ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

No. 20 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (2-0) at No. 14 Kansas State (2-0)

When:ÌýFriday, 5 p.m.

Where:ÌýBill Snyder Family Football Stadium; Manhattan, Kansas

Watch:Ìý¹ó´Ç³æ

Radio:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats

Record:Ìý2-0 (0-0 Big 12)

WHEN ARIZONA IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

XWR | 4 | Tetairoa McMillan | 6-5 | 212 | Jr.

FWR | 2 | Jeremiah Patterson | 5-10 | 175 | Jr.

LT | 59 | Rhino Tapa'atoutai | 6-5 | 311 | R-Fr.

LG | 72 | Wendell Moe | 6-2 | 339 | R-So.

C | 75 | Josh Baker | 6-3 | 300 | Sr.

RG |Ìý58 | Ryan Stewart | 6-4 | 297 | R-Jr.

RT |Ìý71 | Jonah Savaiinaea | 6-5 | 336 | Jr.

TE | 88 | Keyan Burnett | 6-6 | 248 | Jr.

ZWR | 5 | Montana Lemonious-Craig | 6-2 | 194 | Sr.

QB | 11 | Noah Fifita | 5-10 | 188 | R-So.Ìý

RB | 7 | Quali Conley | 5-10 | 209 | Sr.

WHEN ARIZONA IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

DE | 11 | Chase Kennedy | 6-3 | 220 | R-So.

DT |Ìý46 | Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei | 6-4 | 280 | Jr.

NT | 92 | Chubba Ma'ae | 6-2 | 349 | Sr.

DE | 3 | Tre Smith | 6-5 | 270 | R-Jr.

MLB | 5 | Jacob Manu | 5-11 | 228 | Jr.

WLB | 6 | Taye Brown | 6-2 | 225 | So.

STAR | 2 | Treydan Stukes | 6-2 | 198 | Sr.

CB | 20 | Marquis Groves-Killebrew | 6-0 | 185 | R-So.

CB | 1 | Tacario Davis | 6-4 | 190 | Jr.

BS | 27 | Owen Goss | 6-0 | 202 | Sr.

FS | 9 |ÌýGunner Maldonado | 6-0 | 194 | Sr.

UA 2024 SCHEDULE

August

31 |ÌýNEW MEXICOÌý| W, 61-39

September

7 |ÌýNORTHERN ARIZONAÌý| W, 22-10

13 | at No. 14 Kansas State*

28 | at No. 12 Utah

October

5 |ÌýTEXAS TECH

12 | at BYU

19 |Ìý°ä°¿³¢°¿¸é´¡¶Ù°¿Ìý(Homecoming)

26 |ÌýW. VIRGINIAÌý(Family Weekend)

November

2 | at UCFÌý

15 |ÌýHOUSTON*

23 | at TCU

30 |Ìý´¡³§±«Ìý(Senior Day)

Home games inÌýBOLD;Ìý*=Friday game

UA 2024 STATS

PASSING

[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]

Fifita | 37-57-2 | 595 | 5 | 78

RUSHING

[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]

Conley | 27 | 202 | 3 | 7.5 | 101

Croskey-Merritt | 13 | 106 | 1 | 8.2 | 106.0

Reescano | 7 | 71 | 1 | 10.1 | 35.5

Riley | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15.0 | 7.5

Luke | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.5

RECEIVING

[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]

McMillan | 12 | 315 | 4 | 26.3 | 157.5

Conley | 8 | 67 | 0 | 8.4 | 33.5

Burnett | 3 | 49 | 0 | 16.3 | 24.5

Patterson | 4 | 40 | 1 | 10 | 20

Hyatt | 1 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 15

DEFENSE

[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]

Manu | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0

Brown | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Stukes | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0

Johnson | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Smith, T. | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0

Lane | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Davis | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Kansas State Wildcats

Record:Ìý2-0 (0-0 Big 12)

WHEN KSU IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):Ìý

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

WR | 10 | Keagan Johnson | 6-0 | 206 | Jr.

TE | 86 | Garrett Oakley | 6-5 | 239 | So.

LT | 71 | Easton Kilty | 6-6 | 307 | Sr.

LG | 54 | Hadley Panzer | 6-4 | 305 | R-Sr.

C | 75| Sam Hect | 6-4 | 287 | Jr.

RG | 69 | Taylor Poitier | 6-3 | 305 | Sr.

RT |Ìý77 | Carver Willis | 6-5 | 291 | Sr.

WR | 1 | Jayce Brown | 6-0 | 179 | So.

WR | 14 | Dante Cephas | 6-0 | 193 | So.

QB | 2 | Avery Johnson | 6-2 | 192 | So.

RB | 31 | DJ Giddens | 6-0 | 193 | Jr.

WHEN KSU IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):

[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]

DE | 38 | Brendan Mott | 6-5 | 244 | Sr.

DL | 56 | Damian Ilalio | 6-2 | 300 | Jr.

DE | 39 | Travis Bates | 6-3 | 265 | So.

DE | 47 | Cody Stufflebean | 6-4 | 257 | Sr.

SLB | 32 | Desmond Purnell | 6-0 | 236 | Jr.

MLB | 45 | Austin Romaine | 6-2 | 242 | So.

WLB | 41 | Austin Moore | 6-1 | 220 | Sr.

CB | 10 | Jacob Parrish | 5-10 | 198 | Jr.

SS | 19 | VJ Payne | 6-3 | 211 | Jr.

FS | 21 | Marques Sigle | 6-0 | 197 | Sr.

CB | 1 | Keenan Garber | 6-0 | 188 | Sr.

KSU 2024 SCHEDULE

August

31 |ÌýUT MartinÌý| W, 41-6

September

7 |Ìýat Tulane | W, 34-27

13 |ÌýARIZONA*

21 | at BYU

28 |ÌýNo. 13 OKLAHOMA STATE

October

12 | at Colorado

19 |Ìýat West Virginia

26 | KANSAS

November

2 | at Houston

16 |ÌýARIZONA STATE

23 |ÌýCINCINNATIÌý

30 | at No. 21 Iowa State

Home games inÌýBOLD;Ìý*=Friday game

KSU 2024 STATS

PASSING

[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]

Johnson | 29-44-1 | 334 | 4 | 45

Knuth | 1-1-0 | 9 | 0 | 9

Roberson | 1-3-0 | 4 | 0 | 4

RUSHING

[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]

Giddens | 32 | 238 | 0 | 7.4 | 119

Edwards | 9 | 97 | 2 | 10.8 | 48.5

Johnson, A. | 11 | 77 | 0 | 7 | 38.5

Jackson | 7 | 48 | 0 | 6.9 | 24

White | 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 6

RECEIVING

[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]

Brown | 6 | 88 | 0 | 14.7 | 44.0

Giddens | 7 | 69 | 1 | 9.9 | 34.5

Johnson, K. | 4 | 57 | 0 | 14.3 | 28.5

Loftin | 3 | 41 | 1 | 13.7 | 20.5

DEFENSE

[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]

Payne | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1

Riley | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Romaine | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1

Parrish | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

Purnell | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0Ìý

Moore | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0

Head to Head

2 Treydan Stukes vs. 2 Avery Johnson

Stukes made one of the biggest improvements from the season opener to last week. After giving up eight catches for 96 yards in pass coverage against New Mexico, Stukes allowed just two receptions for minus-9 yards against NAU. If ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ uses the "dollar" package defense against Kansas State, Stukes could have a linebacker role to make stops in the open field against Kansas State's rushing attack.Ìý

Johnson was a highly-touted recruit in 2023 and signed with Kansas State as a four-star prospect from Maize, Kansas. Johnson was a backup for his first season at KSU, but started at QB in the 28-19 win over North Carolina State in the Pop Tarts Bowl. Johnson had seven carries for 71 yards and a touchdown in the bowl, and has 11 carries for 77 yards through two games. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has shown struggles corralling athletic quarterbacks who can peel off for big runs. Johnson's legs could have an impact on Friday.Ìý

4 Tetairoa McMillan vs. 19 VJ Payne

McMillan had mercurial performances in the first two games of the season, but the star's most recent games away from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium bode well for the UA. In the last five games away from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, including the Alamo Bowl, McMillan has 43 catches for 709 yards but just two touchdowns. McMillan will likely be moved around at various receiver spots to create mismatches.Ìý ÌýÌý

Payne sealed the win for Kansas State last week with an interception in the end zone as Tulane attempted to either tie or win the game. The two-year starter and linebacker-converted-safety leads KSU with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. Payne has a knack for causing takeaways.Ìý

The matchup

When ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has the ballÌý…Ìý

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ went 0-for-10 on third-down conversions for the first time since 2003. That can happen against NAU in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥; that can't happen against a Top 15 team at their stadium. Third-and-long situations, coupled with a wobbly offensive line, could be problematic for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Playing downhill, running the football and occasionally taking a shot to McMillan or other receivers could be the blueprint for a victory.Ìý

When Kansas State has the ballÌý…Ìý

KSU has the 20th-best rushing offense in college football and averages 249 yards per game, which is fourth in the Big 12 behind UCF, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State and Kansas. Junior running back DJ Giddens displayed his versatility last week with 114 rushing yards and four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. The rushing combination of Giddens and Johnson will be a handful for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.Ìý

Prediction: No. 20 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 30, No. 14 Kansas State 27

Congratulations, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥! Your reward for earning college football's longest active winning streak is a matchup with a team ranked higher than you — and it's on the road! ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s nine-game winning streak is in jeopardy. However, the UA has a chance to secure the longest winning streak in program history. Friday night's game will be the contest ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ throws everything at Kansas State. If ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ avoids mistakes similar to the ones made in last season's road opener against Mississippi State, including five first-half turnovers, and sets the tone on offense and doesn't stack up more penalties, the UA will have a formula to win. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has to play clean, which it hasn't through two games. More importantly, Fifita's protection with a reshuffled offensive line will have an effect on this game. But strange things happen on Friday the 13th. No matter what, the Wildcats win.ÌýÌý