The 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University as a member of the North Division of the newly-formed Big 12 Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Bill Snyder, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing third in the Big 12's North Division. Kansas's State season ended with a loss against fifth-ranked BYU in the Cotton Bowl Classic—the program's first appearance in a traditional New Year's Day bowl game. The team played home games at KSU Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
1996 was the first year of competition for the Big 12 Conference, and Kansas State's season opener against Texas Tech on August 31 was the first athletic event in Big 12 history.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| August 31 | 2:30 p.m. | Texas Tech | No. 21 | | ABC | W 21–14 | 43,143 |
| September 7 | 1:10 p.m. | Indiana State* | No. 21 | | | W 59–3 | 40,724 |
| September 14 | 1:10 p.m. | Cincinnati* | No. 17 | | | W 35–0 | 43,111 |
| September 21 | 7:00 p.m. | at Rice* | No. 16 | | | W 34–7 | 19,700 |
| October 5 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 7 Nebraska | No. 16 | | ABC | L 3–39 | 43,916 |
| October 12 | 1:00 p.m. | at Missouri | No. 22 | | | W 35–10 | 45,211 |
| October 19 | 6:00 p.m. | at Texas A&M | No. 21 | | FSN | W 23–20 | 64,155 |
| October 26 | 1:10 p.m. | Oklahoma | No. 16 | | | W 42–35 | 43,815 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Kansas | No. 13 | | | W 38–12 | 48,800 |
| November 16 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 6 Colorado | No. 9 | | FSN | L 0–12 | 53,500 |
| November 23 | 6:10 p.m. | Iowa State | No. 14 | | FSN | W 35–20 | 43,174 |
| January 1 | 1:30 p.m. | vs. No. 5 BYU* | No. 14 | | CBS | L 15–19 | 71,928 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
|
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
|---|
| AP | 21 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
|---|
| Coaches | 18 | — | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 |
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Game summaries
Texas Tech
Texas Tech at Kansas State
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texas Tech |
3 |
0 | 0 | 11 |
14 |
| • Kansas State |
0 |
14 | 0 | 7 |
21 |
Nebraska
Nebraska at Kansas State
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska |
6 |
12 | 14 | 7 |
39 |
| Kansas State |
0 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
3 |
At Texas A&M
Kansas State at Texas A&M
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 19 Kansas State |
13 |
7 | 3 | 0 |
23 |
| Texas A&M |
3 |
7 | 0 | 10 |
20 |
Vs. BYU (Cotton Bowl Classic)
No. 14 Kansas State at No. 5 BYU
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Kansas State |
0 |
8 | 7 | 0 |
15 |
| • No. 5 BYU |
5 |
0 | 0 | 14 |
19 |
Roster
| 1996 Kansas State Wildcats football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
| Offense
|
Defense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| DT
|
90
|
Kenneth Bouie
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
94
|
Da'Von Brame
|
Fr
|
| DE
|
53
|
Mike Bush
|
So
|
| CB
|
2
|
Chris Canty
|
Jr
|
| DL
|
91
|
Pat Curry
|
Fr
|
| CB
|
29
|
Demetric Denmark
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
14
|
Edwin Lin Dotson
|
Fr
|
| DT
|
98
|
Jerome Evans
|
Jr
|
| LB
|
8
|
DeShawn Fogle
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
42
|
Mark Simoneau
|
Fr
|
|
Special teams
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster
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References
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| Venues | |
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| Bowls & rivalries | |
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| Culture & lore | |
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| People | |
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| Seasons | |
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