D
Derek Young
Guest
OFFENSE
It was as ugly as the stats and score indicated. The offense was very limited in what they could do. They did take some risks. Kansas State tried a flea-flicker in the first half and also lined up to go for it in the first quarter on 4th and 1 from their own 37-yard line. There were a few other good play calls at the right time, including running a screen to Alex Barnes right against the blitz which produced significant yardage.
Despite that, they were also extremely conservative at times as well. In fact, they inexplicably punted the ball away for a touchback on 4th and 3 at the TCU 33 in the third quarter of a 7-7 game. The net punt yardage was 13 yards.
Malik Knowles scored his first touchdown of his career. It was K-State’s only second touchdown pass of Big 12 play and first one to a receiver. He had a pretty good day until having to leave the game with an injury.
There was a ton of other sloppiness mixed in as well. One example was Alex Barnes about to be tackled for loss and he instead recklessly lateraled it to Delton, only to lose even more yards on the play. Another example was fumbling the ball away on second and long and it being recovered by TCU. However, the Horned Frogs coughed it up themselves on the same play, thus resulting in a Wildcat first down despite losing yards.
Another sequence that was not favorable is taking the ball with a little over four minutes left, down one and inside their own five-yard line. Alex Barnes was tackled for no gain on first down followed by a very untimely false start penalty. Luckily, they were able to extend the drive on a completion to Zach Reuter and Delton grabbing enough yardage on fourth down.
If there was one guy that I would single out, it would be Alex Barnes due to his effort level. He was fighting for a lot of extra yards that weren’t easily given in the second half and that stuck out to me. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
DEFENSE
Jalen Reagor’s touchdown was the only huge breakdown by K-State that was exposed. Otherwise, they limited the big plays, kept the Wildcats in the game and made key stops, including the one towards the end of the game to give the offense another shot to win the game.
A few of the really, really good games came from Eli Walker, Jahron McPherson, Justin Hughes, Wyatt Hubert and Trey Dishon.
TCU did bail them out on multiple occasions. At the very end of the third quarter, TCU snapped the ball on third down with nine seconds left and threw the ball. The play ended with two seconds remaining and thus they were forced to punt against the wind. It was a very bizarre decision. The TCU press box is named after Dan Jenkins. He still attends games, despite his very old age, and even he was pissed off and frustrated by the decision.
Either way, Kansas State didn’t win but it was not the defense’s fault this time around. However, they didn’t face a particularly prolific offense and also were given a lot of aid and assistance by the Horned Frogs themselves.
SPECIAL TEAMS
This is the unit that let the Wildcats down the most. The only good that came from this phase of the game were some great punts by Devin Anctil. He pinned TCU inside the five once and nearly did it another time had K-State not mess around with the ball. Later in the game, Brock Monty did have a great tackle on a kickoff that was bobbled by TCU, to pin the Horned Frogs deep.
Isaiah Zuber muffed another punt, giving the ball back to TCU before their first score of the game. He also returned a punt from the two-yard line. Not only that, Colby Moore botched a snap during a field goal and he was forced to throw the ball but it was intercepted in the end zone.
That was not the end of it. After scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Blake Lynch missed the extra point that would have tied the game at 14. Simply put, this is where the Wildcats lost a very winnable game.
PERSONNEL
There were a lot of items of note. On offense, Isaiah Zuber did not see a snap until the latter half of the third quarter. All of Wykeen Gill, Dalton Schoen, Zach Reuter and Malik Knowles saw the field ahead of him. He entered the game when Malik Knowles was taken to the locker room to receive medical attention.
Skylar Thompson was injured early and never returned. Alex Delton took the rest of the snaps under center. Josh Rivas got his first start at left guard. However, Abdul Beecham did see a few possessions in the second and fourth quarter.
Defensively, Wyatt Hubert started with Kyle Ball unavailable to play. Jonathan Durham started at cornerback instead of Kevion McGee, with Duke Shelley out with an injury. McGee did enter the game when Walter Neil briefly left with an injury. Joe Davies started at defensive tackle instead of Jordan Mittie, though both played.
Eli Walker and Denzel Goolsby were the starting safeties, but both Kendall Adams and Jahron McPherson also played. McPherson played a lot in the first half and played well. When Da’Quan Patton left the game with an injury, he was replaced by Cody Fletcher.
The jet package on defense this week (without) Kyle Ball was Chase Johnston, Wyatt Hubert, Reggie Walker and Boom Massie.
Special teams notes included true freshman walk-on receiver Phillip Brooks seeing his second game of action as he was used as a kick returner in the second half. True freshman Spencer Trussell saw his first game of action, playing on both the kickoff and kick return units. Landry Weber was used as a punt returner on multiple occasions as well.
It was as ugly as the stats and score indicated. The offense was very limited in what they could do. They did take some risks. Kansas State tried a flea-flicker in the first half and also lined up to go for it in the first quarter on 4th and 1 from their own 37-yard line. There were a few other good play calls at the right time, including running a screen to Alex Barnes right against the blitz which produced significant yardage.
Despite that, they were also extremely conservative at times as well. In fact, they inexplicably punted the ball away for a touchback on 4th and 3 at the TCU 33 in the third quarter of a 7-7 game. The net punt yardage was 13 yards.
Malik Knowles scored his first touchdown of his career. It was K-State’s only second touchdown pass of Big 12 play and first one to a receiver. He had a pretty good day until having to leave the game with an injury.
There was a ton of other sloppiness mixed in as well. One example was Alex Barnes about to be tackled for loss and he instead recklessly lateraled it to Delton, only to lose even more yards on the play. Another example was fumbling the ball away on second and long and it being recovered by TCU. However, the Horned Frogs coughed it up themselves on the same play, thus resulting in a Wildcat first down despite losing yards.
Another sequence that was not favorable is taking the ball with a little over four minutes left, down one and inside their own five-yard line. Alex Barnes was tackled for no gain on first down followed by a very untimely false start penalty. Luckily, they were able to extend the drive on a completion to Zach Reuter and Delton grabbing enough yardage on fourth down.
If there was one guy that I would single out, it would be Alex Barnes due to his effort level. He was fighting for a lot of extra yards that weren’t easily given in the second half and that stuck out to me. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
DEFENSE
Jalen Reagor’s touchdown was the only huge breakdown by K-State that was exposed. Otherwise, they limited the big plays, kept the Wildcats in the game and made key stops, including the one towards the end of the game to give the offense another shot to win the game.
A few of the really, really good games came from Eli Walker, Jahron McPherson, Justin Hughes, Wyatt Hubert and Trey Dishon.
TCU did bail them out on multiple occasions. At the very end of the third quarter, TCU snapped the ball on third down with nine seconds left and threw the ball. The play ended with two seconds remaining and thus they were forced to punt against the wind. It was a very bizarre decision. The TCU press box is named after Dan Jenkins. He still attends games, despite his very old age, and even he was pissed off and frustrated by the decision.
Either way, Kansas State didn’t win but it was not the defense’s fault this time around. However, they didn’t face a particularly prolific offense and also were given a lot of aid and assistance by the Horned Frogs themselves.
SPECIAL TEAMS
This is the unit that let the Wildcats down the most. The only good that came from this phase of the game were some great punts by Devin Anctil. He pinned TCU inside the five once and nearly did it another time had K-State not mess around with the ball. Later in the game, Brock Monty did have a great tackle on a kickoff that was bobbled by TCU, to pin the Horned Frogs deep.
Isaiah Zuber muffed another punt, giving the ball back to TCU before their first score of the game. He also returned a punt from the two-yard line. Not only that, Colby Moore botched a snap during a field goal and he was forced to throw the ball but it was intercepted in the end zone.
That was not the end of it. After scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Blake Lynch missed the extra point that would have tied the game at 14. Simply put, this is where the Wildcats lost a very winnable game.
PERSONNEL
There were a lot of items of note. On offense, Isaiah Zuber did not see a snap until the latter half of the third quarter. All of Wykeen Gill, Dalton Schoen, Zach Reuter and Malik Knowles saw the field ahead of him. He entered the game when Malik Knowles was taken to the locker room to receive medical attention.
Skylar Thompson was injured early and never returned. Alex Delton took the rest of the snaps under center. Josh Rivas got his first start at left guard. However, Abdul Beecham did see a few possessions in the second and fourth quarter.
Defensively, Wyatt Hubert started with Kyle Ball unavailable to play. Jonathan Durham started at cornerback instead of Kevion McGee, with Duke Shelley out with an injury. McGee did enter the game when Walter Neil briefly left with an injury. Joe Davies started at defensive tackle instead of Jordan Mittie, though both played.
Eli Walker and Denzel Goolsby were the starting safeties, but both Kendall Adams and Jahron McPherson also played. McPherson played a lot in the first half and played well. When Da’Quan Patton left the game with an injury, he was replaced by Cody Fletcher.
The jet package on defense this week (without) Kyle Ball was Chase Johnston, Wyatt Hubert, Reggie Walker and Boom Massie.
Special teams notes included true freshman walk-on receiver Phillip Brooks seeing his second game of action as he was used as a kick returner in the second half. True freshman Spencer Trussell saw his first game of action, playing on both the kickoff and kick return units. Landry Weber was used as a punt returner on multiple occasions as well.
