Football
Kansas State lost to Army 24-21 at home last night. The Wildcats are now 1-2 on the season, the worst start since 2009 when the second Bill Snyder era began.
By now, you have already read Jon Morse’s post-game recap, and if you’re feeling more pessimistic than usual, this is exactly the right place to be. Like many of you, I’m at a loss to explain this game, this season, all of it.
To keep this simple and to encourage you to share your own views, let’s just stipulate to the following:
If any team was
capable of not just one but three second-half death marches, it was Army and its triple option offense. The Black Knights went 89 yards in 14 plays that took nearly 8 minutes off the clock in the third quarter to take a 14-13 lead and effectively ended the game with a 56-yard drive that also went 14 plays and took almost 8 minutes. Those two will-sapping drives were sandwiched around a 13-play, 57-yard yard effort that yielded a field goal and also took, you guessed it, almost 8 minutes. That’s not even taking into account the 16-play drive to end the first half when—shockingly!—Army only took 2:25 to cover 75 yards. If there’s a silver lining here, it is that Kansas State is not likely to be faced with any other offense that can pull this off for the rest of the season.
While it’s hard for any defense to play consistently well when subjected to this sort of death-by-a-thousand-cuts, it’s almost inexcusable that Army was 6-of-7 on 4th down conversions. You have to get that stop, you have to get off the field. It’s not really about adjustments or coaching or preparation at that point. It’s just about execution. You’re in the right coverage, you’re applying pressure, so how does it get away from you that point? I don’t know, and at this point, I don’t think the team does either.
The Wildcats’ offense is just okay. Avery Johnson played well enough last night. But our attempts to turn a generational dual-threat talent into a pocket passer have not paid off, and I think the coaching staff should stop trying to force the issue and just let Johnson do what he does best: hit receivers in stride while rolling out from the pocket and/or make things happen with his legs. Otherwise, we will never realize his full potential in Manhattan.
I appreciate that Chris Klieman is a player’s coach. When he first came on board in 2019, the players getting free reign to express themselves and Klieman saying exactly the right things to motivate them was not only a breath of fresh air but also extremely effective, especially with Snyder-era recruits experiencing those things for maybe the first time. But we’re now in Klieman’s seventh season at K-State. The entire program is his to make of it what he will. What we have now is maybe the best assemblage of talent on a Wildcats roster ever. But the coaching staff is underwhelming, the in-game coaching is underwhelming, and the lack of any real plan is becoming more evident with each passing week. I appreciate that Klieman will never throw his players under the bus but I also don’t know what to make of it when he says things like this:
I’m the leader of this group. It ain’t sunny and 70 every day, and when it ain’t sunny and 70, who’s got to stand up? It’s got to be me. I know that we have a good football team. They can hammer me to death about not getting this win. I’m going to come back tomorrow, and I’m going to give it my all with those guys, because those guys deserve it.
What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine.
Hey, at least the special teams looked better in this game! It was nice to see the return game produce for a change, though arguably the KO return in the second half made matters worse for Kansas State’s already gassed defense. Also, the Wildcats were not prepared for Army’s incredible onside kick that was kicked right into a Wildcat and recovered by the Black Nights’ on the ricochet. I can’t bring myself to blame anyone for that because it was just another stupid and frustrating that happened in a game that was stupid and frustrating. “Stupid and frustrating” might be the tagline for the whole season at this point.
So what happens now? I don’t see much to suggest this team can get it all turned around. The Wildcats are one drive away from being 0-3 on the season, and as a fan, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that. I can’t help but think of another team that had a similar start to a recent season. In 2022, Nebraska lost a close game to Northwestern in Ireland, struggled for a bit against a game UND squad, and then lost to Georgia Southern at home. That squad limped its way to a 4-8 finish, firing its coach in the process. I sincerely hope that is not on the cards for Kansas State.
Everyone take a deep breath. And then let it go. This too shall pass. Onwards.
Cross Country
The women’s XC team registered its first meet win since 2023 at the Platte River Rumble Gold 5K in Nebraska this weekend. Three Wildcats—Cecilia Fisher (2nd), Grace Meyer (3rd), and Christine Jerono (5th)—finished in the top 5 for the day, gaining 34 points to finish first and ahead of host Nebraska. At the same meet, the men’s team finished in third place with 79 points. The top finishers for the Wildcats were Jackson Esquibel (9th) and Brock Olsen (10th).
The team will next see action at the Joe Piane Invitational on October 3 in South Bend.
Golf
The men’s and women’s golf teams will be back in action for the short fall season. The women are coming off their first-ever NCAA post-season appearance and will tee off at the Sam Golden Invitational in Texas on Monday at 8:30 AM.
The men will get their season started off at home as hosts in the Wildcat Invitational on Monday at 8:30 AM. This is typically a successful event for the Wildcats, who earned a 16-shot win last year and a 5-shot win two years ago.
Volleyball
The VolleyCats, currently 4-0, continued their winning ways yesterday, with a straight sets (25-19, 25-15, 25-13) victory over Nevada at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Classic. Kansas State has now won 12 straight sets this season, its longest such streak ever to start a season. Shaylee Meyers led the team with 24 kills and 12 digs, while Jordyn Williams had eight blocks and 11 kills and teammate Ava LeGrand was voted tournament MVP for her 66-assist performance over the weekend.
The team will hit the road for their next match against UC Santa Barbara in the Thunderdome Classic.
