Kansas State will take the field against Tulane on Saturday morning with a few key names still in question, as both teams work through injuries heading into the Week 3 matchup at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT in Manhattan, and the Wildcats’ availability picture is still being monitored closely. Kansas State coach Collin Klein has already ruled out one quarterback for a while longer and offered more encouraging signs on several others.
Blake Barnett remains sidelined after getting hurt in Week 1 against Nicholls. Klein said the injury was not season-ending, but also added that Barnett "will probably be out a little longer."
Dillon Duff is also still working back after missing the first two games. Klein described him as "day-to-day" and said he has made "really, really good progress" since the start of the season.
Kansas State is also watching its offensive line and secondary. Tanner Morley has been getting more run as he builds toward a bigger role up front, moving from 14 snaps against Nicholls to 25 against Washington State. Donovan McIntosh has yet to get back on the field, but Klein said the Wildcats are hoping to have him "sooner rather than later."
Oliver Miller’s return remains less certain. Klein said his recovery has been "very, very positive," though the timing is still unclear. Miller had been in line to start after John Pastore’s season-ending injury, but he was hurt in practice before the opener.
Tulane comes in with its own list of players to track. Running back Jamauri McClure has missed the Green Wave’s first two games with a left-foot injury.
He was viewed as a game-time decision against South Alabama, but never got into that game. McClure rushed for 540 yards and two touchdowns for Tulane last season.
Wide receiver Zycarl Lewis played in the opener against Duke, catching one pass for 28 yards, but sat out last week against South Alabama. Linebacker Chris Rodgers was banged up in the Duke game and attempted to return against South Alabama, though he was limited to five snaps. Tight end Ty Thompson was also limited in the South Alabama game, logging 11 snaps after getting hurt in the opener at Duke.
In Other News...
Former Kansas State Standout Turned A Big Chance Into Heartbreak
Former Kansas State players were all over Week 3, and several of them made their new schools better for it. Austin Romaine logged 64 snaps for Texas Tech, finishing with six tackles and a pass breakup in a win over Houston, while other former Wildcats helped push UCLA, LSU, Indiana and Baylor to victories as well.
Dylan Edwards, though, had the kind of day that can swing a game in a heartbeat. The former Kansas State standout handled 22 touches for 105 yards for Kansas in its London matchup with Arizona State, but a crucial fumble ended up becoming the moment that tilted the loss the other way. For a player who did plenty right, the final memory was a painful one. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Offense Has A Big 12 Problem Hiding In Plain Sight
Kansas State has put together an offense that looks dangerous on the surface, scoring more than 30 points in each of its first three games and leading the country in third-down conversion rate at 67.4%. Avery Johnson has been a big part of that success with his rushing ability, and the Wildcats have also stacked up enough explosive run plays to stay among the national leaders in that category.
Still, the way those possessions are unfolding is leaving a familiar problem in plain sight. Too many drives are getting pushed into third-and-long because the Wildcats are not getting consistent production on first and second down, especially on the ground, and that puts a lot more pressure on Johnson and the offense to keep bailing themselves out in obvious passing situations. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Just Raised The Stakes For Its Big 12 Opener
Kansas States 3-0 start has done more than keep the Wildcats unbeaten through nonconference play, it has nudged them into the conversation as a team worth watching once the Big 12 schedule starts. Wins over Nicholls, Washington State and Tulane gave Chris Kliemans group the kind of early momentum every program wants, and the modest AP poll support only adds to the sense that this is a team with something to prove as much as something to protect.
Now the spotlight turns to Cincinnati, and that opener will tell a lot about whether Kansas State is simply a hot start story or a genuine threat in the league race. Avery Johnson has been part of the reason for the optimism, but the Wildcats next step is bigger than individual playmaking - it is about showing that an underdog with potential can turn September momentum into real Big 12 relevance. [Read more 🡒]