Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson slowed by injury as Oklahoma looms
Skylar Thompson was able to handle all but a pair of snaps with Kansas State’s offense during a loss to Arkansas State nearly two weeks ago, but the senior quarterback left that game with more aches and pains than originally believed.
K-State football coach Chris Klieman said on Tuesday that Thompson was absent from all three of the team’s practices last week and didn’t do much of anything with the Wildcats “other than rehab.”
That explains why backup quarterback Will Howard was shown almost exclusively throwing passes in a practice highlight video that K-State released on social media last week.
Thompson suffered some type of injury against the Red Wolves when he scampered toward the goal line in the second quarter, absorbed a tackle and landed on his helmet. It wasn’t enough of a setback to force him out of the game or to prevent him from completing 17 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. But it may have contributed him to misfiring on several deep balls that could have won the game for K-State.
Downplaying the injury, Thompson told reporters that he felt fine immediately after the game. But Klieman said it was clear Thompson couldn’t move at full speed after that goal-line hit.
Whatever the case, a week in the training room has improved matters.
“He did practice yesterday and I thought he felt really good,” Klieman said of Thompson. “I am confident that with a week of practice that he will be at full strength for Saturday.”
That is good news for the Wildcats, who will need Thompson to be at the peak of his powers to compete with the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners on the road as 27 1/2-point underdogs. He needed to be better for K-State to beat Arkansas State as a 14-point favorite while playing at less than 100%.
K-State upset Oklahoma 48-41 behind a huge game from Thompson last season. Back then, the Fort Osage product threw for 213 yards and ran for four touchdowns to hand the Sooners their only loss of the regular season.
Though freshman quarterback Will Howard looked good in limited action against Arkansas State, completing his only pass attempt for a 24-yard gain, the Wildcats would much rather take on the Sooners with their veteran leader under center.
Of course, extra practice time was a good thing for Howard.
“Will needs to go against the first defense on consecutive days and go against them on third downs,” Klieman said. “He was able to do that last week because Skylar didn’t take many reps. Nick (Ast) and Will took most of the reps with the ones and the twos. I know it will make those two guys better because they were taking the lion share of the reps. Skylar wasn’t taking eight and they were both taking one. They were taking every bit of those reps and I know it will make them better now and in the future.”
If Thompson is back at full strength, he should also benefit from a wider array of receivers. In Game 1, his main targets were Chabastin Taylor, Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles. But after that trio, there was a big drop to walk-on receivers and converted defensive backs thrust into action because the position was decimated by COVID-19 absences.
Potential playmakers like Joshua Youngblood, Wykeen Gill and Landry Weber should add depth in the passing game this week.
“That helps a lot,” Brooks said. “I felt like we were incomplete at that position. It is going to be big to have everybody back this week. We could already tell yesterday. It was our first practice with everybody back and we were making plays all over the place. So we are excited to see what everybody can do.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson slowed by injury as Oklahoma looms."