D
Derek Young
Guest
OFFENSE
The fans should be thrilled with how the game was called, at least in the first half. Not only was it unpredictable but it accomplished things that were lacking in prior weeks. First, they challenged and forced Oklahoma to defend the entire field. It wasn’t just vertical routes or the same looks in the run game. It was more than a north/south plan.
They stretched the field laterally and vertically. None of the bubble screens to Zuber were particularly for big yardage but they set up other stuff. It forced Oklahoma to defend the edge and boundary and not load up the box. The offensive game plan also included some jet action from Isaiah Zuber and Oklahoma had to honor that which also softened up the middle and created running lanes for Alex Barnes, Justin Silmon and Alex Delton.
It was a creative game plan and a wonderfully called game in the first half. What did it also do for Kansas State? It got Oklahoma on their heels. They couldn’t just tee off and be aggressive. They were being out-smarted by Kansas State. The Wildcats were winning the battle of wits. The offensive line gathered some momentum, weren’t running into brick walls, and had opportunities to keep rolling. IT was the best they’ve looked. Perhaps they were playing better but I think it definitely helped that the defense didn’t have the liberty of knowing what was coming and having to defend the whole field.
Some notable performances from the offensive line in the first half came from Adam Holtorf, Abdul Beecham and Tyler Mitchell.
It also allowed them to get more chunks on first and second down. At least it gave them enough yardage to where they were getting into manageable third downs as opposed to last week when it was third and long for the most part. Because of this, the Wildcats were three of four on third downs in the first half.
The stretching of the field laterally didn’t just soften up the middle for the backs and Delton. It gave space in the middle of the field for the passing game. Delton connected with Dalton Schoen on a couple. An accurate pass on time to Schoen from Delton probably could have been a touchdown since he was so open, but it’s better to underthrow it than overthrow it in situations like that.
It was a really well-called game. But one snag from the KSO staff would be the lack of Alex Barnes after the touchdown run. Was he hurt? He had a 75-yard touchdown run, is the starter, and only had three carries through three quarters. Also, we did see a carry from Dalvin Warmack and a few from Justin Silmon and Winston Dimel.
Barnes did start to get more touches in the second half. So, it leaves you scratching your head a bit more. Maybe not in the play calling, because I liked it in the first half and the second half was demanding K-State to throw, but the personnel is puzzling. Alex Barnes appeared to have the hot hand against Oklahoma.
Kansas State lead 21-10 at halftime, and that included a missed opportunity because of the red zone fumble from Dominique Heath. There was also a missed field goal from McCrane (though it was from 60 yards). It barely missed. There was a shot that K-State could have lead at half 31-10.
I can’t pin down Alex Delton as a runner. I think he’s quick (as in getting to top speed in a hurry), not incredibly fast, but explosive. Sometimes the problem is that he doesn’t seem to be overly elusive. He’s a bit stiff and doesn’t display a ton of wiggle or ability to make people miss. I noticed this about him in the loss against TCU. However, in this one against Oklahoma, he did have some lateral movement and a bit more bounce. So, it leaves me wondering what was going on against TCU?
At the end of the half, Delton threw an interception when a lot of folks just wanted K-State to continue running the ball. Defense made a stop and held the Wildcats to a field goal. But for those that wanted Kansas State to run before the half, I understand that thought process and tend to agree. But as a devil’s advocate, folks would have criticized them for ‘playing not to lose’ had they ran it three times and got stuffed. I’m sure they wanted to stay aggressive and keep attacking. I just would have possibly chosen a higher percentage throw, though it was just man coverage over the top. The pick was in large part due to the hit on Delton.
Wouldn’t it have been nicer to have an extra play to get a little bit closer right before the half so the field goal wasn’t a 60-yard attempt for McCrane? Kansas State used their second timeout on that drive after a play that stayed in bounds. The play ended with 25 seconds left and they waited four seconds to call timeout, and knocked it down to 21 ticks. That’s an extra play. One more play gets you closer than 60-yards and McCrane only needed one more to connect.
The second half wasn’t as smooth. Oklahoma dominated the line of scrimmage and was just challenging Kansas State to beat them vertically with the pass. They took away any running game or quick passing play. The coaching staff was very unwilling to challenge or force the ball downfield through the air for quite a while. They finally did with 5:00 left in the game and Delton hit Byron Pringle for a big chunk twice that set up the scoring TD to Isaiah Zuber.
Oklahoma told K-State in the second half that they were going to have to throw to score. They responded by doing so on the scoring drive at the 2:30 mark in the 4th quarter.
When they tried in the first half, they were picked off? Perhaps this was the reason and that would make sense. Oklahoma geared up for everything and was just pressing Kansas State at the line of scrimmage throughout the second half. The game of halftime adjustments was won by the Sooners.
Some prayers were answered, though. Kansas State scored on the quarterback sneak a couple times. Clearly, adjustments were made for short yardage situations.
DEFENSE
Sean Newlan got the start instead of Adams. The loss of the starting safety, and a playmaker like Adams, seemed to be profound to say the least. I thought Walker could have played the safety spot but the argument could be how different the two safety spots are. He typically backs up Goolsby, not Adams. Walker has become a better form tackler. He was just hitting and not wrapping up at times at the beginning of the year.
Cre Moore was still out at the nickel. He’s definitely the best option there. Parker is still going through a steep learning curve and had his moments but has still provided an upgrade the past couple ball games. It hurts but he will also be better for this experience early on in his career. On the job training can be painful but beneficial. Eli Walker got a little playing time in the nickel as well, even starting. But Parker got the most snaps.
A.J. Parker got beat the one time when he actually provided good coverage. He just didn’t turn his head around and had no awareness for the ball was, which allowed the receiver to make the play and not him. Goolsby did the same on the pass in the end zone, but wrestled the ball away for the interception. The coverage fundamentals on those plays wasn’t exactly stellar.
The tackling was poor in the game for Kansas State and there are several guys that were guilty of it so I don’t need to go through and identify each one, and each situation. It let them down on the defensive end. Mayfield picked them apart some but their tackling did them no favors. The pinnacle of that was on the touchdown run by the Sooners towards the end of the game by Rodney Anderson.
But, I will say, Duke Shelley is one of the best cornerbacks I have ever seen in run support. He’s a sure tackler but not everyone is.
There was still a lack of pass rush for the most part. That should not be ignored.
Oklahoma’s second half adjustments were terrific and they took advantage of areas where K-State was lacking. They made the linebackers for the Wildcats cover and tackle in space and they struggle to do so. That is probably how best to define the second half defensive performance.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Not a lot happened in this facet of the game that is of substance. The Sooners were two for two on field goal tries while K-State missed the only one they attempted. The biggest play on special teams came when Oklahoma screwed up a snap that contributed to one of the second half touchdowns for the Wildcats. This is probably a wash.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When you tangle at home and put together this kind of spirited effort, and come this close to beating Big 12 power Oklahoma, only to come up short, it has to cripple your psyche. The response from Kansas State after this game will be the most intriguing thing we see this whole year.
They are who they are which is a 3-4 football team. Still, fans got a ton more out of this one than they were anticipating. I did as well. I expected at least a three-touchdown loss.
However, it doesn’t take away the sting from losing another game that was very winnable.
The fans should be thrilled with how the game was called, at least in the first half. Not only was it unpredictable but it accomplished things that were lacking in prior weeks. First, they challenged and forced Oklahoma to defend the entire field. It wasn’t just vertical routes or the same looks in the run game. It was more than a north/south plan.
They stretched the field laterally and vertically. None of the bubble screens to Zuber were particularly for big yardage but they set up other stuff. It forced Oklahoma to defend the edge and boundary and not load up the box. The offensive game plan also included some jet action from Isaiah Zuber and Oklahoma had to honor that which also softened up the middle and created running lanes for Alex Barnes, Justin Silmon and Alex Delton.
It was a creative game plan and a wonderfully called game in the first half. What did it also do for Kansas State? It got Oklahoma on their heels. They couldn’t just tee off and be aggressive. They were being out-smarted by Kansas State. The Wildcats were winning the battle of wits. The offensive line gathered some momentum, weren’t running into brick walls, and had opportunities to keep rolling. IT was the best they’ve looked. Perhaps they were playing better but I think it definitely helped that the defense didn’t have the liberty of knowing what was coming and having to defend the whole field.
Some notable performances from the offensive line in the first half came from Adam Holtorf, Abdul Beecham and Tyler Mitchell.
It also allowed them to get more chunks on first and second down. At least it gave them enough yardage to where they were getting into manageable third downs as opposed to last week when it was third and long for the most part. Because of this, the Wildcats were three of four on third downs in the first half.
The stretching of the field laterally didn’t just soften up the middle for the backs and Delton. It gave space in the middle of the field for the passing game. Delton connected with Dalton Schoen on a couple. An accurate pass on time to Schoen from Delton probably could have been a touchdown since he was so open, but it’s better to underthrow it than overthrow it in situations like that.
It was a really well-called game. But one snag from the KSO staff would be the lack of Alex Barnes after the touchdown run. Was he hurt? He had a 75-yard touchdown run, is the starter, and only had three carries through three quarters. Also, we did see a carry from Dalvin Warmack and a few from Justin Silmon and Winston Dimel.
Barnes did start to get more touches in the second half. So, it leaves you scratching your head a bit more. Maybe not in the play calling, because I liked it in the first half and the second half was demanding K-State to throw, but the personnel is puzzling. Alex Barnes appeared to have the hot hand against Oklahoma.
Kansas State lead 21-10 at halftime, and that included a missed opportunity because of the red zone fumble from Dominique Heath. There was also a missed field goal from McCrane (though it was from 60 yards). It barely missed. There was a shot that K-State could have lead at half 31-10.
I can’t pin down Alex Delton as a runner. I think he’s quick (as in getting to top speed in a hurry), not incredibly fast, but explosive. Sometimes the problem is that he doesn’t seem to be overly elusive. He’s a bit stiff and doesn’t display a ton of wiggle or ability to make people miss. I noticed this about him in the loss against TCU. However, in this one against Oklahoma, he did have some lateral movement and a bit more bounce. So, it leaves me wondering what was going on against TCU?
At the end of the half, Delton threw an interception when a lot of folks just wanted K-State to continue running the ball. Defense made a stop and held the Wildcats to a field goal. But for those that wanted Kansas State to run before the half, I understand that thought process and tend to agree. But as a devil’s advocate, folks would have criticized them for ‘playing not to lose’ had they ran it three times and got stuffed. I’m sure they wanted to stay aggressive and keep attacking. I just would have possibly chosen a higher percentage throw, though it was just man coverage over the top. The pick was in large part due to the hit on Delton.
Wouldn’t it have been nicer to have an extra play to get a little bit closer right before the half so the field goal wasn’t a 60-yard attempt for McCrane? Kansas State used their second timeout on that drive after a play that stayed in bounds. The play ended with 25 seconds left and they waited four seconds to call timeout, and knocked it down to 21 ticks. That’s an extra play. One more play gets you closer than 60-yards and McCrane only needed one more to connect.
The second half wasn’t as smooth. Oklahoma dominated the line of scrimmage and was just challenging Kansas State to beat them vertically with the pass. They took away any running game or quick passing play. The coaching staff was very unwilling to challenge or force the ball downfield through the air for quite a while. They finally did with 5:00 left in the game and Delton hit Byron Pringle for a big chunk twice that set up the scoring TD to Isaiah Zuber.
Oklahoma told K-State in the second half that they were going to have to throw to score. They responded by doing so on the scoring drive at the 2:30 mark in the 4th quarter.
When they tried in the first half, they were picked off? Perhaps this was the reason and that would make sense. Oklahoma geared up for everything and was just pressing Kansas State at the line of scrimmage throughout the second half. The game of halftime adjustments was won by the Sooners.
Some prayers were answered, though. Kansas State scored on the quarterback sneak a couple times. Clearly, adjustments were made for short yardage situations.
DEFENSE
Sean Newlan got the start instead of Adams. The loss of the starting safety, and a playmaker like Adams, seemed to be profound to say the least. I thought Walker could have played the safety spot but the argument could be how different the two safety spots are. He typically backs up Goolsby, not Adams. Walker has become a better form tackler. He was just hitting and not wrapping up at times at the beginning of the year.
Cre Moore was still out at the nickel. He’s definitely the best option there. Parker is still going through a steep learning curve and had his moments but has still provided an upgrade the past couple ball games. It hurts but he will also be better for this experience early on in his career. On the job training can be painful but beneficial. Eli Walker got a little playing time in the nickel as well, even starting. But Parker got the most snaps.
A.J. Parker got beat the one time when he actually provided good coverage. He just didn’t turn his head around and had no awareness for the ball was, which allowed the receiver to make the play and not him. Goolsby did the same on the pass in the end zone, but wrestled the ball away for the interception. The coverage fundamentals on those plays wasn’t exactly stellar.
The tackling was poor in the game for Kansas State and there are several guys that were guilty of it so I don’t need to go through and identify each one, and each situation. It let them down on the defensive end. Mayfield picked them apart some but their tackling did them no favors. The pinnacle of that was on the touchdown run by the Sooners towards the end of the game by Rodney Anderson.
But, I will say, Duke Shelley is one of the best cornerbacks I have ever seen in run support. He’s a sure tackler but not everyone is.
There was still a lack of pass rush for the most part. That should not be ignored.
Oklahoma’s second half adjustments were terrific and they took advantage of areas where K-State was lacking. They made the linebackers for the Wildcats cover and tackle in space and they struggle to do so. That is probably how best to define the second half defensive performance.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Not a lot happened in this facet of the game that is of substance. The Sooners were two for two on field goal tries while K-State missed the only one they attempted. The biggest play on special teams came when Oklahoma screwed up a snap that contributed to one of the second half touchdowns for the Wildcats. This is probably a wash.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When you tangle at home and put together this kind of spirited effort, and come this close to beating Big 12 power Oklahoma, only to come up short, it has to cripple your psyche. The response from Kansas State after this game will be the most intriguing thing we see this whole year.
They are who they are which is a 3-4 football team. Still, fans got a ton more out of this one than they were anticipating. I did as well. I expected at least a three-touchdown loss.
However, it doesn’t take away the sting from losing another game that was very winnable.
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