Sun Devils looking for rebound game against Kansas State
The last time Arizona State and Kansas State faced off, the stakes were much higher. Both were fighting near the top of the Big 12, with championship game aspirations on the line.
The scene has changed in the 2026 season, with both teams staring at a steep climb to even have a hope of an appearance in the conference title game.
Both teams enter at 1-2 in conference play; Kansas State notched their first conference win of the season by winning their 18th consecutive matchup in the Sunflower Showdown, while the Sun Devils are reeling from a 53-25 blowout at Texas Tech.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, this looks to be a severe mismatch on paper. After giving up 260 yards on the ground in last week's loss, the Arizona State defense will go up against a running game led by dual threat quarterback Avery Johnson that shredded the Jayhawks' defense for 359 yards. The Sun Devils don't fare much better than the Jayhawks did, coming in to this matchup 93rd in FBS with 156.8 rushing yards allowed per game.
Third downs will be the major metric to attempt to keep the running game in check. Kansas State is excellent on third downs, converting 59.3% of their opportunities (2nd nationally), while Arizona State sits 71st nationally in allowing opponents to convert 37.6% of the time. Tackles for loss on first and second down and forcing Avery Johnson into obvious passing situations will be paramount to keeping the defense off the field.
A silver lining comes in the form of an apparent change in quarterback on Saturday. After playing an efficient second half in Lubbock, it's expected that senior Mikey Keene will get the start under center for the Sun Devils. He will be thrown in the fire from the start, going up against a Wildcats defense that boasts the third-best pass defense, allowing just 136.3 passing yards per game. Expect Reed Harris to get a huge targert share to jumpstart Keene's performance.
Historically, Kansas State has not fared well against the Sun Devils. Arizona State holds a 6-1 record all-time, including a perfect 5-0 record in Tempe. Saturday will mark the first time Kansas State returns to Tempe since the Sun Devils shut out the Wildcats 31-0 on September 9, 1989.
Arizona State and Kansas State will square off on Saturday afternoon from Mountain America Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12:45 Arizona Time, and will air nationally on ESPN2.
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