The 2011 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, in Manhattan, Kansas as they have done since 1968. It was the 116th season in school history. The Wildcats were led by head coach Bill Snyder in his 20th overall and third straight season since taking over his second tenure in 2009. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. After winning all three non-conference games (Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Miami), the conference schedule began with a close victory at home over the Baylor Bears, and ended with a victory over the rival Iowa State Cyclones in the Farmageddon showdown. Kansas State made to a 7–0 start for first time since 1999. In the week 10 action, Kansas State earned a quadruple-overtime win over the Texas A&M Aggies. It was the first overtime game in school history since the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game, a game that also saw the Wildcats and Aggies play, which they lost 36–33 in double-overtime.
The 2011 Wildcats season finished with 10–3 overall, 7–2 Big 12 play, finished in second place, behind Oklahoma State. They were invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic for their third appearance, where they were defeated by Arkansas, Kansas State's first Cotton Bowl Classic loss since 1996 against BYU in the 1997 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Off-season
Coming off a close loss in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl, K-State's off-season was headlined by signing brothers Arthur and Bryce Brown, from Wichita East High School joining the team. Arthur, a transfer from Miami was expected to (and did) start at middle linebacker while Bryce, a transfer from Tennessee expected to see time at running back, but left the program after the first two games. Collin Klein was the starting quarterback for the team after the departure of Carson Coffman.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries
Eastern Kentucky
K-State rallied late to defeat Eastern Kentucky 10–7 in front of a sellout crowd of 50,292. Collin Klein hit Chris Harper in the back of the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 1 minute, 39 seconds remaining that the Wildcats possessed a lead. K-State turned the ball over five times, needed 77 plays to gain 303 yards. Klein was sacked twice, and ended with a decent effort, completing 13 of 21 passes for 128 yards a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 78 yards on 25 carries. Running backs Angelo Pease, John Hubert and Bryce Brown all failed to consistently gain yardage. Though Hubert reeled off a few nifty runs and finished with 91 yards, Brown had difficulties. Brown played in his first game since transferring from Tennessee, managed 16 yards on three carries and set Eastern Kentucky up for its only score by fumbling in front of K-State's end zone.
The Wildcats' offensive struggles sent them into halftime tied 0–0, and put them behind 7–0 late in the third quarter when Jared McClain ran in a one-yard touchdown following Brown's fumble.
From there, the Wildcats did just enough to pull out the win. They drove into scoring position three times, with Anthony Cantele missing a 37-yard field goal attempt, then connecting on one from 36 yards out with 10:11 remaining to make the score 7–3.
K-State's defense, which played well and allowed 129 total yards, forced Eastern Kentucky to punt on its next possession and set Klein up for the game-winning score.
Kent State
K-State was favored by 17½ going into the game.
K-State had their first shutout in more than five years as David Garrett returned an interception 45 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, and Collin Klein dazzled with his legs and the Wildcats blew out Kent State 37–0. K-State scored on five of six first-half drives to build a 34–0 lead and had the only scoring in the second half with a field goal.
Klein finished with 139 yards rushing and 74 yards passing, nearly becoming the first Kansas State quarterback since Allen Webb in 2004 to eclipse 100 yards in each category. He had a hand in all three touchdowns scored by the offense, two running and one passing. The Wildcats held the second-worst offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision to 12 first downs and 199 yards.
The Golden Flashes didn't do much to help themselves, committing 11 penalties for 136 yards. That included eight personal fouls, one of which spoiled a first-and-goal situation at the Kansas State 3 in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats managed to keep the Golden Flashes out of the end zone to secure their first shutout since beating Florida Atlantic 45–0 on Sept. 9, 2006.