College football is weird. Really weird. You’ve got these massive programs with multi-million dollar facilities and then you’ve got the "scrappy" teams from the Dakotas who show up just to ruin everyone's Saturday. Honestly, if you’re a Kansas State fan, the words "North Dakota" probably give you a bit of a nervous twitch.
It isn't just about one game. It's about a pattern.
Last August, specifically August 30, 2025, the No. 17 ranked Wildcats hosted the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. On paper? It should have been a blowout. A "warm-up" game. Instead, it turned into a 38-35 heart-attack-inducing "rock fight" that nearly saw K-State fall to 0-2 on the season after a weird opening loss to Iowa State in Dublin.
The Scariest 60 Minutes in Manhattan
Let’s talk about that 2025 matchup. Most people look at the final score and think, "Oh, K-State won, whatever." But if you were in the stands with those 51,927 people at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, you felt the air leave the building when Sawyer Seidl ripped off a 20-yard touchdown run.
That play put UND up 35-31 with only 4:19 left.
The silence was deafening.
Kansas State was staring down the barrel of an embarrassing home loss. Avery Johnson, the local kid from Wichita with the blonde hair and the electric legs, had to grow up fast. He led an 81-yard march that felt like it took a decade. He eventually found Joe Jackson—who was only starting because Dylan Edwards was banged up—for a six-yard score with 42 seconds on the clock.
🔗 Read more: Men's Sophie Cunningham Jersey: Why This Specific Kit is Selling Out Everywhere
K-State escaped. But "escaped" is the operative word.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
You can’t talk about Kansas State vs North Dakota football without mentioning the "other" team from up north: the NDSU Bison.
There is a direct lineage here.
Chris Klieman, the current head man in Manhattan, came from North Dakota State. He brought that "tougher than you" Missouri Valley mentality to the Big 12. But the irony? That same mentality is exactly what makes these Dakota schools so dangerous when they play up.
Remember 2013?
I know, it’s been a while, but it’s the ghost that haunts the program. North Dakota State came into Manhattan and beat a defending Big 12 champion K-State team 24-21. Brock Jensen ran for a touchdown with 28 seconds left. It was a mirror image of the 2025 game, except the Wildcats didn't have the final answer back then.
💡 You might also like: Why Netball Girls Sri Lanka Are Quietly Dominating Asian Sports
Bill Snyder, the legend himself, said afterward that they were "better coached" and "played harder." That’s high praise from a guy who doesn't give it out like candy.
The Jerry Kaminski Factor
In the 2025 game, North Dakota started Jerry Kaminski at quarterback. It was his first collegiate start. Usually, that’s a recipe for disaster in a Power 4 stadium. Instead, the kid went 23-for-38 for 231 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
UND controlled the clock for over 31 minutes.
They basically used K-State’s own medicine against them. They stayed patient. They converted enough third downs to keep the chains moving. They didn't blink when they fell behind 31-21 in the third quarter.
Breaking Down the 2025 Numbers
If you’re a stats person, the yardage looks fine for K-State. 461 yards of total offense isn't bad. Avery Johnson threw for 318.
But look closer:
📖 Related: Why Cumberland Valley Boys Basketball Dominates the Mid-Penn (and What’s Next)
- Rushing Battle: UND actually held their own, rushing for 102 yards against a defense that was supposed to be "scarier than we thought."
- The "Clutch" Metric: K-State’s defense had to force four straight incompletions on UND’s final drive just to seal the win.
- The Joe Jackson Show: With Dylan Edwards sidelined, Jackson stepped up with the game-winning catch and 55 rushing yards.
It was a game of "what ifs." What if Caden Dennis catches that deep ball on the final drive for UND? What if K-State hadn't fumbled a punt return earlier in the game?
What This Means for the Future
The 2025 season was a rollercoaster for the Wildcats. They finished with some big wins—thumping Kansas 42-17 and beating Colorado 24-14—but that North Dakota game set a tone of vulnerability.
It showed that even with a star like Avery Johnson, K-State can't sleep on anyone.
The Fighting Hawks proved they belong on that stage. They didn't win, but they earned more respect than a 0-1 record usually carries. For K-State, it was a wake-up call that "toughness" isn't a given just because you wear the Powercat on your helmet.
Key Lessons from the Series
- Don't Schedule the Dakotas: Seriously. Unless you have to, playing these schools is a no-win scenario for Power 4 programs. If you win, you were "supposed to." If you lose, it's a national headline.
- The Quarterback Run is King: Both Avery Johnson and the Dakota quarterbacks (Jensen in '13, Kaminski in '25) used their legs to break the game open when plays collapsed.
- Possession is 9/10ths of the Law: UND and NDSU thrive on keeping the ball away. K-State has to find ways to get off the field on 3rd-and-short.
Real-World Action Steps for Fans
If you're following Kansas State vs North Dakota football or looking at future matchups between the Big 12 and the FCS, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the Injury Report: Notice how Dylan Edwards being out changed the K-State offense in 2025? Depth in the backfield is usually what saves Big 12 teams in these "trap" games.
- Look at the Trenches: Don't just watch the QB. Watch the offensive line. North Dakota's ability to stay in the 2025 game was largely due to their O-line not getting bullied by a bigger K-State defensive front.
- Respect the "Low Level" Talent: Many of these UND players are kids who were overlooked by bigger schools but play with a massive chip on their shoulder.
The 2025 game wasn't a fluke. It was a continuation of a history where the state of North Dakota proves, time and again, that they can play ball with the best of them.
K-State fans can breathe for now. But next time a team from Grand Forks or Fargo shows up on the schedule, maybe don't book your victory parties too early.
To get a better feel for the rhythm of these games, watch the condensed replays of the 2025 matchup specifically focusing on the third-quarter adjustments made by the UND coaching staff. It reveals exactly how they neutralized the Wildcats' pass rush before the final Avery Johnson heroics.