College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Kansas State Wildcats season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Kansas State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 8-5 overall, 5-4 in Big 12
Head Coach: Chris Klieman, 2nd year, 8-5 at KSU
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 32
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 41
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 31
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Kansas State Wildcats Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense had its moments. The running game was okay, the passing attack was efficient, and … there wasn’t enough consistent scoring. The O fell flat early on in the Big 12, and it couldn’t come up with that one big drive in close losses to Texas, West Virginia and Navy. But as head coach Chris Klieman said from the start of his tenure last year, this is going to be a work in progress.
On the plus side, Kansas State started to do Kansas State things. It controlled the clock better than any team in the Big 12, the turnovers were kept to a bare minimum, and for the most part, it was able to keep things at its own pace.
Now it has to score more.
CFN in 60 Video: Kansas State Wildcats Preview
– Skylar Thompson isn’t going to be a threat to break any passing records, but he’s a solid veteran who runs well, doesn’t throw a ton of picks, and can keep things moving. He’s the experience leader the offense needs, but the explosion has to be there from the receiving corps.
Leading target Dalton Schoen is done, but he only caught 37 passes. Malik Knowles is a decent veteran, and kick return superstar Josh Youngblood needs the ball in his hands more as a receiver. Five of the top six pass catchers are back – Thompson will spread it around.
– The offensive line is going to be the biggest early concern. Last year’s group loses four starters but gets back crushing left guard Josh Rivas. It’s going to be a young front five, and the backs it’ll be blocking for are even more inexperienced.
Former Louisville transfer Harry Trotter is the leading returning back, and Tyler Burns will be an early option in the rotation, but redshirt freshmen Joe Ervin and Jacardia Wright had the biggest upside.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Kansas State Wildcats Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Kansas State Wildcats Defense 3 Things To Know
– There weren’t enough sacks, there weren’t enough big plays, and no defense in college football was less effective in the red zone. And now it has to undergo an overhaul, at least on a defensive front that loses three starters.
Fortunately, junior Wyatt Hubert is one of the Big 12’s best playmakers in the backfield. start with him, expect veteran Drew Wiley to play a bigger role on the inside, and then it’s an open casting call from there to fill out the rotation.
– The linebackers in the 4-2-5 alignment are really, really small, and they can really, really move. The 6-0, 210-pound Elijah Sullivan led the team with 65 tackles from his spot in the middle. 219-pound Cody Fletcher will get the first look at the outside spot, but coming up with a steady rotation – especially against the thumping teams – is a must. There are options, but outside of sophomore Daniel Green, there’s not a whole lot of experience.
– The secondary lost a bit of its depth to the transfer portal, but it’s bringing in corner Kiondre Thomas from Minnesota and safety Hunter Henry from Rice. The starting five, though, should be fine in some configuration, with Wayne Jones a rising star at one safety and Jahron McPherson able to move around where needed.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Kansas State Wildcats Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Kansas State Wildcats Players
Best Kansas State Wildcats Offensive Player
QB Skylar Thompson, Sr.
Part of a rotation early on in his career, he went from being the good-running quarterback who didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes with the passing game. to the good-running quarterback who … didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes in the passing game.
He’s not going to tear off big yards in chunks – he has 1,045 career rushing yards in 288 attempts – but he’s good around the goal line with 19 scores. As a passer, he’ll connect on 60% of his throws and he’ll make the right reads, but his worth is as a chain-mover. As long as he’s connecting on his third down plays, he’s doing his job.
2. OG Josh Rivas, Jr.
3. WR Malik Knowles, Soph.
4. WR/KR Josh Youngblood, Soph.
5. TE/FB Nick Lenners, Jr.
Best Kansas State Wildcats Defensive Player
DE Wyatt Hubert, Jr.
The 6-3, 258-pounder isn’t a big end, and he isn’t exactly a hybrid linebacker. However, he’s a good playmaker behind the line with seven sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hurries as a quick option off the edge – and a must-needed one.
The Kansas State defense didn’t do enough to make plays in the backfield, and now it loses most of its key parts. Hubert is the one returning starter, and he’s got to be the pass rushing star who takes the heat off of everyone else.
2. LB Elijah Sullivan, Sr.
3. SS Wayne Jones, Soph.
4. S Jahren McPherson, Sr.
5. CB AJ Parker, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Kansas State Wildcats Offense
Third down conversions mean everything to this offense. Time of possession has been one of the biggest Kansas State staples for decades – own the clock, control the tempo, keep things at the pace it wants to set. There’s taken a few detours here and there when the passing game found something that works, but for the most part, keeping opposing Big 12 offenses off the field turns out to be a really, really big deal.
That means the Wildcats have to own third downs.
Doing well on the money downs didn’t always equal success last year – K-State lost to Texas and West Virginia despite dominating seemingly every third down play – but when the production wasn’t there, it showed.
Navy controlled the game in the bowl win, helped by Kansas State converting just 1-of-8 third down tries. Going 1-of-13 was a huge factor in the loss to Oklahoma State. The program is 1-4 over the last two years when converting fewer than 30% of its tries.
Biggest Key To The Kansas State Wildcats Defense
Don’t let teams get into the red zone. To be fair to the Kansas State defense, it only allowed teams go score touchdowns 52% of the time – that’s really not bad – when they got inside the 20. However, last year, getting deep into Wildcat territory meant automatic points.
Considering the entire plan is based on controlling the clock, keeping down the score, and owning long drives, even field goals matter. To teams like Oklahoma – who also stunk in red zone D – three points here and there are no big deal. Kansas State isn’t high-powered enough.
West Virginia missed a field goal. That was the only empty trip by any offense in 34 tries – K-State had the worst red zone D in the nation, allowing points 97% of the time. By comparison, just two years earlier the defense allowed teams to score at just a 79% clip.
Key Kansas State Wildcats Player To A Successful Season
DT Drew Wiley, Sr.
Kansas State always has a way of plugging-and-playing linemen. For whatever reason, personnel turnover doesn’t seem to matter as much to this program. However, the defensive interior is going to need some work, and that’s where the 6-4, 300-pound Wiley comes in.
He was part of the rotation last season and made 16 tackles with two tackles for loss, but he has never needed to be the anchor. He’s a good athlete, and he’s been around the program for three years, but now he has to go from his role as a decent reserve to a key part up front.
Key Game To The Kansas State Wildcats Season
at Oklahoma, Sept. 26
This is what we call a tone-setter in the old country.
Don’t look past the opener against Arkansas State – that’s a very, very dangerous game that can’t be overlooked – but the Big 12 season starts two weeks later at Oklahoma.
The Wildcats handed the Sooners their only loss in the regular season, but they haven’t won in Norman since 2012.
They can lose and still be okay, but win, and everything else should be easy until the regular season finale against Texas.
– Kansas State Wildcats Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Kansas State Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: Kansas State 33:27 – Opponents 26:33
– Fumbles: Kansas State 22 (lost 9) – Opponents 10 (lost 4)
– 3rd Down Conversions: Kansas State 75-of-174 (43%) – Opponents 42-of-150 (28%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Kansas State Wildcats Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Kansas State Wildcats Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
It’s still going to be a work in progress, but it should be a better overall year if the lines can come together in a big, big hurry.
Start with having the right quarterback in place. Skylar Thompson is a good-enough veteran to keep the O moving despite all of the personnel changes, but more points have to start coming from all the long, deliberate drives.
The Wildcats were 7-0 last year when scoring more than 24 points, 0-4 when scoring fewer, and 1-1 when scoring 24.
It’s Kansas State – the special teams are great. Blake Lynch should be one of the nation’s most reliable kickers, and Josh Youngblood is a special return man who’ll be avoided at all costs.
The secondary is fine, the linebackers will be great, and again, it all comes down to the lines.
Set The Kansas State Wildcats Regular Season Win Total At … 5.5
After starting out against Arkansas State and Oklahoma, the Wildcats have four straight games against teams that didn’t go bowling last year.
They get Oklahoma State and Texas at home, and while they have five Big 12 road games, they’re spread out just enough to not be that bad.
It’s an okay-not-great year for the Big 12, and there’s a void to be filled. Kansas State should be able to make a big push to be among the three best teams, but those lines …
If they’re good right away, and the parts are filled, being in the Big 12 top two is possible.
