Kansas State’s newest football players wowed by ‘crazy atmosphere’ at first home game

Running onto the field for the first time in front of a sellout crowd at Bill Snyder Family Stadium is a thrill for every Kansas State football player, but the moment carried special meaning for Jordan Riley.

“It was the first time I have ever seen that many people cheering for me and my team,” Riley said.

Riley experienced his first K-State home game on Saturday. The senior defensive back spent the first three years of his college career playing for Ball State and the only time the Cardinals played in front of big crowds was when they went on the road against teams like Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Penn State.

When Riley took the field with the visiting team in those away settings he only heard boos from the home crowd.

“Nobody was cheering for us,” Riley said. “The fans were just like, ‘Forget y’all. We’re about to blow you out.’”

Now that he is a starting safety for the Wildcats, he was able to experience what it’s like on the other side.

An announced crowd of 51,240 roared when K-State players followed Willie the Wildcat out of the locker room and onto the turf for kickoff. And the purple-clad fans remained loud throughout a 41-6 victory over Tennessee-Martin .

Riley is looking forward to the remaining five home games on the 2024 schedule.

So is Easton Kilty, who also experienced “The Bill” for the first time on Saturday. Nothing could have prepared the North Dakota transfer for the decibel levels as he took over as K-State’s starting left tackle.

“It was a lot different than what I was used to,” Kilty said. “There were a lot more fans and it was a pretty crazy atmosphere. It was kind of crazy running out of the tunnel and seeing 50,000 people.”

He thinks the crowd gave K-State a definite home-field advantage.

“The noise level, especially when the defense was out there, was kind of crazy,” Kilty said. “You saw false starts and other penalties from them a lot. The loud atmosphere just changes the way the game can be played.”

A different type of atmosphere awaits K-State this week.

The Wildcats are hitting the road for their first away game of the season at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Tulane at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

K-State won’t have a crowd advantage in that game. Tulane benefits from one of the best home-field advantages in the American Athletic Conference with 30,000 fans regularly showing up to support the Green Wave.

Hot and humid conditions are also expected at kickoff. The Wildcats need to be prepared for a different kind of environment

It sounds like K-State players have already accepted that challenge.

“I love playing at home more than anything, just because you have the support of your fans and all the traditions that we have, even before the game and after the game,” K-State quarterback Avery Johnson said. “But road games are fun, too, because you get to be a villain and go in and experience new adversity. I have a lot of fun with that type of stuff.”