Here’s the latest injury update on Kansas State QB Will Howard ahead of UCF game
Earlier this week, Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman used the word “questionable” to describe the injury status of Will Howard as the Wildcats began preparing for their next game against UCF.
His prognosis has improved since then, but it’s too early to know for sure if he will be healthy enough to play on Saturday evening at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“It has been a good week,” K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein said. “Will has gotten better every day. I think it is going to be (a game-time decision). Obviously, if he can go and gets cleared and is healthy then he will go. But it has been day-to-day and it will probably continue that way.”
Howard suffered a leg injury during a 30-27 loss at Missouri last week and was noticeably hobbled throughout the second half of that game. It was hard to tell how he got hurt. Afterward, Howard said he “banged up” his leg and left it at that.
The good news is he didn’t experience a serious injury.
“It was soft tissue,” Klein said, “which was positive. He has made good progress, but it’s a day-to-day deal.”
Howard has never missed a game with an injury during his K-State football career while playing in 25 games and making 18 starts. The fourth-year junior got off to a hot start this season by completing 64 of 97 passes for 817 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns.
The Wildcats hope that Howard will regain enough mobility to play on Saturday. But they have a contingency plan in place if he watches from the sideline.
Avery Johnson, a freshman from Maize, will lead the K-State offense if Howard is unable to play. Jake Rubley has also taken his share of snaps this week at practice and will be ready to play if needed.
It might be a scary thought for K-State to use a freshman quarterback, but Johnson is no ordinary rookie. The former four-star recruit has already played in two games, totaling 55 passing yards and 64 rushing yards.
Johnson shined during mop-up duty in the first game of the season against Southeast Missouri State. Then he saw his own package of running plays during meaningful stretches of the Mizzou game.
K-State expects him to be ready if called upon.
“It’s obviously not something I have experienced, but my confidence is in the preparation and how Avery has worked,” Klein said. “We wouldn’t put him out there if he wasn’t ready. It’s not about one guy, too, it’s about everybody stepping up around whoever is back there to make it go.”
Klein also provided an injury update on running back Treshaun Ward.
“He is day-to-day still,” Klein said, “but he needs to come along a little bit.”
If Ward is unable to play after suffering an injury against Missouri, Klein said the Wildcats will turn to Anthony Frias and La’James White as complementary options behind starting running back DJ Giddens.