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Wk 6 · 2026

Houston Cougars at Kansas State Wildcats — Sat, Oct 10

Sat, Oct 10 · Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS · Fox FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Big 12 · 5-1
35
at
3:30pET
KSU -2.5 · total 55.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential HOU by 4.5
Big 12 · 3-2
16

What is at stake

A Big 12 game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Houston is ranked #22 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Houston: +13.9#18
Efficiency margin
Kansas St: +7.0#40
Houston: 39.0
Offense (pts/100)
Kansas St: 34.9
Houston: 16.1
Defense (pts/100)
Kansas St: 18.9
Houston: 70.7
Pace (plays/g)
Kansas St: 69.8
Houston: 6.82
Yards / play
Kansas St: 6.36
Houston: 5.40
Yards / play allowed
Kansas St: 5.01
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Houston: 40.0
Points / game
Kansas St: 35.6
Houston: 19.2
Points allowed
Kansas St: 19.2
Houston: 482
Yards / game
Kansas St: 444
Houston: 322
Yards allowed
Kansas St: 292
Houston: 248
Pass yds allowed
Kansas St: 133
Houston: 74
Rush yds allowed
Kansas St: 158
Houston: 0.67
Turnovers / game
Kansas St: 1.00
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Houston form

W 35-16at KSUW 27-17vs UCFW 42-28at GASOL 26-28at TTUW 77-6vs SOU
2026 season

Kansas St form

L 16-35vs HOUL 26-31at CINW 31-20vs TULNW 34-7vs WSUW 71-3vs NICH
2026 season

Houston this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under4-2 · 67% (6 games)

Kansas St this season

Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 3

OpponentHoustonKansas St
Oklahoma St
Big 12
vs Wk 7 · scheduled previewvs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Cincinnati
Big 12
vs Wk 10 · scheduled previewat L 26-31 preview
Colorado
Big 12
at Wk 11 · scheduled previewat Wk 9 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Houston leads 2–1 · Houston has won the last 2
3 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 5.7 points toward Kansas St
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-10-10Houston 35 — 16 Kansas Stat KSUHouston
20242024-11-02Kansas St 19 — 24 Houstonat HOUHouston
20232023-10-28Houston 0 — 41 Kansas Stat KSUKansas St

Houston leaders 2026 regular season

PassingConner Weigman QB #191/135, 1186 YDS, 11 TD, 1 INT
Keisean Henderson QB #56/8, 83 YDS, 2 TD
RushingRe'Shaun Sanford II RB #655 CAR, 314 YDS, 2 TD
Makhi Hughes RB #2166 CAR, 309 YDS, 2 TD
Conner Weigman QB #142 CAR, 156 YDS, 6 TD
ReceivingAmare Thomas WR #027 REC, 330 YDS, 4 TD
Patrick Overmyer TE #925 REC, 317 YDS, 2 TD
Trent Walker WR #414 REC, 198 YDS, 1 TD
Koby Young WR #28 REC, 176 YDS, 4 TD
Defense
TacklesKentrell Webb DB #832
Jaden Yates LB #129
Javion White DB #020
SacksJavion White DB #02.5
Ashton Porter DL #92
Khalil Laufau DL #181.5
InterceptionsJordan Allen DB #61
Will James DB #51
Latreveon McCutchin LB #101

Kansas St leaders 2026 regular season

PassingAvery Johnson QB #288/133, 910 YDS, 7 TD, 2 INT
Blake Barnett QB #34/5, 41 YDS
RushingAvery Johnson QB #230 CAR, 291 YDS, 3 TD
Rodney Fields Jr. RB #2049 CAR, 274 YDS, 4 TD
Joe Jackson RB #437 CAR, 189 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingDerrick Salley Jr. WR #1511 REC, 178 YDS, 1 TD
Jaron Tibbs WR #1216 REC, 168 YDS, 1 TD
Josh Manning WR #514 REC, 149 YDS, 2 TD
Garrett Oakley TE #8613 REC, 147 YDS
Defense
TacklesGabe Powers LB #3522
Mekhi Mason LB #417
Logan Bartley S #1017
SacksWendell Gregory DE #12.5
Darien Whitaker Jr. LB #62.5
Jayden Bryant DE #402
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.