Kansas State Runs Wild on UCF During Dylan Edwards' Return
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How much did the Kansas State Wildcats miss Dylan Edwards?
During the first four games of K-State’s season, they averaged just 108 rushing yards per game, with nearly a quarter of the production coming from three rushes by Jayce Brown. Against the UCF Knights, Avery Johnson and Edwards cleared that line by halftime.
The Wildcats ran the ball 44 times for 266 yards against UCF. The play of the game was a 75-yard rushing touchdown from Edwards, whose speed and tackle-breaking abilities were sorely missed by Kansas State.
DYLAN EDWARDS IS GONE!! 💨 @KStateFB pic.twitter.com/VpRdRpKkMO
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2025
With Edwards out of the lineup, redshirt sophomore Joe Jackson and redshirt freshman DeVon Rice have led K-State’s backfield.
Jackson had 43 career carries and Rice had one career carry heading into the season. They had 48 carries for 213 yards heading into the team’s first bye week.
Edwards’ experience and athletic abilities were on display from the jump, though. He had 20 carries for 166 yards and one touchdown, providing the juice the Wildcats have been longing for.
His presence also helped open things up for Avery Johnson. The athletic quarterback attacked the Knights’ defense on the ground on designed runs and scrambles. He had 12 carries for 75 yards, picking up multiple critical first downs and being called short of the goal line on a pair of runs.
Johnson did not have a perfect game by any means. While he threw two touchdowns with no interceptions, he had multiple missed throws and continued his bad habit of running backward when he doesn’t like what he sees early in a play. He also fumbled the ball twice, losing neither.
However, the play-action offense opened things up for K-State. He completed 18 of his 25 passes (72%) for 168 yards.
It also gave the Wildcats the ability to be aggressive on third and fourth downs. They converted six of 14 third downs and went 1-for-2 on fourth downs.
The most interesting wrinkle was when the Wildcats incorporated backup quarterback Blake Barnett. He had five carries for 23 yards and came in on multi-quarterback sets with him and Johnson lining up side by side.
Some two-quarterback action for Kansas State vs. UCF on a critical third-down conversion. Snap taken by Blake Barnett, fake toss to Avery Johnson, run for a first down.
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) September 27, 2025
Barnett, a redshirt freshman, had not yet seen NCAA action, but he was a successful high school quarterback. He was the top-rated recruit in Colorado, according to Rivals, and won a state title as a senior.
He broke Christian McCaffrey’s Colorado state high school career touchdowns record with 159 — he had 48 total touchdowns in his senior season.
Say hello to college football, Blake Barnett! pic.twitter.com/OBjb50JVmQ
— Jon Grove (@jongrove02) September 27, 2025
It remains to be seen if this will be a recurring feature of Kansas State’s offense. However, it’s clearly a sign of optimism from the coaching staff in the young quarterback, as they look for creative ways to get him on the field.
If the Wildcats can continue to find success with their running game, it’s a strong sign they can turn things around in Big 12 play.
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Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.