Kansas State enters its final non-conference game with a thin quarterback room and a little extra planning on Collin Klein’s plate.
Avery Johnson has carried the load so far, and the Wildcats have been able to keep him on the field mostly because the games have gotten out of hand early. Johnson has started 28 straight games without a significant injury, and Saturday’s 34-7 win over Washington State was another example of K-State being able to take him out early. He finished 22 of 34 for 192 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 78 rushing yards.
Behind him, though, the depth chart has been trimmed to the bone. Jacob Knuth was the only other quarterback in purple during warmups before the Washington State game. Dillon Duff was in street clothes, while Blake Barnett was on crutches.
That leaves Klein sorting through a problem he’d rather not have: how to handle the position if another injury hits. The K-State coach said the staff has a plan in place and is comfortable with the two healthy options, but he also acknowledged the need to think about an emergency quarterback.
“We have some plans on how we’ll take care of everything,” Klein said. “But we have got two guys that we feel very good about, and they are going to compete and attack with the same mindset as usual moving forward.”
Knuth has already seen the field in both games this season. He completed his lone pass attempt for 7 yards against Nicholls and also ran for a short touchdown in the opener.
As for the injured quarterbacks, Klein said Duff is “day-to-day” as he works back from a preseason injury, while Barnett is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a lower-body injury against Nicholls.
The Wildcats are hoping they won’t need any more than the two quarterbacks they have right now. But with Game 3 coming up, Klein still has one more item to manage.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Collin Kleins First Big Decisions Are Already Fueling Debate Among K-State Fans
Before Kansas States first two games under Collin Klein, the new head coach was already leaning on familiar voices, including former coach Chris Klieman, to help shape how he wanted to handle the pressure points that come with running a game. Klein has since looked back on a handful of calls from those opening weeks, especially the fourth-down and field-goal decisions that tend to draw the most scrutiny when a game is still in the balance.
The results have helped soften the debate, since the Wildcats opened with two straight wins, but Klein sounded like a coach still sorting out his own comfort level in those moment-of-truth situations. He has been open about thinking through what he might handle differently next time, and that kind of self-assessment is part of the adjustment as he settles into the job and the fan base starts reading every choice a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]