Another disappointing night as Kansas State plays underneath Arizona’s Friday night lights. A matchup between the Wildcats in which Arizona advances to 3-0 with a 23-17 win over K-State, who is now 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12.

“We need to reset,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said to K-State Athletics. “We need to make some adjustments offensively and defensively to give our kids a chance to be successful. We have to get together as a staff.”

Lethargic first half to vivacious second half

While K-State got on the board first with a 51-yard field goal from kicker Luis Rodriguez, Arizona responded quickly. After a 15-yard touchdown by quarterback Noah Fifita and an extra point attempt cleared by Michael Salgado-Medina, the Wildcats from the desert were up 7-3. 

Arizona would take the lead and momentum after that. Salgado-Medina would clear a 31-yard field goal to put the Wildcats up 10-3 with 10:28 to go in the second quarter.

Following a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Fifita, Arizona would start to widen the gap to a 17-3 lead going into halftime. The first half was not looking good for K-State. The purple line only had 44 total yards compared to Arizona’s 257 total yards.

Arizona was on a roll throughout the first half, except when Salgado-Medina missed a 62-yard field goal, rounding out the first half. 

Falling short during the 4th quarter

Two back-to-back losses are not a good look for the Wildcats. From the start of the season, the Wildcats have struggled to find their rhythm when kickoff begins, but keep finding themselves clawing back after halftime. 

During previous games, including Iowa State and Army, opponents have taken advantage in the fourth quarter and allowed the clock to be on their side instead of the ‘Cats.

Unlike the North Dakota game, where the ‘Cats squeezed by 38-35, K-State had a chance to take the lead and win the game despite difficulties throughout the first half. 

Only 13 seconds into the third quarter, Jayce Brown snatched the ball to the right side of the field for a 75-yard touchdown. Brown’s playmaker skills brought K-State back from a scoring deficit, making the score 17-10, but not enough to overtake Arizona.

The K-State special teams came alive when the unit held Arizona to a three-and-out for the first time throughout the game. As K-State took control at the Arizona 13-yard line, punter Salgado-Medina dropped a snap and K-State’s Garrett Harstad blocked a punt.

With 11:50 left in the third quarter, Johnson passed deep up the middle to Brown for a 19-yard reception. Then two plays later, Johnson made a 1-yard touchdown with the extra point conversion cleared by Rodriguez to tie the game 17-17. 

“I really thought our kids would respond to a poor first half, and they did,” Klieman said. “We had the big touchdown run and had a quick three-and-out, and we’re setting up a return and their kid fumbles it and drops it, and Garrett did his job, and we set up a short field. It was a big-time throw from Avery to Jayce, and low and behold it’s 17-17.”

With the ‘Cats being situationalally aware, a deep pass to the right was intercepted by Qua Moss at the K-State 14. 

K-State made it difficult for Arizona as Fifita advanced his team down the field for a 7:30 drive. Damian Ilalio and Travis Bates sacked Fifita, making Salgado-Medina kick and clear a 41-yard field goal. With 4:25 left in the fourth, this added to Arizona’s 23-17 lead.

“We were trying to get stops and get something going,” Klieman said. “We knew we had to throw the ball to be successful because they were stunting and blitzing and doing a good job to not allow us to gain traction running the ball. We had to throw it, and they pinned their ears back.”

The purple line had 2:31 left when Johnson locked eyes on Brown and threw a pass that would deflect off of Brown’s hands, giving the ball back to Arizona.

With 1:00 remaining in the fourth, the ‘Cats had fourth-and-seven from its 43-yard line. Quarterback Avery Johnson’s deep pass over the middle intended for Brown fell incomplete, quickly wrapping up the game and adding to K-State’s troubles.

“We had a chance with 2 minutes left to go down and score and win,” Klieman said. “Maybe we didn’t deserve to be in that position, but because we have kids with resolve, tough kids, and kids that are all in, we had that chance.”

Adrift in identity

The Wildcats 0-1 conference start raises concerns about what was expected to be an effective football season. After the Iowa State game in Dublin, Ireland, Klieman believed the team would find its rhythm, but time has proven that it has taken longer than anticipated.

“Right now, I don’t know what our identity is,” Klieman said. “I thought I knew after the first game, but that has not been sustained with our identity. That’s not an excuse, that’s the reality, that I don’t know what our identity is.”

While the realization begins to set in, Klieman and his team have time to prep for UCF after getting a bye week.

“We’re going to give our kids some rest,” Klieman said. “It’s been a gauntlet here in this four-game stretch with the travel and stuff, but that’s what we signed up for. It’s not an excuse, so we have to find some ways to recalibrate and get the guys rested and come back. We have the meat of our schedule ahead of us.”

Having time to regroup and learn the identity of the team, the Wildcats have a bye week next and return to Bill Snyder Family Stadium against UCF on Sept. 27.