GAME 5
Houston at K-State
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Series: Series Tied, 1-1
TV: FOX (watch)
Tim Brando (Play-by-Play)
Devin Gardner (Analyst)
Josh Sims (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. 173 or 237, and on the SiriusXM App
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
K-STATE LOOKS TO REBOUND AGAINST HOUSTON
Coming off a tough 31-26 loss at Cincinnati and its lone bye of the season, K-State looks to bounce back by hosting No. 22 Houston on Saturday in a 2:30 p.m. contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be shown on FOX with Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst) and Josh Sims (sidelines) on the call, while the K-State Sports Network begins its coverage at 12:30 p.m., with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action.
JOHNSON MOVING UP SEVERAL CAREER CHARTS
Avery Johnson continues to push his name toward the top of multiple records in K-State career history. Most recently, Johnson moved into third place in school history in passing yards (6,486), total offense (8,155) and passing attempts (912), while he moved into sixth place in rushing attempts among quarterbacks (304). Johnson has his sights set on numerous other marks, including career touchdown responsibility where he is in second place with 80, just seven shy of the mark held by current head coach Collin Klein.
CATS CONTINUE TO LEAD NATION IN PASS DEFENSEKansas State has allowed only 106.3 passing yards per game this season, leading the nation by 12.1 yards per game and the Big 12 by 38.5 yards per game. One of the main reasons the Wildcats are stout against the pass is they rank 16th nationally with 3.00 sacks per game. K-State has seven players that have recorded at least one sack, led by Wendell Gregory and Darien Whitaker Jr. with 2.5 apiece. Gregory also ranks second nationally with 2.13 tackles for loss per game.
SEVEN FOR SATURDAY• K-State is one of eight FBS teams to rank in the top 25 in total offense, total defense, scoring offense and scoring defense.
• K-State is the only FBS team and one of only nine teams among all NCAA divisions to have not allowed a sack this season.
• The last time the Wildcats did not allow a sack in any four-game stretch was the first four games of 2008.
• The Wildcats are tied for fifth nationally with 7.5 rushes per game of 10 or more yards.
• K-State ranks second in the nation by converting on 65.0% (39-of-60) of its third-down attempts. Houston is first at 65.5%.
• The Cats rank fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 9.3 tackles for loss per game, recording at least seven in every contest.
• K-State's 37 tackles for loss through its first four games are its most since 2000 (38).
TEAM NOTESRECENT RECAP
• Kansas State is coming off its lone bye of the season, which followed the Wildcats' first defeat of 2026, a 31-26 setback at Cincinnati.
• Down five with 51 seconds remaining, K-State had the ball with a chance to drive for a game-winning touchdown but came up empty.
• The setback at Cincinnati came on the heels of one of the best collective non-conference performances in by the Wildcats in the Big 12 era in wins over Nicholls (71-3), Washington State (34-7) and Tulane (31-20).
• K-State's 491.3 yards of total offense was its best mark in regular-season non-conference action in the Big 12 era (since 1996), while the Wildcats put together their fourth-best mark in yards allowed (182.7), sixth-best showing in points per game (45.3) and eighth-best result in points allowed per game (10.0).
IN THE TOP 25 IN FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES
• K-State enters the week ranked in the top 25 in total offense (20th – 480.3), total defense (10th – 246.0), scoring offense (19th – 40.5) and scoring defense (22nd – 15.3).
• The Wildcats are one of eight teams nationally to rank in the top 25 in those four major categories, joining Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Nebraska, Miami, Ohio State and Utah.
CATS IN BIG 12 HOME OPENERS
• Kansas State is 19-11 (.633) all-time in its Big 12 home openers, including wins in each of its last four opportunities against Texas Tech (2022), UCF (2023 and 2025) and Oklahoma State (2024).
• The Wildcats’ first Big 12 home contest was the first ever Big 12 Conference game when they defeated Texas Tech, 21-14, at then-KSU Stadium on August 31, 1996.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
• Of the 88 available starts on offense and defense this season, just under 44.3% (39 of 88) are made up of transfers.
• The biggest area in which newcomers are making an difference is sacks and tackles for loss. Of the Wildcats' 12 sacks, 7.5 (62.5%) are from newcomers, while 47.3% (17.5) of their Big 12-leading 37 tackles for loss are from those new to the program.
• Kansas State’s 2026 roster features 59 newcomers, equating to 52.7% of its roster.
• The 59 newcomers on the roster rank seventh in program history. The school record for newcomers in a season is 72 in 2002.
LETTERWINNER TURNED COACH
• Collin Klein, the former Heisman Trophy finalist and starting quarterback of the 2012 Big 12 Championship team, is in his first season as head coach in 2026.
• He is the first former K-State letterwinner to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975 through 1977.
• In fact, Klein is one of only four former letterwinners to take the helm of the K-State program as he and Rainsberger are joined by Lud Fiser (1945) and Ralph Graham (1948-50).
FOUR-STRAIGHT WINNING BIG 12 SEASONS
• K-State has produced winning Big 12 records each of the last four seasons, its longest streak since doing so from 2011-14.
• The Wildcats are one of only two Big 12 teams with a current four-year streak of winning Big 12 records (Texas Tech).
THE BIG 12’S BEST
• Kansas State has totaled 149 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are 16 wins ahead of Oklahoma State (133) and 21 ahead of Texas Tech (128). The Wildcats, Cowboys and Red Raiders are the only three Big 12 teams with over 100 conference wins.
• K-State is also first among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011 (minimum 50 games). The Wildcats sit at 58.8% (80-56), ahead of Oklahoma State (57.4%; 78-58) and TCU (54.7%; 70-58).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 45-23 (66.2%) at home and 35-33 (50.7%) on the road/neutral in Big 12 play.
VERY FEW PENALTIES
• Since 2022 – the year that current head coach Collin Klein took over as offensive coordinator – the Wildcats have averaged only 42.16 penalty yards per game (56 games) to rank eighth among Power 4 teams (min. 50 games).
• K-State enters the week ranked fourth nationally in fewest penalties per game (3.75) and seventh in fewest penalty yards per game (34.75).
THE NATION’S LEADER IN NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS
• K-State leads the country in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 28 seasons as it has 140 since 1999, seven more than the second-place team (Alabama – 133) and 18 more than the second-best Big 12 program (Utah – 122).
• K-State recorded five non-offensive scores in both 2024 and 2025, and they got on the board this year with a Brandon White punt return score against Nicholls.
A REGULAR IN THE POSTSEASON
• Kansas State has qualified for postseason play in 14 of the last 15 seasons (excluding COVID) as the Wildcats earned a 6-6 record in 2025 but opted to not participate in a bowl game due to the change in coaching staff.
• The Wildcats are one of only 15 Power 4 teams – and the only Big 12 program – to be eligible in 14 of the last 15 seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M and Washington.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
• Prior to the opener, Kansas State announced six team captains for the 2026 season in defensive ends Jordan Allen and Travis Bates, running back Joe Jackson, quarterback Avery Johnson, tight end Garrett Oakley and linebacker Gabe Powers.
• Each of them were voted captains for the first time in their careers except for Johnson, who is now a captain for a third time. He is the ninth player in school history to be named a captain on three occasions and the third quarterback, joining current head coach Collin Klein (2010-12) and Skylar Thompson (2019-21).
OFFENSIVE NOTESHIGH SCORING THROUGH 4 GAMES• Kansas State has put up 162 points through the first four games of 2026. It is the most the Wildcats have scored in the first third of the season since the 2012 squad – which was quarterbacked by current head coach Collin Klein – also had 162 points through four games.
• The 162 points scored this season are tied for the Wildcats' sixth most through four games in the Big 12 era.
• The Klein tenure was kicked with a 71-point outburst in the season opener against Nicholls. It was the fourth-most points scored in a game in school history and the most in an opener.KLEIN’S HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSES• K-State head coach Collin Klein has been one of the top offensive play callers in the nation the last four-plus seasons. He earned his first offensive coordinator post with the Wildcats in 2022 and 2023 before moving to Texas A&M for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
• During his four seasons as an offensive coordinator, Klein helped the Wildcats and Aggies to a combined 38-15 record, including a Big 12 Championship at K-State in 2022 and a berth into the College Football Playoff at Texas A&M in 2025.
• Since 2022, Klein’s offenses have averaged 33.9 points per game, which would tie for 13th among Power 4 programs.
• Additionally, his last five offenses have combined for 433.9 yards per game (230.7 passing yards per game/201.4 rushing yards per game) which would rank 14th among Power 4 schools.
• His teams the last four-plus years have combined for 274 plays of at least 20 or more yards (189 pass/85 rush), good for an average of 4.8 per game.HIGH POINT TOTAL vs. BIG 12• When Collin Klein took over the K-State offense in 2022, it began a Big 12-leading trend of averaging 32.7 points per game in conference contests. Additionally, the Wildcats rank 15th nationally and seventh among Power 4 teams in points per game in conference games since 2022 (min. 30 games).
• The Cats have hit the 30-point mark in 23 of their 37 Big 12 games since the start of 2022, which includes nine times over the last two-plus seasons with current quarterback Avery Johnson running the offense.
• K-State had a four-game streak of scoring at least 30 points last year against UCF (34), Baylor (34), TCU (41) and Kansas (42), its longest streak in conference play since doing so in six-straight games during the 2003 season.PAVING THE WAY• Kansas State's offensive line has gotten off to a good start in 2026 as the Wildcats are fifth in rushing yards per carry (6.38), tied for fifth nationally in runs of 10 or more yards per game (7.5), rank eighth in runs of 20 or more yards per game (2.5), and rank 13th in rushing yards per game (240.8).PROTECTING THE PASSER• Kansas State is the only FBS team to have not allowed a sack, keeping its quarterbacks clean over 139 pass blocking attempts and 16 quarterback scrambles this season.
• In fact, not only are the Cats the only FBS team to have not allowed a sack in 2026, they are one of only nine teams across all NCAA divisions to not allow one. Division II team Ferris State and Division III programs Azusa Pacific, Merchant Marine, Monmouth (Ill.), Ohio Wesleyan, Rhodes, Saint John's (Minn.) and Springfield are the other teams to not allow a sack this season.
THE FIRST TO 6,000/1,500• Avery Johnson is the only player in school history to throw for at least 6,000 yards and rush for 1,500 yards, going over both of those marks during the Tulane game.
• Johnson is one of only 11 quarterbacks in Big 12 history to reach those two career milestones and just the fourth since 2016. He is also one of just three active players to accomplish the feat, joining Auburn's Byrum Brown and Utah's Devon Dampier. However, Johnson is the only quarterback that is currently in his fourth year of college football as the other two are in their fifth seasons.
• Johnson enters the Houston game ranked fourth in school history in career passing yards with 6,194 – just 15 yards shy of passing Lynn Dickey (1968-70) for third place – while he ranks third in career rushing yards by a quarterback at 1,631.
THIRD-YEAR STARTER• Quarterback Avery Johnson is back for his third year of starting duties in 2026 having started each of the last 30 games. His 30-consecutive starts is the second-longest streak in school history behind Josh Freeman’s 32-straight starts from 2006-08, while Johnson's 30 starts rank fourth overall.
• Johnson has led the Wildcats to 19 wins as a starting quarterback, which ranks sixth in school history. Skylar Thompson (2017-21) holds the top mark with 24, followed by a tie for second with 22 wins by Ell Roberson (2001-03), Michael Bishop (1997-98) and Collin Klein (2010-12), while Johnathan Beasley (1999-2000) led the Wildcats to 21 wins.
• Johnson is one of only two quarterbacks in the Big 12 in 2026 to have started for multiple years at the same school. The other is Noah Fifita, who has made 39 starts over the last three-plus seasons at Arizona.
IN A CLUB ALL BY HIMSELF
• Avery Johnson had a historic effort against Tulane as he threw for 227 yards and rushed for 152 yards with two touchdowns.
• He became the first player in school history and just the 14th in Big 12 history to throw for at least 200 yards and rush for at least 150 yards in a single game.
• It was the first time a Big 12 player had accomplished the feat since West Virginia's Garrett Greene against Cincinnati in 2023.
• Johnson's 379 yards of total offense against the Green Wave tied for the 15th most in school history, while his 152 rushing yards were the 10th most ever by a K-State quarterback.
• A native of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson busted a career-long run of 66 yards in the second half, which led to his own seven-yard rushing score on the next play. It was the longest rush by a K-State signal caller since Adrian Martinez recorded a 69-yard touchdown against Texas Tech in 2022.THE SCHOOL’S ALL-TIME LEADER
• Avery Johnson’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs in the first quarter against Nicholls carried significant weight as he broke the school’s career record. Since then, Johnson has thrown six more to bring his total to 55.
• Johnson, who entered 2026 tied with Will Howard (2020-23), became the first K-State quarterback with more than 50 touchdown strikes in a career.
• A product of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson ranks in the top 10 in program history in 14 career categories (see pages 54-55).OAKLEY ALSO AFTER RECORDS• Senior Garrett Oakley is also looking to put his name in the top 10 of several records as he tries to lay claim as the best tight end in school history.
• The career record holder for touchdown catches by a tight end with 13, Oakley is tied for first among all active tight ends in the country in career receiving scores.
• Oakley is also looking to hold the school’s positional records for catches and receiving yards, needing 23 catches and 439 yards to hold those marks as well.
• Following a career-high 80 yards at Cincinnati, Oakley is now 74 yards shy of becoming the fifth tight end in school history to go over 1,000 career receiving yards.RUNNING IN WIDE OPEN FIELDS• Junior transfer Rodney Fields Jr. opened his K-State career with a pair of 100-yard rushing games, going for 101 yards against Nicholls and 105 yards against Washington State.
• A native of Wright City, Oklahoma, Fields Jr. was the first K-State player to rush for 100-yard games in his first two games as a Wildcat since James Gilbert in 2019 against Nicholls (115 yards) and Bowling Green (103 yards).TIBBS REACHES MILESTONE IN CAREER GAME• Senior Jaron Tibbs went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his career in grand fashion against Tulane as he hauled in nine catches for 114 yards.
• The former Purdue transfer surged past his previous career high in receiving yards, which was 80 last year at Baylor, while he eclipsed his previous career high in catches of eight last year against UCF.SEEING DOUBLE• Seeing significant playing time due to injury, Derrick Salley Jr. broke out with a seven-catch, 140-yard performance at Cincinnati.
• Teamed with Jaron Tibbs' 114-yard effort the week prior against Tulane, it marked the first time two different Wildcats had 100-yard receiving games in consecutive contests since Tyler Lockett (158 yards vs. Kansas) and Curry Sexton (104 yards vs. UCLA in the Alamo Bowl) in 2014.
DEFENSIVE NOTESTHE TOP-RANKED PASS DEFENSE
• Kansas State enters the Houston game owning the nation's top-ranked pass defense, allowing only 106.3 yards per game.
• The Cats are also allowing a pass efficiency rating of just 101.67, which ranks eighth in the nation and second in the Big 12.
• K-State allowed only 30 passing yards against Nicholls to open the season, the fewest since the 2016 Missouri State game (24 yards) and the fewest in a full game since the 2000 Ball State contest (5).
• K-State followed that up by limiting Washington State to only 65 passing yards, marking the first time since the 2000 Ball State and North Texas games the Cats allowed less than 100 passing yards in consecutive games.
• The Wildcats are also tied for third nationally by allowing only two passing touchdowns this season.
BEHIND THE LINE• The Cats have opened the 2026 season as one of the nation's best team in terms of tackles for loss, ranking fourth in the country and tops in the Big 12 with 9.3 TFLs per game (37 total).
• K-State's 37 TFLs through the first four games are its most since posting 38 over the first four games of the 2020 season, a campaign in which the Wildcats finished third in school history in TFLs.
• The Wildcats have four players ranked in the top 76 nationally in tackles for loss, led by Wendell Gregory, who ranks second with 2.13 TFLs per game. Fellow defensive end Darien Whitaker Jr. ranks 50th at 1.13 TFLs per game, while linebacker Rex Van Wyhe and defensive end Jordan Allen are tied for 76th at 1.00 TFL per game.
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME• Since the 2021 season (69 games), the Cats are allowing 22.3 points per game, which ranks third among current Big 12 teams and 20th among Power 4 teams (minimum 40 games).
• Since 2019, the Wildcats have held 50 of their 63 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats (excluding 2025 season opener against Iowa State).
CREATING TURNOVERS• Over the last four-plus seasons, K-State has done an excellent job in forcing opponent turnovers. Since 2022, the Wildcats have been on the receiving end of 91 turnovers, which is tied for 19th in the nation, 10th among Power 4 teams and ranks third among active Big 12 teams.
• Of the 91 turnovers, 52 have been via interception to tie for third among active Big 12 programs.
SCOOP IT UP• The K-State defense had a propensity of falling on fumbles last season as it tied for third nationally with 13 recoveries.
• The 13 fumble recoveries last season were the most by a K-State team since the 2012 squad also had 13 recoveries over 13 games. In 2024, the Wildcats only had five fumble recoveries.
• The Wildcats have continued the trend in 2026 by recovering three fumbles in four games this season.
IMPACT ON THE EDGE
• Defensive end Wendell Gregory has had an outstanding beginning of his K-State career as he ranks third in the nation and tops in the Big 12 with 2.13 tackles for loss per game (8.5 total TFLs).
• Gregory is currently riding a three-game streak of at least 2.0 TFLs, which is the longest by a Wildcat since Brandon Harold in 2008 against Montana State (3.0), Louisville (2.0) and Louisiana (3.0).
• A native of Marietta, Georgia, Gregory recorded 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks against Washington State before posting another 3.0 TFLs and a half sack against Tulane.
• It marked the first time a Wildcat had at least 3.0 tackles for loss in consecutive games since Chris Johnson in 2000 against Kansas (7.0) and Oklahoma (3.0).
• The 2025 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, Gregory has recorded 1.14 TFLs per game over his 18-game career to rank third nationally among active players. Colorado's Gideon Lampron (1.29) ranks first, while Texas' Colin Simons (1.17) is second.
A SUCCESSFUL POSITION CHANGE
• Sophomore Darien Whitaker Jr. made the switch from linebacker to defensive end during preseason camp, and the move has paid off as he opened the season with a strip-sack and fumble recovery against Nicholls. He came back with another fumble recovery against Washington State, posted 1.5 sacks against Tulane and had another tackle for loss at Cincinnati.
• Whitaker Jr. enters the week tied for second nationally in fumble recoveries (2) in addition to ranking in the top 60 nationally in tackles for loss (50th – 1.13 per game) and sacks (58th – 0.63 per game).
A STEADY PRESENCE• Linebacker Gabe Powers has recorded a team-leading 22 tackles, posting at least four tops in every game.
• His total through four games – which includes a career-high nine tackles at Cincinnati – is already one more than his previous four years of college football at Ohio State (2022-24) and K-State (2025).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTESSCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE• A big part of K-State’s non-offensive touchdown success comes from special teams as the Wildcats continue to lead the nation in total kickoff- and punt-return touchdowns since 2005 with 64.
• That mark is 24 more than the second-best team in Alabama (40) and 30 more than the closest Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and TCU (34).
• Of the 64 total returns, a nation-leading 32 are on kickoff returns, which are 10 more than the second-best team (San Diego State).
19 AND COUNTING• Kansas State has blocked at least one punt or field goal/extra point every year since 2008, which includes the 2026 season after Jordan Allen blocked a Washington State field goal attempt.
• The Wildcats were one of five FBS teams entering 2026 to have blocked at least one punt, field goal or extra point every year since 2008, joining Boise State, Indiana, Marshall and Texas A&M. K-State, Boise State and Marshall have each extended its streaks this season.
EIGHT STRAIGHT• The Wildcats have blocked at least one punt in eight-straight seasons, which is the longest streak in the nation and the longest by K-State since at least the 1970s.
• New special teams coordinator Stanton Weber held the same title the last three seasons at Toledo. Under his leadership, the Rockets tied for fifth nationally with two blocked punts last year and also had one in 2024.
• Toledo and Michigan are second on the list by blocking a punt each of the last six years, which includes 2026. South Carolina is at five-straight years, a program in which Weber was a special teams analyst in 2021 and 2022.
DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since September 7, 2013, going the last 167 games and 469 returns defended without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.
• The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, more than double the second-best team (Arizona State – 209).
• From the 2013 through the 2025 seasons, the 138 FBS programs have combined to allow 4.5 kickoff return touchdowns since the start of the 2013 season, while the Wildcats have allowed just the one.
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 15 of their own.
TO THE HOUSE
• All fifth-year player Brandon White did on his first-career punt return attempt is take it 65 yards for a touchdown in the 2026 season opener against Nicholls.
• It was Kansas State’s first punt-return touchdown since September 13, 2024, against Arizona, while it was the first non-blocked return touchdown in a season opener since the 2018 South Dakota game.
• A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, White followed that performance up with a 62-yard return in the second quarter against Washington State that was nearly returned for a touchdown but set up a 21-yard score two plays later.
• White, who also added a nine-yard receiving touchdown to close out the game's scoring against the Cougars, enters the week ranked fifth in punt-return touchdowns and 19th in punt-return average (14.5).
HITTING THE MARK• Junior place kicker Luis Rodriguez currently holds the top spot in school history with a 90.0% (18-of-20) conversion rate on field goals. He is just ahead of Matthew McCrane, who held an 86.4% (57-of-66) mark from 2014-17.
• One of his two career misses was blocked a 56-yard attempt at the end of last year's Baylor game, meaning he has been true on 18-of-19 (94.7%) field goal attempts that have gone past the line of scrimmage.
• Among active kickers who have attempted at least 20 career attempts, Rodriguez ranks third in the country.
McCLANNAN’S HIGH AVERAGE• Punter Simon McClannan has had a great start to the 2026 season, adding to an already impressive career.
• A native of Omaha, Nebraska, McClannan enters the week ranked fourth in program history and 17th nationally among active players with a 43.12-yard average over his 107 career punts.
• McClannan holds a 48.6-yard average this year over his 12 punts this season, a mark that would rank fourth in the nation if he had three more attempts to qualify.
• McClannan is tied for fourth in the Big 12 with seven punts that have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line, while his seven punts of 50 or more yards this season rank fifth in the conference and are already more than half his career-best total of 13 last season.