K-State Q&A: Chris Klieman’s new contract, QB questions, Deuce Vaughn, hoops and more
We have got way too many outstanding questions lined up this week for me to waste any time writing a series of introductory paragraphs.
Let’s dive right in. Thanks, as always, for your participation.
It’s a tough judgment to make, but I think K-State is better off with a hobbled Skylar Thompson than a full-strength Will Howard.
Allow me to explain why.
Starting your first college game isn’t easy. I remember when Thompson was a freshman filling in for Jesse Ertz and Alex Delton. Whenever he was thrust into action without warning in the middle of a game, he played admirably and led the Wildcats to wins over Kansas and Texas Tech. But when he knew he was going to start the following week he looked like a different (and unfortunately worse) player during a loss to West Virginia.
When asked about his performance, former coach Bill Snyder said he played well under the circumstances given that it was his first start. It’s a different feeling going to sleep on Friday night when you know the entire team is counting on you, he said.
With that in mind, it’s hard to envision Howard lighting it up against a TCU team that just beat Texas on the road given that he has never started a college game before. Maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps he is capable of torching the Horned Frogs. All he has to do is get the ball to Deuce Vaughn and Briley Moore, right?
But I know this: there won’t be any nerves with Thompson.
He has been playing somewhat injured all season and put up satisfactory numbers (626 yards and four touchdowns passing, 38 yards and three touchdowns rushing). He was nails on the road against Oklahoma and was off to a great start against Texas Tech. The Wildcats would have taken more than 14-0 halftime lead had Malik Knowles caught a perfectly thrown pass from Thompson in the end zone.
Now, if he is as banged up as Collin Klein was for some of his 2011 games then maybe it’s worth letting him rest in favor of the freshman. But if he is at 75% or higher, he is the best option at quarterback. The best solution might be to start Thompson and let Howard handle a few plays here and there.
K-State coaches continue to call Thompson “day-to-day” so anything can happen.
It’s probably going to be a game-time decision on Thompson. My guess is that he doesn’t play, and K-State coaches try to get him back on the field against Kansas on Oct. 24. But I also won’t be totally shocked if he plays.
If Howard is the guy, he might actually have more of the playbook open to him than Thompson because he is the one who is at full strength. The coaches certainly won’t dumb things down for him.
The only way I think we see Nick Ast is if both Thompson and Howard are unable to play.
Yes and no.
Gene Taylor had previously mentioned he was working on a new deal with Chris Klieman, so you knew it was going to happen at some point. It was surprising to see the Wildcats announce the news of a $23.5 million contract that will run through 2016 in the middle of a pandemic when everyone in the athletic department has seen their salary reduced. There are some unfortunate optics involved.
Then again, K-State is on top of the Big 12 standings and fresh off a win at Oklahoma. So maybe the timing does make sense.
As long as the Wildcats can afford it, which Taylor says they most certainly can, I think it is a good move. Klieman’s name was mentioned (not all that seriously, but still) with some other coaching vacancies last offseason. And he was previously the lowest-paid coach in the Big 12. It makes sense to change that coming off a strong first season and an encouraging start to this season.
It sends a message to recruits that Klieman is here for the long haul and it sends a message to other schools that they should stay away. It’s a pro active move from the athletic department. Those are always better than reactive moves.
One thing I found curious about the contract is the amount of money it will take K-State to fire Klieman without cause. That number ranges from $4.3 million to $17.6 million, depending on timing. That is A LOT of money. So much money that I can’t imagine the Wildcats being able to pay it until it drops to its lowest point.
Paying Bill Snyder $3 million as part of his retirement arrangement and paying buyouts for his former assistants has limited what K-State can currently do within its budget. I don’t see why Klieman’s new buyout from the school has to be that high, especially when he would only owe the Wildcats $5 million if he chose to take a new job tomorrow.
It’s probably all a moot point. Taylor hired Klieman at North Dakota State and then did the same here. The chances of them breaking up is very low. Klieman is off to a good start and is recruiting well. I doubt the Wildcats will look to fire him without cause anytime soon.
The only other interesting part of the contract was the clause that gives Klieman a one-year extension every time he wins eight games. I can see how some call that rewarding mediocrity. The reward seems to outweigh the accomplishment there. Ten wins seems like a better number.
But, again, if Klieman keeps winning then no one will complain about this contract.
I could dig through K-State’s media guide and figure out the greatest former players that wore No. 22 for the Wildcats and respond with a well thought out answer to your question ...
Or I could pull a Darryl Strawberry.
That’s what I’m going to do.
In the best Simpsons episode of all time (Homer at Bat), Homer Simpson is so worried about Strawberry taking his spot on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball roster after Mr. Burns brings him in as a ringer that he introduces himself and asks a few questions.
One of them: “Are you a better softball player than me?”
Strawberry doesn’t initially know how to respond, but eventually says: “I’ve never met you, but yes.”
This ties in perfectly to my answer here, because even though I can’t tell you all the former K-State players that have worn the No. 22, I can tell you that Vaughn is on pace to be the best dang one of them all.
Shoot, he is currently on pace to become the best football player in school history. So there is absolutely no need to look up numbers.
Think about it. Vaughn is only three games into his college football career and he already has 439 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging 5.7 yards per rush and 29.3(!) yards per catch. Given that he is a true freshman, his potential in a K-State uniform seems limitless.
Now, I understand a lot can happen between now and the end of his college football career. Every game might not go as magically as the first three, especially if defenses learn how to defend him out of the slot. But even if his production tapers off a little bit the comparisons to Darren Sproles will continue.
Tyler Lockett was the last true freshman to produce at anything near these levels. And he is currently one of the better receivers in the NFL. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see what Vaughn can accomplish as he matures. But he is already arguably the best player on the team.
The Wildcats might not be on top of the Big 12 standings without him.
Jaylen Pickle (show some respect, auto-correct) filled in for Eli Huggins on the defensive line when he couldn’t play against Oklahoma and came up with some huge plays, including batting a pass at the line of scrimmage that fell into the arms of Elijah Sullivan for an interception.
He knocked down another pass against Texas Tech. Are we witnessing the next Jordan Voelker?
Pickle has been a valuable addition to K-State’s defensive tackles this season. Between Drew Wiley, Huggins and Pickle, the Wildcats have a nice rotation going in the middle of their defensive front.
I get where you’re coming from.
You would much rather beat a team straight up and by a large margin than rely on fluky plays like blocked punts to narrowly defeat an opponent. But I think the rules are a little different with K-State.
The Wildcats have always been Special Teams U. Relying on big plays in that part of the game is a K-State staple. It hasn’t always been blocked punts, but kick returns and field goals have always been huge in Manhattan.
I honestly think it’s reasonable to expect one big play per game from K-State on special teams. To me, a blocked punt is a lot different than a bobbled pass falling into the hands of a defensive back that was out of position or the opposing quarterback fumbling a snap. It’s not an unforced error.
Also: K-State hasn’t scored on any of its three blocked punts this season. It took advantage of excellent field position with touchdowns after all three blocks, but there is a difference there. Who is to say the Wildcats wouldn’t have also scored on a longer drive?
It’s not like they are winning with smoke and mirrors right now.
But the Wildcats could play better in other areas so that they won’t need huge plays on special teams to win. Any receiver other than Chabastin Taylor stepping up would be a nice start.
There’s also a chance Skylar Thompson will choose to return for a sixth year at K-State, which would really make things interesting at quarterback next season.
But it will be a heck of a QB derby even if it’s only Will Howard and Jake Rubley.
Right now, the odds have to favor Howard. He has already played in two games for the Wildcats and he helped them beat Texas Tech last week. Even if Thompson is healthy enough to play throughout the remainder of the season, you can bet the coaching staff will continue to find ways to get Howard on the field occasionally. And if Thompson misses time, Howard’s experience will grow even more.
That will give him a head start on Rubley, who isn’t even playing high school football at the moment because of complicated reasons in Iowa.
But he is a four-star recruit with a boatload of offers. He will play his way into the mix.
This answer really comes down to how Howard plays the remainder of the season. If he starts throwing for 300 yards, it’s going to be his job to lose. If he starts throwing a bunch of interceptions, fans will turn their gaze to Rubley.
K-State has always relied heavily on in-state players, so I’m not sure it means all that much in the grand scheme of things.
But it is cool to see so many local players making an impact for the Wildcats.
It can’t hurt with future prospects. Maybe it will prevent the next Breece Hall or Turner Corcoran from leaving the state.
It really is awful luck.
In the past, I have mainly attributed K-State’s problem with foot injuries to K-State’s insistence on recruiting brittle big men that injure easily. But Luke Kasubke needing preseason surgery on his right foot is different because he is a shooting guard.
I have somewhat jokingly asked K-State’s training staff about the foot injuries before and received very serious answers about all the steps they have taken to try and avoid them. But they keep on happening.
From what I understand, Kasubke tore a ligament in one of his toes last month and is currently in a walking boot or cast. That should come off at the end of the month. Games don’t start until late Novemeber, so he might not actually miss any action. But we will see. Weber doesn’t have a set timetable for his recovery.
I am expecting K-State to announce at least some details about its basketball schedule within the next week.
Here are a few games I can tell you that will almost certainly be on there:
For starters, K-State will host its own mini-tournament at Bramlage Coliseum in late November along with Colorado, Drake and South Dakota State. The Wildcats should open against the Buffaloes and then play one of the mid-major teams a day or two later.
I also expect the Wildcats to go ahead and play Butler on the road as part of the Big 12/Big East competition. The Wildcats should also play a SEC team at home in the Big 12/SEC challenge.
That only leaves space for five other games, because all teams will have reduced schedules this season. K-State previously had game agreements in place with UMKC, UNLV, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Nebraska (at Sprint Center) and South Dakota. That would work out nicely if it can simply keep those games.
But I don’t think it will be that easy. Bruce Weber said there’s a good possibility K-State’s schedule will change even after it gets announced.
DaJuan Gordon and Montavious Murphy will be the two young players K-State calls upon for leadership.
Gordon was a leader on last year’s team as a freshman. That won’t change. Murphy was a staple in the starting lineup as a freshman. He has no choice but to evolve into a more mature leader this season with so many fresh faces on the team.
I bet Nijel Pack starts at least some games at point guard.
He will have to beat out Rudi Williams for that spot, but I can see Weber handling that position the same way he did Kamau Stokes and Carlbe Ervin back in the day. Stokes started as a freshman and Ervin came in as a stabilizing force off the bench. They were a solid combo together at first and then helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament the following season.
Selton Miguel has the talent to start at one of the other guard spots, and he will play a lot right away, but I don’t see him beating out Mike McGuirl or DaJuan Gordon there.