Grades from Kansas State’s loss to Texas Tech and a look ahead to Oklahoma State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas State fell 43-20 to Texas Tech, eliminating Big 12 title hopes and momentum.
- Wildcats gained 325 yards but five turnovers and 2.1 yards per rush doomed offense.
- K-State faces Oklahoma State on Nov 15; a win would boost bowl eligibility hopes.
Kansas State’s 43-20 loss against Texas Tech on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium was the type of result that revealed how far away the Wildcats are from competing for a Big 12 championship this season.
The Red Raiders are one of the best teams in the country, and they proved it by dominating a K-State squad that was on a hot streak. The Wildcats had won three of their past four games. But they were unable to build off that momentum against an opponent that was bigger, badder and stronger on both sides of the ball.
K-State lost its first four games by a combined 13 points. Chris Klieman and his team were left to wonder what could have been after all of those narrow defeats. But there was no mystery on Saturday.
Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) was the superior team.
And it knocked K-State out of contention for a Big 12 championship. The Wildcats (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) will be playing for pride and bowl eligibility the rest of the way.
Let’s dive into those topics and more with analysis from the Texas Tech game, plus a look ahead to Oklahoma State ...
Player of the game: Jacob Rodriguez
The Texas Tech linebacker had five tackles, including three for loss.
But his biggest highlights came in the form of forced fumbles. Rodriguez was twice able to punch the ball away from K-State playmakers, which led to turnovers for Texas Tech. He has impressively forced seven fumbles on the season.
Chris Klieman had high praise for him after Saturday’s game went final.
“That’s the best football player on defense that I’ve seen thus far,” Klieman said. “Maybe we got somebody that we’re still playing down the line that I haven’t seen. But that’s the best defensive player, Rodriguez, that I’ve seen.”
Stat of the game & quote to note
The Wildcats averaged 2.1 yards per run on traditional rushing plays that featured handoffs to their running backs. Texas Tech made K-State one-dimensional on offense.
As for the quote ...
“That is probably the best defense I’ve faced during my three years in college” — K-State quarterback Avery Johnson.
K-State football grades
Offense: C. The Wildcats were overmatched, but they found a few creative ways to move the ball and finished the day with 325 yards and 20 points. Other teams have done far less against Texas Tech. Avery Johnson was effective as a runner and Garrett Oakley had a nice day at tight end. But K-State’s running backs were a non-factor and the Wildcats turned it over five times. That is not a winning formula.
Defense: B. K-State played well enough to make this a game on defense with Austin Romaine and Ryan Davis both coming up with turnovers. But the Wildcats couldn’t hold up against Texas Tech’s physical front and allowed the Red Raiders to rush for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Special Teams: C. Why didn’t K-State return a single punt or kickoff on Saturday? Maybe the Wildcats were worried about another fumble like last week. Still, as hard as it is to move the ball on Texas Tech, the Wildcats should have crossed their fingers and hoped for a big return or two.
Coaching: C. It’s hard to properly grade Chris Klieman and his staff after a game like that. There was little they could have done to prevent a loss to Texas Tech, other than recruit better during the offseason.
Next up for K-State: at Oklahoma State
The Wildcats are off again this week.
It’s rare for a football team to have three bye weeks during a single season, but this is what happens when you agree to play Iowa State in Dublin in August.
K-State won’t return to the football field until Nov. 15 at Oklahoma State. That figures to be one of the easiest games on the schedule. The Cowboys fired coach Mike Gundy early in the season and they are currently riding an eight-game losing streak. They suffered a 38-21 loss at Kansas on Saturday.
A win would move K-State to within one victory of bowl eligibility.
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 10:12 AM.