Collin Klein’s Wildcats in downward spiral after blowout home loss
Kansas State Coach Collin Klein leads the team onto the field before game against Oklahoma State Saturday November 7, 2026 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Coach Collin Klein realizes that when it rains it pours, as the first season of leading his alma mater is taking a turn for the worse.
After all, the Wildcats have lost five of their last six games in Big 12 play. The 66-28 debacle at home against Oklahoma State has Kansas State on the brink of a losing campaign, and now Klein needs to win two of his final three games in order for the program to reach bowl eligibility.
Klein understands that the Wildcats’ backs are against the wall, and it doesn’t help the situation that injuries are starting to pile up. Oklahoma State (6-3) embarrassed Kansas State in front of 50,000 plus fans, and exposed several weaknesses. Klein has to find a way to stop the bleeding, but recovering from such a devastating loss won’t be easy for his players.
“We got to put our heads down these last three weeks, make some adjustments, and be able to help ourselves continue to develop and improve in all three phases,” Klein said. “I know the character of our team and our players along with our leaders will be able to do that, no question, and keep moving this forward and keep building for the future.”
The offense continues to have no identity without quarterback Avery Johnson. Blake Barnett started against the Cowboys, but he struggled in the pocket, and Klein replaced him with Dillon Duff in the second half. Kansas State’s defense didn’t fare much better, and allowed the most points since 2020. Not to mention Oklahoma State scored 49 points in the first half on Jordan Peterson’s defense.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker basically played pitch and catch with his receivers, and shredded the Wildcats’ secondary the entire afternoon. Kansas State’s defense failed to apply any pressure, and allowed Mestemaker an ample amount of time to locate his targets downfield.
Once the smoke cleared, he completed 22 of his 28 passes for 313 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Mestemaker even rushed for a touchdown, and had a receiving score, which frustrated Klein. Oklahoma State running back Caleb Hawkins also made Peterson’s defense look silly at times. He rushed for 175 yards, three scores, and caught a touchdown.
Coach Eric Morris called the right plays at the right time, and Klein watched as Mestemaker executed it all like the projected 2027 first-rounder he supposed to be.
“Credit Coach Morris and their staff, and that’s as good a quarterback as I’ve played against, and I can’t really even remember unless I sat down and went back through it,” he said. “They do a tremendous job, it was a huge challenge, and there’s a lot that we have to adjust to.”
Peterson’s defense had no answer for Oklahoma State’s pace on offense, and Morris must’ve smelled blood in the water. The Wildcats surrendered 565 yards of total offense, which included 8.8 per play. Regardless, Klein refuses to point fingers, knowing it’s going to be up to his staff to get this black cloud from over the team, especially the defense.
“We have to do a better job of building and getting them in better positions,” he said. “We have to tackle better when we have opportunities to tackle, you know, and we only forced them into eight third downs in the whole ball game.”
Duff and Barnett combined for 200 pass yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Both signal-callers will have to make better decisions with the football moving forward. However, the Wildcats have some bright spots to build on.
Running back Rodney Fields racked up 87 yards on the ground, and rushed for a touchdown. Wideout Derrick Salley showed his ability to take the top off a defense, and hauled in three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Scoring 28 points should be enough to win in the Big 12, but having a leaky defense usually results in offensive shootouts, or blowouts.
Still, Kansas State had a couple of defenders that played solid in losing fashion. Rex Van Wyhe, and Wesley Fair each tallied eight tackles. Safety Logan Bartley added five stops, and picked off one of Mestemaker’s passes.
It’s no mystery that the defense is a liability for Kansas State (4-5), and the final three games will be tough with teams that can put points on the scoreboard. Klein has to take a deep look in the mirror, and figure out what direction he wants to take his team. Another loss will seal a losing season for Kansas State, and with TCU, Arizona and Iowa State looming, Klein now has a slim margin for error.
There’s no denying that Klein is in the middle of a rebuilding project, and growing pains are part of the process. Klein doesn’t feel like the program has reached rock bottom though. Instead he just wants to find light at the end of the tunnel for his players, and the fans, but that’s easier said than done after a 38-point beatdown.
“When you’re a part of [a loss] like this, they do stick with you, and there were a handful as a player and a coach that through these times you really get to figure out where ground zero is, and where you are individually where you are collectively, and if you’re able to capitalize on that and understand that and approach it the correct way.”
