New coach, same expectations. Kansas State's Collin Klein era kicks off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium against an FCS team that's lost 8 of its last 12 games.
Bush’s Picks
NICHKSU
NICHKSU
OverUnder
Best BetKansas State
Kansas State is the easy call here against an FCS opponent that's lost 8 of its last 12 games and has been outclassed in its last two tries against FBS competition. Avery Johnson returning with a full season of starts under his belt gives K-State a floor Nicholls simply can't match. This is about as safe a moneyline lean as the slate offers in Week 1.
Nicholls
+Shane Lee is a legit breakout back
+Defense forced 15 interceptions last year
+Faster tempo offense under new playcaller
−Lost both 2025 games vs FBS opponents
−Secondary turned over heavily since 2023
−4-8 record, no winning season since 2023
Kansas State
+Avery Johnson back with 2,300+ passing yards last year
This one's about K-State finding its footing, not about Nicholls having a real shot. Avery Johnson is back for his senior year after throwing for over 2,300 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025, and he enters this game within range of K-State's all-time passing touchdown record. Klein, a K-State legend as a player and the program's OC in 2022 and 2023, takes over after a 6-6 season that started with a loss to Iowa State in Ireland. This is his first game as a college head coach, and it's the kind of matchup built to get his staff comfortable before Big 12 play starts.
Nicholls comes in off a 4-8 season and has dropped both FBS matchups it's played in the last year, losing 38-20 to Troy and 35-3 to Texas State. The Colonels do have some juice on offense with sophomore running back Shane Lee, who ran for 636 yards and 8 touchdowns as a freshman and led all Southland Conference backs in yards after contact. Coach Tommy Rybacki's defense also forced 15 interceptions a year ago, so there's a puncher's chance of a couple of turnovers landing K-State's way. That's about where the good news for Nicholls ends against a Big 12 roster that's simply operating on a different level.
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NICH Nicholls
KSU Kansas State
K-State won the only previous meeting between these programs 49-14 back in 2019, and there's little in either roster's current form to suggest a different outcome. The Wildcats spent the offseason retooling around Sean Gleeson as offensive coordinator and Jordan Peterson as defensive coordinator, and Bill Connelly's early SP+ numbers still have K-State comfortably inside the Big 12's second tier of contenders. A game like this is really about building rhythm and staying healthy before the schedule turns.
Nicholls Colonels
Kansas State Wildcats
Recent form.
Nicholls' secondary has churned over significantly since the program's Southland title run in 2023, and its last winning season was that same 6-5 campaign. A defense that struggled to slow down Troy and Texas State doesn't have much of an answer for Johnson and a K-State passing attack with real continuity, especially with Klein calling the shots on a roster he helped build. If there's a storyline worth watching beyond the score, it's how fast K-State's new coaching staff gets its identity on tape before the Big 12 grind begins.
