Grades from Kansas State’s blowout victory at KU and a look ahead to Texas Tech
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State's 42-17 win shifts season trajectory, raises bowl and Big 12 hopes.
- Defense limited Kansas, forced turnovers and restored confidence across units.
- K-State faces Texas Tech as underdog; upset win would vault them into title contention.
A 42-17 victory over Kansas was the type of result that could end up changing the trajectory of Kansas State’s football season.
Not long ago, the Wildcats were 1-3 and Chris Klieman was in danger of suffering his first losing season as a head coach since 2005. Back then he was working at Loras College.
Few in EMAW Nation were happy after K-State lost games to Iowa State, Army and Arizona at the beginning of the year.
But things have changed. The Wildcats have rallied to win three of their past four games. An emphatic win over Kansas served as an exclamation mark for the turnaround.
K-State is now .500 on the season at 4-4. It also has a winning record in Big 12 play at 3-2. And, perhaps best of all, it has extended its winning streak over Kansas to 17.
Bowl eligibility suddenly seems within reach. A trip to Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 championship game is within the realm of possibility. K-State football stock is on the rise.
“I don’t know where this win takes us,” Klieman said, “but I know that when we came back from Arizona and we went back to fall camp, in essence — from then on, we’ve played really good football in all three phases. Has it looked great all the time? No, we have a loss in there, too. But we have played good football. When you play good football like that, you have confidence and belief.”
Let’s dive into those topics and more with analysis from the Kansas game, plus a look ahead to Texas Tech ...
Player of the game: Desmond Purnell
So many things went right for Kansas State on Saturday that there was no shortage of candidates for this honor.
Avery Johnson looked sharp at quarterback. Jayce Brown made big plays at wide receiver. Ralph Ortiz scored on special teams. Gunner Maldonado and Daniel Cobbs both had interceptions.
But I’m going to go with Desmond Purnell as player of the game. Why? Because he did a little bit of everything. The senior linebacker led all defenders with nine tackles. But he also recorded a sack, broke up a pass and forced a fumble.
Best of all, he had enough confidence to publicly state that K-State would “dominate” the game before kickoff. Then he went out and backed up his words.
Stat of the game & quote to note
The Jayhawks didn’t have many big plays on Saturday. Their longest gain of the day went for just 16 yards on a pass to Daniel Hishaw.
As for the quote ...
“We’re still the more talented team. We went out and played like it today.” — K-State quarterback Avery Johnson
K-State football grades
Offense: A. The Wildcats averaged 7 yards per play and scored in a variety of ways. Avery Johnson threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 17 yards and two scores as a rusher. Jayce Brown had more receiving yards (160) than Kansas (137) did as a team. It was an all-around good effort from the K-State offense in bad weather.
Defense: A. Joe Klanderman and his defense were ready for KU quarterback Jalon Daniels. The Wildcats limited him to 129 yards as a passer and 44 yards as a runner. He also turned the ball over twice and looked genuinely spooked by K-State’s front seven. Kansas only gained 247 yards on the day.
Special Teams: C. Bryce Noernberg lost a fumble on the opening kickoff, which led to an easy touchdown for the Jayhawks. But the Wildcats made up for that when Ralph Ortiz scored on a KU punt. Field position was important on Saturday, and K-State was usually in good spots thanks to its return unit.
Coaching: A. Some gave up on the Wildcats when they started the season at 1-3. Chris Klieman deserves credit for guiding a turnaround since then. K-State is back to .500 on the season and it has extended its winning streak over KU. A bowl game no longer feels like a long shot. The Wildcats can even be a factor in the Big 12 championship race if they beat Texas Tech next week.
Next up for K-State: Texas Tech
The Wildcats will next be in action against Texas Tech at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
FOX will televise the game to a national viewing audience.
It figures to be a good game. Texas Tech is off to a 7-1 start, and the Red Raiders are favored to win the Big 12. But the Wildcats have won three of their past four games, and they could enter the Big 12 championship race with an upset.
Texas Tech is an early favorite of 6.5 points in the matchup.
That does not come as a surprise. The Red Raiders have won all seven of their games by at least 24 points. Their lone loss was a back-and-forth affair at Arizona State. Kansas State has been an underdog in each of its past three games. That role seems to suit the Wildcats this season.
Texas Tech is coming off a 42-0 victory over Oklahoma State. K-State is coming off the 42-17 win at Kansas.
This story was originally published October 26, 2025 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Grades from Kansas State’s blowout victory at KU and a look ahead to Texas Tech."