There was plenty to criticize for Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman following his team’s 51-47 loss to Utah. The Wildcats led 47-35 in the fourth quarter, but 16 unanswered points from the Utes resulted in the Wildcats falling to 5-6 on the season.
And when Chris Klieman was asked about the officials following the loss, the head coach said, simply, “It is what it is. I’m not going to comment on officiating.”
Most notably, on the K-State two-point conversion attempt when leading 47-35, an official threw a flag on the far sideline, which looked like defensive holding, but it was picked up after Utah returned the two-point attempt for two points of their own. Here is a look at that video.
Kansas State fans were also questioning an illegal substitution call vs. the Wildcats, along with some short spots that favored the Utes. But, at least for now, Chris Klieman was not interested in getting into that fist fight with the conference.
Granted, the Wildcats defense didn’t make a play when it needed to late in the game, and with a chance to go down the field and win it late, Avery Johnson threw an awful interception across his body. But still, the officiating hurt the Cats in this one.
Now, Kansas State is 5-6 overall and needs to win next week at home vs. Colorado in order to become bowl eligible. For a team that was considered a Big 12 contender in 2025, there’s no doubt this season has been nothing short of a disappointment.
