K-State Schedule Preview, Sept 7: The Wildcats Have Something To Prove Against Tulane
At 11 a.m., Sept. 7, Kansas State football team faces its first major test of the season when the Wildcats head to The Big Easy (New Orleans) and take on nonconference foe Tulane.
Quite simply, K-State has something to prove against the Green Wave. In two meetings, the Wildcats have fallen both times. Most recently, Kansas State lost 17-10 at home to Tulane on Sept 17, 2022. It was a shocker.
But a few things have changed since. That Tulane team, which finished 12-2 and even beat Southern Cal in the Cotton Bowl, was probably the best in school history. Tulane was coached by Kansas native Willie Fritz.
Fritz coached the Green Wave one more year before departing for Houston at the end of last season. K-State will see Fritz on Nov. 2 in an away game at TDECU Stadium in Houston.
As for Tulane, the Wildcats will definitely see new wrinkles from the Green Wave as first year coach Jon Sumrall takes over. Before arriving at Tulane, Sumrall led Troy University to a 23-4 record and two Sun Belt titles in his two seasons coaching the Trojans.
Tulane is also coming off another successful season, finishing 11-3 in 2023.
The pressure will be on sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson, who will get an early taste of playing on the road in a hostile environment as the starter.
Johnson and all the Wildcats will need to bring their ‘A’ game and open up the playbook in this nonconference road matchup. A victory will be the perfect springboard into the third week of the season against Big 12 newcomer Arizona. The game against Arizona, however, will be the third and final nonconference game for K-State in 2024.
