Kansas State vs. Arizona State: Avery Johnson out as Jacob Knuth starts in Tempe

Kansas State and Arizona State both went into Saturday’s Big 12 game in Tempe with a new quarterback under center. The Wildcats were without starter Avery Johnson, and the Sun Devils handed the job to Mikey Keene. The game was still being played and was not final when this post was published, so check ESPN or the schools’ official sites for the final score.

Game info

Kickoff time is from Kansas State Athletics; records and the broadcast are from ESPN.

Avery Johnson injury: what happened

Johnson was ruled out for the game, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. The injury traces back to the Oct. 17 win over Kansas. On the first drive of that game, Johnson took a tumble at the end of a long run that nearly reached the end zone, stayed down and received medical attention, per K-State Online’s Derek Young, as cited by On3. He missed only one play, but the effects lingered and led to his injury designation this week. The exact nature of the injury was not officially detailed in the reports we reviewed.

Johnson, a fourth-year player, entered with 1,301 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in six games this season, plus 462 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, according to On3. For his career, he has 6,877 passing yards and 58 touchdown passes.

Who is Jacob Knuth?

Knuth, Johnson’s backup, has been at Kansas State since 2024. Before Saturday he had appeared in seven career games and gone 7-of-8 passing for 88 yards and a touchdown, per On3. Kansas State’s opening drive went his way: ESPN’s scoring summary shows Knuth throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs on the Wildcats’ first possession, and he later ran for a 10-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Mikey Keene’s first start for Arizona State

Arizona State started Keene over Cutter Boley after Keene replaced Boley at halftime of last week’s loss at Texas Tech, according to Arizona Sports. Keene’s first play went for a 51-yard completion to star receiver Reed Harris, and running back Cardae Mack finished that drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. Arizona Sports reported that Keene was later hurt when a defender rolled into his legs late in the first half, and Boley played the final few plays before halftime and started the second half.

Mack was the Sun Devils’ workhorse, scoring multiple rushing touchdowns, including from the wildcat formation, according to ESPN’s play log and Arizona Sports.

Why the game matters

On3 framed the game as an early test for first-year Kansas State coach Collin Klein. The Wildcats had lost the game immediately after their win over Kansas three years running, per K-State Online’s Young, and a win would move them to 5-2 with what On3 called a manageable stretch remaining. Arizona State, at .500 entering the day, was trying to steady its season after the loss at Texas Tech.

Pregame betting lines listed by ESPN had Kansas State as a slight favorite.

FAQ