Game 7
17/17 K-State at West Virginia

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. (CT)

Location: Morgantown, W.Va.

Stadium: Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)

Series: K-State Leads, 7-6

TV: FOX (watch)

Connor Onion (Play-by-Play)

Mark Helfrich (Analyst)

Josh Sims (Sidelines)

Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)

            Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)

            Stan Weber (Analyst)

            Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 139 or 198, and on the SiriusXM App

Big 12 Radio on TuneIn

X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo

THE TOP 5
1) Following a dramatic 31-28 win at Colorado, No. 17 Kansas State heads back out on the Big 12 road for the second-straight week as the Wildcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va. The game, which starts at 6:30 p.m. (CT), will be shown nationally on FOX with Connor Onion (play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (analyst) and Josh Sims (sidelines) on the call.

2) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his eighth career start under center and has thrown for 1,103 yards and 11 touchdowns on 92-of-149 aim while adding 306 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He is one of only 11 quarterbacks in the country and the only Big 12 signal caller with at least 1,100 passing yards and 300 rushing yards this season, while he has accounted for 14 touchdowns.

3) Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for a Big 12-best 786 yards and two touchdowns on 108 carries to go along with 10 receptions for 129 yards and another score. Giddens ranks fourth nationally by averaging 131.0 rushing yards per game, while he is fifth in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (152.5). Giddens has averaged 7.28 yards per rush this season, which ranks fourth in the country.

4) Kansas State has seven players with 20 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine’s 39. He ranks second on the team in both tackles for loss (4.0) and sacks (2.0) behind senior defensive end Brendan Mott, who has 8.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Four Wildcats have carded an interception this season in VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Marques Sigle and Keenan Garber.

5) Chris Tennant has been true on 9-of-11 field goals with his only misses coming from distances of 48 and 53 yards. Simon McClannan has averaged 42.3 yards per punt this season to rank fourth in the Big 12, while his eight punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line are tied for third in the league. Dylan Edwards enters the game ranked sixth nationally with a 16.6-yard punt return average.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
241.0 – Rushing yards per game this year by Kansas State, which ranks eighth in the nation and second in the Big 12.

141 – Big 12 victories by K-State since the conference’s inception in 1996, the most among active programs.

74 – Sack yardage by K-State at Colorado, the most in the nation this year and fourth most ever in a Big 12 game.

6.43 – Rushing yards per carry by K-State, which ranks third in the nation and is tops in the Big 12.

-29 – Rushing yards allowed by K-State at Colorado, the fewest in the nation this season and third-fewest in school history.

TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP

• Kansas State bounced back from a setback at BYU with two big wins – a 42-20 victory over No. 20 Oklahoma State on September 28 and a 31-28 triumph at Colorado last week.
• Against the Buffs, Avery Johnson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, while running back DJ Giddens ran for 182 yards on 25 carries and added two catches for 38 yards.
• On defense, the Wildcats recorded 6.0 sacks – their most since 2022 – and were led by senior Brendan Mott with 2.5 sacks.
• K-State held the Buffs to -29 yards rushing in the game, the third-fewest rushing yards allowed by the Wildcats in school history.
• The game prior against Oklahoma State, K-State accumulated 559 yards of total offense, which included 300 rushing yards on just 34 carries – good for an 8.8-yard average.
• Johnson became the first K-State quarterback since Collin Klein in 2012 (at West Virginia) to tally at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in a Big 12 game.
• After surrendering a field goal on a short field early in the second quarter, the K-State defense did not allow a score over the next 10 Cowboy possessions, which included a fumble recovery and pair of interceptions.
• The Cowboys recorded 72 rushing yards in the first quarter, but the Wildcat defense limited OSU to just 54 rushing yards the remainder of the game.

BIG 12 ROAD TESTS

• K-State is looking to continue its winning ways on the road in the Big 12 as the Wildcats held a 4-1 conference road record in 2022 on their way to a Big 12 Championship, and the Wildcats are 1-1 thus far in 2024.
• Last season, Kansas State was 2-2 in Big 12 road games.
• Although winning on the road in the Big 12 has proven difficult for every program, Kansas State leads active conference teams with 58 Big 12 road wins since the league’s inception in 1996. Oklahoma State is second on the list with 55 wins.

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST

• K-State has a total of 227 victories since 1996, which is tied for 21st nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (234), Utah (232) and TCU (232).
• Over the last 14 seasons, the Wildcats have won at least seven games on 12 occasions.

ON A GOOD RUN

• K-State is riding a streak of three-straight years of at least eight wins, its longest since 2011 (10), 2012 (11), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9).
• The Wildcats are the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the last three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.
• K-State has 32 wins since 2021, which is tied for 13th nationally and tied for first among active Big 12 teams with Oklahoma State and Utah.

A WINNING TRADITION

• Kansas State has totaled 141 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 60.0% (72-48), trailing only Oklahoma State (64.2%; 77-43).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 40-20 (66.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 32-28 (53.3%) on the road.

AP RANKED STREAK

• Kansas State checks in at No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 as the Wildcats have been ranked in all eight AP polls this year.
• It is the first time K-State has been ranked in the first eight AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.
• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 239 occasions since 1993, the most among active Big 12 teams and ranked 22nd nationally.

CFP RANKED STREAK

• Kansas State was ranked No. 25 in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 of 2023, marking the 12th-straight time the Cats were ranked in the CFP Top 25. That figure is tied for the sixth-longest active streak.

NEW OPPONENTS

• K-State is only playing four opponents from last year’s schedule – Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State – in 2024.
• It is the fewest amount of carryover opponents from one year to the next since only three rematches from 1918 to 1919.
• Additionally, half of the Wildcats’ schedule is against teams in which they have not faced in at least 10 years, if ever. Those are UT Martin (First Meeting), Arizona (1978), BYU (1997), Colorado (2010), Arizona State (2002) and Cincinnati (1996).

A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 116-38 career record, as his 75.3% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 17 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 victories.
• Klieman, who is 44-25 (63.5%) since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25, which is the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019. Next on the list is Utah with four, followed by Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU with three apiece.

TO’s MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

• Kansas State ranked in the top 10 nationally in turnover margin each of the last two years as the Wildcats finished eighth in 2022 and fifth in 2023, which marked the first time in the top 10 in consecutive seasons since 2011 (9th) and 2012 (3rd).
• After sitting at minus-2 in turnover margin entering the Oklahoma State game, the Wildcats are now even on the year.

TOP-NOTCH DISCIPLINE

• Kansas State enters the week ranked seventh nationally with only 33.83 penalty yards per game.
• The Wildcats are looking for their fourth-straight season under 50.0 penalty yards per game, which would be their longest since staying under that mark from 2010 through 2015.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 134 since 1999, nine more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).
• K-State has recorded three non-offensive scores this season with a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned one yard for a score by Colby McCalister in addition to a Jack Fabris 60-yard fumble return at Tulane. Dylan Edwards then added a 71-yard punt return against Arizona.
• It was the longest streak of games with a non-offensive touchdown since the final three games of the 2019 season, while it was the first time K-State had a non-offensive touchdown in each of the first three games of a season since 2002.

COMEBACK KIDS

• Kansas State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit at Tulane to take a 34-27 win in New Orleans.
• The win was the first since last year’s KU game when trailing at halftime and also marked the first time since the 2021 Texas Tech game that the Wildcats rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit to win as they trailed 24-10 at half in that contest.

FILL THE BILL

• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 17-consecutive sellouts dating back to the beginning of 2022.
• Kansas State is one of only three schools in the nation to rank in the top 20 of percentage of capacity filled each of the last 10 seasons, joining Ohio State and Oklahoma.
• So far this year, K-State ranks 10th nationally by filling its stadium to 102.85% capacity.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND AND POUND

• K-State enters this week’s matchup at West Virginia ranking eighth nationally and second in the Big 12 by averaging 241.0 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are third in the country and tops in the Big 12 by averaging 6.43 rushing yards per carry.
• K-State’s school record for rushing yards per game is 264.1 yards in 2002, while its record for average yards per rush is 5.27 yards in 2016.
• The average is driven by 52 rushes of at least 10 yards to rank fourth in the nation, while K-State’s eight rushing plays of 30 or more yards this season are tied for fifth in the country.
• The Cats have rushed for at least 200 yards in five games this year, one of only six teams in the nation (joining Army, Boise State, Iowa, Navy and Oregon State) to accomplish the feat.

ONE OF ONLY THREE
• Four K-State players have had at least 10 rushing attempts and each average at least 5.0 yards per carry.

• Headlining that group is DJ Giddens and Avery Johnson with 7.3 yards per rush and 6.0 yards per rush, respectively. K-State is one of just three programs to have a quarterback/running back duo each have a rushing average of at least 6.0 on at least 40 attempts, joining Army (Kanye Udoh and Bryson Daily) and Notre Dame (Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard).

  TOTAL OFFENSE
  • K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 27 of the last 33 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.

• During that stretch, the Cats held a 10-game streak against Big 12 foes with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history.

  TWENTY-EIGHT IS GREAT
  • K-State has scored at least 28 or more points in 13 of its last 14 games, its most over a 14-game stretch since doing so over a 16-game streak that spanned the final eight games of 1998 and first eight games of 1999.

  RED ZONE SUCCESS
  • The 2024 season is a continuation of red-zone success under Chris Klieman, as the Wildcats rank first among active Big 12 programs by scoring on 90.8% (247-of-272) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019 with 184 touchdowns (67.6%).

• Last season, the Cats ranked second nationally by finding paydirt on 78.5% percent of their red-zone possessions (51-of-65), and they narrowly finished behind Oregon State by 0.11%. K-State would have led the nation last year had the Cats not been in the red zone when taking a knee to close out the Pop-Tarts Bowl win.
• K-State enters play this week ranked 16th nationally and third in the Big 12 in red zone scoring at 95.24% (20-of-21).

  RED ZONE THREATS
  • Kansas State’s tight end unit has combined for six touchdown receptions this year, which is tied for the second most in the nation.

• Four different K-State tight ends have touchdowns as Brayden Loftin and Will Swanson lead the way with two apiece, while Will Anciaux and Garrett Oakley each have one.

  OFFENSIVE LINE STEPPING UP
  • Although the offensive line lost four starters from a year, the current group is stepping up. In addition to its rushing rankings, K-State is also ninth nationally and leads the Big 12 with fewest tackles for loss allowed (3.50 per game).

• Despite limited starts at K-State entering the season, the current starting unit is experienced overall with a combined 103 starts and 6,984 career offensive snaps. The leaders in those departments are on the left side in tackle Easton Kilty (43 starts, 2,676 snaps) and guard Hadley Panzer (32 starts, 2,096 snaps).

  BY AIR AND GROUND
  • Quarterback Avery Johnson was the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2023, and he’s putting that on display during his true sophomore season as he is one of only 11 quarterbacks nationally and the only Big 12 player with at least 1,100 rushing yards and 300 passing yards.

• If he were to stay at his current averages, Johnson would become just the 21st quarterback in Big 12 history with at least 2,200 passing yards and 600 rushing yards in a season. Three other Wildcats have hit those marks – Michael Bishop (1998), Ell Roberson (2003) and Collin Klein (2012).

  MULTIPLE TDs
  • Avery Johnson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two others in K-State’s 42-20 victory over No. 20 Oklahoma State en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• He was the first K-State signal caller to have at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a conference game since Collin Klein at West Virginia in 2012.
• A product of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson produced just the 30th such game against a ranked opponent since 1996, including just the ninth by a Big 12 player. Johnson and TCU quarterback Max Duggan (2022 vs. Oklahoma) are the only two Big 12 signal callers to accomplish the feat since 2018.

GIDDENS GETTING IT DONE
• Running back DJ Giddens has averaged 131.0 rushing yards per game this season to rank fourth nationally and second in the Big 12, while he is fifth in the country with 152.5 scrimmage yards per game.

• Giddens’ current rushing average per game ranks second in school history, and that figure is buoyed by 10 rushes of at least 20 yards to tie for third in the nation.
• Additionally, Giddens is one of only two players in the country (Dean Conners, Rice) with two runs 50 or more yards and a reception of at least 40 yards.

UP THE CAREER CHARTS
• DJ Giddens enters this week’s game with 2,530 career rushing yards, which ranks eighth in school history, while his 6.02 career yards per rush ranks second at K-State only behind Darren Sproles (6.11; 2001-04).

• A native of nearby Junction City, Kansas, Giddens also ranks in the top 10 in program history for a career in rushing yards per game (5th; 76.7), receiving yards by a running back (5th; 5500 and 100-yard rushing games (T6th; 10).
• Giddens enters the week ranked seventh among active players in career rushing yards per carry and 10th in career scrimmage yards per game (96.3).

DEFENSIVE NOTES
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment at the beginning of the 2021 season (45 games), the Cats are allowing just 21.3 points per game, which ranks 22nd nationally and is third among active Big 12 teams.

• Additionally, the Wildcats have only allowed 109 offensive touchdowns over that time, which ranks 23rd in the nation.
• The Wildcats have finished each of the three previous seasons by allowing less than 22.0 points per game, their longest streak since going 13-straight year from 1991 through 2003.
• Since head coach Chris Klieman’s first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 37 of their 47 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats.

BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State enters this week’s game ranked 15th nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 3.00 sacks per game, while they are third in the conference with 6.5 tackles for loss per game.

• The Wildcats have tallied at least 4.0 tackles for loss in five games this year – including 11 TFLs in each of the first two contests – while they have at least two sacks in four contests – including a season-high six at Colorado.

HIGH SACK YARDAGE
• Kansas State’s six sacks at Colorado resulted in 74 yards of loss, the fourth-most ever in a Big 12 game and second most by any Big 12 team in any game since 2012.

• It was the most sack yardage accumulated by the Wildcats since at least 1995. Their previous best over that timeframe was 72 yards against Baylor in 2002.

STINGY AGAINST THE RUN
• K-State enters this week ranking second in the country by allowing only 71.7 rushing yards per game.

• The Wildcats have not surrendered more than 149 rushing yards in a game this season, while they have limited opponents to under 100 rushing yards on four occasions, including -29 last week at Colorado. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by an FBS team this season, the fewest allowed in a Big 12 game since 2006 and the third-fewest allowed by any team in the nation over the last seven seasons.

CREATING TURNOVERS
• K-State has totaled 71 forced turnovers since the beginning of the 2021 season, which is tied for the second most among active Big 12 teams and tied for 11th among Power 4 teams.

• Of the 71 turnovers, 45 have been via interceptions to rank second among active Big 12 programs and tie for 15th among Power 4 teams.

DEFENSIVE RED ZONE SUCCESS
• The Cats allowed only 39.39% (13-of-33) of opponent red zone opportunities to turn into touchdowns a year ago, and the Wildcats are at it again this season.

• Through six games, K-State’s red-zone touchdown percentage of 44.44% (8-of-18) ranks 16th in the nation.
• The defense’s performance in the red zone over the last two seasons is a stark difference from 2022 when K-State ranked 108th at 67.5% (27-of-40).

OFF THE EDGE
• Sixth-year senior Brendan Mott is making the most of his final year of college football as he ranks seventh nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 1.08 sacks per game.

• Mott also ranks third in the Big 12 with 1.33 tackles for loss per game.
• A former walk-on from Iowa City, Iowa, Mott has at least 1.0 TFL in each of the first six games. It is the longest streak by a Wildcat since linebacker Daniel Green did so in the final six games of 2021, while it is the longest to open a season since defensive end Jordan Willis had a seven-game streak to open the 2016 campaign.

ROMAINE LEADS THE WAY
• Sophomore Austin Romaine leads the Wildcats and is tied for 18th in the Big 12 with 39 tackles, while he also ranks second on the squad in both tackles for loss (4.0) and sacks (2.0).

• A native of Hillsboro, Missouri, Romaine had two sacks at Tulane, the second of which caused a fumble that resulted in a 60-yard, game-winning touchdown return in the fourth quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• The Wildcats continue to lead the nation in total return touchdowns since 2005 with 62, which is 22 more than the next closest team in Alabama (40) and 27 more than the next closest Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and TCU (34).

• Of the 62 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns, and the next closest team is Houston with 21.
• The 2023 season marked the first time since 2004 in which the Wildcats did not score via a kickoff or punt return, but the Wildcats got off the schneid with a blocked punt that was returned for a score against UT Martin and a 71-yard punt return touchdown against Arizona.

BLOCK PARTY
• K-State totaled three blocked kicks in 2023 to rank 10th in the nation and added one in the 2024 season opener.

• Last year was the second time under head coach Chris Klieman that the Wildcats had at least three blocks as they had four in 2020 to tie for fourth nationally.
• K-State blocked an extra point last year at Kansas that was returned 91 yards for a defensive extra point by Keenan Garber, Marques Sigle blocked a field goal at Oklahoma State, and the Wildcats also blocked a punt at Texas.

SEVEN STRAIGHT
• Kansas State’s blocked punt against UT Martin marked the seventh-straight season the Wildcats blocked a punt, the longest streak in the nation.

• San Diego State is second at six-straight years, while Oregon and Iowa State are tied for third at five-straight years.

NEW MAN BACK DEEP
• Sophomore transfer Dylan Edwards made a splash on just his third punt-return attempt of the season as he took one 71 yards for a touchdown against Arizona.

• It was the Wildcats’ first non-blocked punt-return touchdown since the second game of the 2022 season.
• He became the first K-State running back to record a punt-return touchdown since Darren Sproles took one back 63 yards against Kansas in 2003, while it was the longest by a K-State running back since David Allen had a 74-yarder at Texas in 1999.
• For his effort against Arizona, Edwards was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Edwards enters the week ranked eighth in the nation with a 16.6-yard average.

DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2013 season, going the last 144 games and 434 returns without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.

• The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, 274 more than the next closest team (Arizona State – 160).
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 14 of their own.