<table> </table> MANHATTAN, Kan. | For most Kansas State fans, the memory of Jonathan Beasley leading the Wildcats to back-to-back bowl victories is not only alive but fresh. For everyone else, specifically members of the Montana State football team that faces K-State tonight, there is actual recorded footage.</p><p>Seems Beasley, the former Wildcats quarterback and current Bobcats wide-receivers coach, has, well, expanded over the years.</p><p>&#8220;Bease isn&#8217;t quite in good shape,&#8221; Montana State coach Rob Ash said. &#8220;The players didn&#8217;t believe him. We had to pull out his highlight tape to prove it, because a long time ago for college football players is two years ago.</p><p>&#8220;But the guys know, and they&#8217;re excited about it. They&#8217;ve been telling him to lose some weight to be in front of everyone.&#8221;</p><p>Ash insisted the ribbing was in fun, and it better be &#8212; considering how beloved Beasley remains in Manhattan and beyond. He is the only K-State quarterback to claim wins in consecutive bowl games, not to mention being chosen MVP in both: the 1999 Holiday Bowl and the 2001 Cotton Bowl.</p><p>The running-quarterback mold has since been shattered at K-State. While Beasley appreciates what Freeman has accomplished as a dropback passer in a pro-style offense, it&#8217;s not him.</p><p>&#8220;I liked being a dual-threat quarterback,&#8221; Beasley said. &#8220;It allowed our offense to be more dynamic.&#8221;</p><p>He doesn&#8217;t anticipate this homecoming being difficult because, in a sense, he hasn&#8217;t left.</p><p>His cell-phone area code is still 785, and up until 2006, he lived in Wichita, kicking around with various indoor football teams. He dabbled in high school coaching for a while, but it wasn&#8217;t the right fit.</p><p>That&#8217;s when he reached out to his former coach.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t start coaching until coach (Bill) Snyder retired,&#8221; Beasley said.</p><p>Ash had been hired at Montana State in June 2007. With a late start, he was scrambling to secure the rest of his staff. Eventually, all that was left was an opening for a wide-receivers coach, but neither Ash nor the rest of his assistants knew of anyone who might mesh.</p><p>And then the phone rang.</p><p>&#8220;It was Bill Snyder,&#8221; Ash said. &#8220;Bill and I know each other well enough to call each other. &#8230; He said, &#8216;I know you&#8217;re looking for a receivers coach, and you should hire Jonathan.&#8217; Apparently, in Bill&#8217;s system, the quarterbacks and the wide receivers met (during the week) together.</p><p>&#8220;Turned out he was right.&#8221;</p><p>Now he&#8217;s a Bobcat, but he&#8217;ll always be a Wildcat, which creates an interesting situation.</p><p>Are the loyalties of one of the greatest quarterbacks in K-State history in question?</p><p>&#8220;I told my buddy, &#8216;Who is paying my bills right now?&#8217;&#8194;&#8221; Beasley said. &#8220;This is the one time I&#8217;ll ever root against my alma mater.&#8221;</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">Montana State at Kansas State </span></strong><br /> <strong>&#8226;When/where:</strong> 6:05 tonight, Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.</p><p><strong>&#8226;TV/radio:</strong> Fox College Sports; WHB (810 AM)</p><p><strong>&#8226;The line:</strong> None</p><p></div> <hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="subhead">Other story lines</span></strong></p><p>1 <strong>Will Ron Prince be envious?</strong> According to the <em>Bozeman Daily Chronicle</em>, the K-State coach made a last-ditch effort a year ago to lure running back Demetrius Crawford away from Montana State. Crawford stuck with the Bobcats, but who knows what might have been? Crawford, a 5-foot-9 back, might have been a starter for Prince this year. Last week, he ran for 100 yards, the fourth time he&#8217;s done so.</p><p>2 <strong>Does size matter?</strong> If it does, it might not benefit K-State, at least not in the trenches. The average size of Montana State&#8217;s offensive line is almost 6-4 and 290.6 pounds. The Bobcats&#8217; defensive front four averages 6-2 1/2 and 269.3 pounds. K-State counters with an offensive line that is long (6-5) and somewhat lean (291.4 pounds). And its defensive line averages 6-3 and 261.7 pounds.</p><p>3 <strong>Is the fourth time the charm?</strong> This is the fourth consecutive year that Montana State will face a Big 12 foe. The Bobcats were successful in 2006, upsetting Colorado in Boulder, and they nearly did it the year before against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Last year in College Station was ugly, but Montana State has proved it&#8217;s not intimidated by these matchups.</p><p></div>