Kansas State opens Big 12 play after strong non-conference start
The final whistle blows and it’s onto conference play for Kansas State Football. After defeating Tulane 31-20 last Saturday, the Wildcats capped off a successful start to their season where they outscored their opponents 136-30. Head coach Collin Klein praises the recent performances on both sides while acknowledging their flaws in each game.
“I think it was, they were in some unbalanced formations. Some of that read zone, two back game, some of the fit structures there was unique and it's good stuff. And we didn't fit it very, very well. Lost some of our edges and some of the counter gap scheme stuff. And so, but again, I was proud of the guys of how they battled. We knew that was gonna be a challenge and I think it'll be really good for us.”
Against Tulane, the Wildcats trailed for the first time this season after allowing their first touchdown in the first quarter. The run game headlined the offense with all three running backs and Avery Johnson scoring all four touchdowns and averaging 5.4 yards per carry. The defensive line had a great performance with Darien Whitaker Jr. and Jayden Bryant recording at least one sack out of six total against Kadin Semonza.
“I mean, I think it's and I told the guys right after the game, I said, I mean, every football game, that's what it is. And learning how to work through that and learning to love the fire of that competition and the heat of that is a great thing. And them embracing that together, bonds and builds those relationships, builds that trust and dependability when it matters and when there's stress.”
Klein’s return to Manhattan saw spikes in performances on both sides of the ball, all ranking within the top 30 in each category of yardage this season. On average, the Wildcats rank 25th in total offense with 491.3 yards, and the defense ranks second overall with 182.7 total yards allowed.
The Wildcats will take their top-ranked offense and defense to Cincinnati Saturday night to show they can contend for a Big 12 title.
Kansas State looks ready for Big 12 play after such a strong non-conference start. It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep that momentum going—almost as unpredictable as a round of Crazy Cattle 3D.