Collin Klein didn’t hide from the decision that hung over Kansas State after its 28-17 loss to Arizona State on Saturday at Mountain America Stadium. The fourth-and-12 call in the late third quarter is the one that will keep getting replayed, because it came with K-State holding a 17-14 lead and looking for a way to keep control of the game.
Instead, the Wildcats came up empty, and the sequence swung the night.
Klein kept the offense on the field in ASU territory rather than punt, even though the safer choice would have been to flip field position and try to trap the Sun Devils deep. With backup quarterback Jacob Knuth directing the offense instead of Avery Johnson, who remained sidelined with a neck/shoulder injury, the play had to cover 12 yards. Knuth couldn’t find a receiver and tried to create something with his legs, but he was brought down short of the line to gain.
“I tried to scramble and make a play,” Knuth said. “I got tripped up and fell short.”
Arizona State took the opening and ran with it. Kenny Dillingham made a quarterback change, putting Jake Fette into the game, and the freshman answered with a 71-yard touchdown drive that pushed the Sun Devils in front 21-17. Kansas State never led again.
Klein, in his first year as a head coach, acknowledged the call and stood behind it.
“We were at the 37-yard line, and Jacob had done a nice job,” Klein said. “We thought we had a good play.
We were trying to throw an out route to Josh (Manning). We were out of field goal range.
A kick into the end zone was only going to be a 10-yard difference. That truly is no man’s land.
“I believed in our guys. They had done a good job, and two scores at that time was critical. We were trying to get it.”
But the failed fourth down wasn’t the whole story. Kansas State’s offense simply disappeared after that point.
The Wildcats went scoreless on their last five possessions, punting once and turning it over on downs the rest of the way. Arizona State, meanwhile, added two touchdowns and also came within 1 yard of scoring on another drive.
For Klein, the larger frustration landed back on his own team.
“I go back to us,” Klein said. “It probably was our mindset and not being able to finish and stay on top of them when we had them down.”
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Serious Avery Johnson Problem
Avery Johnsons absence against Arizona State changed the look of Kansas States offense in a hurry, and it came after the quarterback was hurt in the previous game against Kansas. With Johnson unavailable, fifth-year senior Jacob Knuth got the start, giving the Wildcats a very different answer at the most important position on the field.
The bigger concern for Kansas State is that there is still no clear timeline for Johnsons return. Collin Klein said the medical staff is continuing to evaluate the injury, leaving the Wildcats to wait and see how long they might have to manage without the quarterback who has been central to their plans. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Frustrating Loss Came Down To One Coaching Decision
Playing without starting quarterback, Kansas State still had enough to keep things within reach for a stretch at Mountain America Stadium, where Jacob Knuth filled in and handled the spot well enough to give the Wildcats a chance. Arizona State pulled away for a 28-17 win on Oct. 24, but the loss did not feel like one that was simply decided by injuries or a mismatch on paper.
Collin Kleins offense had its moments, yet one third-quarter coaching decision swung the tone of the game and blunted the momentum Kansas State had built. The result left the Wildcats with a frustrating finish and a film room full of grades to sort through, with offense, defense, special teams and coaching all coming under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Sounds Fed Up With What Kansas State Must Fix
After Kansas States 28-17 loss to Arizona State, Collin Klein didnt sound interested in dressing up what went wrong. He pointed to the offensive line and the lack of success on third down as major issues, and his postgame tone made it clear the Wildcats know there is plenty to clean up if they want the offense to function more consistently.
Jacob Knuth drew praise for the way he fought through the game, with Klein commending his toughness and competitiveness in a difficult setting. Beyond that, the message was bigger than one player or one play - Klein said the entire operation, from the roster to the coaching staff, has room to improve as Kansas State looks to regroup and reset. [Read more 🡒]