College football officially returned today with a Big 12 showdown in Dublin, Ireland, as No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State faced off in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
The Cyclones came out on top after an electric back-and-forth matchup, but Kansas State also suffered a major setback, losing starting running back Dylan Edwards to an early first-quarter injury. After the game, Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman and quarterback Avery Johnson spoke on the loss of Edwards.
Klieman and Johnson React to Edwards’ Injury After Dublin Defeat
Iowa State became the first team in the win column this college football season, edging Kansas State 24-21 in a sloppy yet thrilling Week Zero matchup.
It was a rough way for the Wildcats to open the year. Their offense looked clunky in the first half, largely due to the early loss of running back Dylan Edwards. The sophomore went down on one of the first plays of the game after muffing a punt early in the opening quarter.
MUFFED PUNT IN THE OPENING GAME 😮 pic.twitter.com/jvsip0dBdV
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 23, 2025
In a press conference after the loss, QB Avery Johnson said Kansas State’s game plan was built around Edwards, forcing the team to adjust after his early injury.
“Yeah, I mean, Dylan’s such an explosive player and we had a bunch of stuff gameplanned for him, so when he goes down we just kind of have to have that next man up mentality,” Johnson said.
This offseason, Kansas State lost DJ Giddens, who rushed for over 1,300 yards in 2024, to the NFL, and Dylan Edwards was expected to step into that role. His early injury clearly derailed the Wildcats’ offensive game plan.
RELATED: What Happened to Dylan Edwards? Full Information on Kansas State Star’s Injury
In his press conference, head coach Chris Klieman did not mention Edwards by name after the game, instead shifting focus toward the weeks ahead. Klieman emphasized the importance of getting healthy as his team regroups from the season-opening loss.
“They got beat by a really good football team, and so we’ve got to go back, regroup, get some guys healthy,” Klieman said. “We were down some guys, we got to get some guys back, and we’ll be ready Saturday.”
Klieman expressed admiration for Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell and acknowledged that Iowa State has a strong football team, but he appeared frustrated with his own team’s performance and the injury setbacks they faced today.
The Wildcats will have a chance to bounce back next week when they host FCS team North Dakota on Saturday, August 30, to continue the 2025 season.
