K-State Hosts North Dakota in Home Opener Saturday

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas State Wildcats are set to host the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Saturday, August 30, 2025, in their home opener at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Shawn Kenney calling the game for play-by-play and Barrett Brooks providing analysis.

This matchup comes after K-State‘s recent defeat to No. 22 Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, held in Dublin. The Wildcats lost a tight contest and are looking to bounce back on their home turf.

Quarterback Avery Johnson, a native of Wichita, Kansas, is set to make his 16th career start. In the opener against Iowa State, he demonstrated impressive performance with a 70.0% completion rate, completing 21 passes out of 30 attempts. His efficiency rating of 168.4 was among his best, second only to a previous mark against West Virginia.

K-State’s offensive unit gained 383 yards in the season opener, with wide receivers Jayce Brown, Jerand Bradley, and Jaron Tibbs contributing significantly. The trio combined for 188 receiving yards and two touchdowns, featuring a remarkable 37-yard touchdown catch from Brown and a 65-yard touchdown from Bradley in the fourth quarter. Running back Joe Jackson also had a notable performance, rushing for a career-high 51 yards.

Defensively, K-State restricted Iowa State to 4.2 yards per play and only 2.8 yards per rush, marking a strong effort with six tackles for loss, including four sacks. Tobi Osunsanmi led the defensive line with a career-high two sacks, while Qua Moss contributed with a sack that initiated a turnover.

The Wildcats’ secondary was also active, recording six pass breakups, with Donovan McIntosh standing out with a career-high two passes defended and eight tackles. Zashon Rich and Austin Romaine each added eight tackles as well.

This game marks the first time K-State and North Dakota have faced each other, following an earlier scheduled matchup in 2020 that did not occur.

While the Wildcats look to recover from their previous loss, North Dakota enters this game after an impressive season last year, averaging 30.8 points per game. However, their defense allowed nearly the same amount, giving up 30.9 points per game. Saturday’s game promises to be a thrilling showdown.