Grading Kansas State’s stressful win over North Dakota and looking ahead to Army
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas State edged North Dakota 38-35 but struggled on defense and special teams.
- Quarterback Avery Johnson passed for 318 yards and led a late game-winning drive.
- K-State faces Army next; both teams faltered against FCS opponents last weekend.
It was the type of win that felt like a loss.
Kansas State came from behind to defeat North Dakota 38-35 in a game that was closer than just about anyone could have expected on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. But no one in EMAW nation was toasting the Wildcats afterward. In fact, boos could be heard when it looked like a FCS team was going to leave the Little Apple with a win.
Coach Chris Klieman’s team avoided disaster and K-State quarterback Avery Johnson produced impressive stats as a passer (28 of 43 for 318 yards and three touchdowns), but this performance left fans with more questions than answers.
Where do the Wildcats go from here?
Time will tell, but the preseason optimism that surrounded this team as recently as two weeks ago is beginning to wane.
For now, here’s some analysis from the game:
Player of the game
The obvious choice is Avery Johnson. After all, he threw for more than 300 yards and engineered a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute. But let’s not forget about Jayce Brown. The Kansas State wide receiver caught 12 passes for 109 yards and a score.
Play of the game
Johnson found running back Joe Jackson wide open in the flats for a game-winning touchdown with 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The 51,927 in attendance breathed a collective sigh of relief when he found the end zone.
Stat of the game
All five of North Dakota’s touchdown drives spanned at least 70 yards. The Fighting Hawks carved up Chris Klieman’s defense all night long.
Key quote
“If we’re going to play like this every week, we’re not going to be the team that we want to be.” - Avery Johnson.
K-State football grades
Offense: B. Johnson was fortunate that he didn’t throw a single interception. North Dakota had defenders in position to pick him off multiple times and failed to finish. But the Wildcats took advantage of that good fortune. K-State threw for 318 yards and Johnson made game-winning plays when his team needed him the most. Brown has emerged as a go-to target in the passing game. But the running game still leaves much to be desired without Dylan Edwards. It was nice to see DeVon Rice get going and score twice in the second half, though.
Defense: F. The Wildcats simply couldn’t get off the field as the Fighting Hawks sustained five touchdown drives of at least 70 yards. It was stunning to see a FCS opponent come to Manhattan and gain 354 yards. K-State has major flaws in its secondary.
Special Teams: F. Luis Rodriguez made his first field goal as Kansas State’s kicker, but that’s about the only positive note to pass along here. The Wildcats lost a fumble on a kickoff return and also extended a North Dakota drive by running into the punter. K-State is not playing like “Special Teams U” this season.
Coaching: C. Give Klieman credit for resisting the urge to quote Dominic Toretto’s line from “The Fast and the Furious” when the character won a street race by a close margin and declared “it doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile ... winning is winning.” Instead, he said that the Wildcats “have to get a lot better.” In fact, he seemed angry at times during his postgame news conference. K-State players need tough love after a game like this.
Next up: Army
Based purely on the results of this weekend, Kansas State’s next game against Army is shaping up to be a pillow fight.
The Black Knights and the Wildcats both hosted FCS teams at home in contests they were expected to win by multiple touchdowns. But things didn’t play out as expected.
Army is coming off an overtime loss to Tarleton State. K-State is coming off a narrow win over North Dakota.
The Black Knights are clearly down from last season when they won 12 games, including a win over Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl. But they are still a difficult team to prepare for because of their triple-option offense.
K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will need to prepare his unit for a unique brand of football that the Wildcats haven’t faced since Navy at the 2019 Liberty Bowl.
The game is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on ESPN.
This story was originally published August 31, 2025 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Grading Kansas State’s stressful win over North Dakota and looking ahead to Army."