Reversing this trend could be key as K-State football looks to snap losing streak
A strange theme is beginning to emerge for the Kansas State football team.
In each of their past two games, the Wildcats got off to hot starts thanks to explosive plays that gave them early leads … but then lost.
Against Texas, Malik Knowles caught a short pass from Skylar Thompson and turned it into a 70-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the day. That helped K-State take a 14-0 lead in an important road game before Texas rallied to win 27-24.
Against West Virginia, K-State’s first play from scrimmage was a 68-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schoen. That gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead before the Mountaineers fought back and won 24-20.
What’s up with that?
“Sometimes it’s the worst thing that happens to you,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “You get a big play and you just relax a little bit.”
Of course, there’s more to K-State’s current losing streak. Its top two running backs, James Gilbert and Jordon Brown, have been hampered by injuries, making it difficult to shorten games with a strong rushing attack the way Klieman used to at North Dakota State.
Texas and West Virginia also made adjustments on defense that neutralized what worked early in the game for K-State. The Wildcats didn’t have a Plan B.
“That’s ebbs and flows of your first year,” Klieman said. “I really believe that. We’re going to go through — and we talked about this when I took the job — we’re going to go through some ups and downs. We’re going to go through some really positive things, and we’re going to have some hard times … We’re just not consistent enough and not making all the plays. That’s the sign of us learning the offense, learning the defense, as well as just getting comfortable with us as coaches.”
Finding a way to start strong and stay hot for a full four quarters will be among K-State’s top priorities as it turns its focus to Texas Tech this week.
The Wildcats may have to light up the scoreboard to beat the Red Raiders on the road. Under new coach Matt Wells, they are averaging 31.5 points and 470.9 yards per game while also allowing 31.1 points and 478.2 yards. Most of their games are shootouts.
If K-State moves the ball the way it has in the first quarter of its past two games (309 yards and 24 points) it will take its chances. If K-State struggles on offense the way it has in the final three quarters of its past two games (416 yards and 20 points) it will need to play some quality defense.
“It’s just about staying consistent with it and keeping the energy up,” running back Harry Trotter said. “We can’t be happy with two good drives. We need to have a good drive each and every time we get the ball. We need to put points up. I think it just comes down to consistency and execution.”
One thing is for sure: the Wildcats will keep pushing if they score early against Texas Tech.
That happened after K-State began its game against West Virginia with a three-and-out on defense followed by a quick touchdown on offense. The Wildcats were 14-point favorites, and some thought they were on their way to a blowout victory.
But they were outscored 24-13 the rest of the way. They don’t want that trend to continue.
“That is a really good learning experience,” Thompson said, “because we have had back-to-back weeks where we come out and have a big play right off the bat and kind of stalled out after that. We need to focus on one play a time. We can never get satisfied or complacent in this league.”
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Reversing this trend could be key as K-State football looks to snap losing streak."