Kansas State’s upset bid falls painfully short at Utah. Here are the takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas State ran for a school-record 472 yards; Joe Jackson rushed for 293 yards, 3 TDs
- Utah overcame deficits, amassed 551 yards and won after a late Devon Dampier keeper.
- Penalties and a fourth-quarter interception cost K-State bowl eligibility and momentum
College football is filled with unexpected results. That is one of the many reasons fans tune in to games every week in the fall. It doesn’t matter how well you think you know a team, there is always a chance it will surprise you.
Kansas State’s near upset against Utah, which the Utes won 51-47 on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, was one of those games.
The Utes were favored by 17.5 points and in contention for a playoff berth. The Wildcats had a .500 record and were coming off a lackluster win in which they scored just two touchdowns against Oklahoma State.
On paper, K-State didn’t stand a chance.
But the Wildcats defied the odds with their best rushing performance in school history. K-State ran for a program record 472 yards. And running back Joe Jackson set the individual record previously held by Darren Sproles by rushing for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
No one could have seen that coming.
K-State only rushed for 107 yards last week against the Cowboys. It hadn’t rushed for more than 266 yards in a game all season.
Add in the fact that the Wildcats didn’t have top wide receiver Jayce Brown, who is out for the season with an injury, to take pressure away from their running game and this seems even more unlikely. But K-State’s offensive line won in the trenches and its running backs broke free for numerous explosive gains.
“That is one of the best defenses in the country that we rushed for 472 yards on,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said, “because we told the guys we were going to commit to running the football. We told the guys to buy into it, believe in it. We are running the football against these guys, because nobody’s trying like we’re going to try it. And the kids bought into it.”
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson called it “the best rushing performance I have ever been a part of at any level.”
But it wasn’t enough.
The Wildcats led 31-21 at halftime and then 47-35 with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But they couldn’t slam the door on the Utes.
Utah fought back with 551 total yards of its own and surged ahead in the final minute thanks to a 59-yard keeper from quarterback Devon Dampier. That long gain set the Utes up near the goal line. He later scored on a 1-yard plunge with 54 seconds remaining to give his team a 51-47 advantage.
Johnson threw an interception on the ensuing possession and Utah celebrated a wild and crazy win.
K-State (5-6, 4-4 Big 12) remains one win shy of bowl eligibility. Utah (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) stayed alive for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Up next for the Wildcats is a home game against Colorado.
Until then, here are four takeaways from Saturday’s action ...
Joe Jackson had a game for the ages
Kansas State’s starting running back will be mentioned in the same sentence as Darren Sproles, Daniel Thomas and Deuce Vaughn after he put up video-game numbers in this one.
The sophomore finished with a career-high 293 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.
He joined a short list of K-State running backs who have eclipsed 200 rushing yards in a game. And he became the first running back in school history to rush for 293.
“It means a lot,” Jackson said. “I couldn’t do it without my team. The offensive line is who really deserves a trophy for that, because I couldn’t have done it without them. They played with a lot of confidence and they made it happen. But it definitely means a lot. That’s something pretty special.”
Jackson did most of his damage with explosive runs. Jackson galloped for huge gains of 33, 44, 66 and 80 yards ... before halftime. Then he kept the chains moving in the second half with even more long runs.
His previous career high was 110 yards earlier this season against TCU.
The K-State offensive line opened up big holes for him, and he took advantage with a rushing performance that will go down in the record books.
Matt Wells called plays from a new spot
Some offensive coordinators prefer to call plays from the sideline. Others like to do so high above the field in the press box.
There is no data that proves one location is superior to the other. It varies from coach to coach. But after a day like this it certainly seems like K-State’s offensive coordinator is more comfortable away from the field.
After calling the first 10 games of the year from the sideline, where he could talk directly to Avery Johnson between drives, he opted to work Saturday’s contest from the press box.
The results were notable.
Too many penalties
The Wildcats aren’t usually known as a team that commits penalties. But they were flagged nearly a dozen times against the Utes.
K-State committed 10 penalties for 75 yards.
Some of those were back-breakers that allowed Utah to keep touchdown drives alive.
K-State had six early penalties for 50 yards in the early going, including an indefensible targeting call against Ryan Davis in which he launched at Devon Dampier with his helmet first after the Utah quarterback had already been ruled down.
Another penalty hurt the Wildcats. They were called for having 12 men on the field on a key fourth down in the fourth quarter. That penalty was controversial because it occurred as K-State was in substitution mode on defense and running players to the sideline. Usually, the officials wait for players to leave the field before they allow the offense to snap the ball. But they let Utah go before K-State players could clear the field.
Officials also chose not to review an incomplete pass from Utah that could have potentially been ruled a fumble.
“It is what it is,” Klieman said. “I’m not going to comment.”
K-State let a huge win slip through its fingers
There is no such thing as a moral victory for the Wildcats.
A win would have changed the trajectory of their season. Not only would they have clinched bowl eligibility, they would have earned a signature win over one of the nation’s best teams. Beating the Utes on the road would have made up for at least some of K-State’s previous losses.
They were in position to get it. They rushed for the most yards in school history. They led at halftime. They led in the fourth quarter. They had a chance to steal the game in the final minutes.
And yet, they let it slip away with bad defense and mistakes on offense in crunch time.
For those reasons, this might go down as the most painful loss of the season.
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Kansas State’s upset bid falls painfully short at Utah. Here are the takeaways."