Kansas State used a 4-0 start to help it become bowl eligible in 2010. The Wildcats only won three games the rest of the way, but it was enough to earn them a Pinstripe Bowl matchup with Syracuse, a game they lost 36-34.
The Wildcats were excited about the opportunity to play postseason football after being left at home the year before. The goal is to get back to a bowl, which won’t be easy given the schedule. Kansas State has a non-conference date at Miami (Florida) and must play all six of the original Big 12 South schools.
Offense : Five starters return from an offensive unit that ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring with 33.6 points per game. Despite good point production, the Wildcats only ranked ninth in total offense with 378.8 yards per game.
Led by running back Daniel Thomas, Kansas State boasted one of the best running attacks in the conference. It ranked second in the Big 12 (22nd nationally) with 199.5 yards per game on the ground. With Thomas off to the NFL, it appears Tennessee transfer Bryce Brown will be asked to be the new focal point of the offense. The former high school All-American enters the season with plenty of hype.
For the third straight year, Kansas State enters the season with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Collin Klein, Justin Tuggle, Sammuel Lamur and Daniel Sams may all see action at some point, but Snyder has said Klein will get the first crack at the job.
He played in 10 games at the quarterback spot a season ago. He had just 18 pass attempts, completing 11 of them for 138 yards and a touchdown, but rushed for 432 yards on 76 carries.
When K-State takes to the air, it will be looking to get the ball in the hands of Chris Harper. The junior wideout is the team’s top returning receiver. He caught 25 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Losing Thomas hurts, but not as badly as losing offensive lineman Wade Weibert, Zach Kendall and Kenneth Mayfield. These three were a crucial part of K-State’s offensive success last year.
Defense: Seven starters return on a defensive unit that ranked 11th in the Big 12 in total defense in 2010 with 445.7 yards allowed per game. The Wildcats also ranked eighth in scoring defense with 29.1 points allowed per contest.
Kansas State won’t see much improvement on this side of the football until it can do a much better job against the run. It ranked dead last in the Big 12 (119th nationally) with 231.4 yards allowed per game on the ground.
While we should see minimal improvement this season, 2012 is when the Wildcats could really stuff the run. That’s because talented line recruits like Ian Seau, nephew of former NFL star Junior Seau, will have a year of experience under their belts.
Miami (Florida) transfer Arthur Brown, the brother of Bryce, is expected to step right in and anchor the linebacking unit.
Cornerback David Garrett, who made 92 tackles last season, leads the defensive backfield.
Prediction : 9th Place Big 12 – Losing three key offensive lineman and Thomas won’t do the offense any favors, and the defense will still struggle to stop the run. Plus, the schedule is much tougher this year. The Cats will be very fortunate to win five games this season. College football lines makers have listed Kansas State at 35/1 to win the Big 12 championship.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment