The Kansas State Wildcats went to Yulman Stadium in the heart of New Orleans and came away with a really big, impressive win over Tulane.
The Wildcats were threatened all game long by the Green Wave, but came up strong with 14 fourth quarter points to secure the victory.
After two weeks of college football action, the question remains, can Kansas State ride the momentum of two wins to start the season and contend for the Big 12 title?
Kansas State saw Avery Johnson, their dynamic signal caller, toss 23 times, completing 15 of them for 181 yards and two touchdowns. When Johnson was asked to describe the road win he had this to say:
It means a lot just coming on the road my first season as a starter and getting a win in a tough environment down here. Tulane is a really good team. It was a gritty game. We went through a lot of adversity. For me to be able to come down and be back against the wall on the road and have to put my big-boy shoes on and grit through it, I couldn’t let the whole environment get to me and I had to play my game and trust the guys I’m playing with.
DJ Giddens appears to be one of the elite running backs in the Big 12 if not all of college football. He rushed for 238 yards through two games, on 32 carries. He scored a receiving touchdown against the Green Wave as well.
Chris Klieman has been with the Wildcats since the 2019 season. He has gone three straight seasons reaching a bowl game. In 2022, the Wildcats won the Big 12 but lost in the Sugar Bowl. Last season, Kansas State won the Pop-Tarts Bowl. When Klieman spoke to the media following the game, he had this to say:
We made enough plays. I don’t think we played our best football. Tulane is a good football team. Their quarterback is the real deal. This is a good, big win for us.
Kansas State will face a trio of big games in conference play to wrap up September. The Wildcats will take on Arizona on Friday night. The following week Kansas State is at BYU, and then they wrap up the month at home against Ollie Gordon and Oklahoma State.