Kansas State Looking to 'Dust Themselves Off' After Bye Week

After a 1-3 start, the Kansas State Wildcats are looking to turn things around collectively after their bye week

Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Jaron Tibbs and tight end Garrett Oakley | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

"You know, it's easy to feel sorry for yourself, but nobody's going to feel sorry for us," said Kansas State Wildcats football head coach Chris Klieman. "So those guys got to dust themselves off and get off the deck and play better football."

The Wildcats got an early Week 4 bye, their first of two due to their Week 0 contest with the Iowa State Cyclones. However, the start of the season has been ugly for K-State, and the bye came at a convenient time, giving the Wildcats the opportunity to reset and regroup.

"We got to get these kids believing [that] what we're doing is the right thing and getting them playing with their hair on fire," Klieman said. "That hasn't happened yet on either side consistently. It's happened a series, has happened for a quarter or so, but it's got to happen for four quarters."

Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman | INPHO via Imagn Images

Kansas State has the opportunity to get back on track with a Big 12 matchup against the UCF Knights, led by head coach Scott Frost. Klieman coached alongside Frost at Northern Iowa, and the two will line up on opposite sidelines on Saturday, Sept. 27.

However, Klieman also commended UCF's defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who had an unceremonious exit at USC before finding success at UCF to start the 2025 season. Klieman said that UCF's defense is fast, physical, and disruptive.

"I think they've got a really good front. Their front seven and the guys up front wreak havoc; they're long, they're athletic, they're physical, they're making plays in the backfield, and pushing that line of scrimmage into the backfield," Klieman said. "And then their secondary guys are cleaning it up as well as playing really good coverage."

This falls in line with exactly what the expectations were in the preseason for Grinch, who said that he wanted the team to be "about playing with an edge."

"We want to play fast and physical, but there has to be a finish to each play," Grinch said before the season. "Coach Frost anticipates his defense having 11 dudes running to the ball, and that's exactly how I envision it … playing with speed and physicality."

Holding The Line ✊ pic.twitter.com/VVhAzutR22

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 21, 2025

For the Wildcats, the path to victory will be in execution, which has not been a strong suit so far this season. With a 1-3 record (0-1 in conference play), there is plenty of room for improvement. However, Klieman said that he feels as though players need to loosen up and be less afraid of making mistakes, particularly on defense.

"We haven't had enough TFLs … whether that's the scheme, whether it's kids playing tentative to not wanting to mess up, we've got to kind of eliminate that in my opinion and just fire off and create some havoc."

Looking ahead, there's some hope for the Wildcats to get reinforcements back. While offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick has still not yet been cleared for practice, the Wildcats are "hopeful" that running back Dylan Edwards can return in Week 5. Klieman said they will know more early in the week, but the practice report should help indicate his status after exiting his second game this season.

Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Edwards being able to play could be critical for Kansas State. He has four carries for 13 yards this season and played just one snap against Iowa State before missing multiple weeks with an injury.

The Wildcats have struggled to stay ahead of the sticks, whether it is a result of a middling run game or drops in the passing game; Edwards' health could help them get in more third-and-short situations while avoiding more third-and-longs.

"They [the running backs] need to be better, but so does the offensive line. So does the receiver room. So does the quarterback. I mean, all of us have to have some ownership in this — so do us as coaches," Klieman said. "It's easy to come here and point out a position that's not playing the best. I agree, but it's collectively."

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