., and will be shown on TNT with a simulcast on truTV and HBO Max with J.B. Long (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) and Coy Wire (sidelines) on the call.
2) After starting the season with a 1-3 record, the Wildcats have rebounded the last two games by going 2-1 as their lone loss in that stretch was a one-point defeat at Baylor. Five of K-State's games this season have been decided by one score as the Wildcats are one of only three Power 4 teams to already have five games decided by one possession. Two of their three wins this season have been by two scores.
3) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 22nd-career start under center having thrown for 1,561 yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions as his 0.9% interception ratio ranks 17th in the nation and second in the Big 12. He has thrown touchdown passes to six different receivers this season, with tight end Garrett Oakley (4) wide receiver Jayce Brown (3) leading the way.
4) Austin Romaine leads the team with 49 tackles, followed by 37 from Des Purnell, who is coming off a career day vs. TCU when he recorded a sack and a pick-6 on consecutive plays, part of a day with two picks and four total passes defended. Cornerback Zashon Rich is tied for the Big 12 lead and is ninth nationally with seven pass breakups, and the Cats rank fourth in the country with seven fumble recoveries.
5) Kicker Luis Rodriguez is 10-for-11 on field goals to open the year, ranking 22nd in the country with a 90.9% conversion rate as his only miss was a blocked 56-yard attempt at the end of the Baylor game. Punter Simon McClannan ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 43.3-yard average. The Cats rank ninth nationally in kickoff return average, thanks in part to Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard score against Army.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
138 – Nation-leading non-offensive scores by K-State since 1999 after two its last time out against TCU.
90.3 – K-State's red zone success rate under head coach Chris Klieman, the highest in the Big 12 since 2019.
26 – Games it took Avery Johnson to hit 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career, the second-fastest in school history.
11 – Career receiving touchdowns by Garrett Oakley, which is the school record for a tight end.
2 – Number of Cure brothers playing in Saturday's game – Linkon for the Wildcats and Leyton for the Jayhawks.
TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
• Kansas State is coming off its second bye week of the season with two wins in its last three games, as the Wildcats' only loss during that stretch was a one-point defeat at Baylor.
• Last time out, the Wildcats earned a 41-28 victory over TCU, a game that featured defensive touchdowns by safety Wesley Fair (15-yard fumble return) and linebacker Des Purnell (25-yard interception return).
• Purnell's pick-6 came on the very next play after he had a sack and was part of a two-interception game with four total passes defended en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Quarterback Avery Johnson threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Garrett Oakley, which gave him 11 in his career to set the school record by a tight end.
• The Wildcats has one of their best offensive performances of the season at Baylor – topping the 500-yard mark – and won the turnover battle, but a late 53-yard Bear field goal and a blocked 56-yard K-State field goal as time expired gave Baylor a 35-34 win.
• Johnson threw for 344 yards at Baylor, and Jayce Brown topped the 100-yard receiving mark in the contest.
• The week prior, Kansas State took advantage of the first of three bye weeks in the 2025 season with a 34-20 win over UCF.
CURE vs. CURE
• K-State and Kansas will see sibling tight ends go head-to-head as Linkon Cure and his brother, Leyton, will face off.
• Linkon is a true freshman for the Wildcats who has played in each of the last four games after missing the first three games due to injury. He came to K-State after being rated the 30th-best overall player in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports.
• Leyton is in his second year at Kansas after spending the first three years of his career at Fort Hays State.
• It is the second-straight game K-State has played in which siblings have faced off. Against TCU, Wildcat defensive end Chiddi got the win over his brother Namdi, a TCU linebacker.
FIVE ONE-SCORE GAMES
• Of Kansas State's last 20 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2024 season, 11 have been decided by just one score.
• Last year, the Wildcats went 4-2 in one-possession games. All four of the victories were fourth-quarter comebacks, which ranked second in the nation to Illinois' five.
• This season, K-State has played five one-possession games but has only come out on the winning side one time. In four of those games, the Wildcats had the ball with a chance to either tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
• The five one-score games this year are tied for the most among Power 4 teams (Iowa State, Ole Miss).
TOWARD THE TOP IN CONSISTENCY
• K-State is one of only 10 Power 4 schools that have won at least nine games in each of the last three seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee.
• Among those teams, only Kansas State, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon have accomplished that feat in addition to winning a conference championship during that time frame.
• The Wildcats are tied for second among current Big 12 teams and 18th among Power 4 teams with 31 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 234 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (246), TCU (243) and Utah (238).
A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has totaled 146 Big 12 victories since the conference's formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are also tied for first among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.2% (77-53) along with Oklahoma State (59.2%; 77-53).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 44-21 (67.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-32 (50.7%) on the road/neutral.
STATE PRIDE
• Among players that have started at least three games, Kansas State has 10 starters that hail from the Sunflower State.
• On offense, the Kansans are quarterback Avery Johnson (Wichita), offensive linemen Taylor Poitier (Kansas City) and Sam Hecht (Shawnee), tight end Will Anciaux (Wichita) and running back Dylan Edwards (Derby).
• Defensively, the list includes defensive ends Cody Stufflebean (McPherson) and Tobi Osunsanmi (Wichita), defensive tackle Damian Ilalio (Manhattan), linebacker Des Purnell (Topeka) and safety Wesley Fair (Wichita).
A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 123-45 career record, as his 73.2% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have completed at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 16 current Power 4 full-time head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
• Klieman, who is 51-32 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.
FEW PENALTIES
• K-State enters this week's game against Kansas ranked third nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.29) and eighth in fewest penalty yards per game (33.43).
• Since 2022, the Wildcats have averaged 42.49 penalty yards per game (47 games) and 4.91 penalties per game to rank seventh among Power 4 teams.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 138 since 1999, 11 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 127) and 19 more than the next Big 12 program (Utah – 119).
• K-State recorded four non-offensive scores during the 2024 season, its most since also recording four in 2020.
• The Wildcats got on the board in 2025 when Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard kickoff return against Army.
• Then, against TCU, Wesley Fair had a 15-yard fumble return touchdown in the second quarter before Des Purnell recorded a 25-yard interception return. It was the first time since the 2023 Baylor game that the Wildcats had two defensive touchdowns in one contest.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
TOTAL OFFENSE
• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 36 of the last 47 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
• The 36 games with at least 375 yards are tied for eighth among Power 4 programs and ranks second among Big 12 schools (TCU – 39).
• Georgia and USC lead the way with 41, followed by Oregon and TCU with 39, Ole Miss with 38, and Washington and Tennessee with 37.
• During that stretch, K-State holds a 28-8 record when totaling at least 375 yards, while the Wildcats are 3-8 when going under that mark.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked 16th nationally and third in the Big 12 by converting on 95.2% (20-of-21) of its red zone opportunities.
• That includes a streak of 19-straight red zone scores, which is the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 (Cincinnati, 28).
• Since Chris Klieman's first season at K-State in 2019, the Wildcats have been the best in the Big 12 in terms of converting red-zone opportunities into points.
• The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 with a 90.3% (289-of-320) success rate in the red zone since 2019, just ahead of Texas Tech (88.0%) and Oklahoma State (87.2%).
• K-State also ranks first in the league in touchdown success rate at 66.9% (214-of-320), ahead of Utah (66.0%) and Kansas (65.7%).
LIMITED SACKS PER GAME
• K-State has been one of the nation's best in terms of limiting sacks since head coach Chris Klieman's first season of 2019.
• The Wildcats are tied for fifth among Power 4 teams and rank second in the Big 12 by allowing only 1.44 sacks per game over the last six-plus seasons, a span of 83 games.
• K-State ninth in the nation by allowing 0.86 sacks per game this season.
T.O.P. TURNAROUND
• Over its first four games of 2025, Kansas State averaged 24:28 in time of possession, ranking 131st out of 134 teams entering its Week 5 game against UCF.
• Over the last three games, K-State is averaging 31:45 in time of possession. The Wildcats now rank 89th nationally in that department – a 42-spot jump in the rankings – with a season average of 29:09 – a 4:41 rise in their average.
4,000/1,000
• Quarterback Avery Johnson became the fifth quarterback in program history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a career as he went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark against UCF.
• He was the second-fastest player in school history to hit that mark as he did so in his 26th career game, just four games shy of Michael Bishop.
OVER 300 AGAIN
• Avery Johnson passed for 344 yards at Baylor, a new career high, the 17th-most passing yards in a game in school history and the second time this season he threw for over 300 yards in a game (318 yards vs. North Dakota).
• His 344 passing yards were part of a 416-yard output in total offense, which ranked as the sixth most in school history.
• He is the first K-State quarterback with multiple 300-yard passing games in a season since Skylar Thompson in 2021 against Oklahoma (320 yards) and Texas Tech (306).
• Johnson needs one more 300-yard passing game to tie for second in school history for a season. The record is four held by Josh Freeman in 2007.
AVERY ON THE RUN
• Avery Johnson ranks fifth in school history among quarterbacks with 1,139 career rushing yards, while his 5.06-yard career average on 225 carries ranks eighth in school history among all players and second among quarterbacks (Jesse Ertz, 2014-17 – 5.46).
• When taking away sack yardage, Johnson has rushed for 1,303 yards on 205 true rushing attempts, good for a 6.36-yard clip.
THREE SCORING STRIKES
• Avery Johnson threw three touchdown passes against TCU, the second time this season and sixth in his career he had three passing touchdowns in a game.
• During the game against the Horned Frogs, Johnson moved into third place in school history with 43 career passing touchdowns. He is one shy of tying Josh Freeman (2006-08) for second place and five shy of the record held by Will Howard (2020-23).
• Johnson has 13 passing touchdowns this season to rank sixth in the Big 12, and he is one shy of tying for fifth in school history by a junior.
• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson has a 0.9% interception rate this season to rank 17th in the nation and second among Big 12 signal callers.
BROWN DELIVERS
• Wide receiver Jayce Brown leads the Wildcats this season with 32 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns.
• He has 4.57 receptions per game this season to rank fifth in the Big 12, while his 18.8-yard career average ranks sixth nationally among active players.
• Brown tallied at least 100 scrimmage yards in the final two games of 2024 and in four games this year after only one such performance in the first 21 games of his career.
HARD RUNNING BY JACKSON
• Running back Joe Jackson tallied the first 100-yard rushing game of his career against TCU, going for 110 yards on a career-high 27 attempts. It shattered his previous bests of 61 yards on 13 carries the week prior at Baylor.
• It was the most rushing attempts by a Wildcat since current Indianapolis Colt DJ Giddens had 28 rushes against NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, while it was the most against a Big 12 opponent since Giddens had 31 totes in the 2023 regular-season finale against Iowa State.
• Most of Jackson's damage against the Horned Frogs came in the second half when he tallied 88 yards on 21 carries.
CAREER RECORD FOR OAKLEY
• Tight end Garrett Oakley had two receiving touchdowns against TCU to bring his career total to 11, which is the most in school history by a tight end.
• The previous record of 10 was shared by current Washington Commander Ben Sinnott (2021-23) and Henry Childs (1971-73).
• Each of Oakley's four receiving touchdowns this season have come since Week 5, the most in the nation among tight ends. He enters the week tied for fourth nationally in receiving touchdowns by tight ends.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
OPENING DRIVE DEFENSE
• Kansas State has allowed points only once on opponents' first drive of the game or second half, which was a field goal to open the game at Baylor.
• In the 14 total drives to start a half, the K-State defense has forced 11 punts – including six 3-and-outs – a missed field goal and a turnover on downs.
• Of the six 3-and-outs, four have come to start the second half.
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the 2021 season (60 games), the Cats are allowing 22.4 points per game, which ranks third among current Big 12 teams and 20th among Power 4 teams (minimum 40 games).
• Additionally, the Cats have allowed 153 offensive touchdowns (2.6 per game) over that time to rank 20th among Power 4 schools.
• The Wildcats have finished each of the previous three seasons allowing less than 24.0 points per game, their longest streak since going 13-straight years from 1991 through 2003.
• Since head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 45 of their 57 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats (excluding 2025 season opener against Iowa State).
TURNOVER TURNAROUND
• After beginning the 2025 season with a minus-1 turnover margin in the first three games (4 giveaways, 3 takeaways) to rank 86th in the nation and 12th in the Big 12, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• Over the last four games, K-State is plus-7 in turnover margin, thanks to six interceptions and four fumble recoveries by the defense while only losing one fumble and throwing two picks.
• K-State has made a 71-spot improvement in the national rankings from Week 3 to now as the Wildcats are tied for 15th nationally and tied for first in the Big 12 in turnover margin.
• Additionally, K-State enters the week ranked 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 13 turnovers gained.
CREATING TURNOVERS
• After beginning the 2025 season with a minus-1 turnover margin in the first three games (4 giveaways, 3 takeaways) to rank 86th in the nation and 12th in the Big 12, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• Over the last four games, K-State is plus-7 in turnover margin, thanks to six interceptions and four fumble recoveries by the defense while only losing one fumble and throwing two picks.
• K-State has made a 71-spot improvement in the national rankings from Week 3 to now as the Wildcats are tied for 15th nationally and tied for first in the Big 12 in turnover margin.
• Additionally, K-State enters the week ranked 12th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 13 turnovers gained.
JUMPING ON THE BALL
• K-State has done the most damage this year in the turnover department by falling on fumbles as it ranks fourth nationally and is the best in the Big 12 with seven recoveries.
• The seven fumble recoveries this season are the most through the first seven games of a season since the 2017 team also had seven recoveries in the first seven games. Last year, the Wildcats only had five fumble recoveries in 13 games.
• K-State's seven recoveries this season have come from seven different players in Austin Romaine (Iowa State), Chiddi Obiazor (Iowa State), Tobi Osunsanmi (North Dakota), long snapper Mason Olguin (Arizona), Justice Clemons (UCF), Asa Newsom (Baylor) and Wesley Fair (TCU), the latter of which was returned 15 yards for a touchdown.
ROMAINE LEADING THE WAY
• After leading the Wildcats in tackles last season en route to All-Big 12 Second Team honors, linebacker Austin Romaine is at it again in 2025.
• A product of Hillsboro, Missouri, Romaine has a team-leading 49 tackles, ranking 12th in the Big 12 with 5.4 tackles per game.
• Romaine has at least four tackles in every game this season, including 10 apiece against North Dakota and Army.
• Last season, Romaine led the Wildcats and ranked ninth in the conference with 96 tackles (7.38 per game). He was the first Wildcat with at least 90 tackles in a season since Jayd Kirby had 99 in 2017.
PURNELL THE PLAYMAKER
• Senior linebacker Des Purnell is coming off an outstanding game against TCU as he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after carding five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions – including one he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups.
• His sack and pick-6 came on consecutive plays, the first K-State player since at least 1989 to have both on consecutive plays and the only player in the nation to accomplish the feat this season.
• He is the only Big 12 player with a pick-6 and a sack in the same game this season and one of seven in the country.
• His four total passes defended are tied for third in the country for a single game this season and are tied for the most among linebackers. He was the first Wildcat with four passes defended in a game since safety Russ Yeast against West Virginia in 2021 and the first K-State linebacker to do so since at least 2003.
• His pick-6 against TCU was the third time in his career he found paydirt as he returned a fumble for a touchdown against Baylor in 2023 and returned a blocked punt for a score against South Dakota in 2022. He is one of only two players in school history to have a pick-6, fumble return touchdown and a punt return score in a career (Courtney Herndon, 2006-09).
• A native of Topeka, Kansas, Purnell ranks fifth nationally among active players with two defensive touchdowns, and he is the only active Big 12 player with a fumble return score and a pick-6 in Big 12 games in his career. He also ranks fifth nationally among active players with three career non-offensive touchdowns.
BREAKING UP THE PASS
• Sophomore cornerback Zashon Rich has seven pass breakups in seven games this season to tie for the Big 12 lead and tie for ninth in the country.
• His seven pass breakups are already equal to the top mark by a Wildcat last year. Jacob Parrish had seven pass deflections in 2024 before going on to be selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay.
• A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Rich added to his repertoire against UCF when he had a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss, including his first-career sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• The Wildcats continue to lead the nation in total kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005 with 63, which is 23 more than the next closest team in Alabama (40) and 29 more than the next closest Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and TCU (34).
• Of the 63 total returns, a nation-leading 32 are on kickoff returns, and the next closest team is Houston with 21.
HIGH AVERAGE ON RETURNS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked ninth nationally and tops in the Big 12 with a 28.17-yard average on kickoff returns, a mark that would rank third in school history.
• The Wildcats are looking to rank in the top-10 in kickoff return average for the first time since 2021 (9th – 27.22). In head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, K-State led the nation with a 29.50-yard average, which was the top mark in school history.
• The high average is boasted by a 99-yard touchdown by Bryce Noernberg against Army, the 12th kickoff return of at least 99 yards in school history.
EIGHT STRAIGHT
• With Garrett Harstad's blocked punt at Arizona, K-State has now blocked a punt in eight-straight seasons, which is the longest streak in the nation.
• San Diego State is next on the list with seven-straight years, while Iowa State, Michigan, Oregon State, Rutgers, South Carolina and Toledo are tied for third with five-consecutive years.
RODRIGUEZ CONNECTS
• Due to injuries at kicker late in the summer, the Wildcats scrambled to find a replacement, and they landed community-college transfer Luis Rodriguez from College of the Canyons.
• After arriving in Manhattan just as preseason practices commenced, all Rodriguez has done over his first seven games is connect on 10-of-11 field goal and all 24 extra-point attempts. His lone miss this season was a blocked 56-yard attempt as time expired at Baylor.
• Rodriguez ranks 22nd nationally and fifth in the Big 12 by connecting on 90.9% of his field goal attempts.
HIGH AVERAGE BY McCLANNAN
• Sophomore punter Simon McClannan has gotten off to a great start in 2025, ranking fifth in the Big 12 with a 43.3-yard average on 28 punts. His high average is due to eight punts that have traveled at least 50 yards, which is tied for fifth in the Big 12. Last year, McClannan only had six punts of 50 or more yards over 13 games.
• A native of Omaha, Nebraska, McClannan recorded a career-best 50.8-yard average on five punts at Arizona and came back with a 51.0-yard average on four punts against UCF. Following the game against the Knights, he was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week.
• It was the first time in the Big 12 era that Kansas State had a punter average at least 50.0 yards on at least four punts in consecutive games.
• McClannan enters his 23rd-career game with a 42.71-yard average on 75 career punts, which ranks fifth in school history.
DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2013 season, going the last 158 games and 454 returns without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.
• The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, 260 returns better than the next closest team (Arizona State – 194).
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 15 of their own.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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