In an old school, Big 8 / Big 12 matchup, Kansas State flat out thumped Missouri. The dynamic was interesting. A former Nebraska quarterback was under center at KSU facing a former Big 8 and Big 12 rival, Missouri. Remember, Nebraska was also in the Big 8 and Big 12. Despite the 40 to 12 victory, the Wildcats left points on the board. However, that is not surprising given that the game was rain delayed twice. The game was a delayed start, delayed again in the 2nd quarter and then half time occurred after 7 minutes of game play. That is hard on players as they must stay warm and find a good rhythm overall. Still, the Wildcats must find ways to score touchdowns when they force turnovers in an opposing teams red-zone. They also need to become more efficient in their passing attack.
One player that no difficulty finding a rhythm is Deuce Vaughn. He ended the fourth quarter when he got loose for a 24 yard a touchdown run. His closing numbers were 145 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
The Kansas State defense was on fire on a rainy day in Manhattan. The Wildcat defensive front harassed the Tiger quarterbacks and running backs all game. They forced multiple tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats didn’t just tackle the Tigers, they thumped them. They were hitting hard on Saturday. Missouri played two quarterbacks on Saturday due to the Wildcat’s withering defense. The Wildcat secondary forced four interceptions on Tigers. Each Tiger quarterback threw two picks. In fact, the secondary forced four interceptions on five throws. Kansas State only managed two field goals on 3 of those turnovers. Finally, on the fourth interception, the Kansas State offense was able to grind out a touchdown on the strength of Deuce Vaughn’s legs. It’s clear that the defense emphasized getting tips and overthrows. The offense needs to focus on capitalizing on turnovers. Against a better opponent, field goals are not going to cut it.
Adrian Martinez has reinvented himself at KSU. Collin Klein has a lot to do with that. However, Martinez still has a ways to go. Though he can still run the ball effectively, his throwing has only marginally improved since he donned the purple jersey. He completed a paltry 9 of 20 passes for 101 yards. Part of that was not completely his fault though. The offensive lineman had some difficulty in pass protection due to the wet turf. Additionally, Malik Knowles and Philip Brooks dropped several passes. Finally, the passing attack was not as effective as it could have been due to several unforced penalties. Kade Warner was a culprit of two illegal blocks, calling back major gains for first downs. Martinez improved from week one to week two, however the passing attack didn’t fully realize its potential due to the weather as well as offensive mistakes by the wide receivers corps. Consistency and efficiency wins football games. The KSU passing attack is still a work in progress.
Overall, this is a quality win for the Wildcats. Any time you can host an SEC team and beat them as soundly as the Wildcats beat the Missouri Tigers, it’s a good day. This game is a confidence builder for the Wildcats, as the offense still continues to find itself. The Wildcats host Tulane next week. Go Wildcats!
