Kansas State vs Baylor: Open Game Thread

It’s been a long time coming for some of these guys.

Two of the 31 seniors who will take the field for the final time at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in uniform for the Kansas State Wildcats have spent their entire 6-year careers in Manhattan. Skylar Thompson and Bronson “Boom” Massie arrived at K-State in 2016 to begin their journeys as Wildcats. They were joined in 2017 by fellow 6th-year senior Jahron McPherson after he spent a season at Butler CC in El Dorado, KS. Then in 2018, Cody Fletcher arrived from Tyler JC in Texas; and last but not least, Noah Johnson arrived in 2019 from Butler CC. Together, the five 6th-year players form a core that’s never been seen before at K-State (and really, likely just as rare across the country), with that many 6-year players on one squad. Of course COVID played a part, but all five were welcomed back with their extra season for the “Revenge Tour”. And K-State is all the better for it.

The other 26 seniors have also played a big part in K-State’s return to form this season after a down 2020. That group includes guys who have spent five years in Manhattan, like Josh Rivas, Ben Alder, Eli Huggins, Ross Elder, Mason Barta, Nick Lenners, Ryan Hennington, Chabastian Taylor, and Landry Weber. There’s also the crew that chose to spend their final season in Manhattan this year: Timmy Horne, Russ Yeast, Reggie Stubblefield, Daniel Imatorbhebhe, Kade Warner, and Eric Munoz. And there’s still 11 guys I haven’t mentioned. It’s truly incredible to have a group of seniors that large, and for that group to have had such an impact to the end. Thank you seniors, you will be missed, and good luck in your futures!

Today’s opponent for the Wildcats is a tough one. The Baylor Bears are ranked in the Top 15, and just knocked off Oklahoma at home. But they’ve struggled on the road at times this season, and all the Bears losses this season have come away from their den in Waco. It’s a game K-State can win, but it will not be easy, and the Wildcats will have to play as well or better than they have during their four-game win streak to send the Bears home with another loss.

The Wildcats want revenge for the loss last season in Waco that shouldn’t have happened. We’ll see if they’ve got it in them to pull it off.

We’ve got an 4:30pm CT kickoff (yeah, 4:30pm, you read that right) from Bill Snyder Family Stadium being aired on FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) on the call. The game should also be available streaming via FoxSports.com, if you already have the correct TV subscription.

If for some reason you don’t get FS1, or can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst), and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game will also be on Sirius Channel 159, XM Channel 206, and available on the The Varsity Network app. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateFB) will also be a part of the coverage.

Go Cats!