Kansas State may have uncovered a new short-yardage weapon in Oregon transfer Jay Harris.
In the Wildcats’ 31-20 win over Tulane on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Harris turned two carries into two yards and two touchdowns. It was an eye-catching line, the kind that rarely shows up in a box score, but it may become a familiar sight if K-State keeps using him near the stripe.
The Wildcats leaned on Harris in a jumbo package against Tulane, giving him the ball twice at the goal line and letting his size do the rest. At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, he is the biggest runner on the roster, and K-State clearly likes what that brings in tight spaces.
“The best thing about our running back room is,” K-State quarterback Avery Johnson said, “you have got to tackle Joe (Jackson) and you have got to tackle Rodney (Fields). Then you get Jay coming in with fresh legs on the goal line. That dude could have nobody blocking for him, and it would be hard for him not to get a yard because of how big and strong and physical of a runner he is.”
That size has made Harris a natural fit for goal-line duty, and head coach Collin Klein said the back has handled the role well.
“He’s got a really strong lower half,” K-State head coach Collin Klein said. “I was proud of the way he was able to get in the end zone. He’s done a good job with it.”
Kansas State set up the touchdowns with a creative look that had Harris, Jackson and tight end Will Anciaux lined up behind Johnson. Anciaux described the package as a straight-up power play.
“We talk about being a barbarian horde on those plays,” Anciaux said. “Those are mentality plays.
It’s just willing it into the end zone. Those are fun packages, where we get to try and impose our will and put some points on the board.”
For most of the season, Harris has played behind Fields and Jackson. Even so, he has carved out a useful role by returning kicks and giving the Wildcats a change-of-pace option at running back. Now he’s adding short-yardage touchdowns to the list.
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