10 Observations From K-State's Loss Against Cincinnati

K-State entered the game against Cincinnati undefeated, after the Wildcats dominated their nonconference schedule. The game against the Bearcats gave Collin Klein and his team their first road test of the year and an opportunity for the Wildcats to get off to a fast start in the Big 12.

However, things didn't go as planned, as the Wildcats gave up a 17-10 halftime lead and lost to the Bearcats, 31-26. With the loss, K-State is now 3-1, while the Bearcats move to 4-0.

The loss will be a tough one for K-State, as the Wildcats had multiple opportunities to extend the lead and create separation. Here are 10 observations from Saturday night in Cincinnati.

1. K-State's run defense really struggled

Simply put, the Cincinnati rushing attack showed why it was ranked in the top 10 entering this game. The Bearcats ran the ball 38 times for 271 yards, good for 7.1 yards per carry. Gi'Bran Payne rushed the ball 16 times for 126 yards, while Cole Tabb ran it 11 times for 124 yards. Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV attempted only 13 passes on the night, but he didn't need to cause the ground game was that good.

2. Avery Johnson threw the ball 50 times

When K-State is at its best, the Wildcats are a very well-balanced offensive attack. That wasn't the case on Saturday night, as Johnson finished 30-of-50 for 292 yards and one touchdown. K-State actually ran the ball well, as the Wildcats rushed it 30 times for 155 yards. With K-State losing wide receiver Jaron Tibbs, the Wildcats still decided to throw the ball a lot.

3. Derek Salley Jr. has roller coaster game

With Tibbs leaving the game, K-State needed a receiver to step up and make plays, and Salley delivered on that front. He finished the game with seven receptions for 140 yards and was Klein's go-to receiver on Saturday night. Salley appeared to have a huge play to start the second, but he fumbled the ball after, giving Cincinnati the ball back.

The receivers are still looking for more depth at receiver, and Salley did enough on Saturday night to earn more opportunities,

4. Garrett Oakley continuing to become more involved with offense

Oakley started the season slowly for the Wildcats, but has become more involved each week. Against the Bearcats, he finished with seven catches for 80 yards. Klein looked for him multiple times on third-down attempts, as no other tight end caught a pass.

For the Wildcats to be the offense that Klein wants it to be, Oakley will need to continue to produce at a high level for the Wildcats.

5. Penalties once again an issue

After the win against Tulane, Klein lamented his team for committing five penalties. In Week 4, penalties were an even bigger issue, as the Wildcats committed seven for 50 yards. Klein was especially upset about the unforced penalties, and K-State had multiple penalties that were killer.

With the Bearcats facing a fourth down in the fourth quarter, Darien Whitaker Jr. went offside on a play that Cincinnati was just trying to get the Wildcats to make a mistake. Going on the road for the first time is a different challenge, and K-State learned that in a big way on Saturday night.

6. Big plays hurt the defense

The Wildcats were hurt by big plays on Saturday night, especially in the passing game. French finished 8-of-13 for 164 yards. That is over 20 yards per completion, with the longest being a 64-yard pass to JV Gibson. Cincinnati has an outstanding offensive line, and the Bearcats did a great job of slowing down a very good pass rush.

There was a bit of fool's gold the first three weeks, as the first three opponents didn't have the firepower to really attack the Wildcats. The schedule is only going to get tougher, and the Wildcats will have to fix those issues before their next game against Houston.

7. Offensive depth is getting tested

The offense had to deal with injuries on Saturday night, as tight end Will Acianux and wide receiver Jaron Tibbs both left with injuries. The tight end especially is looked at as one of the deepest positions for the Wildcats, but losing Acianux hurt the team.

Tibbs had gotten off to a slow start this year, but he had a big game in Week 3 with over 100 yards. With both of those guys off the field, the Wildcats weren't able to win over the middle of the field at a consistent rate. Johnson averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and just wasn't able to create enough big plays.

8. Klein experiencing adversity first time as K-State coach

Things could not have started better for Klein as the coach, but now we see how he will rally the team from adversity. This is one of those games that will stick with the team, as there were just so many opportunities to take control of this game. It has been extremely easy, but this is the first real challenge for him. The Wildcats have a bye next week, and then a home game against Houston that just became even more important.

9. K-State was still effective in third down

One area where the Wildcats have been good all year is when it comes to converting on third downs. They entered Big 12 play converting 67% and were once again good on Saturday night. They were able to extend drives throughout the night, going 10-of-17 on third downs.

Being able to convert third downs is going to continue to be a huge thing for the Wildcats in 2026. The fact that they were able to do that in their first road game shows this should continue to be a trend this season.

10. Houston game has become huge in the Big 12 race

The Cougars didn't look great in Week 4, but they were able to beat Georgia Southern. As the two teams face off in Week 6, both teams will enter that game with a Big 12 loss. With so much parity in the conference, a second loss in Big 12 play this early in the season would make a run to the Big 12 Championship nearly impossible.

There is still a lot of season left, but the loser of the Week 6 tilt in Manhattan will be on the outside looking in the Big 12 race.

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