By Anna Bella Ramirez

GAME NOTES

https://www.kstatesports.com/documents/2024/11/18/Game_11_-_Cincinnati.pdf

Game 11
Cincinnati at 16/rv/25 K-State
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)
Series: Cincinnati Leads, 4-2
TV: ESPN2 (watch)
Brian Custer (Play-by-Play)
Rod Gilmore (Analyst)
Lauren Sisler (Sidelines)
Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com (Listen)
Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)
Stan Weber (Analyst)
Matt Walters (Sidelines)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 160 or 198, and on the SiriusXM App
Big 12 Radio on TuneIn
X Updates: @KStateFB and @KStateStatsInfo

THE TOP 5
1) Looking to rebound from consecutive losses for the first time since the final two regular-season games of 2021, Kansas State hosts Cincinnati on Senior Night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday night, will be shown nationally on ESPN2 with Brian Custer (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst) and Lauren Sisler (sidelines) on the call.

2) Quarterback Avery Johnson is set to make his 12th career start as he has thrown for 2,150 yards and 17 TDs on 177-of-291 aim while adding 412 rushing yards and five scores. He is one of only six players in the country and the only Big 12 quarterback with at least 2,000 passing yards and 400 rushing yards. He is one passing TD shy of tying the K-State sophomore record and entering the overall top-10 list.

3) Junior running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries to go along with 18 receptions for 219 yards and another score. Giddens ranks 12th nationally by averaging 112.8 rushing yards per game, while he is eighth in the nation in scrimmage yards per game (134.7). He is the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

4) Kansas State has eight players with 35 or more tackles this season, led by linebacker Austin Romaine, whose 71 tackles are tied for 12th in the Big 12. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott has 9.5 TFLs and 8.0 sacks, the latter ranking 12th in the nation. Five Wildcats have carded an interception this season in Marques Sigle (3), VJ Payne (2), Jacob Parrish, Jack Fabris and Keenan Garber.

5)Chris Tennant has been true on 14-of-17 field goals, including a 51-yarder with 1:42 left to give the Wildcats a 29-27 win over Kansas. Tennant ranks in the top 10 in school history in eight career categories. Simon McClannan ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 13 punts that have ended inside the opponent 20-yard line are tied for fifth in the Big 12. Dylan Edwards ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 336 total return yards.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS
217 – Opponents’ lost yardage on K-State’s 25 sacks this season, which ranks seventh the nation and tops in the Big 12.
143 – Big 12 victories by K-State since the conference’s inception in 1996, the most among active programs.
15 – Home wins by the Wildcats since the beginning of 2022, tied for 19th in the country and ranked first in the Big 12.
8 – Number of night games the Wildcats will have played this season, the most in a regular season since 2012.
4 – DJ Giddens became the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons

TEAM NOTES
RECENT RECAP
• K-State is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses as the Wildcats dropped a 24-14 decision to Arizona State last week, which came on the heels of a 24-19 loss at Houston prior to its second bye week of the season.
• The Wildcats entered the game at Houston on a four-game winning streak, capped by a dramatic 29-27 dramatic win over Kansas – its 16th-straight win over the Jayhawks – as linebacker Austin Romaine forced a fumble on defense before Chris Tennant nailed a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left for the two-point win.
• The defense settled in and held the Jayhawks scoreless in their final four drives with the Romaine forced fumble and Brendan Mott recovery leading to the game-winning drive.

HOME SWEET HOME
• Saturday’s contest serves as the first time this season the Wildcats will have consecutive home games and marks the final home game of the season.
• After going 6-1 at home last year, the Wildcats are 4-1 inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season. They are looking for one or fewer home losses in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2011 (1) and 2012 (0).
• Home games have been kind to K-State over the last three years as the Cats have 15 victories, tied for the 19th most home wins in the nation over that span. That figure is also the most among active Big 12 teams.

BACK ON THE BOWL SCENE
• With its sixth victory of the year at West Virginia, Kansas State will be playing in the postseason for a fourth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 15 years.
• Entering the year, K-State was one of just 16 Power 4 programs to play in a bowl game at least 12 times in the previous 14 years.

AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
• K-State has a total of 229 victories since 1996, which ranks 22nd nationally.
• Among active Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fourth behind BYU (237), TCU (235) and Utah (232).
• Over the last 15 seasons – including 2024 – the Wildcats have won at least seven games on 13 occasions.

ON A GOOD RUN
• K-State entered the 2024 season riding a streak of three-straight years of at least eight wins, its longest since 2011 (10), 2012 (11), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9), and the Wildcats need one more victory to extend the current streak to four-straight years.
• Entering the season, K-State was the only returning Big 12 team with at least eight wins in each of the previous three seasons and one of 13 Power 4 programs to claim that feat.
• K-State has 34 wins since 2021, which is tied for 15th nationally and first among active Big 12 teams.

A WINNING TRADITION
• Kansas State has totaled 143 Big 12 victories since the conference’s formation in 1996, which stands as the most among active Big 12 programs.
• The Cats are also second among active Big 12 members in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.7% (74-50), trailing only Oklahoma State (62.1%; 77-47).
• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 41-21 (66.1%) at home in Big 12 play and 33-29 (5.32%) on the road.

REGULARLY IN THE AP POLL
• K-State fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 this week as the Wildcats were ranked in the previous 12 polls.
• It was the first time K-State had been ranked in the first 12 AP polls of a season since appearing in all 17 polls in 2014.
• K-State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 on 243 occasions since 1993, the most among active Big 12 teams and ranked 22nd nationally.

CATS AT NIGHT
• Kansas State is playing its eighth night game this Saturday, including the sixth that will have kicked off after 7 p.m. local time.
• It is the most night games in a season since the 2014 season also saw the Wildcats play in eight night games, but one of those was the Alamo Bowl.
• This is the first time the Wildcats will have played eight night games during the regular season since also playing in eight in 2012.

NEW OPPONENTS
• K-State is only playing four opponents from last year’s schedule – Houston, Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State – in 2024.
• It is the fewest amount of carryover opponents from one year to the next since only three rematches from 1918 to 1919.
• Additionally, half of the Wildcats’ schedule is against teams in which they have not faced in at least 10 years, if ever. Those are UT Martin (First Meeting), Arizona (1978), BYU (1997), Colorado (2010), Arizona State (2002) and Cincinnati (1996).

A TRACK RECORD OF WINNING
• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 118-40 career record, as his 74.7% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons. He is also one of just 18 current Power 4 head coaches with at least 100 career victories.
• Klieman, who is 46-26 since arriving at K-State, has led the Cats to five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019.

TO’s MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
• Kansas State ranked in the top 10 nationally in turnover margin each of the last two years as the Wildcats finished eighth in 2022 and fifth in 2023, which marked the first time in the top 10 in consecutive seasons since 2011 (9th) and 2012 (3rd).
• After sitting at minus-2 in turnover margin and ranking 93rd in the nation entering the Oklahoma State game, the Wildcats are now even on the year and ranked 65th.

CATS TOPS IN NON-OFFENSIVE TDs
• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 25-plus seasons as it has 135 since 1999, 10 more than the next closest team (Alabama – 125).
• K-State has recorded four non-offensive scores this season, its most since also recording four in 2020.
• The four non-offensive TDs this year are: a Ty Bowman blocked punt against UT Martin that was returned for a score by Colby McCalister, a 60-yard rumble return by Jack Fabris at Tulane, a 71-yard punt return by Dylan Edwards against Arizona, and a 43-yard interception return by Marques Sigle at West Virginia.

CARDIAC CATS
• Kansas State is 3-1 in one-possession games this season, with all three of its wins being in comeback fashion.
• The Wildcats’ three wins this season when trailing in the fourth quarter are the most since 2017.
• K-State trailed Kansas, 27-26, until Chris Tennant’s 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left sparked a K-State win.
• K-State trailed 28-24 at Colorado before the game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass from Avery Johnson to Jayce Brown with 2:14 left.
• In Week 2 at Tulane, K-State rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit to take a 34-27 win, which included a Dylan Edwards touchdown run and a Jack Fabris fumble return to erase a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.
• Of K-State’s three one-possession victories this year, two were on the road against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (No. 16 Colorado and No. 20 Tulane).

FILL THE BILL
• With the entire six-game 2024 home slate trending toward being sold out, K-State is currently riding a streak of 19-consecutive sellouts dating back to the beginning of 2022.
• Kansas State is one of only three schools in the nation to rank in the top 20 of percentage of capacity filled each of the last 10 seasons, joining Ohio State and Oklahoma.
• So far this year, K-State ranks 10th nationally by filling its stadium to 103.29% capacity.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
GROUND AND POUND
• K-State enters this week’s matchup ranking 18th nationally by averaging 202.9 rushing yards per game, while the Cats are seventh in the country by averaging 5.8 rushing yards per carry.
• K-State’s school record for average yards per rush is 5.27 yards in 2016.
• The average is driven by 71 rushes of at least 10 yards to tie for 10th in the nation, while K-State’s 23 rushing plays of 20 or more yards this season rank ninth in the country.
• The Cats have rushed for at least 200 yards in six games this year, the most in the Big 12. The Wildcats have already equaled last year’s regular-season total, which was the most since doing so in eight regular-season games in 2016.

TOTAL OFFENSE
• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards of offense in 30 of the last 37 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
• During that stretch, the Cats held a 10-game streak against Big 12 foes with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history.

RED ZONE SUCCESS
• The 2024 season is a continuation of red-zone success under Chris Klieman, as the Wildcats rank first among active Big 12 programs by scoring on 89.9% (259-of-288) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019 with 194 touchdowns (67.4%).
• Last season, the Cats ranked second nationally by finding paydirt on 78.5% of their red-zone possessions (51-of-65), and they narrowly finished behind Oregon State by 0.11%. K-State would have led the nation last year had the Cats not been in the red zone when taking a knee to close out the Pop-Tarts Bowl win.
• K-State enters play this week ranked 50th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in red zone scoring at 86.5% (32-of-37) with one of those failed attempts being a kneel down at the end of the West Virginia game.

RED ZONE THREATS
• Kansas State’s tight end unit has combined for 10 touchdown receptions this year, tied for the third most in the nation.
• The 10 touchdowns have come from four different players in Will Anciaux and Garrett Oakley with three apiece, while Brayden Loftin and Will Swanson each have two.

OFFENSIVE LINE STEPPING UP
• Although the offensive line lost four starters from a year, the current group is stepping up. In addition to its rushing rankings, K-State also ranks in the top 25 nationally in fewest sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game) and fewest tackles for loss allowed (15th; 4.00 per game).
• Despite limited starts at K-State entering the season, the current starting unit is experienced overall as the six players that have made start this year have combined for 123 starts and 8,604 career offensive snaps. The leaders in those departments are on the left side in tackle Easton Kilty (47 starts, 2,946 snaps) and guard Hadley Panzer (36 starts, 2,341 snaps).

A GREAT START
• Quarterback Avery Johnson has started 11 career games under center with the Wildcats going 8-3 those games. Included in those victories are three wins over ranked teams – No. 19 NC State in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl in addition to No. 20 Arizona and No. 20 Oklahoma State this season – and a win at Colorado, which checks in at No. 16 in the most recent Associated Press Top 25.
• Johnson’s eight victories as a starting quarterback are already tied for the 13th most by a Wildcat since 1990, while his 72.7% winning percentage ranks seventh among signal callers with at least 10 starts.

BY AIR AND GROUND
• Quarterback Avery Johnson was the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2023, and he’s putting that on display during his true sophomore season as he is one of only six quarterbacks nationally and the only Big 12 player with at least 2,150 rushing yards and 400 passing yards.
• If he were to stay at his current averages, Johnson would end the season as just the 17th quarterback in Big 12 history and just the second K-State quarterback ever with at least 2,775 passing yards and 535 rushing yards. The other Wildcat to hit those marks was Michael Bishop in 1998.

MULTIPLE TDs
• Avery Johnson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two others in K-State’s 42-20 victory over No. 20 Oklahoma State en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• He was the first K-State signal caller to have at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a conference game since Collin Klein at West Virginia in 2012.
• A product of Wichita, Kansas, Johnson has been responsible for 22 touchdowns this season as he needs two to tie for 10th in school history for a single season.

MULTIPLE 1,000-YARD SEASONS
• Running back DJ Giddens notched his second-straight season with 1,000 rushing yards, crossing the mark last week against Arizona State as he now has 1,128 yards this season.
• He is just the fourth player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons, joining Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004), Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010) and Deuce Vaughn (2021, 2022).

GIDDENS GETTING IT DONE
• Running back DJ Giddens has averaged 112.8 rushing yards per game this season to rank 12th in the country, while he is eighth with 134.7 scrimmage yards per game.
• Giddens’ current rushing average ranks sixth in school history, and that figure is buoyed by 14 rushes of at least 20 yards to tie for third in the nation.
• Giddens is the only player in the country with three runs of at least 50 yards and two receptions of at least 40 yards.

UP THE CAREER CHARTS
• DJ Giddens enters this week’s game with 2,872 career rushing yards, which ranks fourth in school history, while his 5.89 career yards per rush ranks second at K-State only behind Darren Sproles (6.11; 2001-04).
• A native of nearby Junction City, Kansas, Giddens also ranks in the top 10 in program history for a career in receiving yards by a running back (4th; 640), rushing yards per game (5th; 77.6), and 100-yard rushing games (T3rd; 12).

DEFENSIVE NOTES
LIMITED POINTS PER GAME
• Since the K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment at the beginning of the 2021 season (50 games), the Cats are allowing just 21.4 points per game, which ranks 22nd nationally and third among active Big 12 teams.
• Additionally, the Wildcats have allowed 121 offensive touchdowns over that time, which ranks 24th in the nation.
• The Wildcats have finished each of the three previous seasons by allowing less than 22.0 points per game, their longest streak since going 13-straight year from 1991 through 2003.
• Since head coach Chris Klieman‘s first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 39 of their 51 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats.

BEHIND THE LINE
• K-State enters this week’s game ranked 31st nationally and second in the Big 12 with 2.60 sacks per game, while they are 31st in the country and third in the conference with 6.6 tackles for loss per game.
• The Wildcats have tallied at least 4.0 tackles for loss in seven games this year – including 11 TFLs in each of the first two contests – while they have at least two sacks in five contests – including a season-high six at Colorado.

HIGH SACK YARDAGE
• Kansas State’s 26 sacks this season have resulted in 217 lost yardage, which ranks ninth in the nation and second in the Big 12.
• It is the most by the Wildcats since 2006 (223) and already the eighth most by K-State since 1996.
• K-State’s six sacks at Colorado resulted in 74 yards of loss, the fourth-most ever by a Big 12 team in a conference game and second most by a Big 12 team in any game since 2012.
• It was the most sack yardage accumulated by the Wildcats in a single game since at least 1995. Their previous best over that timeframe was 72 yards against Baylor in 2002.

STINGY AGAINST THE RUN
• K-State enters this week ranking ninth in the country by allowing only 101.8 rushing yards per game.
• The Cats have limited opponents to under 100 rushing yards four times, including -29 at Colorado.
• It is the second fewest rushing yards allowed by an FBS team this season, the fewest allowed in a Big 12 game since 2006 and the fourth fewest allowed by any team in the nation over the last seven seasons.

CREATING TURNOVERS
• K-State has totaled 77 forced turnovers since the beginning of the 2021 season, which ranks second among active Big 12 teams and tied for the 11th among Power 4 teams.
• Of the 77 turnovers, 48 have been via interceptions to tie for 15th among Power 4 teams and second among active Big 12 programs.

OFF THE EDGE
• Sixth-year senior Brendan Mott is making the most of his final year of college football as he ranks 12th nationally and tops in the Big 12 with 0.80 sacks per game.
• Mott is also tied for fifth in the Big 12 with 9.5 tackles for loss.
• A former walk-on from Iowa City, Iowa, Mott needs 2.5 sacks to enter the school’s top-10 list for a single season. His 8.0 sacks this season are the most since current Kansas City Chief Felix Anudike-Uzomah had 8.5 in 2022, a year after he had 11.0 sacks to tie for fifth in school history.
• Mott’s 8.0 sacks have resulted in 54 lost yards, as no Wildcat has had more in a season since Jordan Willis in 2016 (84 yards).

ROMAINE LEADS THE WAY
• Sophomore Austin Romaine leads the Wildcats and is tied for 12th in the Big 12 with 71 tackles (7.10 per game). If he were to stay on his current average, Romaine would end the season with 92 tackles, which would be the most by a Wildcat since 2017 (Jayd Kirby – 99).
• A native of Hillsboro, Missouri, Romaine had two sacks at Tulane, the second of which caused a fumble that was returned for a 60-yard, game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
• It was his first of two forced fumbles this season that led directly to the game-winning points, as he had one against Kansas prior to the game-winning field goal.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
SCORING IN THE THIRD PHASE
• The Wildcats continue to lead the nation in total return touchdowns since 2005 with 62, which is 22 more than the next closest team in Alabama (40) and 28 more than the next closest Big 12 programs, Oklahoma State and TCU (34).
• Of the 62 total returns, a nation-leading 31 are on kickoff returns, and the next closest team is Houston with 21.
• The 2023 season marked the first time since 2004 in which the Wildcats did not score via a kickoff or punt return, but the Wildcats got off the schneid with a blocked punt that was returned for a score against UT Martin and a 71-yard punt return touchdown against Arizona.

SEVEN STRAIGHT
• K-State has blocked a punt in seven-straight seasons, tied for the longest streak in the nation with San Diego State.
• Oregon and Iowa State are tied for third at five-straight years.

TEANNANT FROM DEEP
• Senior Chris Tennant connected on a game-winning 51-yard field goal against Kansas with 1:42 left in the game, sending the Wildcats to a 29-27 victory.
• It was the longest game-winning field goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation in school history, while it was the third-longest game-winner in the nation this season.
• Tennant, who had another field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
• A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Tennent now has three career field goals of 50 or more yards to rank fifth in school history. He also ranks in the top 10 in school history for a career in kick scoring (5th; 245), extra point percentage (5th; 97.0%), extra points made (5th; 128), extra points attempted (5th; 132), field goals made (6th; 37), field goals attempted (6th; 52) and overall in points scored (9th).

NEW MAN BACK DEEP
• Sophomore transfer Dylan Edwards made a splash on just his third punt-return attempt of the season as he took one 71 yards for a touchdown against Arizona en route to Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
• It was the Wildcats’ first non-blocked punt-return touchdown since the second game of the 2022 season.
• He became the first K-State running back to record a punt-return touchdown since Darren Sproles took one back 63 yards against Kansas in 2003, while it was the longest by a K-State running back since David Allen had a 74-yarder at Texas in 1999.

DEFENSE ON KICK RETURNS
• K-State has not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 2013 season, going the last 148 games and 441 returns without allowing its opponent to find paydirt.
• The streak is the longest among the active Big 12 teams, 271 more than the next closest team (Arizona State – 170).
• Since K-State allowed its last kickoff-return touchdown, the Wildcats have scored 14 of their own.

– k-statesports.com –

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