Kansas State Preview

Physicality has been absent from ASU’s performances in their last two Big 12 contests, and trying to avoid a third consecutive conference loss is an element that is a necessity, not a luxury, for the Sun Devils. Here’s our detailed look at Saturday’s matchup.

2026 So Far: 4-2 (1-2)

Excluding the 2020 COVID season, only once since 2008 has Kansas State produced a lower win total than its 6-6 finish last year, but the Wildcats are trending toward an improved record in 2026.

K-State claimed victories over Nicholls, Washington State and Tulane in non-conference play and dropped conference contests to Cincinnati and Houston before picking up a rivalry win last week over Kansas.

Series History: ASU leads, 6-1

ASU won the first five games in the series, claiming victories over Kansas State in 1964, ’70, ’72, ’82 and ’89. The sole loss ASU has suffered to K-State is the 2002 Holiday Bowl, where the likes of Terrell Suggs, Andrew Walter and Shaun McDonald for ASU lost by a score of 34-27 to a Wildcat team featuring players such as Ell Roberson, Terence Newman and Darren Sproles.

In the only meeting to date between ASU and KSU as fellow Big 12 members, the Sun Devils took down a nationally ranked Wildcat team by a score of 24-14 in a game that was a major catalyst in ASU’s late-season run to the 2024 Big 12 championship.  

Head Coach: Collin Klein (first year)

A former star quarterback for Kansas State and the 2012 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Klein returned to his alma mater for his first head coaching gig after the retirement of previous K-State head coach Chris Klieman.

Klein was on the Kansas State staff from 2014-15 and then again from 2017-23 before spending the 2024-25 seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.

Kansas State Offense Preview

One of the veteran names among Big-12 quarterbacks, Avery Johnson has been Kansas State’s full-time starter since the beginning of his sophomore season, and Johnson is placed at or near the top of several of Kansas State’s all-time career passing record lists.

Johnson has started 33 career games – including 32 in a row dating back to the team’s 2023 finale – and in 39 total games played, he has thrown for 6,877 yards with 58 touchdowns to 19 interceptions, with 1,840 career rushing yards with 25 touchdowns.

Through six games of this season, Johnson averages 216.8 passing yards per game with 10 touchdowns to three interceptions, while leading Kansas State with 462 rushing yards on 51 carries with three scores – an impressive average this season of 9.1 yards per carry.

That said, Johnson is listed as “questionable” as of Wednesday’s player availability report for Saturday’s game, with the backup quarterbacks listed as Jacob Knuth and Dillon Duff. Knuth, a senior, has played in seven career games with three pass attempts and eight rush attempts, while Duff, a second-year player, has yet to make a college game appearance.

In addition to Johnson’s prowess as a rusher, Kansas State running backs Rodney Fields, Jr. and Joe Jackson also contribute on the ground to help give the Wildcats one of the nation’s best team rushing attacks.

Fields leads the team with 71 carries for 386 yards with five touchdowns along with seven catches for 55 yards. A transfer this past offseason from Oklahoma State, Fields opened the 2026 season with a pair of back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, but in the four contests since then, on only one occasion has he surpassed 50 rushing yards.

Jackson, a Third-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2025, has 68 carries for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He is also a receiving threat as he has 14 catches for 132 yards with two receiving touchdowns. Last season, Jackson rushed for 911 yards with eight touchdowns.

At wide receiver, Jaron Tibbs, Brandon White and Josh Manning are listed as the starters, with Garrett Oakley topping this week’s depth chart at tight end.

Tibbs, an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick in 2025, leads the way with 25 catches for 268 yards with three touchdowns, while Manning has recorded 19 receptions for 197 yards with two scores. White has 13 catches but has managed just 78 receiving yards with one touchdown.

Oakley ranks third on the team so far this year with 16 receptions for 196 yards with a touchdown,

The K-State offensive line is expected to feature a starting group consisting of left tackle Ryan Howard, left guard Tanner Morley, center Dylan Villarouel, right guard Charlie Adams, and right tackle Gus Hawkins.

Of the group, Morley has the most career college starting experience with 17 total starts, while Adams is right behind with 16 career college starts.

Unfortunately for Kansas State, preseason All-Big 12 left tackle John Pastore suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason.  

Kansas State Offense Summary

Through six games, Kansas State has generated one of the nation’s top rushing attacks as the team ranks sixth nationally, averaging 239.8 yards per game, while also ranking second nationally by averaging 6.23 yards per carry as a team. As a result, Kansas State also ranks 16^th nationally in total offense (464.7 yards per game).

Additionally, the Wildcats have excelled at keeping drives alive, as Kansas State ranks second nationally behind only Houston in third-down conversions (59.3%), while also placing 21^st nationally in time of possession.

Without a doubt, the recent Texas Tech and Baylor games have been among the very worst defensive performances for Arizona State since Kenny Dillingham became head coach, so the Sun Devils will absolutely have to step up their intensity and execution to prevent the Wildcats from having a field day on the ground against ASU.

Kansas State Defense Preview

Operating primarily out of a 4-2-5 defensive alignment, tackles Kamari Burns and Travis Bates are flanked by Jordan Allen and Wendell Gregory in the starting lineup.

Gregory, a transfer from Oklahoma State and a preseason All-Big 12 pick this year, has continued to shine as he has 21 tackles, including team highs of 9.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and six quarterback hurries. Gregory, who is currently tied for seventh nationally in tackles for loss per game, was a Third-Team All-Big 12 honors recipient last season for OSU.

Burns has collected 12 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, with two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup; Allen has nine tackles, including 3.0 for loss, with four quarterback hurries and one pass breakup, while Bates has eight tackles, including 2.5 for loss, with a sack and a quarterback hurry.

At linebacker, Mekhi Mason and Gabe Powers are tabbed as the starting tandem for Saturday’s game.

Mason and Powers are currently ranked second and third on the team in total tackles, as Mason has tallied 28 tackles including 1.5 for loss with a sack, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry, while Powers has 25 tackles including 3.5 for loss with two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

In the secondary, cornerbacks Zashon Rich and Kaleb Patterson are slated to be joined in the starting lineup by strong safety Logan Bartley, free safety Koy Beasley and nickel defensive back JoJo Scott.

Bartley currently leads the team with 34 tackles, including one for loss with an interception, while Beasley has chipped in 21 tackles with a pass breakup.

Rich has collected 11 tackles with a sack and a pass breakup, while Scott has totaled 10 tackles and a team-best five pass breakups, and Patterson has seven tackles with two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Kansas State Defense Summary                       

As a team, the Wildcats boast one of the premier pass defenses in college football as K-State ranks third nationally and tops all Power Conference teams so far by allowing an average of just 136.3 passing yards per game, while also ranking 24^th in total defense (296.3 yards per game allowed).

ASU’s offense, which has scored 25 or fewer points in four if six games this year, could very well showcase a new look if Mikey Keene starts at quarterback against Kansas State. Regardless of who starts for Arizona State, he will be tasked with igniting a dormant offense that will be facing one of college football’s elite pass defenses of the first half of the 2026 season.

Kansas State Special Teams Preview

Luis Rodriguez is listed as the team’s placekicker, with Simon McClannan as the punter.

Both components have been excellent so far for Kansas State, as Rodriguez is a perfect 10-for-10 on field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards, while McClannan averages 46.83 yards on 18 punts, a punting average that has him in a tie for 17^th nationally.

In the return game, Jay Harris is listed as the top option on kickoff returns with Brandon White as the first-string punt returner.

White averages 13.2 yards on 10 punt returns with a 65-yard touchdown to his credit, while Harris averages 20.0 yards on five kickoff returns.

Local Ties: DB Dominic Mitchell (Phoenix Brophy Prep) played high school football in the state of Arizona.

Overall Summary

After several consecutive weeks of lackluster play and wholly unacceptable and inexcusable effort and execution, it is abundantly clear that the 2026 season is very close to completely slipping away from Arizona State to the point that many fans are concerned whether the team will even win another game.

Through just six games, ASU has allowed at least 40 points on three occasions, two of which exceeded 50 points. For reference, of the 27 games played across the 2024-25 seasons, ASU only allowed 40 or more points twice, neither of which exceeded 50 points.

At this point, it almost feels as if the Xs and Os take a backseat to issues such as motivation, focus, and execution, which, from a fan perspective, is an absolutely agonizing reality.

With upcoming games against ranked teams such as BYU, Oklahoma State and Arizona, the logical belief is that if ASU is going to have any chance of reaching the six-win mark required for bowl eligibility, that this weekend’s contest is a must-win game.

However, for ASU to add to its win total and not its list of losses, several issues that have plagued this team for several weeks will need to magically be corrected. Can a change at QB1, should that decision be made, ignite the team to a point of overcoming those issues? For the sake of the 2026 season, fans certainly hope so.

Final Score Prediction (via Speak of the Devils Podcast): Kansas State 35, Arizona State 20