Cats Hit the Road Again to Take on Houston

By K-State Athletics Release October 28, 2024

Game 9
17/15 K-State at Houston

Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Houston, Texas

Stadium: TDECU Stadium (40,000)

Series: K-State Leads, 1-0

TV: FOX (watch)

Jason Benetti (Play-by-Play)

Brock Huard (Analyst)

Allison Williams (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. 111 or 198, and on the SiriusXM App

Big 12 Radio on TuneIn

X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo

THE TOP 5
1) Following a 29-27 comeback win over in-state rival Kansas, K-State heads back out on the road in the Big 12 Conference as the 17th-ranked Wildcats travel to Houston to square off against the Cougars at TDECU Stadium. The game, which starts at 2:30 p.m., will be shown nationally on FOX with Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst) and Allison Williams (sidelines) on the call.

 

2) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 10th career start as he has thrown for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns on 130-of-212 aim while adding 373 rushing yards and four scores. He is one of only five quarterbacks in the country and the only Big 12 signal caller with at least 1,600 passing yards and 370 rushing yards this season, and he is coming off back-to-back 250-plus yard passing games.

3) Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 945 yards and four touchdowns on 145 carries to go along with 12 receptions for 197 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 10th nationally by averaging 118.1 rushing yards per game, while he is seventh in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (142.8). He is looking to become the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

4) Kansas State has seven players with 30 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 57 tackles are tied for 12th in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 8.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks, the latter ranking 11th in the nation. Five Wildcats have carded an interception this season in Marques Sigle (3), VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Jack Fabris and Keenan Garber.

5) Chris Tennant has been true on 12-of-14 field goals and most recently hit a 51-yarder with 1:42 left to give the Cats a 29-27 win over Kansas. Simon McClannan has averaged 41.9 yards per punt this season, while his 12 punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line rank third in the Big 12. Dylan Edwards is tied for fourth in the Big 12 with 127 total punt-return yards.

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

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

10 – Number of years since K-State last started with a 7-1 record over its first eight games (2014).

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

4 – DJ Giddens is looking to become the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP

  • K-State is coming off a 29-27 dramatic win over Kansas – its 16th-straight win over the Jayhawks – as linebacker Austin Romaine forced a fumble on defense before Chris Tennant nailed a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left for the two-point win.
  • The defense settled in and held the Jayhawks scoreless in their final four drives with the Romaine forced fumble and Brendan Mott recovery leading to the game-winning drive.
  • The week prior, Avery Johnson threw for a career-high 298 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cats to a 45-18 win at West Virginia.
  • On defense, Marques Sigle had nine tackles, including two for loss, and also registered a pick-6 in the second quarter.
  • At Colorado, Johnson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, while running back DJ Giddens ran for 182 yards.
  • On defense, the Wildcats recorded 6.0 sacks against the Buffs – their most since 2022 – and were led by Mott’s 2.5 sacks, the most in a game by a Big 12 player this season.
  • K-State held CU to -29 yards rushing, the third-fewest rushing yards allowed by the Cats in school history and the third-fewest by any Big 12 team in a conference game since 2006.


HOME SWEET HOME

  • K-State played a home game for the first time in nearly a month when they defeated Kansas last week. Following the trip to Houston and a bye, K-State will return home for the final two home games of the season.
  • Home games have been kind to K-State over the last three years as the Cats have 15 victories, tied for the 14th most home wins in the nation over that span. That figure is also the most among active Big 12 teams.

BACK ON THE BOWL SCENE

  • With its sixth victory of the year at West Virginia, Kansas State will be playing in the postseason for a fourth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 years.
  • Entering the year, K-State was one of just 16 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 12 times in the previous 14 years.

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST

  • K-State has a total of 229 victories since 1996, which is tied for 21st nationally.
  • Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (236), TCU (234) and Utah (232).
  • Over the last 15 seasons – including 2024 – the Wildcats have won at least seven games on 13 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), and the Wildcats need one more victory to extend the current streak to four-straight years.
  • K-State is the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the previous three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.
  • K-State has 34 wins since 2021, which is tied for 11th nationally and first among active Big 12 teams.

A WINNING TRADITION

  • Kansas State has totaled 143 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 60.7% (74-48), trailing only Oklahoma State (63.1%; 77-45).
  • During that stretch, the Wildcats are 41-20 (67.2%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-28 (54.1%) 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 10 AP polls this year.
  • It is the first time K-State has been ranked in the first 10 AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.
  • K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 241 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 118-38 career record, as his 75.6% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 18 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
  • Klieman, who is 46-25 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.

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 and ranking 93rd in the nation entering the Oklahoma State game, the Wildcats are now plus-3 on the year to rank 40th.

TOP-NOTCH DISCIPLINE

  • Kansas State enters the week ranked 28th nationally with 43.6 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 135 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).
  • K-State has recorded four non-offensive scores this season, its most since also recording four in 2020.
  • The four non-offensive TDs this year are: a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned for a score by Colby McCalister, a 60-yard rumble return by Jack Fabris at Tulane, a 71-yard punt return by Dylan Edwards against Arizona, and a 43-yard interception return by Marques Sigle at West Virginia.

CARDIAC CATS

  • Kansas State is 3-0 in one-possession games this season, all of which have been in comeback fashion.
  • The Wildcats’ three wins this season when trailing in the fourth quarter are the most since 2017.
  • Last week, the Cats trailed Kansas, 27-26, until Chris Tennant’s 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left sparked a K-State win.
  • Two weeks ago, K-State trailed 28-24 at Colorado before the game-winning touchdown from Avery Johnson to Jayce Brown with 2:14 left.
  • Earlier this season at Tulane, K-State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit to take a 34-27 win, which included a Dylan Edwards touchdown run and a Jack Fabris fumble return to erase a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

FILL THE BILL

  • With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 18-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 103.2% capacity.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND AND POUND

  • K-State enters this week’s matchup ranking eighth nationally by averaging 223.3 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are third in the country by averaging 6.18 rushing yards per carry.
  • K-State’s school record for average yards per rush is 5.27 yards in 2016.
  • The average is driven by 63 rushes of at least 10 yards to tie for second in the nation, while K-State’s 10 rushing plays of 30 or more yards this season are tied for seventh in the country.
  • The Cats have rushed for at least 200 yards in six games this year, one of only five teams in the nation (joining Army, Boise State, Iowa and Navy) to accomplish the feat.

ONE OF ONLY TWO
• Four K-State players have had at least 20 rushing attempts and each average at least 5.7 yards per carry.

  • Headlining that group is Dylan Edwards, DJ Giddens and Avery Johnson at 7.4, 6.5 and 5.7 yards per rush, respectively. K-State is one of just two Power 4 programs to have three active players to average at least 5.7 yards on at least 40 attempts (Notre Dame: Jadarian Price, Jeremiyah Love, Riley Leonard).
  • Giddens and Johnson are the only Power 4 teammates to each record 22 or more rushes of at least 10 yards.

    TOTAL OFFENSE
    • K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 29 of the last 35 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 15 of its last 16 games, its most over a 16-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 90.7% (254-of-280) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019 with 190 touchdowns (67.8%).

  • Last season, the Cats ranked second nationally by finding paydirt on 78.5% 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 17th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in red zone scoring at 93.1% (27-of-29) with one of those failed attempts being a kneel down at the end of the West Virginia game.

    RED ZONE THREATS
    • Kansas State’s tight end unit has combined for 10 touchdown receptions this year, the most in the nation.

  • The 10 touchdowns have come from four different players in Will Anciaux and Garrett Oakley with three apiece, while Brayden Loftin and Will Swanson each have two.

    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 12th 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 as the six players that have made start this year have combined for 113 starts and 7,878 career offensive snaps. The leaders in those departments are on the left side in tackle Easton Kilty (45 starts, 2,801 snaps) and guard Hadley Panzer (34 starts, 2,208 snaps).

    A GREAT START
    • Quarterback Avery Johnson has started nine career games under center with the Wildcats going 8-1 those games. Included in those victories are three wins over ranked teams – No. 19 NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl in addition to No. 20 Arizona and No. 20 Oklahoma State this season – and a win at Colorado, which checks in at No. 23 in this week’s AP Top 25.

  • Johnson is the fifth K-State quarterback since 1990 to lead his team to victory eight times in his first nine starts and the first since Collin Klein over the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The others are Johnathan Beasley (1999), Michael Bishop (1997), Brian Kavanagh (1996) and Matt Miller (1995).

    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 five  quarterbacks nationally and the only Big 12 player with at least 1,600 rushing yards and 370 passing yards.

  • If he were to stay at his current averages, Johnson would end the regular season as just the 23rd quarterback in Big 12 history with at least 2,400 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. 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.

MULTIPLE 1,000-YARD SEASONS
• Running back DJ Giddens has 945 rushing yards this season as he eyes his second-straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

  • He would be coming the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004), Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010) and Deuce Vaughn (2021, 2022).

GIDDENS GETTING IT DONE
• Running back DJ Giddens has averaged 118.1 rushing yards per game this season to rank 10th in the country, while he is seventh with 142.75 scrimmage yards per game.

  • Giddens’ current rushing average ranks fourth in school history, and that figure is buoyed by 11 rushes of at least 20 yards to tie for fourth in the nation.
  • Giddens is the only player in the country with three runs of at least 50 yards and two receptions of at least 40 yards.

UP THE CAREER CHARTS
• DJ Giddens enters this week’s game with 2,689 career rushing yards, which ranks sixth in school history, while his 5.88 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 receiving yards by a running back (4th; 618), rushing yards per game (5th; 76.8), and 100-yard rushing games (6th; 11).

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 (46 games), the Cats are allowing just 21.3 points per game, which ranks 20th nationally and is third among active Big 12 teams.

  • Additionally, the Wildcats have allowed 115 offensive touchdowns over that time, which ranks 20th 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 38 of their 49 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 25th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 2.63 sacks per game, while they are third in the conference with 6.1 tackles for loss per game.

  • The Wildcats have tallied at least 4.0 tackles for loss in six 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.
  • The Wildcats have accumulated 186 lost yards via sacks, which ranks sixth in the nation.

STINGY AGAINST THE RUN
• K-State enters this week ranking 10th in the country by allowing only 96.8 rushing yards per game.

  • The Cats have limited opponents to under 100 rushing yards four times, including -29 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 75 forced turnovers since the beginning of the 2021 season, which ranks second among active Big 12 teams and 10th among Power 4 teams.

  • Of the 75 turnovers, 48 have been via interceptions to rank 14th among Power 4 teams and second among active Big 12 programs.

OFF THE EDGE
• Sixth-year senior Brendan Mott is making the most of his final year of college football as he ranks 11th nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 0.88 sacks per game.

  • Mott is also tied for third in the Big 12 with 8.5 tackles for loss.
  • A former walk-on from Iowa City, Iowa, Mott began the season with at least 1.0 TFL in each of the first six games. It was the longest streak by a Wildcat to open a season since defensive end Jordan Willis had a seven-game streak to begin the 2016 campaign.

ROMAINE LEADS THE WAY
• Sophomore Austin Romaine leads the Wildcats and is tied for 11th in the Big 12 with 57 tackles, while he ranks second on the squad in sacks (2.0) and third in tackles for loss (4.0).

  • A native of Hillsboro, Missouri, Romaine had two sacks at Tulane, the second of which caused a fumble that was returned for a 60-yard, game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • It was his first of two forced fumbles this season that led directly to the game-winning points, as he had one against Kansas prior to the game-winning field goal.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
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.

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 28 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.

TEANNANT FROM DEEP
• Senior Chris Tennant connected on a game-winning 51-yard field goal against Kansas with 1:42 left in the game, sending the Wildcats to a 29-27 victory.

  • It was the longest game-winning field goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation in school history, while it was the third-longest game-winner in the nation this season.
  • Tennant, who had another field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
  • A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Tennent now has three career field goals of 50 or more yards to rank fifth in school history. He also ranks in the top-10 in school history in career extra point percentage (4th; 97.7%), kick scoring (5th; 238), extra points made (5th; 127), extra points attempted (5th; 130), field goals made (6th; 37), field goals attempted (8th; 50) and overall in points scored.

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 en route to Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

  • 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.

DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2013 season, going the last 146 games and 440 returns without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.

  • The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, 279more than the next closest team (Arizona State – 161).
  • Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 14 of their own.