Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, November 22
Salt Lake City, Utah
3 p.m. (CT)
Kansas State University
at
Utah
Cats Head to Utah to Meet Utes for First Time
Nov 17, 2025 | Football
Game 11
K-State at 13/13/14 Utah
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (CT)
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium (51,444)
Series: First Meeting
TV: ESPN2 (watch)
Dave Flemming (Play-by-Play)
Brock Osweiler (Analyst)
Stormy Buonantony (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. 384, and on the SiriusXM App
Big 12 Radio on TuneIn
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
THE TOP 5
1) Coming off its first win in Stillwater since 2017, Kansas State will hit the road for the final time in 2025 looking for bowl eligibility as it travels to Salt Lake City to face No. 13 Utah on Saturday inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. CT, and will be shown on ESPN2 with Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) on the call.
2) After starting the season with four-straight one possession games and going 1-3 in those contests, the Wildcats have gone 4-2 in their last six games with three victories coming by multiple scores. The Wildcats have averaged 30.8 points per game over their last six games, as K-State is ranked 19th nationally in scoring among Power 4 teams since September 27.
3) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 25th-career start under center having thrown for 2,168 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, while he has rushed for seven touchdowns. He is one of 10 quarterbacks nationally with 17 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores this season. Johnson has thrown scoring strikes to six different players, with Garrett Oakley and Jayce Brown leading the way with five apiece.
4) Linebacker Des Purnell has 58 tackles this season and has been on fire over his last four games by totaling 26 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two picks, five passes defended and a forced fumble. Cornerback Zashon Rich is tied for second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with nine pass breakups, while the Cats rank second nationally in fumble recoveries (12) and fourth in turnovers gained (24).
5) Kicker Luis Rodriguez is 10-for-12 on field goals and has converted on all 34 extra-point attempts, which is the seventh-longest streak in school history to begin a season. Punter Simon McClannan ranks sixth in the Big 12 with a 42.0-yard average. The Cats rank 11th nationally with a 26.13-yard kickoff return average, led by Bryce Noernberg, who ranks third in the country with a 29.0-yard average.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
61 – Big 12 road victories by K-State since the conference's inception in 1996, the most among active programs.
27 – The Wildcats are in search of their 27th bowl appearance all time, including their 14th in the last 16 seasons.
24 – Number of turnovers the Wildcats have forced this season, which ranks fourth in the nation.
16 – Games with multiple touchdown passes over the last two seasons by Avery Johnson, the third most in the nation.
5 – Turnovers forced by K-State last week at Oklahoma State, its most in a game in 12 seasons (6 at Kansas in 2013).
TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
• Kansas State forced a season-high five turnovers to push the Cats to a 14-6 win at Oklahoma State last week, its first win in Stillwater since 2017 and just the second since 1999.
• Prior to that, K-State suffered a 43-20 loss to No. 13 Texas Tech, a game that got away from the Wildcats after they had the ball down nine points (29-20) with seven minutes remaining.
• The game against the Red Raiders came on the heels of a dominating 42-17 win at Kansas, its 17th straight wins over the Jayhawks.
• Avery Johnson was 11-of-17 for 231 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against the Jayhawks, while Jayce Brown caught four passes for 160 yards, including a 78-yard score.
• Defensively, the Wildcats forced four total turnovers and pressured quarterback Jalon Daniels most of the day. Kansas averaged just 3.2 yards per snap in the contest.
• Prior to the KU game, the Wildcats picked up a 41-28 victory over TCU in 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.
• Johnson threw three touchdown passes against the Horned Frogs, including two to tight end Garrett Oakley, which gave him the school's career record by a tight end.
LOOKING FOR NO. 6
• Kansas State will be looking for its sixth victory of the year to advance to the postseason for a fifth-straight season and the 14th time in the last 16 years.
• Entering the 2025 season, K-State was one of just 19 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 13 times in the previous 15 years.
SIX ONE-SCORE GAMES
• Of Kansas State's last 23 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2024 season, 12 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 six one-possession games but has only come out on the winning side twice. In three of the losses, the Wildcats had the ball with a chance to either tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
• K-State's six one-score games this year are tied for the third most among Power 4 teams (Arizona State, Iowa State – 7, Arkansas, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Virginia – 6).
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 19th among Power 4 teams with 32 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
• The Wildcats are tied for first among current Big 12 teams and 18th among Power 4 teams with 32 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 236 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (248), TCU (244) and Utah (241).
A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has totaled 148 Big 12 victories since the conference's formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active programs.
• In terms of Big 12 road wins, the Cats lead all active programs with 61 wins, followed by Oklahoma State (55) and Texas Tech (53).
• The Cats are also rank first among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011 (min. 50 games). They sit at 59.4% (79-54), ahead of Oklahoma State (57.9%; 77-56).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 44-22 (66.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 35-32 (52.2%) on the road/neutral.
A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 125-46 career record, as his 73.1% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have completed at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 15 current Power 4 full-time head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
• Klieman, who is 53-33 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 at Utah ranked fourth nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.5) and ninth fewest penalty yards per game (33.4).
• Since 2022, the Wildcats have averaged 41.94 penalty yards per game (50 games) to rank seventh among Power 4 teams, while their 4.86 penalties per game also rank seventh.
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 139 since 1999, 11 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 128) and 18 more than the next Big 12 program (Utah – 121).
• K-State recorded four non-offensive scores during the 2024 season – its most since also recording four in 2020 – and has equaled that mark in 2025.
• The first non-offensive score of the year was Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard kickoff return against Army.
• Against TCU, Wesley Fair had a 15-yard fumble return touchdown 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.
• Ralph Ortiz scooped up an errant snap on a punt and returned it 20 yards for a score at Kansas.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
HIGH POINT TOTAL vs. BIG 12
• Kansas State has averaged 32.8 points per game in conference play since the beginning of 2022, ranking 12th in the nation, sixth among Power 4 teams and tops in the Big 12.
• The Cats have hit the 30-point mark in 22 of their 34 Big 12 games since the start of 2022, including four times this season with a highwater mark of 42 points at Kansas.
• K-State had a four-game streak scoring at least 30 points against UCF (34), Baylor (34), TCU (41) and Kansas, its longest streak overall since doing so in six-straight games during the 2003 season.
TOTAL OFFENSE
• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 36 of the last 50 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
• The 36 games with at least 375 yards rank 11th in the Power 4 and second among Big 12 schools (TCU – 40).
• Georgia, Ole Miss and USC lead the way with 42, followed by TCU, Oregon and Tennessee with 40, Washington with 39, Texas and Ohio State with 38 and LSU with 37.
• During that stretch, K-State holds a 28-8 record when totaling at least 375 yards, while the Wildcats are 5-9 when going under that mark. Three of their wins when going under 375 yards of offense have come this season.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked sixth in the Big 12 by converting 89.7 % (26-of-29) of its red zone opportunities.
• That included a streak of 22-straight red-zone scores, which was the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 until taking a knee at the end of the Kansas game to run out the clock.
• 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 as they rank first in the Big 12 with an 89.9% (295-of-328) success rate in the red zone since 2019, just ahead of Texas Tech (87.9%).
• K-State also ranks first in the league in touchdown success rate at 67.1% (220-of-328), ahead of Kansas (66.2%) and Utah (66.2%).
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 rank fifth among Power 4 teams and second in the Big 12 by allowing only 1.44 sacks per game over the last six-plus seasons, a span of 86 games.
• K-State enters the week ranked 12th in the nation and third in the Big 12 by allowing 1.00 sacks per game this season.
MULTIPLE SCORING STRIKES
• Quarterback Avery Johnson has produced 16 games with multiple passing touchdowns since 2024, which is the third most in the nation among active players.
• When adding in his two scoring strikes in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Johnson's 17 multi-touchdown games are the most ever by a K-State quarterback, one more than Will Howard. Jake Waters is next on the list with 15 games, followed by Josh Freeman (13), Michael Bishop (12) and Skylar Thompson (11).
ON THE BRINK
• Avery Johnson ranks second in school history with 47 career touchdown passes, just one shy of tying the record held by Will Howard (2020-23).
• His 17 passing touchdowns this season rank third in school history among juniors – three shy of the record – and one shy of entering the school's top-10 list among all passers.
5,000/1,000
• During the Texas Tech game, Avery Johnson eclipsed the 5,000-yard passing mark in his career to become just the third quarterback in program history to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.
• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson joined Ell Roberson (2000-03) and Skylar Thompson (2017-21) on the list, but Johnson was the fastest of the three to reach those numbers. He hit the marks in his 30th career game, while it took Thompson 36 games and Roberson 41 games to reach the milestone.
• Johnson is one of 20 active players in the nation to hit those career marks but one of only four to currently be in just their third season of action (UNLV's Anthony Colandrea, Arkansas State's Jaylen Raynor, Tulane's Jake Retzlaff).
VERY EFFICIENT
• Avery Johnson tallied a career-best pass efficiency rating of 217.7 at Kansas. It was the 10th-best mark by a K-State quarterback since 1996 (minimum 15 attempts), the best since Jesse Ertz had a 319.8 rating against Central Arkansas in 2017 and the best in a Big 12 game since Jake Waters had a 218.1 mark against Kansas in 2014.
• Johnson's mark against Kansas was the third best by a Big 12 quarterback in a conference game this season (min. 15 attempts).
AVERY ON THE RUN
• Avery Johnson ranks fifth in school history among quarterbacks with 1,270 career rushing yards, while his 4.98-yard career average on 255 carries ranks second in school history among quarterbacks (Jesse Ertz, 2014-17 – 5.46) and just outside the top 10 among all players.
• When taking away sack yardage, Johnson has rushed for 1,454 yards on 231 true rushing attempts, good for a 6.29-yard clip.
BROWN DELIVERS
• Wide receiver Jayce Brown leads the Wildcats this season with 41 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns.
• He had his best game as a Wildcat at Kansas, catching four passes for 160 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown. It was the most receiving yards by a Wildcat since Byron Pringle had 166 yards at Oklahoma State in 2017.
• Brown's 40.0-yard average was the fourth-highest average nationally in a game this season (minimum four catches) and the third-highest average by a Big 12 player since 2018.
• A native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Brown has a career receiving average of 17.15 yards to rank seventh in school history and fourth in the nation among active players.
CAREER RECORD FOR OAKLEY
• Tight end Garrett Oakley has tallied 12 career receiving touchdowns, which is the most ever by a K-State tight end.
• The previous record of 10 was shared by current Washington Commander Ben Sinnott (2021-23) and Henry Childs (1971-73).
• Oakley, a product of Columbus, Nebraska, has five receiving touchdowns this season, which is tied for fourth in the nation among tight ends and second in school history at the position.
• Two of Oakley's touchdowns came against TCU as he is one of two Big 12 tight ends with a multi-touchdown game in conference play this season (Baylor's Michael Trigg vs. Arizona State).
• Oakley is also tied for fourth in school history among tight ends in career catches (67) and ranks fifth in yards (746). He has 34 catches this year to rank fifth in school history at the position.
TOUGH 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.
• Most of Jackson's damage against the Horned Frogs came in the second half when he tallied 88 yards on 21 carries.
• He backed that up with another solid outing at Kansas, rushing for 69 yards on 20 carries, including 35 yards on 13 attempts in the second half to help run out the clock.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
OPENING DRIVE DEFENSE
• Kansas State has allowed points only three times on opponents' first drive of the game or second half, which was a field goal to open the game at Baylor, a short-field touchdown by Kansas following a fumble on the opening kickoff and a score by Texas Tech to start the second half.
• Of the 20 total drives to start a half, the defense has forced 13 punts – including eight 3-and-outs – an interception, a fumble recovery, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs.
• Six of the 3-and-outs have come on opponents' initial drives of the second half. K-State's opponents have only managed six first downs and 131 total yards on the 10 opening drives of the second half (0.6 first downs and 13.1 yards per game).
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the 2021 season (63 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).
• Since head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 48 of their 60 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 year with just three takeaways in the first three games, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• The Wildcats have forced multiple turnovers in each of the last seven games, which is the longest active streak in the nation. It is also the longest streak by a K-State team since doing so in nine-straight games from Oct. 2, 1999 (at Texas) through Dec. 29, 1999 (vs. Washington in Holiday Bowl).
• K-State has totaled 21 turnovers since its Sept. 13 game at Arizona, tied for the second most among Power 4 teams.
• The Wildcats enter the week ranked fourth nationally and second in the Big 12 with 24 total turnovers gained this season.
• It is the third time in the last four years K-State's defense has posted at least 20 turnovers in a season, their best stretch since 2014-17. K-State forced 23 turnovers in 2023 and 24 in 2022.
CREATING TURNOVERS
• The turnover theme over the last seven games mirrors what K-State has done over the last three-plus seasons as K-State has forced 86 turnovers since 2022, which is tied for fifth nationally, tied for third among Power 4 teams and the most among active Big 12 teams.
• Of the 86 turnovers, 51 have been via interception to rank second among active Big 12 programs and tie for 10th among Power 4 teams.
JUMPING ON THE BALL
• The K-State defense has had a propensity of falling on fumbles this season as it ranks third nationally with 12 recoveries.
• The 12 fumble recoveries this season are the most through the first 10 games of a season since the 2012 team had 12 recoveries in the first 10 games. Last year, the Wildcats only had five fumble recoveries over 13 games.
• K-State's 12 recoveries this season have come from 12 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), Wesley Fair (TCU), Ralph Ortiz (Kansas), Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (Kansas), Ryan Davis (Texas Tech), Rex Van Wyhe (Oklahoma State) and Damian Ilalio (Oklahoma State).
ON A HEATER
• Senior linebacker Des Purnell has been outstanding in the last four games, totaling 26 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five total passes defended and a forced fumble.
• Against TCU, Purnell had five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions – including on he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups. For his effort, he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
PURNELL THE PLAYMAKER
• Des Purnell's sack and pick-6 against TCU 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 nine in the country.
• His four total passes defended are tied for sixth in the country for a single game this season and 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 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 three career non-offensive touchdowns. He ranks seventh 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.
BREAKING UP THE PASS
• Sophomore cornerback Zashon Rich has nine pass breakups in 10 games this season to tie for third in the Big 12 and 14th in the country.
• His nine pass breakups are the most since Jacob Parrish and Marques Sigle each had nine in 2023. Both of those players were drafted this past year as Parrish was selected in the third round by Tampa Bay and Sigle was taken in the fifth round by San Francisco.
• Last week at Oklahoma State, the Minneapolis, Minnesota, product recorded his first-career interception.
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 11th nationally and second in the Big 12 with a 26.13-yard average on kickoff returns, a mark that ranks sixth in school history.
• The Wildcats are looking to rank in the top-15 nationally 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.
• Noernberg ranks third in the nation and eighth in school history with his 29.0-yard average this season.
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, Toledo and UNLV 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 10 games is connect on 10-of-12 field goal and all 34 extra-point attempts. His first miss this season was a blocked 56-yard attempt as time expired at Baylor, while he was just off on a 38-yard attempt at Oklahoma State.
• Rodriguez has the seventh-longest streak in school history of extra-point connections to start a season.
HIGH AVERAGE BY McCLANNAN
• Sophomore punter Simon McClannan ranks sixth in the Big 12 with a 42.0-yard average on 42 punts. His average is boosted by 11 punts that have traveled at least 50 yards after only six such punts over 13 games last year.
• 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 26th-career game with a 42.17-yard average on 89 career punts, which ranks seventh 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 161 games and 459 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 – 199).
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 15 of their own.
K-State at 13/13/14 Utah
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (CT)
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium (51,444)
Series: First Meeting
TV: ESPN2 (watch)
Dave Flemming (Play-by-Play)
Brock Osweiler (Analyst)
Stormy Buonantony (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. 384, and on the SiriusXM App
Big 12 Radio on TuneIn
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
THE TOP 5
1) Coming off its first win in Stillwater since 2017, Kansas State will hit the road for the final time in 2025 looking for bowl eligibility as it travels to Salt Lake City to face No. 13 Utah on Saturday inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. CT, and will be shown on ESPN2 with Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) on the call.
2) After starting the season with four-straight one possession games and going 1-3 in those contests, the Wildcats have gone 4-2 in their last six games with three victories coming by multiple scores. The Wildcats have averaged 30.8 points per game over their last six games, as K-State is ranked 19th nationally in scoring among Power 4 teams since September 27.
3) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 25th-career start under center having thrown for 2,168 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, while he has rushed for seven touchdowns. He is one of 10 quarterbacks nationally with 17 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores this season. Johnson has thrown scoring strikes to six different players, with Garrett Oakley and Jayce Brown leading the way with five apiece.
4) Linebacker Des Purnell has 58 tackles this season and has been on fire over his last four games by totaling 26 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two picks, five passes defended and a forced fumble. Cornerback Zashon Rich is tied for second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally with nine pass breakups, while the Cats rank second nationally in fumble recoveries (12) and fourth in turnovers gained (24).
5) Kicker Luis Rodriguez is 10-for-12 on field goals and has converted on all 34 extra-point attempts, which is the seventh-longest streak in school history to begin a season. Punter Simon McClannan ranks sixth in the Big 12 with a 42.0-yard average. The Cats rank 11th nationally with a 26.13-yard kickoff return average, led by Bryce Noernberg, who ranks third in the country with a 29.0-yard average.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
61 – Big 12 road victories by K-State since the conference's inception in 1996, the most among active programs.
27 – The Wildcats are in search of their 27th bowl appearance all time, including their 14th in the last 16 seasons.
24 – Number of turnovers the Wildcats have forced this season, which ranks fourth in the nation.
16 – Games with multiple touchdown passes over the last two seasons by Avery Johnson, the third most in the nation.
5 – Turnovers forced by K-State last week at Oklahoma State, its most in a game in 12 seasons (6 at Kansas in 2013).
TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
• Kansas State forced a season-high five turnovers to push the Cats to a 14-6 win at Oklahoma State last week, its first win in Stillwater since 2017 and just the second since 1999.
• Prior to that, K-State suffered a 43-20 loss to No. 13 Texas Tech, a game that got away from the Wildcats after they had the ball down nine points (29-20) with seven minutes remaining.
• The game against the Red Raiders came on the heels of a dominating 42-17 win at Kansas, its 17th straight wins over the Jayhawks.
• Avery Johnson was 11-of-17 for 231 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against the Jayhawks, while Jayce Brown caught four passes for 160 yards, including a 78-yard score.
• Defensively, the Wildcats forced four total turnovers and pressured quarterback Jalon Daniels most of the day. Kansas averaged just 3.2 yards per snap in the contest.
• Prior to the KU game, the Wildcats picked up a 41-28 victory over TCU in 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.
• Johnson threw three touchdown passes against the Horned Frogs, including two to tight end Garrett Oakley, which gave him the school's career record by a tight end.
LOOKING FOR NO. 6
• Kansas State will be looking for its sixth victory of the year to advance to the postseason for a fifth-straight season and the 14th time in the last 16 years.
• Entering the 2025 season, K-State was one of just 19 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 13 times in the previous 15 years.
SIX ONE-SCORE GAMES
• Of Kansas State's last 23 games dating back to Week 2 of the 2024 season, 12 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 six one-possession games but has only come out on the winning side twice. In three of the losses, the Wildcats had the ball with a chance to either tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
• K-State's six one-score games this year are tied for the third most among Power 4 teams (Arizona State, Iowa State – 7, Arkansas, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Virginia – 6).
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 19th among Power 4 teams with 32 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
• The Wildcats are tied for first among current Big 12 teams and 18th among Power 4 teams with 32 total wins since the beginning of 2022.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
• K-State has a total of 236 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (248), TCU (244) and Utah (241).
A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has totaled 148 Big 12 victories since the conference's formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active programs.
• In terms of Big 12 road wins, the Cats lead all active programs with 61 wins, followed by Oklahoma State (55) and Texas Tech (53).
• The Cats are also rank first among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011 (min. 50 games). They sit at 59.4% (79-54), ahead of Oklahoma State (57.9%; 77-56).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 44-22 (66.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 35-32 (52.2%) on the road/neutral.
A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 125-46 career record, as his 73.1% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have completed at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 15 current Power 4 full-time head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
• Klieman, who is 53-33 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 at Utah ranked fourth nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.5) and ninth fewest penalty yards per game (33.4).
• Since 2022, the Wildcats have averaged 41.94 penalty yards per game (50 games) to rank seventh among Power 4 teams, while their 4.86 penalties per game also rank seventh.
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 139 since 1999, 11 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 128) and 18 more than the next Big 12 program (Utah – 121).
• K-State recorded four non-offensive scores during the 2024 season – its most since also recording four in 2020 – and has equaled that mark in 2025.
• The first non-offensive score of the year was Bryce Noernberg's 99-yard kickoff return against Army.
• Against TCU, Wesley Fair had a 15-yard fumble return touchdown 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.
• Ralph Ortiz scooped up an errant snap on a punt and returned it 20 yards for a score at Kansas.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
HIGH POINT TOTAL vs. BIG 12
• Kansas State has averaged 32.8 points per game in conference play since the beginning of 2022, ranking 12th in the nation, sixth among Power 4 teams and tops in the Big 12.
• The Cats have hit the 30-point mark in 22 of their 34 Big 12 games since the start of 2022, including four times this season with a highwater mark of 42 points at Kansas.
• K-State had a four-game streak scoring at least 30 points against UCF (34), Baylor (34), TCU (41) and Kansas, its longest streak overall since doing so in six-straight games during the 2003 season.
TOTAL OFFENSE
• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 36 of the last 50 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
• The 36 games with at least 375 yards rank 11th in the Power 4 and second among Big 12 schools (TCU – 40).
• Georgia, Ole Miss and USC lead the way with 42, followed by TCU, Oregon and Tennessee with 40, Washington with 39, Texas and Ohio State with 38 and LSU with 37.
• During that stretch, K-State holds a 28-8 record when totaling at least 375 yards, while the Wildcats are 5-9 when going under that mark. Three of their wins when going under 375 yards of offense have come this season.
RED ZONE SUCCESS
• Kansas State enters the week ranked sixth in the Big 12 by converting 89.7 % (26-of-29) of its red zone opportunities.
• That included a streak of 22-straight red-zone scores, which was the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 until taking a knee at the end of the Kansas game to run out the clock.
• 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 as they rank first in the Big 12 with an 89.9% (295-of-328) success rate in the red zone since 2019, just ahead of Texas Tech (87.9%).
• K-State also ranks first in the league in touchdown success rate at 67.1% (220-of-328), ahead of Kansas (66.2%) and Utah (66.2%).
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 rank fifth among Power 4 teams and second in the Big 12 by allowing only 1.44 sacks per game over the last six-plus seasons, a span of 86 games.
• K-State enters the week ranked 12th in the nation and third in the Big 12 by allowing 1.00 sacks per game this season.
MULTIPLE SCORING STRIKES
• Quarterback Avery Johnson has produced 16 games with multiple passing touchdowns since 2024, which is the third most in the nation among active players.
• When adding in his two scoring strikes in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Johnson's 17 multi-touchdown games are the most ever by a K-State quarterback, one more than Will Howard. Jake Waters is next on the list with 15 games, followed by Josh Freeman (13), Michael Bishop (12) and Skylar Thompson (11).
ON THE BRINK
• Avery Johnson ranks second in school history with 47 career touchdown passes, just one shy of tying the record held by Will Howard (2020-23).
• His 17 passing touchdowns this season rank third in school history among juniors – three shy of the record – and one shy of entering the school's top-10 list among all passers.
5,000/1,000
• During the Texas Tech game, Avery Johnson eclipsed the 5,000-yard passing mark in his career to become just the third quarterback in program history to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.
• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson joined Ell Roberson (2000-03) and Skylar Thompson (2017-21) on the list, but Johnson was the fastest of the three to reach those numbers. He hit the marks in his 30th career game, while it took Thompson 36 games and Roberson 41 games to reach the milestone.
• Johnson is one of 20 active players in the nation to hit those career marks but one of only four to currently be in just their third season of action (UNLV's Anthony Colandrea, Arkansas State's Jaylen Raynor, Tulane's Jake Retzlaff).
VERY EFFICIENT
• Avery Johnson tallied a career-best pass efficiency rating of 217.7 at Kansas. It was the 10th-best mark by a K-State quarterback since 1996 (minimum 15 attempts), the best since Jesse Ertz had a 319.8 rating against Central Arkansas in 2017 and the best in a Big 12 game since Jake Waters had a 218.1 mark against Kansas in 2014.
• Johnson's mark against Kansas was the third best by a Big 12 quarterback in a conference game this season (min. 15 attempts).
AVERY ON THE RUN
• Avery Johnson ranks fifth in school history among quarterbacks with 1,270 career rushing yards, while his 4.98-yard career average on 255 carries ranks second in school history among quarterbacks (Jesse Ertz, 2014-17 – 5.46) and just outside the top 10 among all players.
• When taking away sack yardage, Johnson has rushed for 1,454 yards on 231 true rushing attempts, good for a 6.29-yard clip.
BROWN DELIVERS
• Wide receiver Jayce Brown leads the Wildcats this season with 41 receptions for 712 yards and five touchdowns.
• He had his best game as a Wildcat at Kansas, catching four passes for 160 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown. It was the most receiving yards by a Wildcat since Byron Pringle had 166 yards at Oklahoma State in 2017.
• Brown's 40.0-yard average was the fourth-highest average nationally in a game this season (minimum four catches) and the third-highest average by a Big 12 player since 2018.
• A native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Brown has a career receiving average of 17.15 yards to rank seventh in school history and fourth in the nation among active players.
CAREER RECORD FOR OAKLEY
• Tight end Garrett Oakley has tallied 12 career receiving touchdowns, which is the most ever by a K-State tight end.
• The previous record of 10 was shared by current Washington Commander Ben Sinnott (2021-23) and Henry Childs (1971-73).
• Oakley, a product of Columbus, Nebraska, has five receiving touchdowns this season, which is tied for fourth in the nation among tight ends and second in school history at the position.
• Two of Oakley's touchdowns came against TCU as he is one of two Big 12 tight ends with a multi-touchdown game in conference play this season (Baylor's Michael Trigg vs. Arizona State).
• Oakley is also tied for fourth in school history among tight ends in career catches (67) and ranks fifth in yards (746). He has 34 catches this year to rank fifth in school history at the position.
TOUGH 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.
• Most of Jackson's damage against the Horned Frogs came in the second half when he tallied 88 yards on 21 carries.
• He backed that up with another solid outing at Kansas, rushing for 69 yards on 20 carries, including 35 yards on 13 attempts in the second half to help run out the clock.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
OPENING DRIVE DEFENSE
• Kansas State has allowed points only three times on opponents' first drive of the game or second half, which was a field goal to open the game at Baylor, a short-field touchdown by Kansas following a fumble on the opening kickoff and a score by Texas Tech to start the second half.
• Of the 20 total drives to start a half, the defense has forced 13 punts – including eight 3-and-outs – an interception, a fumble recovery, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs.
• Six of the 3-and-outs have come on opponents' initial drives of the second half. K-State's opponents have only managed six first downs and 131 total yards on the 10 opening drives of the second half (0.6 first downs and 13.1 yards per game).
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the 2021 season (63 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).
• Since head coach Chris Klieman's first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 48 of their 60 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 year with just three takeaways in the first three games, K-State has turned the tide on turnovers.
• The Wildcats have forced multiple turnovers in each of the last seven games, which is the longest active streak in the nation. It is also the longest streak by a K-State team since doing so in nine-straight games from Oct. 2, 1999 (at Texas) through Dec. 29, 1999 (vs. Washington in Holiday Bowl).
• K-State has totaled 21 turnovers since its Sept. 13 game at Arizona, tied for the second most among Power 4 teams.
• The Wildcats enter the week ranked fourth nationally and second in the Big 12 with 24 total turnovers gained this season.
• It is the third time in the last four years K-State's defense has posted at least 20 turnovers in a season, their best stretch since 2014-17. K-State forced 23 turnovers in 2023 and 24 in 2022.
CREATING TURNOVERS
• The turnover theme over the last seven games mirrors what K-State has done over the last three-plus seasons as K-State has forced 86 turnovers since 2022, which is tied for fifth nationally, tied for third among Power 4 teams and the most among active Big 12 teams.
• Of the 86 turnovers, 51 have been via interception to rank second among active Big 12 programs and tie for 10th among Power 4 teams.
JUMPING ON THE BALL
• The K-State defense has had a propensity of falling on fumbles this season as it ranks third nationally with 12 recoveries.
• The 12 fumble recoveries this season are the most through the first 10 games of a season since the 2012 team had 12 recoveries in the first 10 games. Last year, the Wildcats only had five fumble recoveries over 13 games.
• K-State's 12 recoveries this season have come from 12 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), Wesley Fair (TCU), Ralph Ortiz (Kansas), Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (Kansas), Ryan Davis (Texas Tech), Rex Van Wyhe (Oklahoma State) and Damian Ilalio (Oklahoma State).
ON A HEATER
• Senior linebacker Des Purnell has been outstanding in the last four games, totaling 26 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five total passes defended and a forced fumble.
• Against TCU, Purnell had five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions – including on he returned 25 yards for a touchdown – and two pass breakups. For his effort, he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
PURNELL THE PLAYMAKER
• Des Purnell's sack and pick-6 against TCU 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 nine in the country.
• His four total passes defended are tied for sixth in the country for a single game this season and 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 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 three career non-offensive touchdowns. He ranks seventh 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.
BREAKING UP THE PASS
• Sophomore cornerback Zashon Rich has nine pass breakups in 10 games this season to tie for third in the Big 12 and 14th in the country.
• His nine pass breakups are the most since Jacob Parrish and Marques Sigle each had nine in 2023. Both of those players were drafted this past year as Parrish was selected in the third round by Tampa Bay and Sigle was taken in the fifth round by San Francisco.
• Last week at Oklahoma State, the Minneapolis, Minnesota, product recorded his first-career interception.
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 11th nationally and second in the Big 12 with a 26.13-yard average on kickoff returns, a mark that ranks sixth in school history.
• The Wildcats are looking to rank in the top-15 nationally 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.
• Noernberg ranks third in the nation and eighth in school history with his 29.0-yard average this season.
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, Toledo and UNLV 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 10 games is connect on 10-of-12 field goal and all 34 extra-point attempts. His first miss this season was a blocked 56-yard attempt as time expired at Baylor, while he was just off on a 38-yard attempt at Oklahoma State.
• Rodriguez has the seventh-longest streak in school history of extra-point connections to start a season.
HIGH AVERAGE BY McCLANNAN
• Sophomore punter Simon McClannan ranks sixth in the Big 12 with a 42.0-yard average on 42 punts. His average is boosted by 11 punts that have traveled at least 50 yards after only six such punts over 13 games last year.
• 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 26th-career game with a 42.17-yard average on 89 career punts, which ranks seventh 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 161 games and 459 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 – 199).
• 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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/ FootballK-State Football | Chris Klieman Press Conference - Nov. 17, 2025
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