Kansas State’s much-hyped debut ended up being a series of busts. The biggest blow to the team came barely minutes into the first quarter, as Dylan Edwards muffed a punt and hurt his ankle. The star of the Wildcats’ offense left the game without getting a chance to show his brilliance. We know KSU fans will be hoping to see their RB1 back on the field soon, but his current status doesn’t look so good.

An RB needs his legs to power him through that field. Edwards, as of now, doesn’t have his most crucial tools functioning at par. While we still don’t know the extent of the ankle injury, it was confirmed by Chris Klieman twice now. The HC said after the game, “They told me after the first couple of plays he was no longer available.” They’ll need him back up and running so that losses can be nipped right in the bud. But given the rehab he’s going through to mend the injury, fans should have a legitimate cause for concern.

Edwards was spotted in a walking boot at the Dublin airport, making his way back home. The young RB, who came in with a formidable 546 rushing yards as a backup to DJ Giddens last year, was going to be Klieman’s best man in the backfield this year. The muffed punt caused him to tweak his ankle, and once he was on the ground, KSU fans must’ve felt some bad juju. Klieman confirmed in halftime that Edwards won’t be returning for the night. Dylan Edwards went 0 for 0 in all of his stats for that game.

Klieman, however, has instructed the team to chin up. “We’ve got 11 more left,” he said in the post-game presser. But if this was the state without the star RB1 on the field, those 11 games do not bode well for KSU. Kansas State’s next matchup is against North Dakota at home next Saturday, August 30. And fans will hope to begin the wins from this game onwards, with Edwards in play. Because in his absence, that offense was absolutely lacklustre.

The RB room situation is dire in light of Dylan Edwards’ absence

The Farmageddon’s 2025 edition was a constant back-and-forth between the two rivals. Iowa State started big, establishing a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. However, Kansas State answered back at some points. They came up quickly to close a gap in the last quarter, ultimately finishing with 21 points. Losing Dylan Edwards was fatal to the run game. The Wildcats rushed for 110 yards, but registered only 27 carries. Fellow RB Joe Jackson ended up leading the RB room on Saturday with 12 carries and 51 yards. But there was no hope for this unit in the absence of Edwards. Jackson, now thrust into the spotlight to cover for Edwards, fumbled the ball deep in the second quarter after running for 17 yards.

The RB depth behind Edwards is inexperienced. Behind him would be Jackson, who was named the starter to accompany the RB1. He comes with 39 carries and 227 yards, and 1 TD from last year. DeVon Rice, who ended up coming in for Edwards as well yesterday, was a kickoff-return specialist for most of his time last season. Freshmen recruits Monterio Elston Jr. and JB Price were also featured in the depth chart for the Iowa State game. With Edwards’s return timeline unknown as of now, these new faces should be preparing themselves for more now.

Yesterday’s disappointing show caused the odds for Kansas State’s entire season to be turned upside down. Chris Klieman will come back a troubled man from Dublin. He’s lost his star RB, ended up losing a game they entered as the favored winners, and has a rivalry loss in their first game. Will the Wildcats get back up next Saturday to ensure the Cyclones’ loss was just a blip?