Nov 23, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) waits for the snap during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images
AMES — Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts polished off a 9-1 season in 1906 with a 7-0 win over Drake on Nov. 29 in Des Moines. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes debuted the same year, and the first wireless radio transmission for entertainment purposes was broadcast that December.
One hundred and eighteen yards later, the Iowa State University Cyclones have finally matched that regular season high-water mark — and with a win on Saturday night over Kansas State at home, the first 10-win season in program history becomes a reality.
It will be bitterly cold. Jack Trice Stadium may or may not be sold out. The Matt Campbell-led No. 17 Cyclones (9-2, 6-2) are breathing rarefied air and poised to (likely) reach the Big 12 title game if they can knock off the talented but erratic Wildcats (8-3, 5-3). The game will be broadcast on FOX — and here are five Kansas State players to know before kickoff:
DE Brendan Mott
The former Iowa City West standout has become a star for Kansas State. The 6-5, 244-pound senior leads the Big 12 in sacks with 8.5 and he notched his first career interception in last week’s 41-15 win over Cincinnati. Mott also recovered a fumble in the Wildcats’ 29-27 comeback win over Kansas. He pounced on Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels’ fumble with 3:44 left, which set up the game-winning drive. Mott’s efforts have helped Kansas State rise to second in the conference in sacks with 30 — more than double ISU’s league-low-tying 14. One of Mott’s three sacks last season came against the Cyclones.
QB Avery Johnson
As the gifted 6-2, 192-pound sophomore from Wichita goes, so go the Wildcats. Johnson boasts an 18-to-3 touchdown to interception ratio in Kansas State’s eight wins. But in the three losses? Johnson completed just one touchdown pass while throwing six picks. He’s dangerous and dynamic with both his arm and his legs — a combination that’s given Iowa State’s defense fits this season. Johnson is second on the team in rushing yards with 494, and he’s scored six touchdowns on the ground. He has yet to throw for 300 yards in a game this season, but he rushed for 110 yards in a resounding 31-7 win over Arizona in September. Johnson’s also completed at least one pass of 40-plus yards in eight of the Wildcats’ 11 games, so he can make explosive plays in a variety of ways.
RB DJ Giddins
Giddins has rushed for 1,200-plus yards two seasons in a row and has yet to fumble in his decorated career. He’s as reliable a back as you’ll find in the Big 12 and maybe in the country, and is averaging a career-high 6.5 yards per carry this season. Giddins rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown in last season’s 42-35 loss to the Cyclones — a solid effort overshadowed by ISU tailback Abu Sama’s 276-yard, three-touchdown performance. Giddins, a 6-1, 212-pound junior from Junction City, Kan., leads the Wildcats with seven rushing touchdowns this season. Five of those touchdown runs have come in the past five games.
WR Jayce Brown
The 6-0, 179-sophomore from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., caught just one pass for 15 yards in last week’s win, but he’s come up big in the Wildcats’s two wins of three or fewer points this season. Brown snared six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive 31-28 win at Colorado — including the 50-yard game-winner. He also caught five passes for 98 yards in the Kansas win. Brown’s three touchdown catches this season pale in comparison to the nine compiled by the tight end trio of Garrett Oakley, Will Anciaux, and Will Swenson, but his 657 receiving yards dwarfs second-leading receiver (and Iowa transfer) Keagan Johnson’s total of 340 yards.
LB Austin Romaine
The 6-2, 244-pound sophomore from Hillsboro, Mo., leads Kansas State in total tackles with 77, and he’s also forced a team-leading three fumbles this season. Romaine forced the key fumble recovered by Mott in the Kansas win, and he’s recorded 12 tackles twice this season. Romaine’s also notched two sacks and knocked down a pass this fall, making him one of the most disruptive players on the Wildcats’ defense.
