K-State Q&A: One easy way Wildcats can take advantage against fragile Baylor

Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder loves to begin games on defense and get the opening kickoff of the second half as much as he loves bowl windbreakers.

You very seldom see a game in which the Wildcats win the toss and choose to receive. About the only exception I can think of came earlier this season in a weather-shortened game against Missouri State, when Snyder chose to receive the opening kickoff in order to build up a lead before storms rolled through.

K-State’s upcoming game against Baylor presents another opportunity for Snyder to break tradition and choose to start a game on offense.

The Bears are a fragile team coming off three straight losses, and an early K-State lead could demoralize them further. With freshman quarterback Zach Smith set to make his first start, the Wildcats want to put Baylor in catch-up made and make Smith play under pressure.

The last thing K-State wants to do in this game is give Baylor hope it can return to its early season form with some early success.

Kicking the ball to Baylor and forcing a quick punt or two would cause a lot of concern on the Baylor sideline, but not as much as a K-State touchdown would on the game’s opening drive. Why give the Bears a chance to set the tone for the rest of the day?

It seems unlikely Snyder will actually break tradition and choose to take the ball in the first quarter, but this is a good opportunity for the Wildcats to be aggressive.

That’s my two cents, anyway.

Now, onto your questions. Thanks, as always, for asking them.

I liked Kansas State’s chances in this game before Baylor lost starting quarterback Seth Russell for the season, and I like them even more now.

That says more about the Bears than it does the Wildcats, of course.

A month ago, no one would have thought K-State would be a road favorite in this game. Baylor started 6-0 and appeared to be a threat in the Big 12 conference race. Three weeks, and three losses later, the Bears look pretty much done. That first Texas loss did a number on Baylor. How else do you explain a 62-22 loss to TCU at home the following week?

Baylor’s players and assistants seem hung up on the ugly past few months that have taken place in Waco that led to Art Briles’ firing instead of the present.

This team is dealing with so much drama that it could realistically end the season on a six-game losing streak and then decline a bowl bid.

K-State is getting Baylor at an ideal time, and I expect the Wildcats to take advantage. It won’t be a slam-dunk victory, because the game is on the road and the Bears still have offensive potential, but K-State is going up against a fragile team with a brand new quarterback. This is a game it should win.

K-State’s secondary has struggled across the board this season.

Dante Barnett hasn’t played up to his preseason all-conference billing, defensive backs are often too eager to shut down plays at the line of scrimmage and they given up huge plays deep, and K-State’s scheme is leaving big holes in the middle of the field.

K-State has a strong run defense, but that hasn’t meant much in a passing conference.

The Wildcats probably wouldn’t look quite so bad against the pass against teams other than Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and some relief will come in their final three games against Baylor, Kansas and TCU. But they have still allowed 14 passing touchdowns in their past four games and that is really bad.

Stand Up (for the champions) blaring during warm-ups … Nike Cortez shoes … K-State corners sagging 10 yards off receivers.

They are all Bill Snyder staples.

Minimal. I will be shocked if K-State’s committee approach to the running back position ends anytime soon. We may see more Alex Barnes than usual, given how well he has played, but odds are high we are going to keep seeing Charles Jones, Justin Silmon and Dalvin Warmack no matter how well any of them play.

Lately, it seems like Jones gets the first quarter, Silmon gets the second, Barnes get the third and Jones comes on again late, with Warmack mixed in throughout. Maybe a bye week changes that rotation, but I doubt it.

Who will guide the wildcat formation? Who knows? If the revolving door keeps turning maybe we will get Will Geary or Dalton Risner.

K-State’s nonconference basketball schedule leaves plenty to be desired as far as difficulty and exciting games, that’s for sure.

Green Bay is actually pretty decent, but when that team is your best early home game, well, that’s a bummer for fans.

Boston College, Colorado State, Saint Louis, Tennessee and Washington State are all good opponents in name only this season. K-State should pile up nonconference wins this season with Maryland as the only big challenge.

Steve Henson holds the season record with 186 and the career record with 582.

I don’t see either being threatened by anyone on this or any other K-State team anytime soon.

Jacob Pullen ranks second all-time in assists and he only got to 455. Will Spradling is fourth and he only reached 331. I could see Kamau Stokes approaching those numbers, but 582 is a ton of assists.

It will be difficult for him to consistently reach the ceiling some of his teammates and coaches have set for him as a future Big 12 Player of the Year and first-round NBA Draft pick, but he’s on pace to be a great four-year starter for the Wildcats.

His numbers (9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds) as a freshman were extremely promising. He scored more points than Jacob Pullen and Rolando Blackman did as freshmen.

His first two games as a sophomore have been let-downs, but it’s just two games. If he can learn how to avoid early fouls, his contributions will jump immediately. Stay patient. He should break out of this slump and have a good season.

Really like what I’ve seen so far from Jeff Mittie’s squad.

Kayla Goth and Peyton Williams have been stellar in K-State’s first two games, and they should be able to take some of the scoring burden off the shoulders of Breanna Lewis.

This looks like the best K-State women’s basketball team in a while.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 10:22 AM with the headline "K-State Q&A: One easy way Wildcats can take advantage against fragile Baylor."