Kansas State’s backfield picture got a little murkier last week, and Jay Harris was the one left standing on the sideline.
Through the first stretch of the season, the Wildcats built their running back room with depth in mind. First-year coach Collin Klein said the plan after bringing in two transfer backs was simple: keep the competition sharp in camp and give Kansas State multiple answers when the games started. Six games in, though, the rotation is looking different than the one the Wildcats envisioned in the offseason.
Last week against the Kansas Jayhawks, only two of the three backs were used. Joe Jackson handled the biggest share of the carries, while Fields followed behind him. Harris, despite being part of the offseason additions, did not get a touch.
That is a notable shift for a team that had already watched its backfield shuffle earlier in the year. Jackson was the main man last season after beating out Dylan Edwards, who has since transferred to play for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Jackson made the most of that job, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. The expectation was that he would lead the group again this fall.
Instead, Kansas State also added Rodney White from Oklahoma State and Harris from Oregon, then saw Fields named the starter for the season-opener against the Nicholls Cowboys. Since then, the distribution has stayed in flux.
Klein addressed the change during his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s road trip to face the Arizona State Sun Devils. He said the decision to leave Harris out was circumstantial, tied in part to wanting to reward Jackson and Fields for the work they’ve put in.
He also pointed to a desire not to overthink things or get too “cute” with the rotations. In his view, that meant putting out the best lineup and trusting it instead of trying to second-guess the defense.
There was another factor in last week’s game as well: Avery Johnson’s ability to produce as a runner. When the quarterback is making plays on the ground, it naturally squeezes the number of snaps available for everyone else in the backfield.
So for now, the Wildcats may be heading toward a slimmer rotation. That could be a good thing if it helps the top runners find a rhythm, and that matters for a Kansas State offense that relies heavily on the ground game to give Johnson more freedom under center.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Added More Fuel To A Rivalry Kansas Cant Stop
The latest Sunflower Showdown only deepened a rivalry Kansas cant seem to crack. Kansas State handled the 124th meeting 35-14, stretching its run in the series to 18 straight and once again leaving the Wildcats with bragging rights that extend far beyond one October afternoon. Avery Johnson was at the center of it, piling up 209 passing yards and 132 rushing yards while helping Kansas State control the game from start to finish.
The follow-up recognition fit the moment, with kicker Luis Rodriguez and defensive back Nick McClennan earning Big 12 weekly honors after their roles in the win. For a program that already has one of the leagues most lopsided rivalries in hand, the timing only adds to the momentum, especially with Iowa State, Cincinnati and other opponents waiting on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A New Offensive Test At Arizona State
A Big 12 trip to Arizona State brings an unusual wrinkle for Kansas State this week, because Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham once tried to recruit Avery Johnson before the quarterback settled in Manhattan. Now Johnson returns to a familiar face in a conference game with much more at stake, and he comes in with the kind of season that has made Kansas States offense harder to scheme against as the Wildcats keep pushing through lineup changes.
Collin Klein is already having to manage another layer of uncertainty on offense, with Garrett Oakley potentially sidelined by illness and the staff adjusting around other injuries. One of the bigger fixes has been moving Oliver Miller to tight end, a reminder that Kansas State has had to stay flexible while trying to keep the passing game and run game on schedule. Against an Arizona State team that knows Johnson well, those tweaks could matter as much as any pregame storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has A Key Preseason Question To Sort Out
Kansas State is getting close to the point where the talking stops and the lineups start to matter. At Big 12 Media Days, coach Casey Alexander said the Wildcats are getting ready for their upcoming exhibitions against Missouri and Nebraska, while Brandon Rechsteiner and Isaiah Abraham helped frame a team still trying to sort out where everybody fits before the games begin to count.
The biggest wrinkle is Timo Malovec, whose preseason injury makes him unlikely to be available for the opener and adds another variable to a roster still under evaluation. Alexander said the starting five has not been finalized, which leaves Kansas State with a little more to learn in the next stretch, especially with health and performance both weighing on how the rotation comes together. [Read more 🡒]