Five storylines to watch as K-State Wildcats host TCU in Big 12 football action
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State sits 2-4 overall and must win four of six remaining to reach bowl eligibility.
- Avery Johnson leads K-State offense after a 339-yard, 3-touchdown performance last week.
- QB Josh Hoover commands high-efficiency passing attack; Horned Frogs stage big comebacks.
Kansas State has reached the midpoint of its football season, and things are not going well for the Wildcats.
Chris Klieman’s team is off to a 2-4 start with a 1-2 record in Big 12 play. That means K-State will need to win four of its final six games to reach bowl eligibility.
Few expected the Wildcats to struggle like this when they were ranked No. 17 in the preseason polls. But here are they are.
K-State will try to get its season turned around at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday when it hosts the TCU Horned Frogs (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Here is everything you need to know to start getting ready for the game:
K-State vs. TCU game details
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan
TV/Stream: FOX
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 1.5 with an O/U of 57.5
Five things to know before Saturday
1. The Wildcats keep losing close games. K-State has gone 1-4 in games that have been decided by a single score this season. Its four losses have come by a combined 13 points. Its lone win came via a last-minute touchdown drive against North Dakota. That has come as a surprising development. In his first six seasons in Manhattan, Klieman’s team went 16-16 in games decided by one score. Last year, the Wildcats were 4-2 in close games. But they simply haven’t been making clutch plays in 2025.
2. Avery Johnson is coming off a monster performance against Baylor. The junior K-State quarterback played one of his best statistical games in a K-State uniform over the weekend when he completed 29 of 45 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 72 yards and one touchdown as a rusher. Johnson threw a costly interception that Baylor returned for a score in the fourth quarter. But he was sharp outside of that one turnover.
3. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12. Things aren’t about to get any easier for the K-State defense. One week after it had to try to contain Baylor gunslinger Sawyer Robertson, it must now try to defend Hoover. The TCU junior has thrown for 1,517 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He is completing 67.3% of his passes. His strong play comes one year after he threw for 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns with the Horned Frogs.
4. Dylan Edwards is once again dealing with some type of injury. The junior running back was in the starting lineup for K-State against Baylor, but he only saw 10 carries. He rushed for 26 yards and a touchdown, but the Wildcats used Joe Jackson more. Afterward, Klieman said that Edwards was dealing with an injury and unable to handle a full workload. Said Klieman: “He’s been battling something with his foot or his ankle, so we had to use some other guys.” It is too early to know if Edwards will be back to full health for the Horned Frogs.
5. No lead has been safe in TCU games this season. The Horned Frogs built a 17-0 lead against Arizona two weeks ago ... and lost the game 27-24. Last week, Colorado built a 14-0 lead over TCU ... and the Horned Frogs ended up winning 35-21. Fans will need to remain patient and not overreact to early scores Saturday. Big comebacks can happen when TCU is involved.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Five storylines to watch as K-State Wildcats host TCU in Big 12 football action."