Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes cornerback Cameron Calhoun (4) and Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) play for a ball during the third quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
No. 18 Iowa State returns home for Senior Night against K-State Saturday (6:30 p.m. FOX) with hopes of a spot in the Big 12 championship game on the line. Here’s everything you need to know.
Game Day Info
No. 18 Iowa State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) vs. No. 24 K-State (8-3, 5-3 Big 12)
Location: Ames, Iowa
Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium (61,500)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m.
TV: FOX (Connor Onion, Mark Helfrich)
Radio: Varsity Network (John Walters, Eric Heft, Ryan Harklau)
Line: Iowa State -2.5 (via Action Network updated Friday, 1:00 p.m.)
Over/Under: 51.5
Series Results
Iowa State leads the all-time series against Kansas State 53-50-4
Recent Results
2023: Iowa State 42, K-State 35 (Manhattan)
2022: No. 20 K-State 10, Iowa State 9 (Ames)
2021: Iowa State 33, K-State 20 (Manhattan)
2020: No. 17 Iowa State 45, K-State 0 (Ames)
2019: Kansas State 27, Iowa State 17 (Manhattan)
Players to watch
The wideouts
Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are one of two programs with a pair of 900+ yard receivers to this point in the college football season along with San Jose State. It’s senior night for the both of them, and Higgins is two touchdowns away from tying the season-best mark of 10, set by Allen Lazard in 2017. Noel can eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with 24 yards in this one.
Avery Johnson, quarterback (Kansas State)
Johnson is known for being a playmaker, showing some flashiness and getting the job done with his legs for the Wildcats for the past season. But for as well as he can be, Johnson has the tendency to turn the ball over at a higher rate than others. He’s got 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions on the year, and has fumbled the ball a few times this year. No matter who’s favor its in, Johnson will be one of the most impactful players in this game.
D.J. Giddens, running back (Kansas State)
When Johnson isn’t running with the football, it will be Giddens, who leads the Wildcats in rushing and has 1,271 yards on the season. Iowa State has done well with shutting down K-State running backs in previous seasons, but not with a hampered linebacker unit like it has had all year.
Keys to the game
Get the ground game going
Iowa State’s only had one rushing performance with a single player totaling 100 yards or more this year, and we all remember Snowmageddon. The Wildcats gave up 174 yards on the ground to Cincinnati, with 140 of them coming from running back Corey Kiner. It’d be a huge deal if Iowa State saw a second performance like that this week, especially with three running backs still being rotated.
Make the adjustments that Cincinnati didn’t
Kansas State was able to shred Cincinnati’s defense when it played them a week ago. With former Cyclone Tyson Veidt being the team’s defensive coordinator, and the Bearcats running the same defense used in Ames, Iowa State will at least have a look at what didn’t work. Maybe those adjustments that happen as games go on happen earlier this week.
Exploit the Wildcats
News broke on Friday morning that Kansas State may be without its leading receiver in Jayce Brown, but the Wildcat’s leading catcher will play even if he decides to enter the portal at the end of the year. I’d expect Iowa State’s trash talkers to be a bit louder there – and try to force Johnson into making the mistakes that we’ve seen him make this season. K-State turning it over is Iowa State’s best chance to win here.
In the Big 12
| Big 12 Standings | ||
| Team | OVR | Big 12 |
| No. 16 Arizona State | 9-2 | 6-2 |
| No. 18 Iowa State | 9-2 | 6-2 |
| No. 19 BYU | 9-2 | 6-2 |
| No. 25 Colorado | 10-2 | 7-2 |
| No. 24 K-State | 8-3 | 5-3 |
| Baylor | 7-4 | 5-3 |
| TCU | 7-4 | 5-3 |
| Texas Tech | 7-4 | 5-3 |
| West Virginia | 6-5 | 5-3 |
| Kansas | 5-6 | 4-4 |
| Cincinnati | 5-6 | 3-5 |
| Houston | 4-7 | 3-5 |
| UCF | 4-7 | 2-6 |
| Arizona | 4-7 | 2-6 |
| Utah | 4-7 | 1-7 |
| Oklahoma State | 3-9 | 0-9 |
Note: The order in which teams are listed above does not factor in any tiebreaking scenarios, of which there are many.
Friday, November 29
Big 12 Week 14 schedule
Friday, November 29
No. 25 Colorado 52, Oklahoma State 0
7 p.m. | Utah @ UCF, FOX
Saturday, November 30
11 a.m. | Kansas @ Baylor, ESPN2
11 a.m. | Texas Tech @ West Virginia, FS1
2:30 p.m. | No. 16 Arizona State @ Arizona, FOX
5:00 p.m. | TCU @ Cincinnati, ESPN+
6:30 p.m. | No. 24 Kansas State @ No. 18 Iowa State, FOX
9:15 p.m. | Houston @ No. 19 BYU, ESPN
