Five things to know as Kansas State prepares for football game at Oklahoma State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kickoff 11 a.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens, ESPN broadcast; K‑State favored by 20.5.
- Dylan Edwards left the program; Joe Jackson is the projected starter at running back.
- K‑State needs two wins for bowl eligibility. QB Avery Johnson supplies running scores.
Kansas State’s third and final bye week of the year is in the rearview mirror. That means the Wildcats will be in action every Saturday from now until the end of the regular season.
Next up is a road trip to Oklahoma State.
Here’s everything you need to know to start getting ready for Saturday’s game:
K-State vs. Oklahoma State game details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma
TV/Stream: ESPNU
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Kansas State by 20.5 with an O/U of 54.5
Five things to know before Saturday
1. Chris Klieman has never won in Stillwater. This would normally be a difficult challenge for the Wildcats, as K-State’s head coach has gone 0-3 against the Cowboys on the road with those losses coming by an average of more than 10 points per game. But K-State is favored by nearly three touchdowns for this matchup. Why? Because Oklahoma State is one of the worst power-conference teams in the country. It has lost eight straight games. Its last conference victory came in 2023.
2. Dylan Edwards won’t be a distraction for K-State this week. Well, he shouldn’t be anyway. After several weeks of injuries and drama, the junior running back decided to leave the team. For once, his playing status won’t be a hot topic leading up to kickoff. Will the Wildcats rally together without him? Or will his absence have some type of lingering impact on the locker room? We are about to find out. Joe Jackson, who has rushed for 407 yards and a touchdown, should continue to start at running back.
3. K-State needs two more victories to become bowl eligible. No one in Manhattan will be doing cartwheels to celebrate if the Wildcats receive an invitation to the Independence Bowl. But playing in a bowl game is better than the alternative. K-State (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) is off to a disappointing start. But it can extend its bowl streak with a strong finish. The Wildcats will be in excellent shape to win at least six games if they defeat Oklahoma State.
4. Oklahoma State fans are finding creative ways to have fun at home games. What do you do when the team you cheer for is stuck in a long losing streak? In Stillwater, you take off your shirt and twirl it in the air with hundreds of other fans. Or you dress up like a banana and form a conga line in the concourse. It will be interesting to see if OSU fans have anything new planned for the K-State game.
5. Avery Johnson has rushed for multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games. K-State has done a nice job of utilizing its quarterback in the running game lately. Johnson rushed for a pair of touchdowns against Kansas, and then he ran for two more against Texas Tech. He is up to 343 yards and seven touchdowns as a runner this season.