Three reasons why Kansas State will face its hardest challenge of the season at Texas
Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman provided Texas with the opposite of bulletin-board material when he spoke about the Longhorns in front of media earlier this week.
“This might be the best Texas team that I’ve seen in my five years here, collectively,” Klieman said. “When I say that, it’s because I don’t see any weakness on either side of the line of scrimmage or in special teams. I think they are a team that is playing with a with a ton of confidence. They believe they’re going to be successful.”
Smart move by Klieman.
There is no need to give an opponent like Texas any extra motivation heading into a game that will have Big 12 championship implications for both teams.
Still, it’s not like Klieman was exaggerating or trying to make the Longhorns out to be a better team than their record (7-1) and ranking (7) indicate. This isn’t like when he props up a FCS team heading into a game that K-State is expected to win by 30. Texas legitimately might be the best team in the Big 12.
The Longhorns figure to give the Wildcats their toughest challenge of the season, though Kansas and Iowa State might have something to say about that at the end of the schedule.
K-State has been on a roll during its current three-game winning streak. But none of its conference victories have come against a team with a winning record. This is an opportunity for the Wildcats to validate their hot streak and make a statement that they are once again one of the best teams in the Big 12.
But Texas is standing in the way. This game will be a challenge for three main reasons.
1. The Longhorns have the best run defense in the Big 12
K-State won its past three games by shoving around Texas Tech, TCU and Houston every time it lined up and ran the ball.
The Wildcats have amassed 794 rushing yards over the past three weeks to go along with nine rushing touchdowns. For those of you who are bad at math, that comes out to an average of 264.7 yards and three touchdowns per game. Break things down even more, and K-State has averaged nearly 5.5 yards per attempt over that span.
It’s easy to see why the Wildcats have the second-leading rushing attack in the Big 12. If they continue to move the chains on the ground, it’s not hard to see them pulling off an upset in Austin.
But things might not come so easily against Texas.
The Longhorns boast the top run defense in the Big 12, allowing just 3.24 yards per attempt. They have only given up five rushing touchdowns all season.
“Their front four and their defensive tackles are very disruptive,” Klieman said. “The defensive ends are long, athletic and they get off blocks. Their linebackers hit things down hill and they run through. We can target guys and maybe think we know who is going to get to a backer or a safety, but it’s all about sustaining our blocks. That is where we are going to have to strain really well on Saturday and hold blocks.”
What happens if DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward can’t get going on the ground? Good question. Will Howard and Avery Johnson would probably have to try and move the offense with their arms.
2. Texas has been a bad matchup for K-State in recent years
There was a time not that long ago when the stars seemed to align for K-State every time it played Texas.
Heck, the Wildcats beat the Longhorns twice with Ron Prince as their coach.
But recent results have titled heavily toward Texas. The Longhorns have won six straight games in this series, and eight of the past 10.
Trends don’t mean everything. What happened when these teams played in 2017 shouldn’t have any impact on what happens when they teams match up on Saturday. But it is worth noting that Klieman is 0-4 against Texas. The Longhorns are the only Big 12 team (outside of newcomers BYU and Cincinnati) that he hasn’t beaten.
For whatever reason, the Texas roster and its stock pile of highly touted recruits has traditionally been a difficult matchup for K-State.
“They’re one of the most talented teams in the country, so it’s a big challenge on a big stage,” K-State quarterback Will Howard said. “But we’re looking forward to it. It’s definitely one we’ve been looking forward to. I’ve never beat them and I don’t think coach has ever beat them. So it’s a big one.”
3. The Longhorns have playmakers on offense
They may not be as effective as normal with backup quarterback Maalik Murphy expected to start instead of an injured Quinn Ewers, but running back Jonathon Brooks and receiver Xavier Worthy are some of the top players in the Big 12, if not the country.
Brooks averages 6.4 yards per run. He also has seven rushing touchdowns this season.
Worthy has caught 44 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns this year.
We haven’t even mentioned receiver Adonai Mitchell, who has 427 yards and seven touchdowns.
Texas will also present a new kind of challenge for K-State on defense.
“It’s not like you’re going to make Texas one dimensional,” Klieman said. “We’ve been able to make a few teams one dimensional. We’re not going to be able to do that.
“So we have to be really good at being able to control some of the run game and we absolutely have to take away their shot plays, because they’re extremely talented at the receiver and tight end position. They are getting behind everybody. So we have to do a great job of keeping plays in front of us and making some plays on the football.”