Five things to know as K-State Wildcats turn focus to home opener vs. North Dakota
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State returns home seeking recovery after rivalry loss to Iowa State in Dublin.
- Coach Klieman holds 5-0 FCS record at K-State, faces former FCS rival North Dakota.
- Quarterback Avery Johnson navigates media fallout after family incident in Ireland.
How will the Kansas State football team handle a deflating rivalry loss to Iowa State in Dublin that sent the Wildcats to the bottom of the Big 12 standings in Week 0?
That is the question everyone seems to be asking now that Chris Klieman and his roster have returned home from Ireland. They must now adjust to jet lag and shift their focus to the remaining 11 games on the schedule.
Up next is a 6 p.m. home game against North Dakota on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Here is everything you need to know to start preparing for the game:
Game details
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Not yet available
Five things to know before Saturday
1. History has not been kind to teams that lose in Ireland. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic became an annual game in 2022. Since then, no team that has lost in Dublin has gone on to have a winning season. The last three losing teams went 4-8 (Nebraska in 2022), 5-7 (Navy in 2023) and 2-10 (Florida State in 2024) for a combined record of 11-25. That is admittedly a small sample size, but it still goes to show what K-State will be up against as it looks to bounce back from its overseas loss to Iowa State.
2. Will Dylan Edwards return to action against North Dakota? It is too early to know for sure. The talented junior running back was only able to stay on the field for one play before he was ruled out with an apparent injury against Iowa State. But K-State would gladly welcome him back to the lineup, as the Wildcats only rushed for 110 yards against the Cyclones without him.
3. Few, if any, college football coaches have more wins against FCS teams than Chris Klieman. Before he became the head coach at K-State, Klieman compiled a 69-6 record at North Dakota State. Most of those wins (and four national championships) came against FCS teams. He has also gone 5-0 against FCS teams with the Wildcats. He doesn’t overlook teams like North Dakota.
4. North Dakota is coming off a 5-7 season. The Fighting Hawks got off to a strong start but then lost five straight games to end the campaign on a low note.
5. Avery Johnson will need to block out distractions this week. His father and older brother were caught on video fighting outside Aviva Stadium after the Wildcats lost their season-opener in Dublin. The video went viral on social media and created negative publicity. His family has since apologized for the incident, but it could still cause extra distractions for Kansas State’s QB1 until fans have time to shift their focus elsewhere.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM with the headline "Five things to know as K-State Wildcats turn focus to home opener vs. North Dakota."