When looking back at last year's game, the player on K-State team that might have the most motivation is Skylar Thompson. He was bad in last year's game and probably had one of his worst performances in a K-State uniform. Plus, it was the beginning of the QB carousel as Delton came in for a couple drives in the 2nd quarter and was even worse.
Here are Thompson's numbers from last year. The completion percentage was the worst of his career and that paltry success rate for the offense of only 20% in the first half set the tone for the game. There was a brief hope for the optimistic fans last in the 3rd quarter when Thompson hit Schoen for a 23 yard TD after Hubert's interception cutting the score to 24-10, but MSU immediately answered and that hope was quickly gone. Regardless, the numbers put up by the K-State offense were really bad and I'm sure he have some extra motivation on top of the confidence he's built so far this season and the fact that he knows no one is looking over his shoulder.
I posted this earlier this week, but the 1st thing that stands out was how much MSU dominated the power running game of K-State last year. 14 snaps, 26 yards, 1.9 YPC, and a success rate of only 28.6% on what was 1/4 of the offense in the game. Then you throw in that the drop back passing game (another 1/3 of our offense) produced 63 yards on 20 snaps with a 25% success rate. So 60% of the offense produced 89 yards on 34 snaps; that simply isn't going to get it done.
That said, the K-State defense was even worse. You could argue the defense against OU or ISU was worse than MSU (the worst 3 defensive games of the year), but that difference is slight. Points per drive was okay, but everything else was terrible. Allowing a success rate over 60% while only producing 9% havoc is a recipe to get blown out. The only question after this game is how K-State didn't lose by a wider margin.
This is a different K-State team in nearly every facet and a very different Skylar Thompson, however the method of winning games won't be that much different compared to Snyder 2.0. The power run game will be key, but I don't think this year's MSU defense, especially the defensive line, will be nearly as disruptive. Also, my hope is that Messingham's early scripting and mixing up the offense will create some advantageous situations for early offensive success. I don't expect the same efficiency we saw in week one and two, but I believe this offense can go down to Starkville and have some success.
Offensive Keys:
1) The power running game must have success; it is the foundation of this offense. I'm hoping for a success rate of 50% or better and at least 5 yards per carry. I'm thinking we'll see a mix of A-gap power, G-sweep, and counter trey for 15-20 snaps minimum.
2) Play action has to be mixed in early and often. We've seen this through the first few weeks and Thompson has been great with it. Also, we need some explosive plays out of it along with efficiency, 8-9 yards per snap at minimum over 8-10 snaps.
3) Keep MSU off balance with formations and personnel. MSU's inexperience on defense can be exploited and this is one way to do it. The early offense vs Nicholls would help keep MSU guessing on defense.
Here are Thompson's numbers from last year. The completion percentage was the worst of his career and that paltry success rate for the offense of only 20% in the first half set the tone for the game. There was a brief hope for the optimistic fans last in the 3rd quarter when Thompson hit Schoen for a 23 yard TD after Hubert's interception cutting the score to 24-10, but MSU immediately answered and that hope was quickly gone. Regardless, the numbers put up by the K-State offense were really bad and I'm sure he have some extra motivation on top of the confidence he's built so far this season and the fact that he knows no one is looking over his shoulder.
I posted this earlier this week, but the 1st thing that stands out was how much MSU dominated the power running game of K-State last year. 14 snaps, 26 yards, 1.9 YPC, and a success rate of only 28.6% on what was 1/4 of the offense in the game. Then you throw in that the drop back passing game (another 1/3 of our offense) produced 63 yards on 20 snaps with a 25% success rate. So 60% of the offense produced 89 yards on 34 snaps; that simply isn't going to get it done.
That said, the K-State defense was even worse. You could argue the defense against OU or ISU was worse than MSU (the worst 3 defensive games of the year), but that difference is slight. Points per drive was okay, but everything else was terrible. Allowing a success rate over 60% while only producing 9% havoc is a recipe to get blown out. The only question after this game is how K-State didn't lose by a wider margin.
This is a different K-State team in nearly every facet and a very different Skylar Thompson, however the method of winning games won't be that much different compared to Snyder 2.0. The power run game will be key, but I don't think this year's MSU defense, especially the defensive line, will be nearly as disruptive. Also, my hope is that Messingham's early scripting and mixing up the offense will create some advantageous situations for early offensive success. I don't expect the same efficiency we saw in week one and two, but I believe this offense can go down to Starkville and have some success.
Offensive Keys:
1) The power running game must have success; it is the foundation of this offense. I'm hoping for a success rate of 50% or better and at least 5 yards per carry. I'm thinking we'll see a mix of A-gap power, G-sweep, and counter trey for 15-20 snaps minimum.
2) Play action has to be mixed in early and often. We've seen this through the first few weeks and Thompson has been great with it. Also, we need some explosive plays out of it along with efficiency, 8-9 yards per snap at minimum over 8-10 snaps.
3) Keep MSU off balance with formations and personnel. MSU's inexperience on defense can be exploited and this is one way to do it. The early offense vs Nicholls would help keep MSU guessing on defense.
