No. 20 Kansas State began its 2025 season with a narrow 24-21 loss to No. 21 Iowa State on Saturday. The game, held at Aviva Stadium in Dublin as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, served both as the Big 12 opener and the first game of the 2025 college football season.Despite being initially outgained by 70 total yards, Iowa State capitalized on Kansas State’s mistakes to secure the win. The Wildcats faltered in crucial short-yardage situations, turning the ball over on downs three different times.The loss drops K-State to the bottom of the Big 12 standings, and the performance sparked criticism from former NFL star Dez Bryant."Kansas State made a lot of mistakes that cost them the game," Bryant tweeted.For his college career, Bryant played at Oklahoma State from 2007 to 2009 before an NCAA suspension ended his college career. He went on to be a first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010 NFL Draft and later spent time with the Baltimore Ravens.Kansas State HC Chris Klieman stays upbeat after tough loss to Iowa StateKansas State had a chance to set the tone in the Big 12 with a season-opening win over Iowa State, but the Cyclones held firm in the closing minutes.A clutch fourth-down conversion from quarterback Rocco Becht to running back Carson Hansen with just over two minutes left sealed K-State’s 24-21 defeat. Becht finished the night completing 14 of 28 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.As the Wildcats now begin the year 0-1, coach Chris Klieman acknowledged the disappointment but stressed the importance of keeping perspective.“Bottom line, we’re disappointed,” Klieman said (via The Wichita Eagle). “We came here expecting to win, and we didn’t. But I’m proud of the guys."Regardless of what this game was, we have 11 more left. We have our back against the wall, but now we've got to reset and regroup and get ready to play."The Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson delivered a strong performance on Saturday, completing 21 of 30 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns.