The 2006 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Ron Prince, in his first year at K-State after leaving his offensive coordinator position at Virginia. Prince had no other head coaching experience prior to accepting the K-State job. The Wildcats played their home games in Bill Snyder Family Stadium, which had previously been known as KSU Stadium but was renamed by the university's athletic department after Bill Snyder's first retirement following the 2005 season. 2006 saw the Wildcats finish with a record of 7–6, and a 4–4 record in Big 12 Conference play. The season ended with a loss to Rutgers in the Texas Bowl. Schedule Game summaries Illinois State Illinois State would be the first opponent that new head coach Ron Prince would face. Illinois State, out of the Gateway Football Conference would prove to be a tough task for Kansas State as the Wildcats narrowly won, 24-23 Kansas State scored two special teams touchdowns and stopped Illinois State quarterback Luke Drone on a 2-point conversion in the final minutes to preserve a 24-23 victory in the head coaching debut of Ron Prince. Trailing 17-16 with 8:25 to go, Kansas State's Marcus Perry popped the ball out of the arms of Illinois State's Jason Horton and into the hands of cornerback Byron Garvin, who sprinted 9 yards into the end zone to give the Wildcats the lead. Dylan Meier hit tight end Rashaad Norwood for the 2-point conversion to make it 24-17, but the Redbirds came right back, just as they had all game. Driving 47 yards in just over 5 minutes, Drone hit a wide open Pierre Jackson in the corner of the end zone to pull within 24-23 with 3:02 to go. But instead of kicking the extra point, coach Denver Johnson elected to go for 2 and the win. Drone dropped back to pass but was quickly swallowed by the Kansas State defensive line to preserve the victory. Florida Atlantic The Wildcats were favored by 22 points going into the game. Justin McKinney became the first Kansas State player in 70 years to run back an opening kickoff for a touchdown. McKinney sprinted to his right and went 88 yards down the sideline for Kansas State's first game-opening score since Red Elder's touchdown return in a 6-6 tie at Oklahoma