Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Kickoff: 12 p.m.
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Series: Oklahoma State Leads, 43-29
TV: TNT/HBO Max
J.B. Long (Play-by-Play)
Mike Golic Jr. (Analyst)
Jared Greenberg (Reporter)
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. 177 or 247, and on the SiriusXM App
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo
CATS WELCOME COWBOYS TO MANHATTAN
Coming off two straight tough road losses, Kansas State returns home as Oklahoma State visits Manhattan on Saturday for a 12 p.m. contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be shown on TNT with J.B. Long (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) and Jared Greenberg (sidelines) on the call, while the K-State Sports Network begins its coverage at 10 a.m. (CT), with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action.
A VALIANT EFFORT BY BARNETT
Kansas State junior quarterback Blake Barnett came off the bench last week at Colorado to throw for 224 yards and three scores. Barnett's three touchdown passes were the first of his career, including a long of 33 yards to Linkon Cure – his first-career receiving touchdown – and one to Garrett Oakley with two seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. It was the 15th receiving touchdown of Oakley's career, which is tied for the most by any active tight end in the nation.
PASS DEFENSE MAKING NOISEKansas State has allowed only 151.9 passing yards per game this season to rank seventh in the nation and tops in the Big 12. One of the main reasons the Wildcats are stout against the pass is they rank fifth in the Big 12 with 2.4 sacks per game and 17th nationally with 6.9 tackles for loss per game. K-State has five players that have recorded multiple sacks, including Jayden Bryant, who leads the team with 4.0 sacks this year in his first season at K-State after transferring from Coastal Carolina.
SEVEN FOR SATURDAY• The Wildcats have started three different quarterbacks in three-consecutive games for the first time since 1983.
• K-State is second nationally in fewest penalties and eighth in fewest penalty yards.
• Kansas State ranks fifth in the nation by converting on 53% (62-of-117) of its third-down attempts.
• The Cats rank 17th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 with 6.9 tackles for loss per game.
• Tight end Garrett Oakley has 15 career receiving touchdowns, tied for the most among all active tight ends in the country.
• Punter Simon McClannan ranks fifth in the nation and is currently tops in school history with a 48.4-yard average this season.
• JoJo Scott ranks fourth nationally among all freshmen and sophomores with eight pass breakups this season.
TEAM NOTESRECENT RECAP
• K-State has dropped consecutive road games following a 27-24 overtime loss at Colorado and a 28-17 decision at Arizona State. Both games saw Wildcat quarterbacks turn in gutsy performances at Colorado (Blake Barnett) and Arizona State (Jacob Knuth).
• That came on the heels of K-State's 18th-straight win over in-state rival Kansas in a 35-24 victory.
• The Wildcats ran for 359 yards against the Jayhawks, which included 159 yards from Joe Jackson and 132 yards from Avery Johnson. It was the most rushing yards in a Big 12 game this season and the seventh most offensive yards in a Big 12 game this season (568).
• It was K-State's fifth-most rushing yards and total offensive yards ever in a Big 12 contest.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
• Of the 176 available starts on offense and defense this season, 46.6% (82-of-176) are made up of transfers.
• The biggest area in which newcomers are making an difference is sacks and tackles for loss. Of the Wildcats' 19 sacks, 10 (52.6%) are from newcomers, while 48.2% (26.5) of their 55 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).
THE BIG 12’S BEST
• Kansas State has totaled 150 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are 15 wins ahead of Oklahoma State (135) and 20 ahead of Texas Tech (130). 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 57.9% (81-59), ahead of Oklahoma State (57.1%; 80-60) and TCU (55.0%; 72-59).
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).
VERY FEW PENALTIES
• Since 2022 – the year that current head coach Collin Klein took over as offensive coordinator – the Wildcats have averaged only 41.97 penalty yards per game (60 games) to rank eighth among Power 4 teams (min. 50 games).
• K-State enters the week ranked second nationally in fewest penalties per game (4.00) and ninth in fewest penalty yards per game (37.00) this season.
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, six more than the team in second place (Alabama – 134).
• 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 NOTESHEAD COACH AND PLAY CALLER• K-State head coach Collin Klein has been one of the top offensive play callers in the nation the last four-plus seasons.
• Since 2022, Klein’s offenses have averaged 33.1 points per game, which would tied for 14th among Power 4 programs.
• Additionally, his last five offenses have combined for 429.9 yards per game, which would also rank 14th among Power 4 teams.
• His teams the last four-plus years have combined for 291 plays of at least 20 or more yards (200 pass/91 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 trend of averaging 31.8 points per game in conference contests, which ranks second in the league. Additionally, the Wildcats rank eighth among Power 4 teams in points per game in conference contests since 2022 (min. 30 games).
• The Cats have hit the 30-point mark in 24 of their 41 Big 12 games since the start of 2022.
• 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 helped the Wildcats rank 11th nationally in rushing yards per carry (5.44), tied for 14th in runs of 20 or more yards (16), and rank 19th in rushing yards per game (205.5).
THREE GAMES, THREE STARTERS• K-State has had a different starting quarterback in each of the last three games as Avery Johnson started against Kansas, Jacob Knuth started at Arizona State and Dillon Duff started at Colorado.
• It was the first time the Wildcats had three different starting quarterbacks in three-consecutive games since 1983 when Doug Bogue, Donnie Campbell and Stan Weber each made starts in consecutive games.
• The Wildcats are one of seven FBS teams this season to started three different quarterbacks in consecutive games, joining Delaware, Nevada, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and UMass.
• Blake Barnett played a significant portion of the Colorado game, engineering a fourth-quarter scoring drive that forced overtime. If he were to get the start against Oklahoma State, it would mark the second-straight season a Big 12 team started four quarterbacks in four-straight games (West Virginia).
THIRD-YEAR STARTER• Quarterback Avery Johnson is in his third year of starting duties in 2026. He saw a streak of 32-consecutive starts snapped at Arizona State, which tied Josh Freeman (2006-08) for the most consecutive starts at quarterback in school history.
• Johnson has led the Wildcats to 20 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 42 starts over the last three-plus seasons at Arizona.
MULTIPLE 200/100 GAMES• Avery Johnson has recorded two games this season with at least 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards as he did so against Tulane (227 pass/152 rush) and KU (209 pass/132 rush).
• He is the fourth Wildcat in the Big 12 era to have two such games in one season, joining Michael Bishop (1998), Collin Klein (2012) and Jake Waters (2014).
HIGH AVERAGE FOR A QB• Avery Johnson has rushed for 462 yards on only 51 carries, good for a 9.1-yard average.
• He leads all qualified quarterbacks nationally in rushing average this season and is 2.9 yards per carry better than the next best Power 4 signal caller (South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers).
IN A CLUB ALL BY HIMSELF
• Avery Johnson had a historic effort against Tulane, throwing for 227 yards and rushing for 152 yards with two scores.
• He became the first player in school history, just the 14th in Big 12 history and one of only three players this season (Texas State's Brad Jackson vs. Colorado State and Utah's Devon Dampier vs. Houston) to throw for at least 200 yards and rush for at least 150 yards in a single game.
• 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.
• The Wichita, Kansas, native enters the week ranked 17th in the nation and fourth in the Big 12 with 293.8 yards of total offense per game.THE SCHOOL’S ALL-TIME LEADER
• Avery Johnson’s first touchdown pass of the season carried significant weight as he broke the school’s career record, a mark that now stands at 58. He is the only K-State quarterback with more than 50 touchdown strikes in a career.
• Johnson ranks in the top 10 in program history in multiple career categories (see pages 57-58).THE FIRST TO 6,500/1,500• Avery Johnson is the only player in school history to throw for at least 6,500 yards and rush for 1,500 yards, and he is one of only 10 quarterbacks in Big 12 history to reach those two career milestones, including the fourth since 2016.
u He is also one of just eight active players to accomplish the feat, including two from the Big 12 in Texas Tech's Tommy Castellanos and Utah's Devon Dampier.
u Johnson is on the doorstep of reaching 7,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his career as he needs 123 yards through the air and 160 yards on the ground to hit those marks.
u He is looking to become fourth player in Big 12 history to hit those two marks as he would join Missouri's Brad Smith (2002-05), Baylor's Robert Griffin III (2008-11) and TCU's Trevone Boykin (2012-15).
ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST TIGHT ENDS• Senior Garrett Oakley is toward the top of several K-State records among tight ends, and he is one of the best active players at the position in the nation.
• The career record holder for touchdown catches by a tight end with 15, Oakley is tied for first among all active tight ends in the country in career receiving scores.
• The Columbus, Nebraska, native became the fifth tight end in school history to reach 1,000 career receiving yards, hitting the mark at Colorado. He ranks ninth nationally among active tight ends in career receiving yards, and his 90 catches rank seventh.TIBBS ON A ROLL• Wide receiver Jaron Tibbs leads the team with 39 receptions for 379 yards and four touchdowns.
• A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Tibbs has averaged 4.30 catches over his 20 games as a Wildcat to rank seventh in school history.
• He recorded receiving touchdowns in three-straight games against Houston, Kansas and Arizona State, becoming the first K-State wide receiver to accomplish the feat since Kade Warner against TCU, Oklahoma State and Texas in 2022.
DEFENSIVE NOTESTOP-TIER PASS DEFENSE
• Kansas State enters the Oklahoma State game owning the nation's seventh-ranked pass defense, allowing only 151.9 yards per game.
• The 151.9 passing yards allowed ranks 13th in Big 12 history and is the best mark since 2004 (Missouri – 149.3).
• K-State opened the season by allowing only 30 passing yards to Nicholls, 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.
BEHIND THE LINE• The Cats are one of the nation's best teams in terms of tackles for loss, ranking 17th in the country and third in the Big 12 with 6.9 TFLs per game (55 total).
• The 55 total tackles for loss through eight games are the most by the Wildcats since the 2007 squad tallied 56.
• Defensive end Wendell Gregory ranks 16th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 1.3 tackles for loss per game (10.5 total). Fellow defensive ends Jordan Allen, Jayden Bryant and Darien Whitaker Jr. have recorded 5.0 tackles for loss or more apiece.
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME• Since the 2021 season (73 games), the Cats are allowing 22.6 points per game, which ranks third among current Big 12 teams and 21st among Power 4 teams (minimum 40 games).
• Since 2019, the Wildcats have held 54 of their 67 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats (excluding 2025 season opener against Iowa State).
BREAKING UP THE PASS• Sophomore defensive back JoJo Scott enters the week tied for 16th in the nation and second in the Big 12 with eight pass breakups this season.
• He ranks fourth nationally among freshmen or sophomores in pass breakups, and he is tops among all Big 12 underclassmen.
• A native of Lakeland, Florida, Scott has recorded seven pass breakups over the last four games, knocking away two passes apiece against Houston, Kansas and Arizona State before tallying another one last week at Colorado.
• He is the first Wildcat with at least seven pass breakups in a four-game span since Duke Shelley had eight over the first four games of the 2018 season.
A SUCCESSFUL FIRST START
• Freshman defensive back Nick McClellan made his first-career start against Kansas a successful one as he recorded three tackles – two of which went for a loss of 14 yards – forced a fumble on a punt attempt that resulted in a safety and broke up a pass with 1:15 remaining as the Jayhawks were in K-State territory trying to cut into an 11-point deficit.
• A native of St. Louis, Missouri, McClellan was honored for his play against the Jayhawks as he was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
IMPACT ON THE EDGE