Kansas State’s path to beating Oklahoma State looks pretty clear: keep pace on the scoreboard.
That’s the reality facing the Wildcats as they get ready for a matchup with a Cowboys offense that has been rolling under first-year head coach Eric Morris. K-State tight end Garrett Oakley didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We’re going to need to put some points on the board,” K-State tight end Garrett Oakley said. “We have great confidence in our defense, but, at the end of the day, they are really explosive.
I think we’re going to maybe have a different mentality for this game, knowing that we have to put a lot of points on the board. Hopefully we get it done.”
Oklahoma State enters at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12, and the reason for the strong start is obvious. The Cowboys have the conference’s most dangerous offense, no matter how you slice it.
They lead the Big 12 with 529.6 yards and 41.1 points per game, and those numbers still include a 24-10 loss to Tulsa in the opener, when the team was out of sync. Since then, Oklahoma State has scored at least 32 points in every game.
K-State coach Collin Klein knows exactly what’s coming.
“We have got a big challenge this week,” K-State coach Collin Klein said. “This will be as good an offense as we play all year.
It will be as good a quarterback as there is in the country. They do a tremendous job.”
That quarterback is Drew Mestemaker, the sophomore who followed Morris from North Texas to Oklahoma State and wasted no time turning the Cowboys into an offensive machine. Mestemaker has thrown for 2,649 yards and 25 touchdowns, production that has pushed his name into first-round NFL mock draft territory.
“He is very good,” K-State linebacker Gabe Powers said. “He will be a top 5 pick, if not the No. 1 pick. So when you see a quarterback like that, everybody has to be really on their game and in the right spot every time.”
Kansas State’s defense will have its hands full, and the numbers back that up. The Wildcats have allowed 29 points per game in conference play, and they’re coming off a 27-24 overtime loss to Colorado, the lowest-scoring team in the Big 12.
That puts even more pressure on the other side of the ball.
Blake Barnett gave K-State a lift last week at Colorado, coming off the bench to throw for 224 yards and three touchdowns. With Avery Johnson sidelined by an injury and likely out for the rest of the season, Barnett now has the chance to carry the offense forward.
The Wildcats may have found something there. Barnett brings a dual-threat element, and he’s willing to challenge tight coverage or tuck it and run when the play calls for it. The style looks a lot like the way Klein played during his own Kansas State days.
If K-State is going to keep up with Oklahoma State, Barnett will have to build on that Colorado performance. Against a Cowboys team that has been lighting up scoreboards, that may be the difference.
In Other News...
Kansas State's Thinning Offense Faces Another Worry Before Oklahoma State
Kansas States offense is already trying to adjust without Avery Johnson, and now it may have another key piece in question heading into Oklahoma State. Running back Joe Jackson has landed on the injury report as questionable, adding uncertainty to a unit that has leaned on his versatility and production all season.
Jackson is the Wildcats third-leading rusher and one of the more flexible options in the offense, which makes his status worth watching closely as game day approaches. With the quarterback situation already settled for the long term because of Johnsons season-ending injury, any additional absence would only make the challenge of keeping the offense moving more difficult. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Road Problem Collin Klein Must Solve
Kansas States strong start has given way to a two-game skid, and the timing has made the Wildcats margin for error feel a lot thinner. Collin Klein has pointed to a broader issue that has followed the program on the road over the past three years, where close games have too often tilted the wrong way and left little room to recover when things start to wobble.
Avery Johnsons injury has only complicated matters, forcing Kansas State to lean on inexperienced backups in spots where composure matters most. The latest setback, an overtime loss to Colorado, fit the pattern all too well, and it leaves Klein with a problem that goes beyond one bad night away from home. The Wildcats now have to find a way to steady themselves before the road keeps dictating the story. [Read more 🡒]
Yamil Talib May Have Earned A Much Bigger Colorado Role
Yamil Talib turned in the kind of performance that can change how a player is viewed in a hurry, and he did it against Kansas State. The Colorado edge rusher piled up eight tackles in the win, including two sacks and two tackles for loss, then talked afterward about how much of the credit belonged to the defensive teammates and coaches around him. He also pointed back to the shoulder injury he had to work through, which makes the timing of the breakout even more notable.
Talib also offered a glimpse into the work behind the scenes, saying some of his preparation habits came from his uncle, former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib. For Colorado, the bigger question now is whether this was just a one-game flash or the start of a larger role for a player who looked ready for more responsibility. Against a Kansas State offense that had to account for him all night, he made a strong case that the next step should come quickly. [Read more 🡒]