The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Kansas State – INSIDE SLANT
Sometimes Kansas State just has to piece together information and figure out the best plan to attack opponents. It can even take as much as a half to process.
Against Texas Tech on Oct. 27, the Wildcats led by just three points at halftime and were somewhat fortunate to even be in that position. Then Collin Klein engineered three third-quarter scores in swift fashion and Kansas State cruised 55-24 to remain in sole possession of first place in the Big 12.
“You have to spar a little bit until you find some answers,” Wildcats coach Bill Snyder said. “It wasn’t adjustments, it’s just being able to get into the right things, which we didn’t initially.”
That sort of seems like what adjusting means, though Snyder referred to the solutions another way.
“It was more us trying to define what fits,” he added. “It took us awhile.”
Maybe so, but once the Wildcats got rolling, the outcome was not in doubt. They improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12, while firmly establishing their place as a contender in the Bowl Championship Series title hunt.
During the decisive third quarter, Klein and the offense never even got to third down until the very last play of the period. In fact, the Wildcats began with three plays that produced first downs, all of which were different than anything they ran in the first half. Klein busted two keepers up the middle for touchdowns of 16 and 22 yards while adding a 21-yard scoring strike to Tramaine Thompson.
Again, Klein’s effort was very Heisman-like. He continued to assert his candidacy for college football’s top individual prize by completing 19 of 26 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, often in fairly tight coverage employed by a Tech defense ranked first in the Big 12 coming in. Klein added 83 yards rushing and two scores on 12 carries.
His effort, mistake-free as usual, was enough to offset a pretty good plan by the Red Raiders, who were intent on forging a tie atop the Big 12.
“Texas Tech had some schemes and stuff they were running we hadn’t seen,” said center B.J. Finney. “Hats off to them because they came prepared. We faced a lot of adversity and kept playing ball.”
Next up is another team with just one loss in Big 12 play. The three-game winning streak Oklahoma State carries found the Cowboys holding three consecutive conference rivals to fewer than 20 points each for the first time since 1986.
So again, Kansas State may have to counter. Yet it will do so with a defense that is gaining confidence with each performance, using three takeaways to offset a 442-yard effort by Tech, which included 35 completions by quarterback Seth Doege.
“We didn’t get adjusted as quickly as you’d like but that’s an awfully good football team,” Snyder added. “Then we did get a feel for what was going on. They moved the ball, but you didn’t see a lot of points going in the end zone.”
Well, you did, but it was Kansas State scoring them. The Wildcats now rank as the most productive attack in the Big 12 with a 44.4-point average after scoring 50-plus points in back-to-back games.
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NCAAF Team Report – Kansas State – NOTES, QUOTES
–The most influential player on the field for Kansas State during a tight first half against Texas Tech was DE Meshak Williams. He forced a fumble on a sack, batted down a pass and also deflected a field goal attempt, helping the Wildcats gain a three-point edge at the break before thumping the Red Raiders 55-24. Improvement from the senior “all of a sudden took off” during Big 12 play, according to Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. Teammates, meanwhile, have begun to lean on Williams off the field. “He’s also kind of a coach in the meeting room,” said DE Ryan Mueller, a sophomore walk-on. “If you have any questions, you can go to him. He’s a great source and a great leader. Meshak definitely loves the big games.”
–Kansas State probably needs to bag any trick plays it attempts when threatening to score on the opponent’s 1-yard line. Against Texas Tech, a jump pass attempted in the Wildcat formation by RB Angelo Pease went awry and prompted Kansas State to settle for a field goal in the second quarter. Earlier this season, a backwards flip pass backfired against Miami and resulted in a huge loss. With QB Collin Klein virtually unstoppable on quarterback sneaks, Kansas State has a sure-fire weapon in short yardage. “I thought we should just run quarterback sneak,” RB John Hubert said of Pease’s ugly pass attempt. “We finished with three (points) and I think we’ll probably throw that play out.”
KEEP AN EYE ON: LB Jarell Childs — The senior has a knack for making big plays, returning a fumble 56 yards in the first quarter. It was Childs who had the fumble recovery for a touchdown in Kansas State’s win at Oklahoma. Childs, who has beat out Justin Tuggle for playing time with the Wildcats using mostly a nickel package, led the team with nine tackles against Texas Tech, including one for a loss.
LOOKING GOOD: The way the game against Texas Tech started, Kansas State looked quite vulnerable. It allowed a touchdown on the Red Raiders’ first possession, a 75-yard drive in nine plays. Adjustments were made, however, and Tech only managed one additional touchdown march against the Wildcats’ first-string defense. The Red Raiders struck for 472 yards and actually outgained the Wildcats. Yet by keeping most plays in front of them, Kansas State limited Tech’s effectiveness while forcing three turnovers. A 32-yard pass thrown by Tech QB Seth Doege was the longest scoring play against the Wildcats this season.
STILL NEEDS WORK: Kansas State secured three takeaways against Texas Tech. Coupled with a mistake-free offense, the Wildcats boosted their turnover margin to plus-15 on the season. Still, two sure interceptions were dropped in the first half. Some would consider that proof as to why defensive backs do not play receiver, though such excuses do not fly at Kansas State. The missed opportunities cost the Wildcats a chance to establish better control. Instead, they led by just three points at halftime and might have been fortunate to enjoy that margin.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We weren’t happy with our performance in the first half. As team leaders at halftime, we took it upon ourselves to get everybody fired up and refocused to go out and play some Wildcat football.” — Kansas State C B.J. Finney.
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NCAAF Team Report – Kansas State – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–RB John Hubert ran for a pair of touchdowns against Texas Tech to bump his season total to 10 after scoring just three times last season as Kansas State’s starting running back. Hubert gained 83 yards on 14 rushes.
–WR Chris Harper snagged five receptions for 99 yards against Texas Tech and is beginning to be counted on more heavily as the Wildcats rely more on their aerial attack.
–LB Arthur Brown, the Butkus Award candidate, returned an interception 37 yards for his first career touchdown and was also in on five tackles. Brown had picks in each of the last two games.
ROSTER REPORT
–LB Tre Walker was helped off the field in the second half and was quickly taken to the locker room for treatment. The severity of the injury was unknown, though Walker did not return.
–OT Cornelius Lucas left the Texas Tech game with an apparent foot/ankle injury and did not return. The injury was not believed to be serious. OG Cody Whitehair moved to tackle after Lucas went out.
–FB Zach Nemechek, a special teams contributor, was shaken up on a placekick, though the injury was not considered serious.
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