PreGameday: Week 2 Vs Washington State

Fast Facts

The Cougars have won their last two games against Big 12 opponents, beating Texas Tech 37-16

in 2024 and Iowa State 28-26 in the 2018 Alamo Bowl.

This is the first time in Kanasas State history they have faced off against the Washington State

cougars on the gridiron. The Cats eye to add another non-conference victory to their resume,

understanding that last season their skid began with the non-conference and mentally writing

themselves out by week 3 at 1-3.

In Collin Klein’s first Caturday as head coach of Kansas State, he came within 6 points shy of

breaking the all-time record for most points in a game. Klein has always produced a top 25

offense in his offensive coordinator roles, and he proved last saturday he will attempt to keep that

streak going in his first head coach opportunity.

 

Washington State’s look so far

WSU looks to find new life in second-year quarterback and first-time Cougar Caden Pinnick

out of UC Davis. Pinnick was the main source of offense, as he led both passing and rushing

with 142 and 61 yards, respectively.

With a dual-threat quarterback comes the typical issue Avery Johnson may face, where he

abandons the plan too quickly and attempts to win the play with his feet instead of his arm. This

comes at the expense of Pinnick passing interceptions last match-up and knocking down anyone

else attempting to put up scrimmage yards outside of the quarterback.

Defensively, Washington State was actually very sound, as they were able to keep Washington’s

under-six-foot QB in check for most of the match up until Desmond Williams Jr. started to get

the gears of the 2026 season working.

The offensive and defensive lines for Washington State were statistically poor, as the Cougars

allowed three total sacks with their mobile QB while producing zero sacks themselves. Which

historically Avery Johnson will look to exploit.A higher interception game does allow for less 2026 game tape for Washington State, which can

be a bright side, as their bag of tricks hasn’t fully been presented yet.

 

How Kansas State can advance to 2-0

The “special teams U” may have returned to the Kansas State mantra as they were able to create

points on punt return with a 65-yard return utilizing the legs of senior Brandon White. Along

with the return, the Cats were a perfect 9/9 on extra points with three total kickers taking a boot

last Saturday.

With the purple having a wide turnover in with their offensive line, the “trenches” have become

yet another key to the game, as stated by Stan Weber: the unit only had “eight career

appearances” in combined. Appearances are not equivalent to starts, but the line held up well,

allowing zero sacks and keeping all three quarterbacks on the depth chart clean.

The rushing game can either have a question mark or an exclamation point on Saturday with a

wide open depth chart in the room. Head Coach Collin Klein stated in his press conference that

Rodney Fields Jr. “edged out the competition” within training camp, which includes veteran Joe

Jackson, who currently holds the single-game career rushing record in a K-State uniform. The

competition is still fierce for who will be RB1 on the depth chart, which can create 3-4 hungry

backs, as the Wildcats featured six total rushing touch downs in their 71-point victory over

Nichols.

 

Betting Odds

Washington State vs. Kansas State Betting Odds, Preview, Prediction

Odds: Kansas State -17.5

Over/Under 51.5

MoneyLine: WSU +625 | K-State -950