Grades from Kansas State’s encouraging win over UCF and a look ahead to Baylor

Good vibes returned to Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday as the Kansas State football team rolled to a 34-20 victory over UCF.

Tight end Garrett Oakley danced in the end zone after he caught a touchdown pass from Avery Johnson in the third quarter. Running back Dylan Edwards smiled ear to ear after he scored on a 75-yard run. The K-State sideline erupted when Qua Moss pulled off a jaw-dropping interception.

Then head coach Chris Klieman ended his postgame news conference a tad earlier than normal, saying he was eager to go celebrate with his family.

For one afternoon, at least, the frustrations of a disappointing season faded away.

Can K-State (2-3, 1-1 Big 12) build off a game like that as it continues to try to turn its season around?

We shall see next week when the Wildcats head to Waco, Texas, for a game against the Baylor Bears.

Until then, here’s more analysis and grades from the UCF game...

Player of the game: Dylan Edwards

Kansas State’s 1-3 start comes with a bit of an asterisk because Dylan Edwards was barely able to play in any of those games. The Wildcats clearly missed his presence in the backfield. He proved as much Saturday when Edwards made his healthy return to the starting lineup and rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

The UCF defense had to account for his presence whenever he was on the field, and that opened up things for the rest of the K-State offense. The Wildcats rushed for a season-high 266 yards.

Stat of the game & quote to note

UCF went 3-of-13 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. For the first time all season, K-State dominated on money downs.

As for the quote...

“It feels good to win again.” — tight end Will Swanson

K-State football grades

Offense: A. K-State quarterback Avery Johnson showed off his dual-threat talents by rushing for 75 yards and throwing for 168 yards. He also found Will Anciaux and Garrett Oakley for short touchdown passes. This was the most complete game he has played all season. Add on 166 rushing yards from Edwards and K-State was able to overcome the unexpected loss of Jayce Brown, who left early with an injury.

Defense: B. The Wildcats forced three interceptions and held UCF to 13 first downs. Overall, it was a strong effort with Qua Moss, Gunner Maldonado and Justice Clemons all making huge plays. But K-State gave up too many explosive gains. Five different UCF players broke free for plays of 30-plus yards. Two of them went for touchdowns. That is a bit concerning with Baylor’s high-octane offense on deck.

Special Teams: B. Luis Rodriguez connected on both of his field goals and Simon McClannan booted a 65-yard punt. Those were highlights. But the return game was abysmal. One has to wonder why K-State showed zero interest in catching a single punt Saturday.

Coaching: B+. Chris Klieman deserves credit for getting the Wildcats ready to play this game. Many were down in the dumps after a 1-3 start, but K-State stayed positive and got back to its winning ways after a bye week. Klieman has historically struggled with extra time to prepare for games, but he took advantage this time.

Next up: at Baylor

Beating UCF at home was a step in the right direction for K-State, but the Wildcats will face a more difficult challenge next week when they hit the road for a game against Baylor in Waco, Texas.

The Bears (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) are coming off a 45-27 victory at Oklahoma State, and they have one of the most exciting offenses in the conference.

Baylor is averaging 36.6 points and 504.2 yards per game behind quarterback Sawyer Robertson and running back Bryson Washington.

Robertson has already thrown for 1,713 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

K-State’s secondary will be tested in new, challenging ways at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside McLane Stadium.

The Wildcats may need to put up points and try to win a shootout against Baylor’s suspect defense.

This story was originally published September 28, 2025 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Grades from Kansas State’s encouraging win over UCF and a look ahead to Baylor."

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.