10 Observations From K-State's Loss Against Houston

K-State was coming into the matchup against Houston off a bye, and the Wildcats were looking for an opportunity to get a nice bounce back win after losing to Cincinnati in Week 4.

However, as bad things were against the Bearcats, it was even worse on Saturday. The Cougars dominated the game from pretty much the opening kickoff and delivered a dominating 21-3 victory, dropping the Wildcats to 3-2 on the season.

It is hard to find any positives in this game, as the Cougars came to Manhattan and made themselves right at home. Here are 10 observations from Saturday afternoon in Manhattan.

1. Collin Klein learning why going back home isn't very easy

Going back and coaching at your alma mater is definitely something many people want to know, but it is not easy at all. Nebraska was in a similar situation a few years ago when the Cornhuskers brought back Scott Frost to be the coach, and things went bad.

It is still too early to say the Klein-era isn't going to be a success, but the last two weeks have been a big reminder of how hard it is to go home. The boos in the stadium during the second half of the game show how disappointed the fans were with the performance, and the honeymoon era in Manhattan is officially over.

2. Lack of communication completely changed the game

The score was tied at zero early in the game, and the Cougars were facing a 4th and goal. The Wildcats got a stop, but K-State had to use a timeout right before the play because they had only 10 players on the field.

That was a play that was just an illustration on what was going to happen the rest of the day. If the Wildcats were able to get that stop on the play, it could have changed the entire momentum of the game. Not being ready to go on a fourth down play is just something that can't happen, especially coming off a bye.

3. Avery Johnson isn't the only problem, but he hasn't been the solution either

There are many issues right now for K-State, but quarterback Avery Johnson isn't delivering the way a quarterback with his experience and talent should be. There were multiple opportunities for the Wildcats to connect on big deep plays, and they just haven't been able to capitalize on them this year.

This is forcing the Wildcats to sustain long drives, and they aren't able to do that. Bottom line: Johnson was brought in to lead and win these types of games, and a 16-of-30 performance isn't going to get the job done.

4. K-State's defensive issues are just now being exposed

The Cougars offense was in complete control of the game, as Conner Weigman showed why he is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football. He finished the game 17-of-26 for 233 yards and four touchdowns, with all of them going to tight end Patrick Overmyer.

They were ranked high after five weeks in many categories, but that was due to the level of competition. Against the first truly dynamic offense they have faced this season, the Wildcats were flat-out dominated. There were numerous defensive breakdowns, where guys just aren't playing fundamental football. Guys are making too many mistakes and leaving receivers wide open.

5. The Cougars were by far the more prepared team

On Saturday, Houston looked like the team that had a week off to rest up and prepare for the game against K-State. However, the Cougars were down 17- 0 last week and had to complete an impressive comeback to get the 27-17 win over UCF.

There wasn't an area where the Cougars were less prepared than K-State. The offense knew exactly where to attack K-State's defense, while the Cougars' defense had all the answers to stop Johnson and the K-State offense.

This was the first time that Klein had his team coming off a bye, and it was evident that the team wasn't mentally or physically prepared to play this game.

6. K-State is going to have to get bigger and stronger on the defensive line moving forward

This isn't an issue that K-State will be able to fix this season, but as Klein continued to build the team, the Wildcats are going to have to get bigger and stronger on the defensive line. In both of their losses to Big 12 teams, Cincinnati and Houston were able to dominate the line of scrimmage and run the ball at extremely efficient rates.

Early in the year, the Wildcats were able to get a ton of pressure on the opponents' quarterbacks, but that hasn't been the case in Big 12 play. They are getting physically dominated at the line of scrimmage, and that will have to change moving forward in the future.

7. No consistency at the receiver position

Johnson has to be better at the quarterback position, but he also has to get more help from his receivers. The leading receiver in the game was tight end Garrett Oakley, who finished with three catches for 49 yards.

The most receiving yards by a K-State receiver were Jaron Tibbs, who finished with four catches for 33 yards. In the game against Cincinnati, the Wildcats had eight drops, and that was once again an issue on Saturdays.

Derrick Salley Jr. had seven catches for 140 yards against the Bearcats, but followed that up with zero catches. There have been big games by K-State receivers throughout the year, but they haven't been able to put up a second consecutive big game.

8. Joe Jackson has become a small part of the offensive attack

Jackson ended the 2025 season with two incredible games. First, he rushed for a school-record 293 yards against Utah, while also scoring three touchdowns. In the season finale, he had another 142 yards and three more scores against Colorado.

Expectations were high for him entering the year, but he is barely getting the ball. Rodney Fields Jr. came over from Oklahoma State and took the job, but the Wildcats have to find a way to get Jackson to become more involved on offense.

9. Wendell Gregory continues to be neutralized

If you take the Tulane game away from Gregory, he has 0.5 sacks. For a guy with his talent on the edge, the Wildcats need more out of him. He was brought in the off-season to be a true game-wrecker on the outside, and he just isn't delivering.

Opponents have done a good job scheming for him, as he isn't getting a ton of one-on-one matchups. If he is, he is going up against offensive tackles who have the strength to keep him away from the quarterback. He has the ability to be take over a game, and he is going to need to do that if the Wildcats are going to get back on the right track.

10. Have to be ready to go against KU

There isn't time to let this loss linger, as the rivalry game against KU is looming next week. The Wildcats haven't lost to the Jayhawks since 2008. Fans are already extremely frustrated with the performance after this game, but a chance to get things back on track against the in-state rival is something that the Wildcats will have to do next week.

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