Full-Team Effort Allows Wildcats to Skate Past Washington State, 34-7

Saturday, September 12

Manhattan, Kan.

11 a.m.

Kansas State University

2-0 , 0-0

Washington State

0-2 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Washington State	0	7	0	0	7
Kansas State	3	14	10	7	34

Full-Team Effort Allows Wildcats to Skate Past Washington State, 34-7

Sep 12, 2026 | Football

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The defense holds the Cougars to 166 yards of total offense and zero points.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior quarterback Avery Johnson led an efficient Kansas State offense with three touchdowns while the defense held Washington State to 166 total yards in a shutout, as the Wildcats moved to 2-0 on the year with a 34-7 win over the Cougars on Saturday afternoon before a sold-out crowd of 51,759 fans at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

K-State is now 2-0 to start a season for the sixth time in the last eight season dating to 2019.

Johnson and the offense collected nearly 500 yards of total offense, including nearly 300 yards on the ground behind a second consecutive 100-yard rushing game for junior running back Rodney Fields Jr. Johnson added 78 yards on the ground to go along with 192 yards through the air that came on 22-of-34 pass attempts and three touchdowns.

Johnson is now tied with former signal caller Ell Roberson for second all-time on the most touchdowns accounted for with 77 in his career.

Led by a two-sack effort from junior defensive end Wendell Gregory, the Wildcat defense held consecutive opponents under 200 yards for the first time since 2011. The squad held Nicholls to just 122 total yards in the season opener.

K-State scored the first 17 points before finishing with the game's last 17 points.

Place-kicker Luis Rodriguez opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal with 6 minutes left in the first quarter before Johnson connected on back-to-back touchdown passes, including a 6-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Josh Manning and a 21-yard score by senior running back Joe Jackson, for a 17-0 lead.

A 50-yard interception return by WSU safety Jaylen Thomas for a touchdown right before halftime gave WSU (0-2) some life, cutting the lead to 17-7.

After a lightning strike delayed the game for 56 minutes coming out of halftime, the Wildcats ended any hopes of a momentum swing with a 3-and-out on defense and a 75-yard rushing touchdown by Fields for a 24-7 lead. Rodriguez connected on another 31-yard field goal before a 9-yard score from Johnson to fifth year wide out Brandon White made it 34-7 just minutes into the fourth quarter.