Will Kansas State's 'Deflated' Second-Half Defense Be a Concern Against Baylor?

Kansas State's defense let UCF get loose in the second half in Week 5. Is this a concern as the Wildcats prepare for Baylor?

Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kansas State's defense was spectacular in the first half against the UCF Knights. The Wildcats conceded one third down on five tries and only one 15+ yard play.

The one blight was an 82-yard touchdown throw from backup quarterback Jacurri Brown to wide receiver DJ Black. Brown threw a tight-window ball to Black, who outraced the Wildcats' defense into the end zone with less than three minutes in the half. Before then, the Knights had four drives that lasted no longer than six plays, ending in three punts and one interception.

OH MY DJ BLACK 82-YARD TD! 😤 @UCF_Football pic.twitter.com/K5INDiVRc2

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2025

After that long touchdown, however, the energy shifted on defense. The Wildcats stayed strong on third downs, conceding just two of eight attempts, but the Knights barely needed to reach third downs. UCF totaled six plays of 30+ yards in the second half and punted just once.

"A little bit of air got deflated out of us on the 80-yard touchdown pass because, in reality, we should have had a shutout at halftime," Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said.

"They get a big pass play, and my fear was some of what happened. 'Man, we're playing really good; OK, now we get punched in the mouth, how are we going to respond?' … then it kind of deflated on us."

It was not all bad for Kansas State in the second half; the Knights only scored 13 points and turned the ball over twice, one fumble and one interception, Tayven Jackson's first of the season. However, the explosive plays were the biggest concern from what was an otherwise impressive defensive performance.

"We're giving up too many explosive plays on defense — not getting as many right now on offense," Klieman said. "I know we did get the big run with Dylan [Edwards], but we've got to be a little bit more efficient on offense and get a few more explosive plays, and we cannot give up the amount of explosive plays we are on defense."

Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

UCF running back Myles Montgomery finished the game with 10 carries for 119 yards, which included gains of 45 and 44 yards. Running back Jaden Nixon also had five carries for 66 yards with a 54-yard run. Those three plays boosted their yards per carry from 3.5 to 12.3.

Similarly, Jackson had just 115 passing yards on 24 attempts with a QBR of 17.2. However, he had 67 yards on just two attempts. With a matchup against Baylor on the horizon, this certainly must be a point of emphasis for the Wildcats.

"Tempo, speed, terrific quarterback. … They're a terrific offense," Klieman said. "They're clicking on all cylinders. They've had really good success. They're putting up, you know, 500 yards or so and tons of points. And it's not one person."

While Baylor got off to a slow start against a struggling Oklahoma State squad, they proved how explosive their offense is with a 21-point second quarter. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson had 393 yards and four passing touchdowns, and five players had at least one 30-yard catch, including a 73-yard touchdown to Alabama transfer Kobe Prentice.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson leads the nation in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

- 1,713 passing yards
- 17 passing TDs
- 18 total TDs#SicEm 🐻 pic.twitter.com/A8BjglicW8

— Grayson Grundhoefer (@GrayGrundhoefer) September 29, 2025

Robertson has been playing at a high level, and he is pushing the ball down the field. He has recorded 12 big-time throws, according to PFF's data, which is tied for second in the country. But he has a deep collection of pass-catchers too — Baylor has five players with 16+ catches, and they all average over 13 yards per reception.

This has also opened up the running game, as Bryson Washington has accumulated 492 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He has a 30-yard run in two of five games.

The Bears play fast and run lots of plays, averaging 77.5 per game, the 11th-most in the country. This will make it critical for the Wildcats to execute on every down. Klieman attributed issues with communication, technique, and drive to K-State's poor second half, which can not be repeated against Baylor.

"If they're going to have 90 plays, we're going to be in a problem. And we've got to find ways to get off the field on defense and try to sustain some drives on offense so that we can play a little complementary football," Klieman said.