Kansas State opens its Big 12 schedule with a night game at Cincinnati. The Wildcats (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) play the Bearcats (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) tonight at Nippert Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 PM, and the game will air on ESPN2.
The Big 12 opener for both teams is also Kansas State‘s first road game of the season and its first challenge against a Power 4 team. The Wildcats are 6.5-point favorites. A win would give the program its first 4-0 start since 2012, when Collin Klein led the team on the field. Now he walks the sidelines and knows that ‘the margins are thin’ in every game.
Kansas State’s 3-0 record so far was earned via a balanced offense and some stout defense. But the big scores and unblemished record are also due in part to a softer schedule that may not have prepared the team for the rigors of the Big 12 schedule. Whatever the outcome, this game will go far in answering some questions about the 2026 Wildcats.
Cincinnati has looked solid three weeks into the season, but its outing against Miami (OH) nearly ended in disaster. The Bearcats clawed their way back to victory from a 28-7 deficit. Their running game is statistically in the Top 10, and given the Wildcats’ struggle against the run last week, things could go awry if Kansas State is not solid in that department.
The Wildcats are a little thin on offense right now, especially with backup quarterbacks Jacob Knuth and Dillon Duff listed as questionable. In non-game news, safety Wesley Fair has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the best scholar-athlete in football. Punter Simon McClannan was named to the Ray’s 8 list for the eight best punting performances of the week. This qualifies him to be a Ray Guy Punter of the Week.
