Edwards Left Everybody Smiling

By: D. Scott Fritchen

It was first-and-10 at the 25-yard line. It was 24-10 Kansas State with 2 minutes, 1 second remaining in the third quarter against UCF and the fifth-ranked scoring defense in the FBS. It was two childhood friends from the Wichita area — quarterback Avery Johnson and standout running back Dylan Edwards — lined up five yards deep next to each other and behind a powerful offensive line having its best game of the season. Two wide receivers to the left, one to the right. Let's roll.

That's exactly what 5-foot-9, 175-pound Edwards did after the shotgun snap — he rolled — when he took the ball from Johnson, took a few steps to the right, ducked inside between two blocks, reached the line of scrimmage, kept going, burst to the outside, met safety Demari Henderson at the 35-yard line, and felt Henderson slide off his back while wide receiver Jaron Tibbs blocked cornerback Jayden Bellamy along the K-State sideline, springing one of the most exciting players in the Big 12 Conference to daylight.

Seventy-five yards to the house.

Cue the cheers. Cue the endzone celebration. Cue the scoreboard. Cue the fireworks. Cue the horn blast.

"We're a different team when Dylan Edwards plays," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said.

Playing his first full game since he skated to a K-State bowl-record 196 rushing yards in the 2024 Rate Bowl, Edwards administered punishment against UCF — 20 carries for 166 yards (8.3 yards per rushing attempt) and one touchdown — behind deft vision, strong legs, some stellar blocking, and 23.41 mile-per-hour speed, which makes him the fastest offensive player for the Wildcats.

"His contact balance is pretty special for a guy his size," K-State running backs coach Brian Anderson said. "You look at his weight-room numbers, and he's a really strong kid for his size, and he can run through contact really, really well. Now he's at the point where we're not just going to run through contact, we're going to make people miss. It's about seeing it and setting guys up to make them miss."

Meanwhile, after missing, in essence, the first four games of the 2025 season due to injury, Edwards was back, and he wouldn't miss this opportunity to help the Wildcats, who improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference on Saturday.

"It was very frustrating and very humbling just watching everybody and watching college football in general," Edwards said. "I wanted to go out there and play in every single game, but I wasn't ready for it. Going out there today, felt really, really good."

As for the 75-yard touchdown run? It was the longest rush by a K-State running back since Deuce Vaughn went 88 yards against No. 5 Alabama in the 2022 Sugar Bowl, and the longest run by a K-State running back at Bill Snyder Family Stadium since Alex Barnes went 75 yards against Oklahoma in 2017.

"I got the handoff and just saw grass and the guys up front did their job, and I got through it," Edwards said. "I felt like I was close on a few runs. Coach Anderson just told me to keep my head down and do what I do, and it was going to open up. The offensive line played great today, and I just fed off their energy."

It was August 13 that we laid eyes on Edwards for the first time since his 196-yard outburst against Rutgers in the 2024 Rate Bowl. The clicking of cleats upon tile floor in the Vanier Family Football Complex preceded the arrival of the junior standout, who reached the carpeted team theater room wearing a white t-shirt and a black Catapult vest following practice, and proclaimed that he demanded more of himself during his second season at K-State.

Here's what Edwards did during his first season at K-State: Playing behind future NFL Draftee DJ Giddens in 2024, Edwards played 232 offensive snaps, and 74 special teams plays, and playing in 12 games with six starts, he rushed for 546 yards and five touchdowns on 74 carries, and he caught 19 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

"I feel like I can be a game changer for this team," Edwards said.

Then there's this: Edwards' 7.4 yards per carry ranked No. 1 among all Power 4 running backs with at least 70 carries in 2024.

"He has a hunger to him, and he has a desire to be the best player in the country," Anderson said. "That's how he works. That's how he's wired."

Edwards' playmaking ability, not to mention about 40% of the offensive playbook, had to be put on hold, though, following an injury early in a season-opening 24-21 loss to No. 22 Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland (he had four carries at Arizona). A nightmare, for sure, and especially for offensive coordinator Matt Wells, who spent the offseason devising creative ways to get Edwards to the house, and also a nightmare for Johnson, who as fans saw on Saturday, plays freer with Edwards posing a constant threat.

Johnson completed 18-of-25 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 12 carries for 75 yards to complement Edwards' prowess in the running game against UCF.

"It's really tough," Johnson said. "A competitor like Dylan not being able to be on the field, you can tell it hurt him just because he wants to be out there with his brothers. Some guys on the team like Garrett Oakley did a really good job of telling Dylan to be patient and his time would come. Dylan was ready for his opportunity. You all know Dylan as a player by now, and he's a big-time player who makes big-time plays when we need them. Being able to have him back, I was super excited for him.

"Whenever his number is called, he's always ready."

Run blockers like tight end Will Swanson were ready for Edwards to be back on the field.

"It helps with the pace of where the football is going to be on the perimeter," Swanson said. "You know he's not getting caught inside the box. He's going to get outside, and it makes your blocks a lot easier just knowing you can rely on him to go out there and make a big play."

Edwards' absence in practice these past weeks even touched the K-State defense as well.

"It's very different, crazy different," cornerback Zashon Rich said. "As a defense, it helps us because there isn't another explosive back like him that we're going to face. Going against him every day just helps us be better."

Another way to look at it: In four games without Edwards, K-State ranked No. 118 nationally in averaging 108.0 rushing yards per game.

In a span of 60 minutes of football against UCF with Edwards on the field, K-State improved its season ranking and rushing average to 92^nd nationally with 139.6 rushing yards per contest.

Those numbers might only continue to elevate as the season rolls along.

"When Dylan is running the ball well, it opens up stuff for me, and when I'm running the ball well, it opens stuff for Dylan," Johnson said. "Just being able to have Dylan back this week really helped us, and it really started to look like the K-State style of offense where we have a running game we can count on and put the ball into the air as well."

Standing surrounded by reporters following his first full game back, Edwards for the first time since the 2024 Rate Bowl flashed a smile. And it was comforting.

"It was a good feeling out there, going out there today, and playing football," he said. "That's something I wanted to do all these weeks I've been out. Just watching the game from the sideline — it was definitely a sad feeling."

On Saturday, Edwards' performance and all that it encompassed — "The Edwards Effect" — perhaps keyed the start of an important turnaround for the Wildcats.

And that left everybody smiling.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Dylan Edwards

DJ Giddens

Avery Johnson

Garrett Oakley

Zashon Rich

Will Swanson

Jaron Tibbs

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