In the battle of the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ faces Kansas State for its final nonconference game of the season. Here's a look atÌýstarting lineups, key matchups and a prediction.ÌýÌý
Kansas State (1-2) at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ (2-0)
When:Ìý6 p.m. Friday
Where:ÌýÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Stadium
TV:Ìý¹ó´Ç³æ
Radio:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM

Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (2) passes over Army defensive lineman Jack Bousum (99) during the first half of their game Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
2025 record:Ìý1-2 (0-1 Big 12)
WHEN KANSAS STATE IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):Ìý
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
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WR | 12 | Jaron Tibbs | 6-2 | 212 | Jr.
TE | 86 | Garrett Oakley | 6-5 | 248 | Jr.
LT | 78 | John Pastore | 6-6 | 300 | Jr.
LG | 69 | Taylor Poitier | 6-3 | 302 | Sr.
C | 75 | Sam Hecht | 6-4 | 300 | Sr.
RG | 52 | JB Nelson | 6-5 | 325 | Sr.
RT | 74 | Terrence Enos | 6-5 | 310 | Sr.
WR | 1 | Jayce Brown | 6-0 | 179 | Jr.
WR | 5 | Jerand Bradley | 6-5 | 223 | Sr.
QB | 2 | Avery Johnson | 6-3 | 196 | Jr.
RB | 4 | Joe Jackson | 6-0 | 212 | So.
WHEN KANSAS STATE IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 44 | Tobi Osunsanmi | 6-3 | 250 | Jr.
DT | 56 | Damian Ilalio | 6-2 | 300 | Sr.
DT | 47 | Cody Stufflebean | 6-4 | 260 | Sr.
DE | 8 | Chiddi Obiazor | 6-6 | 275 | So.
LB | 32 | Des Purnell | 6-0 | 232 | Sr.
LB | 45 | Austin Romaine | 6-2 | 245 | Jr.
NB | 6 | Qua Moss | 5-10 | 185 | Jr.
CB | 25 | Zachon Rice | 6-1 | 209 | So.
SS | 7 | VJ Payne | 6-3 | 208 | Sr.
FS | 18 | Wesley Fair | 6-1 | 200 | So.
CB | 9 | Donovan McIntosh | 6-3 | 194 | So.
KSU 2025 SCHEDULE
August
23 | No. 22ÌýIOWA STATE^ | L, 24-21
30 | NORTH DAKOTA | W, 45-10
September
6 |ÌýARMYÌý| L, 24-21
12 | at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥*
27 | UCF
October
4 |Ìýat Baylor
11 |ÌýTCU
25 |Ìýat Kansas
November
1 | No. 21ÌýTEXAS TECH
15 |Ìýat Oklahoma State
22 |Ìýat No. 20 Utah
29 | COLORADO
Home games inÌýBold;Ìý* = Friday; ^ = played in Ireland
KSU 2025 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Johnson | 64-98-1 | 763 | 6 | 65
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Jackson | 30 | 136 | 0 | 4.5 | 45.3
Johnson | 18 | 78 | 1 | 4.3 | 26.0
Rice | 18 | 77 | 2 | 4.3 | 25.7
Brown | 2 | 29 | 0 | 14.5 | 9.7
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Brown | 19 | 216 | 2 | 11.4 | 72.0
Bradley | 10 | 152 | 1 | 15.2 | 50.7
Tibbs | 12 | 151 | 2 | 12.6 | 50.3
Oakley | 8 | 104 | 0 | 13.0 | 34.7
Swanson | 2 | 46 | 0 | 23.0 | 15.3
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Romaine | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1
Purnell | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Payne | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Osunsanmi | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1
Fair | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Rich | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
McIntosh | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ quarterback Noah Fifita passes around Kansas State defensive end Cody Stufflebean (47) during the first half, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
2025 Record:Ìý2-0 (0-0 Big 12)
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON OFFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
WR | 12 | Tre Spivey III | 6-4 | 212 | R-So.
WR | 4 | Kris Hutson | 5-11 | 173 | R-Sr.
LT | 75 | Ty Buchanan | 6-6 | 314 | R-Sr.
LG | 77 | Michael Wooten | 6-5 | 323 | R-Jr.
C | 52 | Ka'ena Decambra | 6-3 | 308 | R-Sr.
RG | 63 | Alexander Doost | 6-7 | 330 | R-So.
RT | 59 | Rhino Tapa'atoutai | 6-5 | 302 | R-So.
TE | 84 | Sam Olson | 6-3 | 229 | R-Sr.
WR | 11 | Chris Hunter | 6-1 | 195 | R-Jr.
QB | 1 | Noah Fifita | 5-10 | 195 | R-Jr.Ìý
RB | 21 | Ismail Mahdi | 5-9 | 184 | Sr.
WHEN ARIZONA IS ON DEFENSE (PROJECTED):
[Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr.]
DE | 42 | Dominic Lolesio | 6-4 | 252 | R-So.
DT | 0 | Deshawn McKnight | 6-3 | 288 | Sr.
DT | 98 | Tiaoalii Savea | 6-4 | 301 | R-Sr.
DE | 44 | Malachi Bailey | 6-2 | 278 | Sr.
LB | 6 | Taye Brown | 6-2 | 231 | Jr.
LB | 4 | Max Harris | 6-0 | 230 | Sr.
NB | 23 | Gavin Hunter | 6-2 | 204 | R-So.
CB | 9 | Ayden Garnes | 6-0 | 183 | R-Sr.
CB | 25 | Michael Dansby | 5-11 | 185 | Sr.
BS | 43 | Dalton Johnson | 5-11 | 198 | R-Sr.
FS | 12 |ÌýGenesis Smith | 6-2 | 204 | Jr.
UA 2025 SCHEDULE
August
30 |ÌýHAWAII | W, 40-6
September
6 |ÌýWEBER STATE | W, 48-3
12 |ÌýKANSAS STATE*Ìý
27 | at No. 14 Iowa State
October
4 |ÌýOKLAHOMA STATE
11 |ÌýBYUÌý(Family Weekend)
18 | at Houston
November
1 | at Colorado
8 |ÌýKANSASÌý(Homecoming, Military Appreciation)
15 | at Cincinnati
22 |ÌýBAYLORÌý(Senior Day)
28 | at No. 12 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ State* (Territorial Cup)
Home games inÌýBold;Ìý*=Friday game
UA 2025 STATS
PASSING
[Name | Comp-Att-INT | Yards | TDs | Long]
Fifita | 30-45-0 | 534 | 6 | 85
Bray | 1-2-0 | 22 | 0 | 22
Locke | 2-4-0 | 11 | 0 | 10
RUSHING
[Name | Carries | Yards | TDs | Per carry | Per game]
Craig | 15 | 156 | 1 | 10.4 | 78.0
Mahdi | 15 | 74 | 1 | 4.9 | 37.0
Reescano | 10 | 51 | 1 | 5.1 | 51.0
Yarbrough | 7 | 37 | 0 | 5.3 | 37.00
RECEIVING
[Name | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Per catch | Per game]
Whatley | 8 | 206 | 2 | 25.8 | 103.0
Wysong | 4 | 70 | 0 | 17.5 | 35.0
Phelps | 3 | 63 | 1 | 21.0 | 31.5
Hutson | 2 | 51 | 0 | 25.5 | 51.0
Spivey | 2 | 37 | 1 | 18.5 | 18.5
DEFENSE
[Name | Tackles | Sacks | INTs | FR | FF]
Brown | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1
Johnson | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
G. Smith | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0
Harris | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Cole | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Head to Head

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ offensive lineman Rhino Tapa’atoutai (59) offers up some low fives as the team runs through stretches during preseason training camp on Aug. 12, 2025.
59 Rhino Tapa'atoutai vs. 44 Tobi OsunsanmiÌý
After nearly a year of recovering from a devastating knee injury last October, Tapa'atoutai returned to action last week against Weber State, but played right tackle instead of left tackle. In Tapa'atoutai's first game reps in over 300 days, he surrendered a team-high four quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Tapa'atoutai allowed five pressures to Kansas State last year.Ìý
Osunsanmi, a fourth-year player from Wichita, Kansas, is in his first season as one of Kansas State's starting defensive ends. Osunsanmi leads the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in sacks this season and has the fourth-best pass-rushing grade (79.1) in college football with a minimum of 70 pass-rushing snaps played. Osunsanmi had a tackle for loss in last season's contest in Manhattan.

Defensive back Dalton Johnson (43) hops through a shaft of sunset light as the team limbers up for the final practice at the University of ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ football’s Spring Showcase on April 19, 2025.
4 Joe Jackson vs. 43 Dalton Johnson
Kansas State standout running back Dylan Edwards, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown in KSU's win over ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ last season, is questionable to play this week after suffering an ankle injury in the season opener against Iowa State. Edwards' replacement, Jackson, leads the team in rushing yards, but has yet to find the end zone.Ìý
Johnson, who is tied for a team-high in tackles (12) this season, has only missed one game since 2023: ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥'s 24-point loss to Kansas State last season. The injured Johnson was replaced by current Kansas State safety Gunner Maldonado, with Genesis Smith starting in Maldonado's place at free safety.ÌýJohnson's open-field tackling prowess could eliminate Kansas State's chunk runs, especially with dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson.ÌýÌý
The matchup
When ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ has the ballÌý…Ìý
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ likely won't have a similar game plan as Army, which dominated Kansas State in time of possession in the second half (26:59-3:01), but the Black Knights gave ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ a blueprint. In both of Kansas State's losses this season, KSU was out-rushed by its opponents, including 237-74 to Army.ÌýKSU out-rushed ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 235-56 in their game a year ago. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ could flip the script this season.Ìý
When Kansas State has the ballÌý…Ìý
A team with arguably the most athletic quarterback in the Big 12 currently ranks last in the conference in rushing, averaging 109 yards per game. Kansas State offensive coordinator Matt Wells hasn't displayed Johnson's legs this season and has the KSU quarterback in more of a pocket-passing role. Johnson and the KSU zone-read offense last season carved up ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥'s rushing defense. Johnson's legs could keep KSU's offense on schedule against ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ — once again.Ìý
College Football 26 prediction: Kansas State 20, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ 19
In our College Football 26 simulation of the Kansas State-ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ battle, KSU held the UA to four field goals and one touchdown. Kansas State marched down the field in its final possession and kicked the go-ahead field goal with 1:01 left to play. Poor clock management — by the video game, not ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ head coach Brent Brennan — led to ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ not having a chance for a game-winning field goal. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ quarterback Noah Fifita had ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥'s only touchdown of the game, a 13-yard run up the middle on a quarterback draw.Ìý
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports