A closer look at the 2023 football schedule

By D. Scott Fritchen

It’s been 32 days since Big 12 Champion Kansas State finished its season 10-4 and with its highest final ranking in the AP Top 25 poll since 2014, and just 215 days until the Wildcats open their 2023 season in Manhattan.

You can feel the tension already Chris Klieman is approaching his fifth season as K-State’s head coach.

K-State returns at quarterback Will Howard and from almost the entire starting offense group, which enjoyed one of its best seasons in school history. That includes its entire starting offense and All-American Cooper Beebe. Wide receiver Phillip Brooks enters his sixth season as one of the most dangerous playmakers in the Big 12 Conference along with First Team All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott. The Wildcats return quarterback Daniel Green along with many other key pieces on a defense that gave up its fewest points since 2003, with many players returning to the Wildcats’ top teams. The Wildcats also bring in talented transfers, including 5-foot-10, 192-pound running back Treshaun Ward (Florida State), wide receiver Keagan Johnson (Iowa), defensive tackle Jevon Banks (Mississippi State) and defensive back Marques Sigle (North). Dakota State). Quarterback Avery Johnson headlines 26 incoming freshmen in what is arguably the Wildcats’ best recruiting class in 20 years.

A few things about the Wildcats’ 2023 schedule, announced on Tuesday, quickly come to mind. K-State actually opens the Big 12 season at home when it faces UCF for the first time as conference members on Sept. 23. The Wildcats’ first league road game at Oklahoma State on Friday, Oct. 6 will be their first weekday game since 2016. K-State will then turn around and play all over the state of Texas at Texas Tech, TCU, Houston, Texas and Baylor between Oct. 14 and Nov. 11 . 21 of the game against TCU. October in Manhattan should be exciting for players and fans and will be a rematch of the Big 12 title game. K-State’s last road game? It’s in Kansas on November 18th. The Wildcats conclude their regular season on Senior Day against Iowa State on the 25th. November.

K-State won’t play Oklahoma or West Virginia in 2023 and will wait at least a year to face new conference members BYU and Cincinnati.

ESPN says K-State came away with a “winner” in its 2023 schedule: “Kansas State looked to earn its respect, opening the league schedule at home for the first time since 2017 with a game against UCF on Sept. 23. The Wildcats also host Houston, meaning the they will not travel to any new team’s stadium this season.”

The 2023 Big 12 Championship Game is set for Dec. 1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

A look at K-State’s opponents in 2023:

Sept. 2: Southeast Missouri

It’s all systems go for K-State at the electrifying Bill Snyder Family Stadium as the defending Big 12 Champions take the field for the first time. K-State has never faced Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks enjoyed a magical season that saw them go 9-3 and go 5-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play in 2022. The Redhawks advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs for the third time in five years and posted their fourth nine-game winning streak. season in program history. Southeast Missouri suffered a 42-10 loss in the 2022 season opener at Iowa State and fell 59-28 at Missouri in 2021.

September 9: Troy

After back-to-back Sun Belt and Cure Bowl championships, Troy was ranked No. 19 in the final AP Top 25 for the first time in program history in 2022. The Trojans posted a 12-2 record under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall and own the. the nation’s second-longest active winning streak with 11 heading into 2023. Troy held all 14 of its opponents below their season average and finished 19th.^th in total defense. Troy, which opens the season against Stephen F. Austin, could be riding a 12-game winning streak when it faces the Wildcats in Manhattan.

September 16: at Missouri

The first meeting between the former Big 12 schools resulted in a 40-12 drubbing of the Tigers last season in Manhattan as Klieman improved to 4-0 against non-conference Power 5 opponents. Missouri didn’t score its first touchdown until an untimed last play from the 1-yard line. The Tigers finished 6-7 last season with a 27-17 loss to Wake Forest in the Gasparilla Bowl. Elijah Drinkwitz enters his fourth season with a 16-19 record. The Tigers finished the regular season winning four of their last six and were the only team to play No. 1 Georgia in a one-score game (a 26-22 loss).

Sept. 23: UCF

UCF began promoting its new membership in the Big 12 last season with Big 12 signs and fan chants at football games. Now the Knights head into their first Big 12 game against the defending league champions in what is expected to be a very lively crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. UCF made its program-record seventh consecutive bowl appearance last season with a 30-13 loss to Duke in the Military Bowl en route to a 9-5 record under head coach Gus Malzahn. K-State loyalists likely remember the first and only time these schools met. The Wildcats beat the Knights 17-10 on Sept. 25, 2010, but the eerily strange cloud formation hovering over Bill Snyder Family Stadium stole the show.

October 6 (Friday): at Oklahoma State

Will Howard Around Bill Snyder Family Stadium, after last season’s 48-0 win over Oklahoma State for the Wildcats, there is a lasting image that made the Cowboys the first top-10 team to suffer a 40-point loss since 1968. Visions of Skylar Thompson throwing darts at Byron Pringle when the two teams met in an evening game in Stillwater come to mind as the Wildcats prepare for a Friday night date against the Cowboys. Although Oklahoma State ended last season by posting a win for the 17-year-old^th In a straight year, the Cowboys managed a 7-6 record, including a 4-5 mark in Big 12 play. They ended a disappointing campaign with a 24-17 loss to Wisconsin in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Oct. 14: Texas Tech

In just his first season, head coach Joey McGuire led Texas Tech to one of its most memorable seasons in recent history, defeating Texas and Oklahoma for the most Big 12 wins since 2009. Texas Tech finished 7-5 overall and 5-4. league game and held off Ole Miss, 42-25, in the Texas Bowl. K-State has had Texas Tech’s number. The Wildcats’ 37-28 win over the Red Raiders last season was their 11th.^th winning the last 12 games of the series. Wildcats top two playmakers in last year’s win Adrian Martinez (171 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Deuce Vaughn (170) are gone.

Oct. 21: TCU

This speaks for itself. It’s very difficult to top the 2022 Big 12 Championship Game classic, a 31-28 overtime win against the third-ranked Horned Frogs, but the epic showdown in Arlington may be remembered forever by coaches, players and fans. Will Howard threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns and one interception in two games against the Horned Frogs last season. K-State has won four of its last five in the series and hasn’t lost at home to TCU since 2017.

October 28: Houston

This will be the first time K-State and Houston have met on the gridiron. Dana Holgorsen is 27-20 going into his fifth season with the Cougars, but he has history in the Big 12, leading West Virginia for eight seasons. Houston finished the season 8-5 with a 23-16 victory over Louisiana in the Independence Bowl. Fun fact: Houston’s 15 bowl appearances since 2005 lead the state of Texas. K-State hosting both new conference members UCF and Houston could bode well for the Wildcats. It will be interesting to see how Houston fares at quarterback as this game rolls around. The Cougars lost standout quarterback Clayton Tune after the season. The senior led the American Conference with 101 touchdown passes.

November 4: In Texas

This could be one of K-State’s last chances to beat Texas, and odds are the Wildcats will make this one count. That would be a nice permanent statement in what could be the last time the schools meet for a while. K-State is looking for its first win over Texas since 2016 and will also look to get a win in Austin for the first time since then. Collin Klein led the Wildcats to a 17-13 victory on Nov. 6, 2010. K-State staged a thrilling 21-point comeback last season, but fell agonizingly short, 34-27. As soon as the 2023 schedule came out, you could feel that anticipation.

Nov. 11: Baylor

Baylor is eager to rebuild after a typical 6-7 record in 2022. The Bears have one of the best minds in college football in Dave Aranda, but failed in too many close games. K-State’s 31-3 win in Waco last season was the first of four straight losses to the Bears that ended the season, capped by a 30-15 loss to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. last season, Will Howard came off the sidelines to throw for 196 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats snapped a four-game skid and captured their first win at McLane Stadium since 2016. Now the Wildcats are looking for their first victory in Manhattan since 2017.

November 18: at Kansas

Yes sir. K-State is riding a league-record 14-game winning streak into Lawrence, where it hasn’t lost since 2008. There’s nothing like seeing the Governor’s Cup Trophy at the Vanier Family Football Complex, and the Wildcats plan to keep it that way. Touted as one of the most anticipated Sunflower Showdowns last season, K-State punched its ticket to the Big 12 title game with a 47-27 victory in Manhattan. This game is sure to have mixed emotions as well, as Lance Leipold took KU from a 2-10 record in 2021 to a 6-7 record last season, has established a culture and wants to make this a more competitive contest. .

Nov. 25: Iowa State

Last season, K-State beat the Cyclones 10-9 in Ames, giving them just their fourth loss in their last 30 home games. It was a terribly disappointing season for head coach Matt Campbell as the Cyclones finished 4-8 with six losses coming by one point. It was Campbell’s worst season since going 3-9 in his first campaign in Ames in 2016. Since 2008, K-State is 10-1 against Iowa State in one-score games.