As the Kansas State Wildcats dominated their home opener on Saturday afternoon, memories of yester year flooded to the forefront. Arthur Brown, Larry Brown, Darren Howard, Collin Klein, Tyler Lockett and Ell Roberson were inducted into the Kansas State Ring of Honor this weekend. I am not old enough to remember Larry Brown’s playing days. However, I have watched Arthur Brown, Howard, Klein, Lockett and Roberson play. I think I watched every televised game they played in. All of them played for Bill Snyder, who was present to hand them their awards on the field on Saturday. Darren Howard and Tyler Lockett went on to have prolific careers in the NFL. All the inductees dominated during their time at KSU. It is good for the new generation to see how Kansas State honors these men and their past accomplishments. Hopefully it is motivation for the new generation to strive to be their best.
KSU earned the win. That was expected. They were playing the South Dakota Coyotes from the FCS. Saturday’s game was a measuring stick to see exactly where the Wildcats are at as they prepare for the Big 12 portion of their season. With fifth year senior transfer Adrian Martinez under center, everyone was excited to see what he brings to the table. Honestly, we didn’t see much. He completed eleven of fifteen passes for 53 yards. That is efficient, but not eye popping. He also ran the ball thirteen times for 39 yards. His numbers didn’t blow the roof off. However, the rest of the offensive squad did.
Deuce Vaughn performed as you would expect with 126 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Malik Knowles showed off his speed early in the game with a 75-yard end around for a touchdown. Freshman quarterback Jake Rubley went under center in the fourth quarter and gave Wildcat fans a glimpse of the future. He was a perfect four for four and 43 yards. He made good decisions and avoided making the big mistake such as a turnover or a costly sack. Finally, the defense held the pesky Coyotes to no points. The second and third team defense performed with pride and intestinal fortitude as they held the wall in the fourth quarter. The defense performed well; however it is what we should expect against a FCS opponent.
The best way to look at the game is to treat it as if it was an NFL pre-season game. That is how Coach Chris Klieman approached the game. He is working on fleshing out who will win certain jobs such as the starting center and the backup running back. It is unclear who will win the center job, however, freshman DJ Giddens impressed at running back with 57 yards on six carries and a touchdown.
The KSU offense provided a pedestrian, yet efficient performance. The offensive line was inconsistent in pass protection; however, they dominated the run game. It appears offensive coordinator Collin Klein was holding back. Given how stiff the competition will be in the Big 12 this year, I think it was a wise decision. We were given a glimpse of Martinez’s potential under center. Once KSU starts game planning for Big 12 match ups, we should see his true potential unfold. KSU hosts former Big 8 and Big 12 rival Missouri next Saturday.