Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman emphasized the need for improvement in all areas after the Wildcats’ tight win against Tulane last week, and his team delivered on that front in a decisive win over Arizona.
Quarterback Avery Johnson showcased a strong second-half performance, the defense effectively contained one of the nation’s leading passing attacks, and Dylan Edwards made a significant contribution on special teams.
Edwards provided the Wildcats with their first lead early in the second quarter, returning a punt from his own 29-yard line for a 71-yard touchdown, putting K-State ahead 14-7.
K-State then boosted its lead to 14-7 at halftime, thanks to two substantial scoring drives in the second half. The first ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to tight end Brayden Loftin, followed by a 1-yard rushing touchdown from DJ Giddens.
Defensely, the Wildcats forced a crucial end zone interception by Keenan Garber in the second quarter and made several key stops, significantly curtailing Arizona’s offensive bursts, a challenge that plagued them the previous week.
K-State amassed 391 total offensive yards compared to Arizona’s 324. Johnson completed 14 of 23 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 110 yards on 17 carries. Giddens contributed 86 rushing yards.
On Arizona’s side, Noah Fifita went 26 of 42 for 268 yards, with Tetairoa McMillan making 11 receptions for 138 yards.
K-State is set to begin its Big 12 schedule next Saturday against Brigham Young.
The final score was K-State 31, Arizona 7, marking a strong entry into the upcoming Big 12 competition.
In the fourth quarter, K-State solidified its dominance with a 35-yard field goal from Chris Tennant, extending the lead to 31-7 with under eight minutes to play. The scoring drive took 46 yards over seven plays, significantly eating up the clock.
The third quarter ended with K-State leading 28-7, following a 14-0 score in that period. A notable 83-yard drive culminated with a rushing touchdown by Giddens, marking his first rushing score of the season.
Earlier in the game, Johnson connected with Loftin for a 9-yard touchdown pass, contributing to a strong evening for the tight ends who each found the end zone.
The first half featured tight statistical competition between the two teams; however, K-State took advantage of a special teams touchdown and a critical interception to lead 14-7 at halftime.
Keenan Garber’s interception ended an Arizona drive while the Wildcats also received a significant boost from a 71-yard punt return touchdown by Edwards.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 7-7, with both teams having successful opening drives.
K-State received the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss and deferred to Arizona, which began the game with a successful drive, scoring a touchdown.
The environment at Bill Snyder Family Stadium was electric, enhanced by the annual Harley night event.
Pregame conditions were ideal for football as the teams took the field under clear skies and temperatures around 86 degrees.
Both Kansas State offensive linemen Hadley Panzer and Carver Willis were suited up and warmed up, signaling positive news given their earlier injuries.
The highly anticipated matchup kicked off at 7 p.m., broadcasted on FOX.