Avery Johnson’s Saturday line looked messy at first glance: two interceptions, one of them taken back 50 yards for a touchdown, and a defense that lost out on a shutout because of it. But the bigger picture around Kansas State’s quarterback is a lot cleaner than the stat sheet suggests.
Johnson threw for three touchdowns in Kansas State’s 34-7 win over Washington State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and the Wildcats had their first-year coach Collin Klein right where they wanted him afterward - backing up his quarterback, not picking him apart.
“But I mean, he helped me out, he reassured me,” Johnson said of Klein. “He told me I was doing some things well on third down, doing some things with my feet pretty well, and I still had a whole other half of football to play. So I've thrown interceptions before, it's not new to me.”
That kind of response matters for a quarterback Kansas State needs to keep steady. The Wildcats are trying to make sure Johnson never loses confidence this season, because they need him comfortable and loose in the huddle.
Some around the program believe that was part of the problem a year ago, when Johnson followed a strong sophomore season in his first year as the starter with a junior year that lacked consistency. His numbers dipped across the board, and Kansas State finished 6-6 in a season loaded with expectations.
So far, though, Johnson has looked more like the player who arrived in Manhattan with plenty of buzz. Klein has been in his corner, and the results have been hard to argue with. Kansas State has piled up 105 points through its first two games, with Johnson responsible for six passing touchdowns and one rushing.
If the Wildcats are going to chase a Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff, they’re going to need that version of Johnson. For now, there’s no real reason to sound the alarm.
In Other News...
Rodney Fields Is Forcing A Kansas State Backfield Decision
Rodney Fields has gone from portal addition to one of the more interesting pieces in Kansas States offense in a hurry. The Oklahoma State transfer has topped 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the Wildcats, including a 105-yard outing with a touchdown against Washington State, and Collin Klein has rewarded that surge by naming him the starting running back over senior Joe Jackson. Fields now leads the team in carries, which says plenty about how quickly he has earned the staffs trust.
For Kansas State, the bigger question is not just what Fields has done, but how long the Wildcats will ride the current arrangement in the backfield. Any shift at running back tends to ripple through the offense, and the added attention around the recent game was a reminder that the programs future remains in view too, with top quarterback recruit Titus Huard in attendance. Fields has made the decision for Klein simpler in the short term, but the way the rest of the backfield settles in is still a storyline worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Already Has A QB Concern Collin Klein Cant Ignore
With Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth standing as the only healthy quarterbacks available, Kansas State is already living a little closer to the edge than it would like this early in the season. Sophomore Dillon Duff and junior Blake Barnett are both sidelined with injuries, and head coach Collin Klein is having to think through a depth-chart problem that most teams hope never becomes urgent.
Johnson has been the stabilizing force in the room, starting 28 consecutive games and giving the Wildcats the kind of durability every staff covets. But with Duff day-to-day and Barnett expected to miss several weeks, Klein is considering an emergency quarterback designation if the injury situation gets any worse, a reminder that even a stable position can feel precarious when the numbers are this thin. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Fast Start Now Faces The Test Fans Care About
Collin Kleins first season in charge has given Kansas State exactly the kind of early lift fans hoped to see. The Wildcats are 2-0 with wins over Nicholls and Washington State, and the strong opening has been enough to earn a few votes in both the AP and Coaches polls, a sign that the program is getting at least some national attention without quite breaking into the Top 25 yet.
The real question now is whether that promising start can hold up once the schedule offers more chances to impress. Kansas State still needs more wins to build a ranking case, and the next stretch brings games against Tulane and Cincinnati, the sort of tests that will say a lot more about where this team stands than the first two victories did. [Read more 🡒]