Washington State heads into a difficult road assignment against Kansas State on Saturday with plenty to prove after a disappointing opening-week loss. The Cougars will travel to Manhattan for a matchup that represents their second consecutive Power Four test, while Kansas State enters the contest riding the confidence of a spectacular opening performance under new head coach Collin Klein.
The Wildcats could hardly have imagined a better beginning to the Klein era. Kansas State overwhelmed Nicholls 71-3 in its opener, producing its highest-scoring season opener since 2000 and tying a Big 12 record by having six different players score rushing touchdowns. Washington State, meanwhile, opened the season with a 24-10 defeat to No. 17 Washington in the Apple Cup.
That contrast makes the matchup particularly intriguing. Kansas State has momentum, home-field advantage and an offense that demonstrated tremendous explosiveness in Week 1. Washington State, however, showed against Washington that its defense can compete with a quality opponent. The question now is whether the Cougars can fix enough of their offensive problems to make the game competitive.
1. Washington State must find a way to run the football
Perhaps the biggest issue for the Cougars coming out of the Apple Cup was their inability to establish a consistent rushing attack. Washington’s defense held WSU’s running backs to only 39 rushing yards, making it extremely difficult for the Cougars to maintain possession and keep their offense out of obvious passing situations.
That problem becomes even more concerning against Kansas State.
The Wildcats will likely make stopping the run one of their first priorities. If WSU cannot create running lanes for Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and the rest of its backfield, quarterback Caden Pinnick could be forced to carry too much responsibility.
Pinnick is dangerous when he has space and can use his legs, but Washington State needs more balance. A credible running game would force Kansas State’s defense to respect play-action and open opportunities for the passing attack.
For WSU, the offensive line therefore becomes one of the most important units on the field. The Cougars cannot afford another game in which their running backs are consistently stopped behind or near the line of scrimmage.
2. Caden Pinnick needs to make Kansas State respect the passing game
Pinnick showed flashes of potential during his first start, particularly with his ability to create plays with his legs and make throws when given time. He finished the Apple Cup with 61 rushing yards, but the Cougars struggled to consistently move the ball through the air.
Against Kansas State, Pinnick will need to be more decisive.
The Wildcats will almost certainly test whether WSU can beat them through the air. If Kansas State can load the box without fearing the passing game, the Wildcats can make the Cougars one-dimensional.
Pinnick does not need to throw for an enormous number of yards. What WSU needs from him is efficiency, smart decisions and enough explosive plays to prevent Kansas State from crowding the line of scrimmage.
Avoiding turnovers will be equally important. Against a team as confident as Kansas State, giving the Wildcats short fields could turn a competitive game into a runaway very quickly.
3. WSU’s defensive line must continue creating pressure
The most encouraging aspect of Washington State’s loss to Washington was the defensive performance.
The Cougars consistently pressured quarterback Demond Williams and did a good job limiting Washington’s rushing attack, which averaged only 3.3 yards per carry. That defensive effort kept WSU within striking distance for much of the contest despite the offensive struggles.
Now the defensive front faces another major challenge.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is a completely different type of problem. His athletic ability makes him dangerous outside the pocket, while the Wildcats also have multiple capable running backs who can punish defenses that lose discipline.
WSU’s defensive line must therefore create pressure without losing contain. If the Cougars overcommit to stopping Johnson’s legs, they could open running lanes elsewhere. If they fail to pressure him, Johnson could have enough time to exploit the secondary.
The performance of WSU’s front seven could ultimately determine whether Kansas State controls the game.
4. Kansas State’s rushing attack cannot be allowed to take over
The Wildcats demonstrated just how dangerous their rushing attack can be in the season opener.
Six different Kansas State players scored rushing touchdowns against Nicholls, while Oklahoma State transfer Rodney Fields emerged as an early standout with 14 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Obviously, Nicholls does not present the same challenge as Washington State, so the Wildcats’ offensive numbers need to be viewed in context. Nevertheless, the performance demonstrated that Kansas State has considerable depth in its running game.
Washington State cannot allow that depth to become a problem.
If the Wildcats consistently gain positive yardage on early downs, they can control the clock, keep WSU’s offense on the sideline and gradually wear down the Cougars’ defense.
The challenge becomes even more complicated because Kansas State can complement the ground attack with Johnson’s mobility. WSU must identify where Johnson is on every play and maintain discipline against designed quarterback runs and scrambles.
5. Washington State needs to survive the early momentum
The final key could be psychological as much as tactical.
Kansas State will enter Bill Snyder Family Stadium with confidence after scoring 71 points in its opener. Washington State, on the other hand, is coming off a frustrating Apple Cup defeat in which its defense kept the team within reach but the offense repeatedly failed to capitalize.
That makes the opening quarter extremely important.
If Kansas State jumps ahead early, the Wildcats could force WSU into a game script that favors their defense and pass rush. The Cougars would then have to throw more frequently, giving Kansas State additional opportunities to pressure Pinnick.
But if Washington State can stay within one score, establish the running game and create a few explosive plays, the pressure could shift toward Kansas State.
The Cougars have already shown that they can compete defensively against a strong opponent. Now they need to prove they can put together a complete performance.
Mkristo Bruce’s perspective adds another layer
Having a former Washington State standout such as Mkristo Bruce involved in evaluating the matchup makes the five-key conversation especially relevant. Bruce knows the expectations surrounding WSU football and understands the difficulty of trying to win on the road against a Big 12 opponent.
The challenge facing Washington State is not simply about matching Kansas State’s talent. The Cougars have to execute better than they did in the Apple Cup.
The defense needs to maintain the level it showed against Washington, while the offense must make a significant jump. WSU head coach Kirby Moore acknowledged that improvement is necessary, with the team needing a “huge jump” in production to have a realistic chance of winning at Kansas State.
Kansas State, meanwhile, will be looking to prove that the 71-point explosion was not simply a product of playing an overmatched opponent. This will be the Wildcats’ first opportunity to show what the new-look program can do against a more physically talented opponent.
The matchup also marks the first meeting between Washington State and Kansas State. The teams are scheduled to play again in Pullman in 2029, with the series originally arranged through former WSU president Kirk Schulz, who previously held the same position at Kansas State.
With kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. CT at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the stakes are clear. Kansas State wants to build on its explosive debut under Klein, while Washington State needs to demonstrate that the Apple Cup loss was a setback rather than a sign of larger problems.
For the Cougars, the formula is straightforward but difficult: establish the run, protect Pinnick, avoid turnovers, pressure Johnson and prevent Kansas State from controlling the game on the ground.
If WSU can accomplish those five things, it has a chance to make this far more competitive than the opening-week results might suggest. If it cannot, Kansas State’s combination of home-field advantage, rushing depth and offensive confidence could make for another long afternoon for the Cougars.
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