Why Chris Klieman plans to evaluate QB options before picking a starter against Baylor
For the first time during Chris Klieman’s two seasons with Kansas State, it is unclear who will start at quarterback for the Wildcats when they play their next football game.
Klieman reiterated on Monday that he wants to evaluate both Will Howard and Nick Ast in practice this week before picking a starter for Saturday’s road game against Baylor.
“We are going to practice like we have been,” Klieman said, “(with) both guys ... I want to make sure because — I haven’t seen either guy — that Will is feeling good and talk to Nick, as well, and then we will just progress throughout the week and get both of them ready.”
Klieman said he would likely give the majority of K-State’s first-string practice time to Howard, while also working Ast into the rotation. That is potentially a sign that Klieman still favors Howard at the quarterback position, but Klieman didn’t commit to him as a starter when given the opportunity following a 45-0 loss at Iowa State on Saturday or on Monday during his time on the Big 12 coaches teleconference.
For now, the plan is to settle on a starter as the week progresses.
“We have to just see how everybody is feeling and what the game plan is,” Klieman said. “This is Monday morning. We have still got some time.”
The starting QB gig is up for grabs this week as the Wildcats are coming off a humbling loss against the Cyclones in which Howard was benched near the end of the second quarter for ineffective play.
There had previously been no mystery surrounding K-State’s quarterback position under Klieman. Skylar Thompson was the unquestioned starter last season and this year until he suffered a season-ending injury against Texas Tech.
Howard, a freshman, took over for him in early October and guided the Wildcats to three straight victories. But he has since lost three in a row. He bottomed out against Iowa State when he left the game after completing three of nine passes for 32 yards and an interception.
Klieman said there were three reasons why he pulled Howard.
For starters, Howard was taking some big hits against Iowa State’s defensive line, and Klieman didn’t want to risk him getting hurt in a blowout defeat. It also appeared that Howard was getting frustrated. And, finally, Klieman wanted to see what Ast could do in a live game.
Ast, a junior, responded by completing six of 10 passes for 44 yards while also getting sacked three times.
Neither quarterback played well, and it showed. K-State gained a season low 149 yards and suffered a shutout for the first time in five years.
Perhaps a QB change is warranted.
“You are always a little irritated when you get beat like that,” Klieman said. “It hasn’t happened to our staff very often. It is a humbling deal and you move on. You can’t dwell on things, for sure, in this profession. We have just got to keep moving and getting better.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 2:41 PM.