Kansas State may have to navigate the next stretch without much margin at quarterback.
The Wildcats are down to two healthy quarterbacks after Blake Barnett was injured in the season opener, and first-year coach Collin Klein said both backups are working through issues of their own. Dillon Duff is listed as day-to-day, while Barnett is expected to take longer to return after getting banged up against the Nicholls Cowboys.
“Dillon (Duff) is day-to-day,” Klein said. “He's made some really, really good progress.
Blake (Barnett) got dinged up during his time in week one during the game. Nothing season related, but he'll probably be a little bit longer.
Taking it day to day. Obviously, we have some plans for how we'll take care of everything, but I do think we got two guys that we feel very, very good about and are going to compete and attack and have the same mindset moving forward.”
That leaves Avery Johnson as the one the Wildcats are counting on to stay upright.
Kansas State is 2-0 and will host Tulane on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium before opening Big 12 play next week on the road against Cincinnati.
On Thursday, the Big 12 also released the men’s basketball conference schedule, and Kansas State will be in its first season under coach Casey Alexander.
The Wildcats’ league slate begins Jan. 2 at Baylor and runs through March 6, when they host Cincinnati. Along the way, they’ll face Houston, Arizona, West Virginia, Texas Christian, Arizona State, Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Utah, BYU, Texas Tech and Central Florida, with all game times listed as TBD.
Their full conference schedule is:
Jan. 2 at Baylor Bears, TBD
Jan. 5 vs. Houston Cougars, TBD
Jan. 9 vs. Arizona Wildcats, TBD
Jan. 12 at West Virginia Mountaineers, TBD
Jan. 16 vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs, TBD
Jan. 19 at Arizona State Sun Devils, TBD
Jan. 23 vs. Kansas Jayhawks, TBD
Jan. 30 at Iowa State Cyclones, TBD
Feb. 3 vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, TBD
Feb. 6 vs. Colorado Buffaloes, TBD
Feb. 10 at Utah Utes, TBD
Feb. 13 at Brigham Young Cougars, TBD
Feb. 16 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils, TBD
Feb. 20 at Cincinnati Bearcats, TBD
Feb. 24 vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders, TBD
Feb. 27 at Kansas Jayhawks, TBD
March 3 at Central Florida Knights, TBD
March 6 vs. Cincinnati Bearcats, TBD
In Other News...
Kansas State Is Building A Big 12 Strength Fans Can't Ignore
A wild opening stretch around the Big 12 has only sharpened the sense that the leagues middle and upper tiers may be tougher than they first looked, and Kansas State has been part of that conversation in a way its fans should appreciate. Oklahoma States upset of Oregon turned heads nationally, Iowa States narrow loss to Iowa showed how thin the margin can be in these heavyweight-style September games, and Kansas States own defensive work has kept it in the same broader conversation about which teams are setting the standard early.
What makes it even more interesting from a Wildcats perspective is that the leagues next wave of games could keep sorting out who really belongs in that upper class. Houstons trip to Texas Tech, Kansas London matchup with Arizona State, and West Virginias meeting with Virginia all carry their own stakes, but Kansas States ability to keep leaning on defense gives it a foundation other Big 12 teams are still trying to match. If the conference continues to look this deep, that kind of edge could matter a lot more than style points. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Gets One More Test Before Big 12 Play Starts
Kansas State gets one last dress rehearsal before the Big 12 grind begins, and Tulane is the opponent waiting at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 19. The Wildcats have given themselves a sturdy early foundation, leaning on a defense that has been disruptive and a rushing attack that has done much of the heavy lifting while the non-conference schedule still offers a little room to settle in.
Tulane brings a different kind of test, even with the personnel changes and other challenges the Green Wave have dealt with this season. For Kansas State, the value of this game is bigger than the record column, because it offers one more chance to sharpen the things that have worked before league play turns every mistake into a bigger problem, and the matchup still tilts the Wildcats' way on paper. [Read more 🡒]