Welcome to the Big 12, Arizona.
Although it didn’t count officially as a conference game, No. 14 Kansas State made sure they gave No. 20 Arizona a nice welcome into the Conference Friday night with a 31-7 blowout victory inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
In a top-20 matchup between Big 12 foes, the 14th ranked Wildcats scored 31 unanswered points to cruise to the victory.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was one of the stars of the night as the sophomore threw two touchdown passes, while Dylan Edwards added a spectacular 71-yard punt return for a score. The Wildcats’ defense also played lights out as they allowed just 7 points against Arizona’s high-powered offense. ring
With the win, Kansas State ended Arizona’s impressive nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“We’re not trying to make a statement to others; it’s about proving to ourselves that we can keep playing at a high level,” said Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman. “We had a solid week of preparation, and now we need to continue this effort.”
The matchup, scheduled before Arizona’s transition from the Pac-12 to the Big 12, remained on the calendar when both teams couldn’t find a replacement opponent. As a result, the game did not impact the conference title race, which was fortunate for Arizona.
Johnson had a standout game, racking up 156 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, while D.J. Giddens contributed with 86 rushing yards and a touchdown. Kansas State (3-0) rebounded impressively after last week’s uninspiring performance on the road against Tulane.
For Arizona (2-1), quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 268 yards but was intercepted once. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a potential first-round NFL draft pick, caught 11 passes for 138 yards but couldn’t turn any of those catches into touchdowns.
“They (Kansas State) play excellent football,” Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said after the game. “Their tackling was solid, their coverage is effective, and their coaching staff had them well-prepared. They’re a well-coached team that plays with a lot of intensity.”
With the loss, Arizona will look to regroup as they take on No. 12 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
For Kansas State, the Wildcats will play their fist Big 12 game against BYU next week. It will be the Cougars’ first Big 12 home game of the season so you can expect LaVell Edwards Stadium to be rocking.
