No. 22 Houston vs Kansas State Prediction: Who Wins and Why?
In this story:
The No. 22 Houston Cougars will be playing their second Big 12 road game of the season on Saturday against Kansas State in Week 6.
Houston enters with a 4-1 record and just came off a thrilling 27-17 win over UCF in the Big 12 home opener last Saturday at home. The Cougars will now have to travel out to Manhattan, Kansas, to go up against the Wildcats.
This is a key conference road challenge for Houston, and it will need to get it done to stay in the Big 12 title race as the halfway point of the regular season has already approached. Playing at Kansas State is one of the toughest road games in the Big 12, and Houston will need to be at its best to come out of there with a victory.
Kansas State is 3-1 and coming off a bye week. The Wildcats last played against Cincinnati on the road in Week 4 and lost 31-26. K-State did get off to a 3-0 start at home to begin the year.
Here are the Houston Cougars on SI staff picks for this game.
Houston 34, Kansas State 26
I believe this will end up being a close game throughout before Houston gets a big touchdown to separate itself in the fourth quarter. This should be a competitive contest with K-State at home and the Cougars' offense puts together a good performance in both halves. Senior quarterback Conner Weigman comes out with strong intent and bounces back.
Houston runs the ball to control the clock. While the defense does give up some yardage and big plays, it does prevent Kansas State from doing so consistently. The Cougars don't stop Avery Johnson, but they slow him down. -Maanav Gupta
Houston 38, Kansas State 24
I thoroughly expect Houston to mostly dominate this game. After the Cougars ended the game against UCF humming, I expect a more confident, more prepared team on Saturday. Houston needs to win this game with a tough stretch of schedule ahead, where it will host Oklahoma State and visit Utah. Given that, Houston should play an inspired brand of football and come out on top. -Tyler Crum
Houston 35, Kansas State 20
Houston's offense will dominant against Kansas State's defense. Although Avery Johnson is a very athletic and mobile quarterback, the secondary limits big plays as the defense becomes one of the best in the conference. Conner Weigman gets back in top form and delivers. -Micah Clay
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.