Kansas State walked into Nippert Stadium with its quarterback situation looking shaky, but Collin Klein left feeling better about where things stand moving forward.
The Wildcats had Avery Johnson as their only healthy quarterback for much of the buildup to Saturday’s Big 12 opener at Cincinnati, and that forced Klein and his staff to spend the week mapping out emergency plans. Backup passers Dillon Duff and Jacob Knuth were both upgraded from questionable before kickoff, which gave K-State three quarterbacks available in uniform. Still, the uncertainty had already taken a toll on the week of preparation.
“There’s no doubt about that,” Klein said. “It’s been a crazy set of circumstances.
It probably occupied a little bit of my time and our staff’s time, just preparing for ‘what ifs.’ At the end of the day, it’s been a crazy set of circumstances that are very freak and outside of anything from a normal operation standpoint.
So we had to deal with it.”
Johnson handled every snap in the Wildcats’ 31-26 loss to the Bearcats, making his 30th straight start at quarterback. He finished with 292 passing yards and a touchdown, while also rushing six times for 38 yards. Johnson said the quarterback injuries didn’t really alter how K-State attacked the game.
“I don’t think it changed our game plan or our calls,” Johnson said. “All our calls were the same as they were a week prior.”
Even so, the week leading into the game was anything but routine. Klein said he had to get creative in practice, including using freshman defensive back Blake Jay, a Mill Valley High School product, to help Knuth run quarterback on the scout team offense.
By the middle of the week, K-State’s player availability report had Barnett listed as out because of a lower body injury, while Duff and Knuth were still questionable. That left no certainty about who, beyond Johnson, would be available against Cincinnati and pushed Klein into planning for some uncomfortable possibilities.
Barnett is expected to remain out, but there is optimism that Duff and Knuth are trending back. With a bye week ahead, Klein said the break comes at the right time for the Wildcats as they look to get back to full strength before returning to action against Houston on October 10.
“I think this bye week,” Klein said, “comes at a good time there.”
In Other News...
Collin Klein Owns Kansas States Biggest Problem After Cincinnati Loss
The frustration after Kansas States 31-26 loss at Cincinnati landed squarely on the part of the game the Wildcats could least afford to let slip. Collin Klein addressed the media afterward and made clear he was disappointed with the overall performance, pointing in particular to a defense that gave up 280 rushing yards and left the Wildcats chasing the game far too often. He also acknowledged the self-inflicted issues that piled up along the way, from turnovers to penalties.
Kleins message was less about excuses than about the basics Kansas State has to get right if it wants to stabilize itself. He stressed the need to improve at the line of scrimmage and noted the effort he got from Derrick Salley during the game, even as the bigger picture remained frustrating. For a team trying to find its footing, the problem is not hard to identify. The challenge is fixing it quickly enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State's Big 12 Opener Exposed A Problem That Could Linger
Kansas States Big 12 opener at Nippert Stadium ended with a familiar kind of frustration for a team trying to settle into conference play. The Wildcats fell 31-26 to Cincinnati, and the difference came in large part on the ground, where the Bearcats kept leaning on a rushing attack that let them control enough of the evening to stay ahead.
Cole Tabb and GiBran Payne helped Cincinnati set that tone, while Kansas State did find an unexpected lift from Derrick Salley at wide receiver. The Wildcats still had a chance to claw all the way back in the final minute, but the comeback came up short, leaving them with a loss and a bigger question about whether the issue they ran into can be fixed quickly enough. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Just Got An Early Big 12 Reality Check
Kansas States first stumble under Collin Klein came at Nippert Stadium, where Cincinnati handed the Wildcats a 31-26 loss and delivered an early reminder of how unforgiving Big 12 road games can be. The Bearcats moved to 4-0, giving Scott Satterfield his first 4-0 start as head coach, while Kansas State fell to 3-1 overall after opening conference play with a setback.
Cincinnati got a big night from Cole Tabb, who ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns, and JC French IV added 165 passing yards and a score to help the Bearcats control enough of the game to hold off Kansas State late. For the Wildcats, the result was more than just a first loss of the season - it was an immediate signal that the margin for error in league play is already thin. [Read more 🡒]