These unsung players helped Kansas State upset Oklahoma after missing Game 1
Much was made about the seven notable Kansas State football players who weren’t available for the Wildcats during their shocking upset of Oklahoma on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
But not nearly enough attention was given to the fact that K-State gained a handful of key contributors for that game who were injured or inactive two weeks earlier during an opening loss against Arkansas State.
That’s a shame, because many of those players were game-changers for the Wildcats against the Sooners. Once you realize they had Christian Duffie, Khalid Duke, Ross Elder, Noah Johnson, Jahron McPherson and Jaylen Pickle at full strength instead of not at all, it’s not hard to understand how K-State pulled off the 38-35 victory.
“Continuity is a big part of football,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said Tuesday. “And it’s really difficult when you don’t have guys on a daily basis.”
The Wildcats aren’t expecting many reinforcements when they take the field this weekend against Texas Tech. Klieman said they are hoping “one or two” players who missed the Oklahoma game will be available to play Saturday, but no more.
That’s no longer a crushing admission, because K-State’s active roster is in a much better spot today than it was when the season began.
McPherson probably gave the Wildcats the biggest boost of all against the Sooners. K-State looked strong on defense early against Arkansas State but began giving up big plays as the game went along. That was at least partially due to the fact that McPherson, a senior safety, left early in the first half with an injury and was unable to return.
He was back in the starting lineup against Oklahoma and went on to lead K-State’s defense with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a game-clinching interception.
“Jahron is a playmaker,” Klieman said. “We have moved him around. Last year he played the nickel for us, and this year he has been at free and strong safety. He is going to continue to move around for us because he is an impact guy.”
The Wildcats came up with four turnovers against Oklahoma. They also blocked a punt and forced a turnover on downs.
McPherson clearly made a huge difference. But he had lots of help, as Duke, Elder and Pickle also returned to action.
Duke lived up to the preseason hype K-State coaches threw upon him by making nine tackles and two quarterback hurries.
“Khalid Duke is a very very special talent and I think a lot of people saw that,” Klieman said. “He makes the interior guys better, because he can rush the passer. He makes Wyatt (Hubert) better, because he can rush the passer. He plays the run really well. He is about 25 pounds heavier than what he was last year and still very explosive.”
Pickle swatted a pass at the line up scrimmage that fell into the arms of K-State linebacker Elijah Sullivan for an interception. And Elder made six tackles playing alongside McPherson in the secondary as Wayne Jones works his way back into the rotation after suffering a concussion in Game 1.
“It was great having them back out there,” Sullivan said. “Khalid is a force on the edge. On the back end with Jahron, he made some great plays, forcing the fumble and getting the pick that sealed the game. They both made some great plays that ultimately contributed to the win. It was great having those two guys back.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats looked like a new time once their front five found a collective rhythm in the second half.
Starting center Noah Johnson missed all but a few plays against Arkansas State and left tackle Christian Duffie didn’t dress for that game. But they provided solid pass protection against Oklahoma and opened up a huge hole for Deuce Vaughn to run through for a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Klieman said Duffie was expected to start during preseason camp and can turn into “an exceptional player for us.”
Perhaps that unit is no longer the question mark it once was, even though it still needs to improve in the run-blocking department.
“We really started gelling together,” Johnson said. “Our communication was there despite being on the road in a difficult atmosphere. We played with a lot more finish and a lot more competitiveness. We didn’t play our best game, but we made plays when we needed to. I think it started with two great weeks of practice. We were challenged by everyone on the team. We had to be better than we were against Arkansas State.”
The same could have been said about every unit on the team.
K-State got some key players back in the lineup and then responded admirably against Oklahoma.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "These unsung players helped Kansas State upset Oklahoma after missing Game 1."