Grades from Kansas State’s victory over TCU and a look ahead to Sunflower Showdown
There was nothing flashy about Kansas State’s 21-14 victory over TCU on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Forget about style points. This game didn’t have any.
The Wildcats’ highlight plays included a pick six from A.J. Parker, some big hits from Elijah Sullivan and a 65-yard punt from Ty Zentner. There were some notable plays on offense, too, but only one touchdown and a pair of field goals with freshman quarterback Will Howard leading the unit in place of an injured Skylar Thompson.
Few could have envisioned K-State using that formula to beat TCU on the road as a 10-point underdog, but the Wildcats (3-1, 3-0 Big 12) maintained their perfect conference record.
Perhaps an identity is beginning to emerge for this group. They have faced adversity and trailed in all three of their Big 12 games, but they have found a way to win with an unconventional mixture of opportunistic touchdowns, strong play on special teams, relentless defense and grit.
It’s enough for the Wildcats to sit atop the conference standings, two games clear of preseason favorites Texas and Oklahoma.
Here are grades from K-State’s latest victory and a look ahead to its next game against Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
It has to be A.J. Parker.
You could make a case for punter Ty Zentner or linebacker Elijah Sullivan or defensive back Justin Gardner, but none of them intercepted a pass from TCU quarterback Matthew Downing and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown like Parker did in the third quarter.
Parker played a whale of a game against the Horned Frogs, finishing with a team-high six tackles and delivering the game’s decisive score. He has settled in nicely to his new role at nickelback after opening the season outside at corner.
PLAY OF THE GAME
It’s already been mentioned, but let’s take this opportunity go into greater detail on Parker’s pick six.
TCU was playing musical chairs at quarterback after Sullivan delivered some hard hits on Max Duggan, which meant Downing entered the game midway through the third quarter to try and spark the Horned Frogs on offense.
The QB change didn’t work. Parker took advantage of an ill-advised throw from Downing and then made some excellent moves on his way into the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Wildcats a 21-7 lead.
What made the play most memorable was a plethora of hilarious whiffed tackles from TCU and Downing losing his helmet as Parker crossed the goal line. Gary Patterson must not spend much time teaching his offensive players how to stop an interception return.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Wildcats forced the Horned Frogs to punt seven times and held them to an average of 4.6 yards per play. Unlike previous games when K-State surrendered big yardage and relied heavily on turnovers to get off the field, it got a whole bunch of stops against TCU.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“What do you say about the defense? Our guys on defense, it’s a credit to Coach (Joe) Klanderman and the defensive staff. It was a phenomenal game plan. Almost executed to perfection by the guys. I know they are disappointed by the last touchdown at about the five-minute mark.
“They played relentless. They did a great job rushing the passer. They did a great job covering guys. We got a big pick six by A.J. Parker on a play where they tried to go fast. I think it confused their own team on it. I couldn’t be happier with the resolve on a bunch of guys that came in here when nobody expected us to be successful except for the guys in that locker room.” — Chris Klieman.
GRADES
Offense: D. Credit Will Howard and Company for doing enough to get the win, but that’s where the compliments stop for this unit. The bulk of K-State’s 289 yards came on three plays — an 80-yard draw from Howard, a 45-yard pass to Deuce Vaughn and a 24-yard pass to Briley Moore. It was a snooze fest otherwise. Growing pains were expected from Howard, and the Wildcats will hope he can improve after completing just 8 of 19 passes for 117 yards and an interception. The Wildcats need to find a way to get their most talented receivers more involved. It was bizarre to see Malik Knowles and Joshua Youngblood finish without a catch while D.J. Render, a converted defensive back, was targeted throughout the game.
Defense: A+. The Wildcats needed a stellar effort from their defense to win this game, and that is exactly what they got. Joe Klanderman seems to have found the perfect spots for K-State’s defensive backs after losing the opener to Arkansas State. The defensive line also played well in this game, delivering three sacks without the help of much blitzing.
Special Teams: A. A 65-yard punt from Ty Zenter was without a doubt one of the biggest plays of this game. The Wildcats also blocked a field goal, got a nice return from Phillip Brooks and watched Blake Lynch kick a pair of field goals.
Coaching: A. Raise your hand if you had K-State going 3-1 after dropping its first game to a Sun Belt team and losing Thompson early on against Texas Tech. Anyone? Didn’t think so. Chris Klieman deserves major credit for turning things around under trying circumstances.
NEXT UP
When will Thompson be ready to play his next game? Klieman dodged that question after the TCU victory, saying he would prefer to wait and update his status on Monday. That could be a sign that Howard will remain at quarterback for the foreseeable future.
If that turns out to be the case, this is a good time for the Wildcats to develop a freshman quarterback. They won’t play again until Oct. 24, when they host the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. That will give Howard and K-State’s receivers two weeks to improve and get on the same page against an opponent they will be expected to easily defeat.
K-State has won 11 straight games against the Jayhawks, and it’s unlikely to see that changing this year.
If the Wildcats start 4-1, that will put them in contention for a spot in the Big 12 championship game as they close out the season against West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas.
This story was originally published October 11, 2020 at 10:49 AM.