First off….
This is one of those times where I’m glad I decided to let something sit overnight before publishing because I had some mean things to say about the athletic department yesterday, and I, finding a newfound well of maturity in my advancing years, deleted it.
My goal this year is to enjoy the season. If the Kansas State athletic department could please refrain from doing anything else that I find antithetical to everything I enjoy about college sports, I would greatly appreciate the effort.
Y’all don’t need read a lecture from me.
Instead, I want to focus on my takeaways from the abomination of a football game last Saturday and then move on to what should be week 1 of the college football schedule, against what should have been Kansas State’s week 1 opponent.
Offense
Not That Dude
The coaching staff must see something in practice that doesn’t manifest in games because Avery Johnson is not physical enough to run the ball in critical situations. A common theme in his career is hesitating and going into a tackle sideways instead of hitting the gas and trying to run someone over when all the team needs is for him to hit the gas and fall forward for two yards.
This was essentially fourth and the game from inside the Kansas State 40-yard line. The play is blocked up but Avery is already slowing down and bracing himself for contact. Instead of sticking his foot in the ground and going, he’s already starting to fetal.
Meanwhile, the Iowa State safety is loading up to knock his head off.
Avery has to get 1 yard on this play, but instead of being the hammer, he decides to play the nail, and subsequently gets nailed.
I went back to an old Clemson game with Trevor Lawrence to show y’all what this should look like (I’m using Trevor because I remember the exact play I want, and I know where to find it.)
Here’s the NCAA Championship-winning quarterback and former #1 pick in the NFL draft attacking a defensive back at the goal line. Clemson is struggling on the road against Virginia Tech. A loss knocks them out of the CFP and Lawrence is running angry because the last drive ended with him throwing a stupid interception in the endzone.
Notice how he’s not bracing himself for impact, but instead striding with his ridiculously long legs?
He wants the endzone, and because he’s still accelerating, the defensive back waiting for him is the nail, and Trevor is very much the hammer.
Check out the Virginia Tech Safety. Notice how he’s flat on his back in the endzone?
Now look at the Iowa State safety.
Notice how he’s the one doing the hitting?
It’s a simple physics problem (F=MA).
Avery doesn’t have the mass at 195, and he refuses to accelerate through tackles.
Meanwhile, the Iowa State safety has more mass than Avery and is accelerating through the tackle.
Issac Newton 1 – Kansas State – 0.
This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed this problem. Avery isn’t a physical runner…at all…I don’t think he has any interest in being a physical runner. In fact, he doesn’t like getting hit.
He’s a lavender Lambo (thank God that’s gone), and the ‘Cats needed an F-350 on this play.
If Kansas State plans on using the quarterback run game in short yardage, I’d like to introduce the coaching staff to 6’3”, 220-pound Jacob Knuth. If you don’t trust Knuth to run the offense for one play and get a yard, then either let Avery roll out and use his speed to get around the defense or take the ball out of his hands and give it to someone who won’t assume the fetal position when faced with a defensive back between him and the yard-to-gain.
The job of the coaching staff is to give your players the best chance to succeed, and I’ve yet to see Avery show any inclination of being a physical runner. Maybe stop asking him to do something he clearly has no interest in doing.
RB Depth is One Note
First and foremost, why?
Why have your most dynamic player on offense returning punts? Sterling Lockett is more than capable of fielding a fair catch. If you need a game-changing punt return, you give Edwards a shot, but you have guys on the roster who should be able to practice fielding punts all day long. I don’t get it.
With Edwards out, something that didn’t cross my mind when evaluating the depth chart became evident. Kansas State has several talented backs, but the ones they want to play aren’t power backs. Joe Jackson is as close as it gets at 6’0”, 212, but he’s still very much a speed back who put on some muscle. He doesn’t have a “bulldozer” mentality. Devon Rice is listed at 182, and it looks like that weight was taken soaking wet after a substantial breakfast.
Antonio Martin Jr. is on the roster. He’s 5’9”, 222 pounds with a center of gravity somewhere around his ankles, but he didn’t get off the bench.
Meanwhile, Iowa State was working the body of the Kansas State defense in the first half with 6’2”, 225-pound mauler Carson Hansen and the 5’11”, 210-pound Abu Sama III. Iowa State found something on the right side of their offensive line and punished the Wildcat defense in the second half.
That leads me to my final point, and if you haven’t caught on, it’s the overarching theme of this article.
Iowa State was the more physical team, and it wasn’t particularly close.
I need to get the idea that Kansas State is a hard-running, physical offensive team out of my head, because it simply isn’t true anymore.
In fact, when they play physical teams, they struggle.
Look at the Houston and Iowa State games last year. I’d say the more physical team won both of those as well. When this vintage of Wildcats come up against a team that wants to shove their face in the mud, buddy, they get bullied.
That was clear all the way back in the 2nd quarter when Kansas State had the chance to seize the momentum after an Iowa State turnover deep in their own territory but instead got stuffed on both 3rd and one and 4th and one. What should have been a momentum swing for the ’Cats turned into a momentum swing for the Cyclones.
The offensive line had no answer for Iowa State’s 6’3”, 325-pound nose guard Domonique Orange. Here’s the 4th and 1 play that Joe Jackson had no chance to pick up.
The ESPN broadcast blessed me with the overhead view on this play, and it tells the story.
That’s Orange in the middle of the circle.
This is Kansas State admitting that they don’t have the size or strength inside to move Orange and dedicating three blockers in hopes of moving the big man in the middle.
This is Iowa State shooting both wide-open B-Gaps (because Kansas State had to use three to block one)
This is Kansas State failing to convert on another 4th and 1 because Iowa State whipped at the point of attack and got into the backfield before Jackson even had a chance.
One of my deeply held convictions in football is that if you’re not good enough to pick up a yard, you don’t deserve to win. I never have a problem with a coach going for it on 4th and short because the offense has every advantage.
The offensive line knows the snap count.
The offensive line should be able to get off the ball, get a push, and move the chains.
When the offensive line isn’t capable of achieving that goal, it’s going to be a looooong and frustrating season.
In Conclusion
Iowa State was the more physical team, and the more physical team won the game.
Sometimes, football is a simple game.
Now let’s what kind of fight this team has because North Dakota is not going to lay down on Saturday.
