The 2023 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats were led by Chris Klieman in his fifth year as their head coach.
They played their home games at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. The Kansas State Wildcats football team drew an average home attendance of 51,957 in 2023.
Pre-season Big 12 preseason poll The Big 12 preseason poll was released on July 6. Kansas State was picked 2nd in the conference.
First place votes in parentheses.
Big 12 media poll 1 Texas (41) 886 2 Kansas State (14) 858 3 Oklahoma (4) 758 4 Texas Tech (4) 729 5 TCU (3) 727 6 Baylor 572 7 Oklahoma State (1) 470 8 UCF 463 9 Kansas 461 10 Iowa State 334 11 BYU 318 12 Houston 215 13 Cincinnati 202 14 West Virginia 129
Schedule
Game summaries Southeast Missouri State
Sources: K-State Box Score K-State Recap
Statistics Southeast Missouri StateKansas State First downs 13 28 Total yards 227 588 Rushes/yards 26/6 40/228 Passing yards 221 360 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 25–37–0 22–31–1 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 30:35 29:25 Penalties–yards 5−65 4−36 Team Category Player StatisticsSoutheast Missouri State Passing Paxton DeLaurent 24/36, 213 YDS Rushing Darrell Smith 6 CAR, 18 YDS, 11 Long Receiving Ryan Flournoy 10 REC, 96 YDS, 24 LongKansas State Passing Will Howard 18/26, 297 YDS, 2 TDS, 1 INT Rushing DJ Giddens 15 CAR, 128 YDS, 43 Long Receiving RJ Garcia II 5 REC, 119 YDS, 1 TD, 44 Long
Troy
Sources: K-State Box Score K-State Recap
Statistics TroyKansas State First downs 15 20 Total yards 286 397 Rushes/yards 28/70 38/147 Passing yards 216 250 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–38–1 21–32–1 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 30:23 29:37 Penalties–yards 3–22 5–45 Team Category Player StatisticsTroy Passing Gunnar Watson 17/32 167 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Kimani Vidal 17 CAR, 83 YDS, 46 Long Receiving Chris Lewis 5 REC, 50 YDS, 1 TD, 21 LongKansas State Passing Will Howard 21/32 250 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing Treshaun Ward 16 CAR, 58 YDS, 20 Long Receiving Phillip Brooks 7 REC, 94 YDS, 1 TD, 39 Long
at Missouri
Statistics KSUMIZZ First downs 19 20 Total yards 74–408 64–430 Rushes/yards 35–138 28–74 Passing yards 270 356 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 25–39–1 23–36–0 Time of possession 34:00 26:00 Team Category Player StatisticsKansas State Passing Will Howard 25-39, 270 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing Treshaun Ward 10 carries, 54 yards Receiving Ben Sinnott 5 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TDMissouri Passing Brady Cook 23-35, 356 yards, 2 TD Rushing Cody Schrader 10 carries, 58 yards Receiving Luther Burden III 7 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TD
UCF
Statistics UCFKSUFirst downs1932Total yards407536Rushing yards143255 Passing yards264255 Turnovers21Time of possession25:3734:23 Team Category Player StatisticsUCFPassingTimmy McClain14-24, 264 yards, 3 TD, 1 INTRushingJohnny Richardson6 carries, 76 yardsReceivingKobe Hudson6 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TDKansas StatePassingWill Howard27-42, 255 yards, 1 INT RushingD.J. Giddens30 carries, 207 yards, 4 TDReceivingD.J. Giddens8 receptions, 96 yards
at Oklahoma State
Statistics KSUOSU First downs 18 20 Total yards 372 412 Rushing yards 220 174 Passing yards 152 238 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15-32-3 20-36-0 Time of possession 25:18 34:42 Team Category Player StatisticsKansas State Passing Will Howard 15/34, 152 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing Will Howard 10 carries, 104 yards, TD Receiving Phillip Brooks 3 receptions, 50 yardsOklahoma State Passing Alan Bowman 19/35, 235 yards Rushing Ollie Gordon II 21 carries, 136 yards, TD Receiving Jaden Bray 4 receptions, 77 yards
at Texas Tech
Starting quarterback Behren Morton exited the game at halftime with an undisclosed injury. Morton had been dealing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder ever since he took over for the injured Tyler Shough. True freshman Avery Johnson ran for five touchdowns in the game, which he did not start.
Houston
at No. 7 Texas
Sources:
Fox's Big Noon Kickoff show was on Texas's campus for the first time this season.
102,846 is the 5th highest attendance for a game at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium to date
Baylor
at No. 25 Kansas
Kansas State –6.5
In the first matchup in Sunflower Showdown with both teams ranked in 28 years, the teams traded scores early in the game. In the beginning of the second half, Kansas took an 11 point lead. K-State would come back to win the game. It was the 15th straight loss for KU in the rivalry. The loss also officially eliminated Kansas' slim hopes to play in the Big 12 championship game.
Iowa State Cyclones
Statistics ISUKSU First downs 10 32 Total yards 488 497 Rushes/yards 23/258 54/209 Passing yards 230 288 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 8–12–0 24–48–1 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 17:48 42:12 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 8–12, 230 YDS, 3 TD Rushing Abu Sama III 16 CAR, 276 YDS, 3 TD Receiving Jaylin Noel 3 REC, 160 YDS, 2 TDKSU Passing Will Howard 24–48, 288 yards, TD, INT Rushing DJ Giddens 31 CAR, 114 YDS, TD Receiving Ben Sinnott 10 REC, 136 YDS, TD
vs No. 18 NC State (Pop-Tarts Bowl)
Statistics No. 18 NC State No. 25 Kansas State First downs 17 22 Total yards 62–399 71–435 Rushes/yards 33–235 40–257 Passing yards 164 178 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–29–1 14–31–0 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 29:06 30:54 Team Category Player Statistics No. 18 NC State Passing Brennan Armstrong 14/28, 164 yards, INT Rushing Brennan Armstrong 17 carries, 121 yards, TD Receiving Kevin Concepcion 7 receptions, 72 yards No. 25 Kansas State Passing Avery Johnson 14/31, 178 yards, 2 TD Rushing DJ Giddens 28 carries, 151 yards, TD Receiving Jayce Brown 5 receptions, 52 yards, TD
Rankings
References