D
Derek Young
Guest
BIG PLAYS FROM ALL THREE PHASES
It took the whole four quarters before the offense left their mark on the game, aside from a 98-yard drive in the first half, but they poured in an effort in the fourth quarter that sealed the game.
Before that, it was the defense and special teams that was keeping Kansas State afloat. The Wildcats were in scramble mode on the defensive side. Despite great field position for the Cyclones, they were unable to capitalize. On top of that, the defense caused an unreal amount of havoc, something that Iowa State was good at avoiding on the offensive side of the ball all season. K-State had a havoc rate of 24.1 percent and had seven tackles for loss. That’s a lot of negative for Brock Purdy and company.
The special teams opened it up right away with another Joshua Youngblood touchdown on a kick return to begin the game. Devin Anctil had a few strong punts and Blake Lynch had two huge field goals in what were tough kicking elements.
The offense finished off the game with a Jordon Brown score. It was the first and only score of the game for Kansas State that wasn’t from a true freshman. Jacardia Wright had the big run late and Youngblood got loose on a few jet sweeps.
MONUMENTAL EFFORT FROM DEFENSE
A tip of the cap to defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton is deserved. I was told before the game by the Kansas State contingent that they viewed Purdy as the best quarterback in the league. They defended him extremely well. He only completed 50 percent of his passes and for less than 200 yards.
Iowa State had an amazing average field position, in part because of the two turnovers they forced on the K-State side of the field. In stunning fashion, despite being backed up like that, the Wildcats only surrendered three points off of those two turnovers. The Cyclones’ average starting spot was their own 38-yard line. Kansas State’s was their own 25. It didn’t matter because the defense was so impressive.
Iowa State did not convert on any of their first 10 third down conversions and only one for the entire game. Although it seemed like Breece Hall had an incredible game, he only had 59 yards on 18 carries. One of those carries went for 20 yards. That means the other 17 only went for 39.
RUNNING BACK ROTATION
A sneaky big-time move in this game was the decision by Chris Klieman, Courtney Messingham and Brian Anderson on how to handle the running backs. It became clear early in the game that James Gilbert wasn’t able to provide much punch. He never played again after mid-way through the second quarter. They were lacking explosion out of the backfield, aside from Brown, who appeared to be pretty healthy once again.
They had to insert true freshman Jacardia Wright into the game who hadn’t played in about two months and didn’t have a complete understanding of everything they wanted to do on that side of the ball. It was clear that he isn’t comfortable with a whole lot of the playbook. They were limited in what they could do with him on the field because of his lack of understanding of the different blocking schemes. They trusted him anyways, stuck with what he was comfortable with and could do, and he delivered.
That is why players love Klieman and want to play for him. He empowers them. He trusts them. He counts on them, but also understands what they can and can’t do. The same can be said for Messingham.
SIGNIFICANT START IN YEAR ONE
I always love to apply perspective to this season that has been full of accomplishments. The finishing touches have now been put on to cap the season. The Wildcats finish at 8-4 overall and 5-4 within the league. That will probably be good for a third-place tie and put the Alamo Bowl in play as a possible postseason destination.
This all comes after a year where they went 5-7, missed a bowl, endured a year full of tumult and lost their most impactful players off the roster. They made some changes and circled the wagons to turn that adversity into strength. Aside from a home loss to West Virginia, it was positives across the board for Klieman’s first full season in Manhattan. The future is bright for Kansas State.
Not only have they secured an 8-4 regular season, they have an opportunity to win 9 if they are successful in their bowl game. That would already be more wins in a season than Matt Campbell has ever attained at Iowa State. That is more than what Scott Frost has gathered in his first two years combined in Lincoln. It would triple what Les Miles accomplished in his first season in Lawrence. That’s topping off a lot of recruiting peers.
It’s also a year that contains a non-conference win over an SEC opponent, something that eluded them in their trip to Nashville in 2017. It contained a four-touchdown victory over the hated Jayhawks. It contains an historic upset of a top-five ranked Oklahoma team that hasn’t lost to anyone else. Finally, it contains a win over an Iowa State team with a star quarterback that was projected to win 10 games.
What a ride.
It took the whole four quarters before the offense left their mark on the game, aside from a 98-yard drive in the first half, but they poured in an effort in the fourth quarter that sealed the game.
Before that, it was the defense and special teams that was keeping Kansas State afloat. The Wildcats were in scramble mode on the defensive side. Despite great field position for the Cyclones, they were unable to capitalize. On top of that, the defense caused an unreal amount of havoc, something that Iowa State was good at avoiding on the offensive side of the ball all season. K-State had a havoc rate of 24.1 percent and had seven tackles for loss. That’s a lot of negative for Brock Purdy and company.
The special teams opened it up right away with another Joshua Youngblood touchdown on a kick return to begin the game. Devin Anctil had a few strong punts and Blake Lynch had two huge field goals in what were tough kicking elements.
The offense finished off the game with a Jordon Brown score. It was the first and only score of the game for Kansas State that wasn’t from a true freshman. Jacardia Wright had the big run late and Youngblood got loose on a few jet sweeps.
MONUMENTAL EFFORT FROM DEFENSE
A tip of the cap to defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton is deserved. I was told before the game by the Kansas State contingent that they viewed Purdy as the best quarterback in the league. They defended him extremely well. He only completed 50 percent of his passes and for less than 200 yards.
Iowa State had an amazing average field position, in part because of the two turnovers they forced on the K-State side of the field. In stunning fashion, despite being backed up like that, the Wildcats only surrendered three points off of those two turnovers. The Cyclones’ average starting spot was their own 38-yard line. Kansas State’s was their own 25. It didn’t matter because the defense was so impressive.
Iowa State did not convert on any of their first 10 third down conversions and only one for the entire game. Although it seemed like Breece Hall had an incredible game, he only had 59 yards on 18 carries. One of those carries went for 20 yards. That means the other 17 only went for 39.
RUNNING BACK ROTATION
A sneaky big-time move in this game was the decision by Chris Klieman, Courtney Messingham and Brian Anderson on how to handle the running backs. It became clear early in the game that James Gilbert wasn’t able to provide much punch. He never played again after mid-way through the second quarter. They were lacking explosion out of the backfield, aside from Brown, who appeared to be pretty healthy once again.
They had to insert true freshman Jacardia Wright into the game who hadn’t played in about two months and didn’t have a complete understanding of everything they wanted to do on that side of the ball. It was clear that he isn’t comfortable with a whole lot of the playbook. They were limited in what they could do with him on the field because of his lack of understanding of the different blocking schemes. They trusted him anyways, stuck with what he was comfortable with and could do, and he delivered.
That is why players love Klieman and want to play for him. He empowers them. He trusts them. He counts on them, but also understands what they can and can’t do. The same can be said for Messingham.
SIGNIFICANT START IN YEAR ONE
I always love to apply perspective to this season that has been full of accomplishments. The finishing touches have now been put on to cap the season. The Wildcats finish at 8-4 overall and 5-4 within the league. That will probably be good for a third-place tie and put the Alamo Bowl in play as a possible postseason destination.
This all comes after a year where they went 5-7, missed a bowl, endured a year full of tumult and lost their most impactful players off the roster. They made some changes and circled the wagons to turn that adversity into strength. Aside from a home loss to West Virginia, it was positives across the board for Klieman’s first full season in Manhattan. The future is bright for Kansas State.
Not only have they secured an 8-4 regular season, they have an opportunity to win 9 if they are successful in their bowl game. That would already be more wins in a season than Matt Campbell has ever attained at Iowa State. That is more than what Scott Frost has gathered in his first two years combined in Lincoln. It would triple what Les Miles accomplished in his first season in Lawrence. That’s topping off a lot of recruiting peers.
It’s also a year that contains a non-conference win over an SEC opponent, something that eluded them in their trip to Nashville in 2017. It contained a four-touchdown victory over the hated Jayhawks. It contains an historic upset of a top-five ranked Oklahoma team that hasn’t lost to anyone else. Finally, it contains a win over an Iowa State team with a star quarterback that was projected to win 10 games.
What a ride.
