First look: WSU heads to the Midwest to take on Kansas State in second-straight Power 4 game to open season

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Sep. 7—PULLMAN — Here is a first look at Washington State's road game against Kansas State on Saturday morning.

What is it? In the teams' first meeting, Washington State heads to the Midwest to take on Big 12 foe Kansas State, which is coming off a lopsided 71-3 win over FCS Nicholls. The home-and-home series, which includes a 2029 matchup in Pullman, was brokered in 2016 by former WSU president Kirk Schulz — who had recently held the same position at K-State.

It's the second straight road Power 4 game to open the season for the Cougars, who are coming off a loss in Sunday's Apple Cup to No. 17 Washington.

Where is it? Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.

When is it? Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. (11 a.m. local time)

Where can I watch it? TNT will broadcast the game, with streaming available on HBO Max.

Who is favored? As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around an 181/2-point underdog in most sportsbooks.

How did the Cougars fare last week? In a 24-10 loss to No. 17 Washington in the first season-opening Apple Cup, WSU's offense struggled to the tune of three turnovers, two missed field goals and a third-down conversion rate of 0-for-11. The Cougars made things interesting in the fourth quarter — quarterback Caden Pinnick scored on an 11-yard rushing touchdown and kicker Jack Stevens connected on a field goal — but their defense, staunch for the majority of the game, couldn't produce stops on the ensuing drives.

In WSU coach Kirby Moore's debut game, the Cougs' defense shone the most, holding the No. 17 Huskies and quarterback Demond Williams Jr. to just 10 points through three quarters. That included a key goal-line stop right before halftime, when WSU linebacker Keith Brown led the charge in stuffing UW running back Jayden Limar on fourth-and-goal from the 1, sending the visitors into the locker room with a boatload of momentum.

But as was the case for the majority of the game, WSU's offense couldn't cash in. In his debut as the Cougars' new quarterback, the UC Davis transfer Pinnick completed 16 of 25 passes for 142 yards and two interceptions, one of which came on a dropped pass in the fourth quarter. He also registered one rushing touchdown, an 11-yard designed keeper in the fourth quarter, pulling WSU to within 10-7.

"We gotta make sure — and this is overall from an offensive standpoint — our first goal was 100% ball security," Moore said on Monday. "We did not achieve that, so we gotta do a better job taking care of the football. Had an initial really good start on the first drive. Got in some longer down and distances there on the third downs, which are difficult, and sometimes the defense has a say in the fight, and you gotta be ready to check the ball down, take care of the football. Sometimes it's OK to punt, and that's something we gotta really emphasize. Great job responding there in the fourth quarter, and so we gotta build on that."

In a critical development, the Cougars also lost veteran receiver/kick returner Tony Freeman to an injury. After just 10 snaps, Freeman went down in the first quarter, went to the locker room and returned in street clothes, out for the rest of the game. On Monday, Moore indicated Freeman is likely to miss Saturday's game with a knee injury, adding that coaches are still waiting on the results of Freeman's MRI.

On offense, WSU also got impressive games from receivers Daniel Blood (five catches for 57 yards) and Darrius Clemons (three catches for 40 yards). If Freeman misses Saturday's game, those two will have to step up again for the Cougars, who could also ask more from receivers Tank Hawkins and Branden Ganashamoorthy.

The Cougars' defense was led by the veteran linebacker Brown, who missed all of last season recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained during fall camp. In Sunday's game, he looked like he never missed a beat, leading the team with six tackles, all solo.

Scouting Kansas State … K-State opened the season last weekend with a 71-3 romp over FCS Nicholls, which was no match for the Wildcats, who are led by senior quarterback Avery Johnson. In his first game of his final season of college football, he completed 15 of 21 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns, exiting midway through the third quarter as the Wildcats continued to roll.

K-State has two top running backs: Oklahoma State transfer Rodney Fields, who made a surprise start in Saturday's game and churned out 14 carries for 101 yards and one score; and veteran returner Joe Jackson, who added seven rushes for 38 yards and one touchdown. All told, seven Wildcats scored touchdowns: Johnson, Fields, Jackson (two), receivers Jaron Tibbs Josh Manning and Brandon White (punt return), plus reserves Jacob Knuth and Monterrio Elston Jr.

It's the debut season for head coach Collin Klein, who starred as K-State's quarterback in the early 2010s and went on to become an assistant coach with the Wildcats from 2017-23, then worked as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator for the 2024 and 2025 seasons before returning to his alma mater as the head coach for this season.

Some names to watch on K-State's defense include linebacker Gabe Powers and safety Logan Bartley, who tied for a team-leading five tackles against Nicholls, plus Oklahoma State transfer edge rusher Wendell Gregory, who is expected to be one of the Big 12's best edge rushers this season. In Saturday's game, the Wildcats piled up 10 tackles for loss, including 1.5 from defensive end Jordan Allen.

"Lot of different sets offensively," Moore said of Kansas State's offense. "They do a great job of running the football. The quarterback's part of it. A lot of different schemes, and then when you get tight, they have a lot of play action concepts that get guys vertically down the field."

What happened last time?

This is the teams' first meeting.

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