K-State Q&A: Adrian Martinez, Big 12 realignment news, Will Howard’s future and more
Are you ready for some football?
If the answer to that iconic question is yes, then you have come to the right place. It’s time for another K-State Q&A, where every single topic is about Wildcats football.
Let’s dive into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
K-State football coach Chris Klieman said earlier this week that the Wildcats will try to protect Will Howard’s eligibility this season by playing him in no more than four games if Adrian Martinez stays healthy.
That means Jake Rubley will operate as the team’s backup quarterback in certain situations. If Martinez loses his helmet at the end of a run and K-State only needs a replacement QB for one play, Rubley will be the guy. If K-State is winning a blowout and the Wildcats need a young QB to handle mop-up duty, Rubley will be the guy.
But if Martinez goes down hard and K-State needs its second-best quarterback on the field, coaches will turn to Howard.
Howard has a redshirt to use. Rubley does not.
Make sense?
Howard has three years of eligibility remaining and a redshirt to use. I would argue that protecting his redshirt at this point is kinda silly. But it’s possible that is what Howard wants. Maybe he yearns to stay in college for six years. It’s also possible the Wildcats think he can turn into a great QB and they want to have three seasons with him if that happens.
Many K-State fans long ago gave up on Howard, because he has a 3-7 record as the team’s starting quarterback and Avery Johnson/Jake Rubley are waiting in the wings behind him.
But Klieman loves Howard and talks about him like he’s the next Patrick Mahomes. Remember last year when Klieman called him “the best backup quarterback in college football?”
Sometimes it takes a college quarterback a year or two to find his groove. Collin Klein is a great example. He wasn’t particularly impressive his first two seasons at K-State, though he admittedly flashed more talent than Rubley.
Bottom line: There is no telling who will start at quarterback next season after Adrian Martinez moves on. It could be Howard, Johnson or Rubley. K-State wants to maximize Howard’s remaining time just in case he turns into a star.
E-MAIL QUESTION: Do Chris Klieman’s Fighting Kansas State Wildcats have any reason to fear lowly South Dakota this weekend? Maybe I’m being over confident but I say, “No.” Cats by 90! - Paul S.
Well, it seems like you are being at least a smidgen over confident. There ain’t no way the Wildcats win this game by 90.
K-State has never won a game by more than 76. Anyone remember K-State 76, Ball State 0 in 2000?
Chris Klieman has never beaten an opponent by more than 65.
I will take South Dakota +89 all day!
But if all you are talking about is not losing, then, yes, it is incredibly unlikely that K-State falters in this game. Klieman owns a 69-6 record against FCS teams, and I don’t see that changing on Saturday.
Not really.
Yes, Nebraska beat Northwestern with an injured Adrian Martinez (broken jaw) last season by the ridiculous score of 56-7. But both teams are different now, and last weekend’s game played out more or less exactly like most of the Huskers’ other games last year.
Nebraska looked good at times but lost a close game 31-28 because of turnovers and horrific special teams.
I still can hardly believe that Scott Frost signed off on a surprise onside kick while his team was leading by 11.
Bottom line: Martinez was removed from the equation and little changed for Nebraska.
I still think Martinez is staring at a high ceiling with the Wildcats. He is going to be healthier, he is going to be playing behind a better offensive line and he is going to be throwing the ball to more talented playmakers. I went back and forth between 8-4 and 9-3 for my season prediction and ultimately settled on 9-3.
There is no need to raise it to 10-2 just because Nebraska lost to Northwestern.
If anything, I think you could argue the opposite after seeing how well Skylar Thompson played this NFL preseason and how easily he made it onto the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster.
He was a much better quarterback than some K-State fans ever wanted to admit. Those who gave him zero shot at a pro career weren’t seeing straight. In hindsight, it might be difficult for Martinez to be an upgrade over Thompson.
Fans will get an up-close look at all the facilities that are under construction as they tailgate for the football game on Saturday.
The indoor practice facility for football has taken shape. A steel perimeter has already been erected on the east side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The new volleyball arena and the olympic training center are even further along on the west side.
All three projects appear to be on their expected pace.
My daily game-day agenda is pretty simple. I arrive at the stadium close to two hours before kickoff. Then I roam the press box to talk to VIPs. Then I pull out my binoculars and scan the field for injured players. Then I tweet a few observations. Then I eat. Then I watch the game. Then I go to the press conference. Then I write.
It’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds.
Believe it or not, you can’t just request food and have it show up. I’m still waiting on the lobster I ordered in 2009 when I first started on the K-State beat.
I honestly can’t envision a scenario in which Oklahoma and Texas change course and decide to remain in the Big 12 instead of leaving for the SEC.
Not sure adding Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington plus a huge infusion of cash would even be enough. The Longhorns and Sooners will make comparable money in the SEC, and I don’t think they want to deal with playing all those new teams in a re-organized Big 12.
ESPN is already committed to making the SEC the nation’s flagship conference. It doesn’t care about strengthening the Big 12.
Now, if Alabama and Georgia expressed interest in switching to the Big 12 then maybe your theory would be on to something.
The best thing the Big 12 can do right now is secure a new, lucrative TV contract with its media partners that will be attractive for potential new members and establish itself as the best league in the country behind the Big Ten and the SEC.
Oh come on. He’s not all bad.
So what if he is the most annoying Pac-12 defender on all of Twitter? He is still a good writer/reporter, and he picked the Wildcats to win the Big 12 this season.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "K-State Q&A: Adrian Martinez, Big 12 realignment news, Will Howard’s future and more."