MANHATTAN, Kan.-Following a big 41-3 win over TCU last week, K-State will play its second home game in as many weeks when the Houston Cougars visit Manhattan for Homecoming. The game will kick at 11 a.m. from inside a sold-out Bill Snyder Family Stadium and be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sidelines) calling the action.
2) The Cats currently rank 13th nationally and second in the Big 12 by scoring 36.9 points per game while also checking in at No. 3 in rushing at 232.7 yards per game ā which also ranks tops among Power 5 programs. Since Collin Klein took over as offensive coordinator for the 2021 Texas Bowl, K-State is averaging 34.2 points per game on offense, which includes five games this season of 38 or more points.
3) Senior Will Howard and freshman Avery Johnson both directed a K-State offense last week that produced 41 points and 587 total yards, including 406 yards in the first half. Howard threw for three touchdowns for the third time this season, while, the week prior at Texas Tech, Johnson tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns en route to Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.
4) Last week against TCU, the K-State defense limited a potent Horned Frog offense to just three points and 300 yards, with 68 of those yards coming on the last drive of the game. Coming into the contest, TCU was averaging 33.1 points per game and 488.4 yards of offense. Over the last two seasons, K-State has held 13 of its 14 Big 12 opponents under its season scoring averaging entering the game.
5) The K-State defense enters the week ranked in the top 25 nationally in third down defense (15th ā 30.0%), scoring defense (19th - 18.1 ppg), rushing defense (23rd ā 108.9 yds/gm) and tackles for loss (24th ā 6.9 TFLs per game). Since the Cats switched to a 3-3-5 alignment to start the 2021 season, K-State has allowed just 20.8 points per game to rank 20th in the nation and second in the Big 12.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
232.7 ā Average rushing yards this season by K-State, which ranks third nationally and tops among Power 5 programs.
75.4 ā Career winning % by Chris Klieman, which ranks fourth nationally among FBS coaches with at least 10 years experience.
43.7 ā Percentage of offensive drives this season that have ended in touchdowns, a figure that leads the Big 12.
30.0 ā Percentage of red zone touchdowns allowed by K-State, the second lowest in the nation.
0 ā Number of fumbles lost this season as the Wildcats are one of only four remaining FBS teams to not yet lose a fumble.
TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
ā¢ K-State dominated in all three phases in a 41-3 win over TCU last week. Quarterbacks Will Howard and Avery Johnson both engineered a Wildcat offense that generated 406 total yards in the first half and 587 for the game. The Cats ran for a season-high 343 yards on the ground as nine different Wildcats carried the ball, the most ball carries since nine players also logged a rush at Kansas in 2021.
ā¢ Defensively, the Cats kept the Horned Frogs out of the endzone for the first time this season and held them to three total points. TCU averaged more than 33 points per game entering the contest.
ā¢ The week prior, K-State picked up a road win in Lubbock, a 38-21 victory for its eighth-straight win in the series as they rushed for 272 yards and forced three Red Raider turnovers.
ā¢ Johnson ran for five scores, while running back Treshaun Ward had a big night with 118 yards on 15 carries.
ā¢ Defensively, Kobe Savage picked off two Tech passes en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, and the defense held Red Raider running back Tahj Brooks under 100 yards for the first time in a month.
BACK AT HOME IN THE BIG 12
ā¢ Following a four-week hiatus from home games, K-State is hosting its second-straight game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium when Houston comes to town Saturday.
ā¢ The Wildcats are 37-19 in home Big 12 contests since 2011 and have recorded three or more Big 12 homes wins eight times over that 12-plus year stretch.
NEW BIG 12 MATCHUPS
ā¢ Kansas State defeated UCF earlier this season in Manhattan and will now host its second new Big 12 member of the season when the Houston Cougars visit Manhattan.
ā¢ K-State and Houston have never met on the football field, but the Wildcats are familiar with head coach Dana Holgerson from his days leading the West Virginia program.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
ā¢ K-State has a total of 218 victories since 1996, which ranks 23rd nationally.
ā¢ Among current Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fifth behind Oklahoma (269), Texas (235), BYU (228) and TCU (228).
ā¢ Over the last 13 seasons, the Wildcats have won at least seven games 11 times.
POSTSEASON PROMINENCE
ā¢ Kansas State has a strong history of being in the postseason, having advanced to a bowl game 23 times since 1993, including 11 times in the last 13 years.
ā¢ K-State's 23 bowl trips since 1993 are tied for fourth among current Big 12 teams.
ā¢ In an era when over 80 teams play in a bowl game each year, the Cats are one of just 19 Power 5 teams to play in a bowl game 11 times in the last 13 years.
LOOKING FOR WIN #6
ā¢ A win on Saturday against Houston will give K-State bowl eligibility for the fourth time in Chris Klieman's five years at the helm. The only time the Wildcats did not go to a bowl game was during the COVID-ravaged 2020 season.
A WINNING TRADITION
ā¢ Kansas State has been one of the best Big 12 teams since the inception of the conference in 1996. The Wildcats are third with 136 conference victories, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas.
ā¢ The Wildcats are also third in the conference in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.8% (67-45), trailing only Oklahoma (78.4%; 87-24) and Oklahoma State (65.2%; 73-39).
ā¢ During that stretch, the Wildcats are 37-19 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 30-26 (53.6%) on the road.
A WINNING HISTORY
ā¢ A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 107-35 career record, as his 75.4% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons.
ā¢ Klieman, who is 35-22 since arriving at K-State prior to the 2019 season, is also one of just 14 current Power 5 head coaches with at least 100 wins.
CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
ā¢ K-State is the nation's best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 24 seasons as it has 129 since 1999, five more than the next closest team (Alabama ā 124).
ā¢ Of the 129 non-offensive scores since 1999, 44 have been punt returns, 40 interception returns, 33 kickoff returns, 10 fumble returns and 2 missed/blocked field goal returns.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
SCORING SURGE
ā¢ Kansas State has scored at least 38 points in seven of its last nine regular-season contests dating back to last season, its most in a nine-game stretch since doing so seven times in 2003.
ā¢ Included in that stretch was a three-game streak of Big 12 regular-season games with at least 40 points, the longest by the Wildcats since 2012 when they had 55 points against both West Virginia and Texas Tech, and 44 points against Oklahoma State.
ā¢ Since Collin Klein started calling plays during the 2021 Texas Bowl, K-State's offense has averaged 34.2 points per game.
ā¢ The Cats currently rank 13th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 36.9 points per game this season, a figure that ranks sixth in school history.
ā¢ K-State is averaging 3.31 points per drive this season, a figure that also ranks first in the Big 12.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
A BIG TURNAROUND
ā¢ The K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment in 2021, and the change has paid off.
ā¢ In the 34 games since the defensive switch, the Cats are allowing just 20.8 points per game, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 20th in the nation.
ā¢ The Wildcats surrendered just 21.0 points per game in 2021 and 21.9 points per game last year. It marked the first time K-State allowed less than 22.0 points per game in consecutive seasons since going 13-straight years from 1991 to 2003.
ā¢ K-State enters the week ranked 19th nationally and second in the Big 12 by allowing 18.1 points per game. The last time the Wildcats allowed under 20.0 points per game in a season was 2003 (16.3).