Who would have expected the Wildcats to stumble right at the beginning of the season? Iowa State has seized the upper hand this season, leaving the No.17 Wildcats struggling to establish a stronghold. Even with star QB Avery Johnson under center, the absence of running back Dylan Edwards is proving costly. However, with his most crucial support now off the field, the whole season now stands threatened for fans back home at Manhattan. Is Chris Klieman looking at impending doom for him in the conference?

Edwards was one of Chris Klieman’s most important portal wins this offseason, replacing DJ Giddens as the leader of the RB room. 74 carries for 546 yards and 5 TDs made him one of the most important men in Avery Johnson’s supporting cast in the season. But barely minutes into the Iowa State game, Edwards walked off after a muffed punt in the first quarter.

Klieman confirmed at halftime that Dylan Edwards will not be returning for the rest of the night. The play resulted in an elbow injury. Edwards returned to the sideline sans helmet and had a towel wrapped around his head. Europe didn’t let up easily for the Farmageddon, as rain affected the field. There is no word yet about how serious the injury is or if he’ll be missing more games, but losing the most critical element of that offense is already showing.

Giddens took charge of the run attack last year, and behind him, Edwards held down the fort as No. 2 in the chart. Winning the starting role this year placed a lot of responsibility on him ahead of this season. However, now that this trajectory is developing in the opposite direction, fans are lamenting Edwards’ absence on that field.

Fans prepare for the worst after Dylan Edwards’ injury

“Dang! Hate to see it,” one fan wrote on X. That should summarise the reaction Kansas State fans had when Edwards went back to the locker room. Edwards was part of an RB duo with Joe Jackson that was ranked No. 8 in the Big 12. Edwards already came in with more than 500 yards as a No.2 RB, but averaged only 7.4 yards per carry. Those numbers set the stage for an even bigger career arc as a No.1 this year.

“Kansas State’s Dylan Edwards’ injury leaves them without their top running back, punt returner, and kick returner. The Wildcats’ season could be in jeopardy before September hits. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious,” wrote another user. Edwards could’ve been the next surprise impact-maker this season in the conference. Kansas State was among the favorites to win the Big 12 championship. But with him gone this soon, all those hopes now stand to be thrown in a bucket of ice-cold water.

“Dylan Edwards being out the rest of the game is a huge blow for Kansas state that Iowa state needs to capitalize on[.] [It’s] super early in the season but if Iowa State can take this the schedule is extremely favorable the rest of the way,” one user shared. This opening game was going to be defining for both KSU and ISU. Both were debuting at-par teams. But the Cyclones’ defense is proving to be heavy on the Wildcats. Star CB Jeremiah Cooper is already making himself known. If Iowa State wins this game, their playoff hopes should be looking up. A No. 22 team beating a No.17 squad always means good things.

One fan’s opinion summarized how disappointing this development is. “Imagine being Dylan Edwards. Flying across the Atlantic and being hyped up as the guy to watch today only to get hurt before he could even take a single snap on offense,” they wrote. The guy to be on the lookout for is no longer on the field. Which means the Cyclones now have the opportunity to go to town on K-State. Even if the Wildcats pull a surprise comeback and win this game, Dylan Edwards will sadly not be a part of it.