Kansas State Leads Arizona State 17-14 as Jacob Knuth Replaces Injured Avery Johnson

A college football game under way before a packed crowd at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona — Source: The Arizona State Press

Summary

Kansas State led Arizona State 17-14 with 7:59 left in the third quarter, according to the Wildcats' official live game center.
Jacob Knuth started at quarterback after Avery Johnson was ruled out with an injury.
Knuth had 127 passing yards at the latest confirmed checkpoint, while Arizona State quarterback Mikey Keene had 160.
The final score and complete statistics were not yet available when this developing report was filed.

Kansas State carries a narrow lead into the second half

Kansas State led Arizona State 17-14 with 7:59 remaining in the third quarter Saturday at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, according to Kansas State's official live game center. The Wildcats scored seven points in the first quarter, three in the second and seven in the third, while the Sun Devils followed a pair of first-half touchdowns with a scoreless start to the second half. The game remained in progress when this report was filed, so the final result and complete box score were not yet available.^{[1] [2]}

At the latest confirmed checkpoint, Kansas State had 205 total yards to Arizona State's 228 but had controlled possession for 22 minutes, 35 seconds. The Wildcats had converted four of 10 third downs and committed one penalty for five yards. Arizona State had converted three of 10 third downs, while its 167 passing yards accounted for most of its offense.^[1]

Jacob Knuth starts after Avery Johnson is ruled out

Jacob Knuth made his first career start for Kansas State after regular quarterback Avery Johnson was ruled out. ESPN reported that Kansas State had not specified the full extent of Johnson's injury, though Johnson had discussed shoulder discomfort after the Wildcats' previous game. Knuth responded by throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass during the opening quarter and had 127 passing yards by the official game's third-quarter update.^{[1] [3]}

Johnson's absence changed the shape of a Kansas State offense he had led in both major phases. Before Saturday, he had completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,301 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also leading the Wildcats with 462 rushing yards. Kansas State entered the game averaging 35.5 points and 464.7 total yards, according to Arizona State's official preview.^{[4] [5]}

A close Big 12 game with ground to gain

Both teams entered at 1-2 in Big 12 play, with Kansas State 4-2 overall and Arizona State 3-3. The Wildcats were trying to build on a 35-24 victory over Kansas, while the Sun Devils were attempting to recover from a 53-25 loss at Texas Tech. Arizona State had won six of the previous seven meetings, including a 24-14 victory in Manhattan in 2024, and Saturday marked Kansas State's first visit to Tempe since 1989.^{[4] [5]}

Knuth and Arizona State starter Mikey Keene were directing offenses operating under unusual quarterback circumstances. Keene had replaced Cutter Boley during the Sun Devils' loss at Texas Tech and was listed with 160 passing yards at the latest official update. Kansas State next visits Colorado on Oct. 31, while Arizona State travels to face BYU, but the immediate question remained whether the Wildcats could protect their three-point advantage through the fourth quarter.^{[1] [4] [5]}

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