This Week Today: Sep 21st – Sep 27th

Though they’re riding into conference play on a high, the UCF Golden Knights have proven to bring K-State to their lows in the past. UCF leads the series four to three, with a 3-0 record when playing in Orlando. Their last matchup saw K-State fall on their senior night in five sets, giving the Golden Knights a two game win streak heading into Thursday’s matchup.

UCF and KSU both rank top 30 in blocks per set with UCF sitting all the way in the top 10, averaging almost three per set. Their junior MB Sasha Cohen ranks fifth in the nation in blocks per set with 1.74 blocks. This game will be strength vs strength, UCF’s blocking vs K-State’s attack. K-State is 15th in the nation in kills per set, but with UCF’s tough front, things could get difficult for KSU’s attack.

Thursday, Sep. 24th – 6:30 p.m. – KSU Soccer vs Arizona – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+

K-State soccer is back in Buser Family Park this Thursday as they host the Arizona Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. KSU is coming off of a tough 3-0 loss to the Houston Cougars to open conference play, giving the Cats their first loss of the year. That loss marked the first game that GK Maddie Sibbing gave up three goals in a game and the second time that the offense has been shutout this season. The Cats left Buser on Friday with only three shots on goal on 19 shots, with Houston getting 13 corner kicks to K-State’s four. 

Though the opposing Wildcats enter Manhattan with a losing record, Arizona has seen multiple ranked teams, tying with both LSU and BYU. The Tucson Wildcats haven’t allowed more than two goals yet this season, but have been shutout three times and have struggled to put up more than two goals on offense. I foresee this matchup being pretty defensive, but Maddie Sibbing will need to return to early season form if K-State wants to add one to the win column.

Saturday, Sep. 26th – 6 p.m. – KSU Football vs Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH – Watch on ESPN2

K-State football ends their home game stretch 3-0 to start the 2026 season. Now, the undefeated Wildcat squad hits the road for the first time against the Cincinnati Bearcats, another 3-0 team with a lot of change in the roster. K-State’s 31-20 win over Tulane was a good win for the Cats, but not necessarily a great win. Avery Johnson had a great performance, becoming the only QB in KSU history to put up over 200 passing yards and 150 rushing yards in one game. 

Though that is something to celebrate, his supporting cast left a lot on the bone in their performances. Both Rodney Fields Jr. and Joe Jackson averaged less than three yards per carry and the offensive line had their fair share of missed assignments and messy plays. On top of that, the whole team ended the game with five penalties that cost the Cats over 10 yards per penalty.

The defense put up six sacks and 12 TFLs, but they still struggled to stop big chunk plays from Tulane in multiple instances. The good from Saturday does still outweigh the bad, but that was the first game thus far that really tested the Cats.

With that being said, K-State still ranks in the top 10 for both scoring defense and offense in all of the FBS. Cincinnati is top 30 in both, but their last win against Miami of Ohio looked far more suspect on both sides of the ball, skating by the Redhawks in a 35-31 comeback win after trailing 28-7. UC’s QB JC French had a great game, throwing for 309 yards and rushing for 39. In spite of his performance, the UC O-line gave up three sacks against a Miami front that hadn’t gotten a sack at all entering that game.

With that in mind, these two teams have both been doubted despite their undefeated records. Though their wins are similar, Cincinnati really struggled against a MAC school and their offensive line was questionable at best and unacceptable at worst. Against K-State’s front seven, JC French could be in trouble after a six sack masterclass for the Wildcats. I expect this game to be a fun watch with K-State’s OL and DL being the deciding factor.

Sunday, Sep. 27th – 12 p.m. – KSU Soccer vs Arizona State – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+

KSU soccer continues Big 12 play against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Buser Family Park. For the third home game in a row, K-State hosts their second Arizona school in a row. K-State’s last matchup with ASU was their only previous matchup with the Sun Devils getting a 2-0 win in Tempe. Not only will this be their first trip to Manhattan in school history, but this will be their first time facing Colleen Corbin’s K-State soccer unit.

ASU enters the Kansas gauntlet 6-1-2 with their only loss coming to ninth ranked North Carolina. Since that loss, the Sun Devils have beaten Grambling State and Utah by a combined score of 11-1. They’re averaging over two and a half goals per outing, ranking them 30th in the country in scoring offense. On top of that, ASU has scored 24 goals in nine games and only allowed five, with multiple power four teams like Texas and LSU in the mix of their nonconference schedule. If U of A is a struggle for the Cats, this matchup could be a repeat of their game against Houston.

Sunday, Sep. 27th – 2:30 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs Houston – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+

And finally, K-State volleyball finishes the weekend with their matchup against Houston in Morgan Family Arena. This game kicks off a three game home stand and marks the first home game in Big 12 play. Since Houston’s arrival to the Big 12, the Cougars are 2-1 against the Cats, with their last win coming in 2024 as a sweep in Manhattan. Though the Cougars beat K-State six sets to one in their first two conference games combined, the Cats got their revenge with a sweep of their own in Houston last season. 

With the series tied 5-5, the next game gives the winner a leg up in the all time series. UH enters the contest 7-4, with no wins against power four opponents. The Cougars played some tough opponents, namely #14 Purdue and #3 Kentucky in the Paradise Invitational. They’ve only won two sets against power four schools, both coming in a loss to Wake Forest.

If K-State hadn’t played so well in Nebraska, I’d label this matchup a toss up. But because of how the Cats looked in their wins against Creighton and Omaha, I think the Cats are geared up to take this one and get a win on Fort Riley Day in Morgan Family Arena.