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Big 12 Preview: Kansas State Wildcats
By James Lawrence | August 3, 2008
Despite defeating Texas for the second year in a row, 2007 ended in disappointment for Kansas State as they lost five of their final six games to finish without bowl eligibility. While losses to Missouri and Nebraska were to be expected, losses to Iowa State and Fresno State certainly disappointed. KSU won 22 games between the 2001 and 2002 seasons, and they have won just 21 games in the four seasons since. It’s safe to say that the days of contending for the Big 12 are over, at least for the time being.
Head coach Ron Prince returns for his third season leading the Wildcats, and he has to be feeling a little heat as the Wildcats have yet to defeat rival Kansas (understandable last season, not so much in 2006) or win a bowl game under him. Dave Brock steps up from WR coach to direct the offensive play calling this season, and Tim Tibesar returns for his second year as the Wildcats’ DC. Pay attention here as the Cats set a record for JUCO signings in 2008.
Josh Freeman is the junior starter at quarterback, a bundle of potential but inconsistent in the box score. His performances ranged anywhere from the 177 yards on 38 attempts against Texas (a game KSU won due to Longhorn turnovers and special teams TDs) to a 404 yard effort against Oklahoma State. KSU actually finished 21st nationally in passing ypg; however, Freeman’s ratio was a mere 18-11. With a tougher south schedule in 2008 and with the loss of Jordy Nelson, I wouldn’t expect improvement here.
Runningback James Johnson had a pretty good season, rushing for 1106 yards (6.4 ypc) and 12 TDs. Unfortunately he graduated, and the rest of the team ran for just over 500 yards combined. Leon Patton was the team’s leading rusher in 2006, so this won’t be a complete disaster, but he’s not likely to rush for over 1000 yards, particularly with juco transfer Daniel Thomas coming in and expecting to share carries.
Though the Wildcats return two of their top three receivers, the loss of Jordy Nelson cannot be understated. KSU passed for 3420 yards in 2007, 1606 of which (47%) went to Nelson! He also pulled in 11 of the 20 TDs KSU scored through the air, so this man accounted for literally half of their receiving productivity. Receivers Deon Murphy and Cedric Wilson combined for 651 yards last season and tight end Jeron Mastrud went for 316 as a freshman. Mastrud could be tempting as he is likely to improve as a sophomore, but you can find a half-dozen better tight ends in the Big 12 alone. Move along…
If I’m sounding like a broken record, don’t worry. This is a little strange for me, too. Kansas State is yet another Big 12 defense you won’t want in 2008. This unit gave up just under 31 ppg last season, and again they will be facing better offenses this time around. On top of that, only five starters return, and two-time first team Big 12 DE Ian Campbell cannot get the job done alone.
One thing KSU does have, year in and year out, is exceptional special teams. This is a holdover from the Bill Snyder days, and Ron Prince’s crew has kept the tradition strong. Last season the Wildcats finished with the NCAA’s top PR average, and their main return men are back in 08. (while spectacular, Nelson returned just 5 punts all season) Again, this is a reason to reconsider Deon Murphy , if return yards count in your league. In addition to being the PR man, he may be called upon to take James Johnson’s place on the KR team alongside Leon Patton .
Kicker Brooks Rossman had horrible stats for Ohio University (8 of 19!) but improved to hit 22 of 28 FG last season at KSU. This really is a testament to the quality of special teams coaching and preparation that exists at Kansas State. This tied for 9th nationally in FG made, so Rossman should be on your list of kickers - doubly so as this offense looks built to hit a big play or two before having their drives stall out.
Overall, if KSU is looking to get back into the bowl picture, it’s going to be tough to get that job done in 2008. The South schedule includes both Oklahoma and Texas Tech, with A&M being the easiest draw (ie - darn, didn’t get Baylor). North Texas, UL-Lafayette, and Montana State should be easy nonconference wins, but a game at Louisville could be the difference between bowl eligibility vs a 5-7 finish.
Topics: Big 12, College Football, James Lawrence, Preview |
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