Kansas State’s 71-3 demolition of Nicholls on Saturday in Manhattan gave Collin Klein the kind of debut any new head coach would take in a heartbeat. The Wildcats looked in control from the jump, and while Nicholls was clearly overmatched, K-State still walked away with a handful of real signs to like before Washington State comes to Bill Snyder Family Stadium next week.
One of the clearest was Rodney Fields. The Oklahoma State transfer got the first crack at running back instead of Joe Jackson, and he played like the top option.
Fields carried 14 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, with his best moment coming on a 26-yard score when he got to the edge and turned on the speed. His patience and burst stood out throughout the night, even if the real test comes later against a defense that can actually slow the Wildcats down.
Kansas State also got encouraging signs up front. Colorado State transfer Tanner Morley, who entered the game as day-to-day, didn’t start, but he still got involved and helped on several scoring drives after Charlie Adams opened the game.
The Wildcats were comfortable running to the left side, where Ryan Howard started at left tackle, and quarterback Avery Johnson was only pressured when he held the ball a little too long. For a group with some questions coming in, that was about as clean as K-State could have hoped.
Johnson, meanwhile, looked right at home in Klein’s offense. He was accurate, on time and dangerous with his legs.
His first touchdown pass came when he stepped up in the pocket and fired a strike to Jaron Tibbs for the season’s first score. Later, he added a 10-yard touchdown run and then helped set up the creativity of the offense on a 43-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jackson, who found plenty of room and sprinted to the end zone.
Johnson played about 2 1/2 quarters before Blake Barnett came in, finishing 15 of 21 for 199 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 23 yards and a score.
Defensively, Jordan Peterson’s unit never let Nicholls get comfortable. On the Colonels’ first 15 plays, they managed just 15 yards, and the tone never really changed after that.
With mostly starters still on the field through three quarters, Kansas State had allowed only 96 yards on 46 total plays. The tackling was sharp, and the Wildcats controlled the game from start to finish.
Then there was special teams, which delivered the kind of jolt K-State fans will gladly take any day. Brandon White ripped off a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, giving Kansas State a big-play spark in a game already tilting heavily in its favor. It may have benefited from an uncalled block in the back or two, but the Wildcats weren’t about to complain.
For one Saturday, everything came together exactly the way Kansas State wanted.
In Other News...
Kansas State Already Has A Troubling O-Line Problem Before Week 1
Kansas States offensive line is already under strain before the season opener, and the depth chart keeps getting thinner by the day. The Wildcats announced that left tackle John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick are done for the year, while freshman Oliver Miller will miss the first few weeks and left guard Tanner Morley is listed day-to-day. It is not the kind of news any staff wants to absorb in late August, especially when the front five is supposed to be the foundation for settling an offense early.
The ripple effect goes beyond the left side, too, with Donovan McIntosh, Dillon Duff and Max Lovett all carrying injury statuses heading into the game against Nicholls. For Kansas State, the concern is no longer just about who starts in Week 1, but whether the Wildcats can keep enough bodies available to protect their quarterback and get through the early part of the schedule without improvising too much up front. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Betting Big On A Risky Blindside Plan
With both John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick sidelined by injury, Kansas State is turning to sophomore Ryan Howard to hold down the left tackle spot heading into the upcoming season. It is a significant ask for a player still early in his college career, but the move also shows how much trust Collin Klein and the staff are placing in Howards development.
Howard arrives with the kind of pedigree that makes the gamble easier to understand, since he was once regarded as one of the top offensive tackle prospects. Now the challenge is far less about projection and much more about protection, because he will be responsible for guarding Avery Johnsons blind side and helping steady an offensive line that has already taken a hit before the season even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State May Have Found Its Austin Romaine Replacement
An offseason storyline inside Kansas States linebacker room has been the search for a reliable next man up, and Mekhi Mason has pushed his way to the front of that conversation. The senior transfer from Louisiana Tech arrived with plenty of experience, having started 11 games last year and earned second-team All-Conference USA honors, and he backed that up with a strong spring and training camp that earned him a starting job.
First-year coach Collin Klein has been encouraged enough by what he has seen to highlight Masons physicality and instincts, even drawing a comparison to former K-State standout Arthur Brown. For a defense trying to replace production and keep its identity intact, Masons rise gives the Wildcats a proven, mature option at a spot where they needed one. [Read more 🡒]