The Kansas State Wildcats’ season opener in Dublin, Ireland, didn’t go as planned. Despite getting a good start, they lost 21-24. But it was much worse for their quarterback, Avery Johnson, who experienced something completely deplorable.
Immediately after the game, as everyone was walking out, Johnson’s father and older brother got into an altercation. Tim Fitzgerald of 247Sports first reported the fight. He stated that Johnson’s father, Mark Johnson, and elder brother, Anthony Johnson, got into a tussle.
Video from the location showed Mark and Anthony on the ground as several people tried to break up the fight. The news spread like wildfire on social media as Johnson’s season opener got marred by this controversy.
Recently, through On3 Sports, Mark and Anthony released a joint statement, owning up to their mistake and asking for forgiveness from the program and the fans.
“We sincerely apologize for our actions following yesterday’s football game in Ireland,” Mark and Anthony Johnson wrote in their statement. “Senseless bickering escalated into an unnecessary fight.”
“We have resolved our differences and take full responsibility for our actions. We have apologized to our immediate and extended family, and now extend our apologies to Kansas State University, its alumni, and fans,” the statement added.
NEW: Kansas State QB Avery Johnson’s father (Mark) and his brother (Anthony) have released a joint statement following yesterday’s fight⬇️
(via @PeteNakos_) https://t.co/4xFWh6uVE4 pic.twitter.com/G9AHjyAYIf
— On3 (@On3sports) August 24, 2025
The father and son stated that they regret that things escalated to that level and that they will make sure nothing like this ever happens again. If the loss in the season opener wasn’t enough for Avery Johnson to deal with, his family piled up something embarrassing on him.
Apart from the forgettable post-game moment, Johnson had a decent outing. He went 21/30, 273 passing yards, 21 rushing yards, and had three touchdowns. Even though the Wildcats ended up losing, Johnson impressed fans with his performance.
Avery Johnson took accountability for the loss
In theory, the Kansas State Wildcats had a solid game plan to defeat the Iowa State Cyclones in the season opener. They made the right plays but fell short a few times in perfectly executing them.
After the loss, Johnson took accountability for a missed opportunity that could’ve kept Kansas in the game. He said:
“I think they made the necessary plays that were needed to be made tonight to win the game. When it’s fourth-and-1, I have got to find a way to get a yard and keep that drive alive and not put our defense in a bad spot. So I take full accountability for that.”
Despite the loss, head coach Chris Klieman stated that there was nothing wrong with their game apart from a few missed opportunities. Klieman said that he will run it back all over again the same way, based on how the game progressed in his opinion.
Klieman believes that it was a couple of plays made by Iowa on fourth down that gave them the edge. As a result, Kansas suffered a heartbreaking loss. It’s only the beginning of the season, and Coach Klieman and his players can learn from this and come back stronger.
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