THE TOP 51) K-State opens its 128th season of football on Saturday when the Wildcats host SEMO in a 6 p.m. contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Cats are looking for their sixth season-opening win in the last seven years. It is the first time the Wildcats and Redhawks will meet on the gridiron, while it is the first against a current member of the Ohio Valley/Big South Conference since defeating Tennessee Tech in 2009.
2) Senior quarterback Will Howard returns with 15 career starts under his belt, but the 2023 season represents the first time in his career he enters a season as QB1. He led the Wildcats to a 4-1 record during his five starts in 2022, which included a pair of wins over top-10 teams in No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 3 TCU, the latter being the Big 12 Championship.
3) Skill players abound for the Wildcats, including returner DJ Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward at running back, All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott, and a plethora of wide receivers. The receiving corps is led by sixth-year senior Phillip Brooks, Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson and sophomore RJ Garcia II. Brooks will also serve as the primary returner on both kickoffs and punts.
4) The K-State defense returns five starters, led by a pair of senior linebackers in Daniel Green and Austin Moore. Moore was the team’s leading tackler last year, while Green is back for a sixth season. Notably, Khalid Duke is moving from linebacker back to his natural home at defensive end to help stabilize the line, but multiple newcomers must fill in throughout the defensive backfield.
5) Known for its special teams prowess, K-State brings back a dynamic punt returner in Phillip Brooks, who will also add kickoff return duties to his repertoire. Sixth-year senior Jack Blumer, who split punting duties two years ago, will serve as the primary punter for the first time in his career, while Chris Tennant is back to handle placements and kickoffs after serving as the primary kick the first part of 2022.
STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS129 – Non-offensive TDs by the Wildcats since 1999, the most in the nation and seven more than the next best team (Alabama).
119 – Total returning career starts by K-State offensive linemen, including all 70 starts from a year ago.
90.9 – Red zone percentage by the Wildcats since 2019, which ranks second among returning Big 12 teams.
75.6 – Career winning % by Chris Klieman, which ranks fourth nationally among FBS coaches with at least 10 years experience.
21.4 – Points per game allowed by K-State over the last two seasons, ranking second among returning Big 12 teams.
TEAM NOTESCATS IN LID LIFTERS
• Entering its 128th year of football, Kansas State holds an all-time record of 87-35-5 (70.5%) in season openers, including a 29-4 (87.9%) mark since 1990.
• Chris Klieman, who enters his 11th year as a head coach, has earned an 8-2 (80.0%) record in season openers.
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