Kansas State vs Houston: 2026 Game 5

Following an off week to regroup, your Kansas State Wildcats return to the friendly confines of Bill Snyder Family Stadium looking to get back on track after a lackluster performance in the Big 12 opener at Cincinnati led to a 26-31 loss to the Bearcats.

So now, back in Manhattan, the Wildcats will look back in gear. But it won't be easy, as the Willie Fritz-led Houston Cougars are in town also looking to avoid their second loss of the season. Fritz is no stranger to success in Manhattan, as he was the head man at Tulane when the Green Wave shocked the Wildcats in 2022. Then in 2024 down in Houston, his Cougars squad knocked off K-State 24-19. No matter the team or situation, Fritz seems to have figured out the Wildcats.

Of course, the K-State head coach in both those games was the now-retired Chris Klieman. The K-State faithful have to hope that Collin Klein's leadership can lead them to finally beating Willie Fritz. But it won't be easy. K-State was exposed against the Bearcats on both sides of the ball, the kind of things that we only had glimpses of against Wazzu and Tulane. But against a Big 12 team, the Cats talent advantage was mostly negated. And it will be the same today against Houston, a Cougars squad that went toe-to-toe with the Fighting Mercs Red Raiders in Lubbock and came up a yard short of knocking off the defending champs.

K-State has what it takes to win this game, but it's going to take a big step up in effort, focus, and execution if the Wildcats want to pick up their first Big 12 win in 2026.

We've got an 2:30pm CT kickoff from Bill Snyder Family Stadium being aired on FOX with Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (sidelines) on the call.

If you don't have FOX or can't access the stream, the game can be heard across the 29-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analysis), and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 173 or 237, and available online via the Varsity Network app . Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.