How Much of A Threat Is Kansas State to Houston Football in 2026?
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Houston football will take on the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, October 10, inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
The Cougars made a late comeback to defeat the Wildcats 24-19 in their first Big 12 matchup in the 2024 season, and that win was a highlight of head coach Willie Fritz’s first year as head coach.
Now, both teams will be much better than the first matchup, and each squad has a real chance to make the Big 12 Conference Title game.
Is Kansas State A Real Threat for Houston?
The simple answer to this question is yes, Kansas State is by far one of the most dangerous teams on Houston’s schedule in 2026, and no doubt a real threat.
The Wildcats have a lot of veteran returners, and the recent hiring of former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein as the new head coach will definitely make Kansas State a tough opponent.
With an offensive-minded head coach, along with star quarterback Avery Johnson and top running back Joe Jackson returning, the Wildcats’ offense will be a force to deal with.
In 2025, Johnson passed for 2,385 yards and 18 touchdowns, all while throwing just six interceptions.
He can also utilize his legs to extend drives, and he totaled 109 carries for 477 yards and eight touchdowns last year.
To further add to the running attack, Jackson is back for his sophomore season and he could very well lead the Big 12 in rushing yards.
The 6-foot, 212-pound speedster made a name for himself last year by tallying 169 carries for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
His 5.4 yards per carry make him a real threat in the ground game and he can cause all sorts of problems for opposing defenses.
While Kansas State’s offense is loaded and will be the heartbeat of this team, the defense has some serious question marks.
The Wildcats were overall average as a group last season, but the defense gave up several games by allowing an average of 26.7 points per game, which ranked No. 79 nationally.
The story of the game between the two teams will be which defense can force more stops and turnovers, because both teams have a top-5 offense in the conference.
Kansas State will have an advantage of playing at home, and beating the Wildcats on the road is no easy task.
Houston went a perfect 6-0 on the road last season, and they will look to continue that success against a talented Kansas State team with a new coach who is hungry to win.
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Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).