The 2025 college football season didn’t just kick off with fireworks on the field—it spilled into the stands and straight into family drama overseas. Kansas State’s trip to Dublin for the Aer Lingus Classic turned ugly Saturday, and it wasn’t because of Avery Johnson’s arm.

The Wildcats fell 24-21 to Iowa State in a nail-biter that had fans glued until the last snap. The game was tied 14-14 heading into the fourth, but the Cyclones closed the deal with a late push. Johnson? He balled out. The sophomore QB went 21-for-30 for 273 yards, tossed 2 touchdowns, and even punched in a rushing score. On paper, that’s a solid day. But the scoreboard said otherwise—and apparently, so did the Johnson family reunion.

Hours after the final whistle, Kansas State insider Tim Fitzgerald hopped on X and dropped the type of update nobody saw coming: “GoPowercat.com has confirmed that there was a post-game confrontation at Aviva Stadium involving Mark Johnson, father of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson, and another man believed to be Mr. Johnson’s eldest son. According to witnesses, the conflict turned physical. According to one source, no arrests were made stemming from this incident. There is reportedly video of the disagreement, and at least one eyewitness is tied to Kansas State athletics.”

You read that right. Dad and big bro reportedly scrapped right outside Aviva Stadium as fans poured out. Witnesses told Fitzgerald the clash “turned physical,” with sources claiming there’s video floating around. One eyewitness tied to Kansas State athletics even confirmed the chaos.

Word is, no arrests were made, but the footage? Not pretty. According to those who saw it, Mark Johnson and the other man ended up wrestling on the ground before a few Kansas State fans played peacemakers and broke things up. But it definitely wasn’t a good look considering the family’s connection to K-State football.

Now, nobody knows what sparked the blow-up, but here’s what we do know: Avery Johnson just carried the Wildcats in a thriller, only to leave Ireland with a loss on the field and a headline he definitely didn’t ask for.

Where did it go wrong for Kansas State and Avery Johnson?

Let’s be real — Avery Johnson’s stat sheet in Dublin was screaming, ‘I did my part’. 2 tuddies and almost 300 yards. And the Wildcats? They even out-gained Iowa State 383–313 in total offense. Sounds like a W, right? Wrong. This one wasn’t about numbers — it was about moments, and Kansas State flat-out botched the big ones.

Start with the fourth downs. Kansas State went 1-for-4. One-for-four! The killer? A failed attempt on their own 30-yard line that basically hand-delivered a touchdown for Rocco Becht. Then toss in the chaos on special teams: a muffed punt recovery, two fumbles, and, oh yeah, letting Iowa State chew up nearly 8 extra minutes of possession. You can’t win a one-score fight when you’re spotting the other guy free swings like that.

And let’s not ignore the flags. 6 penalties for 48 yards doesn’t sound brutal until you see when they hit — drive killers at the worst possible times. Add it all up, and Johnson’s fireworks got buried under his team’s self-inflicted wounds. Meanwhile, Iowa State? Surgical. The Cyclones went a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth downs, flipped field position like pros, and iced the game with that cold-blooded kneel at the Kansas State 1-yard line.

To Johnson’s credit, he never stopped throwing haymakers. A 37-yard dime to Jayce Brown, a 65-yard bomb to Jerand Bradley — he was cooking late. But every time he clawed momentum back, Iowa State had an answer. That’s what stings: Johnson didn’t get outplayed. He got outmaneuvered in the margins, where discipline and situational football decide who’s celebrating and who’s staring at the turf, wondering what just happened.

Kansas State came to Dublin looking for a statement win. Instead, they boarded the plane home with a hard lesson — and a family headline that made the L feel a whole lot heavier.