Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson had a career rushing performance in his first game against Texas Tech.
Saturday afternoon was not that. Johnson had arguably the worst performance of the season, going 16-of-33 for 199 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and a fumble recovered for a touchdown. He had a strong rushing performance with 88 yards and two touchdowns. However, the turnovers and sloppy offensive display halted any chance of pulling off the upset.
"I think the hardest thing is when they had those rush-ins running straight up the field," Johnson said in his postgame interview. "They'd rat out their linebackers, and usually when you rush guys up the field like that and you step up in the pocket, you've got guys coming in windows or maybe you can scramble or whatever. But they did a good job spying and ratting out their linebackers, and their defensive line is really talented. They put us in some tough positions tonight."
Like coach Chris Klieman, Johnson is focused on moving forward. The Wildcats play Oklahoma State in two weeks.
"Got a bye week and everybody's gotta get back healthy," Johnson said. "We just gotta take it as a one-week season, as we've been doing. Our next opponent is Oklahoma State, and that's what we need to focus on."
K-STATE'S CHRIS KLIEMAN HAS ANOTHER FIERY TEAM MESSAGE
After a trailblazing month, Kansas State reverted to its early-season form against Big 12 juggernaut Texas Tech. The Red Raiders came to Manhattan, KS, and hammered the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.
Still, Kansas State coach Chris Klieman has messages of optimism even with all the Wildcats' hopes pretty much buried.
"Through the adversity we've faced, character is revealed," Klieman said in his postgame interview. "All season, it's been tested and it’s been really good. So we want to find out, because we have an open week and we’ve gotta finish strong with three games. Like I told the guys in the locker room, our character's been really good and I expect that with the leaders that we have."
At 4-5, the Big 12 title aspirations are gone, and the postseason is entirely out of the question. Moreover, a surefire bowl game is now in question. Klieman wants to bury this loss to focus on the remainder of the season.
"Don’t let that circumstance that we have in that locker room dictate how we show up on Monday," Klieman said. "We got beat by a really good football team. But it’s November 1, not November 30. There's still a story and legacy to write about the 2025 team."