Let me start with the disclaimer that I am a fan of Bill Snyder. Not only is a he a Hall of Fame football coach with a maniacal attention to detail, he is a fantastic mentor and human being. I have seen his impact in people's lives off the field, and have been a first-hand witness to multiple instances of him going above and beyond. He is principled and authentic, and I believe that those traits have carried him to great success, and it is why that any preview of a game against them has to start with Coach, his values, teamwork, and fundamentals. Kansas State, perhaps more than any program in the country, is a case study on the whole being much greater than the sum of the parts. It is why the Wildcats continually have opportunities to win games when the talent is stacked against them. Don't get me wrong, K-State has had and continues to have young men with ability to play at the next level, but athletically, they are seldom the more impressive team on paper. So, before breaking down this match up (which indeed favors the Cowboys), I want to acknowledge that disciplined, team-oriented football coached by Coach always has an opportunity.
With that said, it's funny how familiarity can breed contempt. There are growing whispers of a need to find a successor and that a time for retirement may be at hand. There is discontentment with the conservative play calling and frustration over the old school approach that is different from what every other conference team is utilizing.
Offensively, Kansas State is everything that they have always been: a team that marries power football with the concept of isolating defenders in space, creating run-pass delemmas, and forcing players to make one on one tackles. They utilize multiple formations and personnel groupings. When the offense is running smoothly, it is one of the most difficult to defend due to the discipline it has in attacking misaligned or out of position players. A couple different groups that have analyzed their games over the last three years note that between 75-90% of tackles made against them are solo tackles, meaning that their offensive is perhaps the most effective offense in the country in setting up individual match-ups. With that knowledge, it's pretty clear that when Coach Snyder has NFL caliber skill talent that the Wildcat offense can take their team to the top of the Big 12 standings and can compete with anyone nationally. When they have had Tyler Lockett, Jordy Nelson, Darren Sproles, Daniel Thomas, etc., that has certainly been the case. When the talent has not been as strong at the skill positions, they have relied on the offensive line, a running quarterback, and ball security.
Today, the K-State offense does not appear to have that NFL-level of skill players. They have a veteran offensive line that will see Senior Boston Stiverson rejoin the starting lineup this week that is the strength of their offensive unit. Both he and Cody Whitehair will man the left side of their line and eventually have an opportunity to play at the next level. It's amazing how little fanfare most of the skill talent for the Wildcats have when the hit the scene. If fact, both the starting quarterback and starting running back came to K-State as walkons, so they were not heavily recruited originally.
In addition to Whitehair and Stiverson, the Wildcats return RG Luke Hayes and RT Matt Kleinsorge, giving them four seniors to provide leadership. Dalton Risner is an emerging young player at center who has played well so far this season. Much like OSU's situation, their line has fared much better in pass protection than in run blocking this year. Some of that was due to an early injury to Stiverson and the adjustment to J. Hubener at quarterback, but for whatever reason, the veteran unit has not really clicked so far this season in the run game. Unfortunately, the bye week likely afforded the coaches an opportunity to fix those cohesion issues that were holding back the run game. The matchup of this offensive line against OSU's defensive line is perhaps the most important matchup positionally in the game. If OSU can command double teams on the inside, then the defense will be able to have a second defender in the box ready to make stops in the run game and reduce the number of one on one situations at the second level. (Obviously, solid tackling becomes a key defensively.)
This Kansas State backfield does not appear to have a real home-run, explosive threat. Justin Silmon (from Tulsa Union) has emerged as the guy most likely to be a bell-cow for them at running back. He has good agility and can make some guys miss, but does not possess great breakaway speed or top end acceleration into a hole/crease. Their staff thought that Dalvin Warmack would be providing that for them when they signed him, but that has not been the case. Charles Jones is the man that will rotate in with Silmon. He is more powerfully built and seems to have a bit more speed, but lacks the balance and vision of Silmon. Up to this point the coaches have been using him in the Wildcat formation, but it will be interesting to see what changed in that regard over the bye week. The Wildcat formation with Charles Jones has not been effective this year, and the passing threat out of it has been next to zero. It would be shocking if there were not new wrinkles with it for this week's game.
In some seasons, K-State has basically used the Wildcat formation concepts as a part of the base offense when it fit the quarterback (like Collin Klein). The demands for the position in that scheme is to have a player that can patiently allow blocks to set up and then be able to physically take the punishment that comes from running between the tackles. Joe Hubener actually fits into that mold, but the depth issues at quarterback right now may make the staff take a play calling path that reduces the number of hits taken by the quarterback. If the LA Tech game is any indication, there is validity to that notion. The depth that K-State thought was present at quarterback disappeared entirely through the non-conference portion of the schedule, losing starter Jesse Ertz on the first offensive snap of the year to a knee injury, and then backup Alex Delton last week. Joe Hubener and untested Jonathan Banks are the only two left.
Joe Hubener has a tall, rather lanky build, but he is also tough and passionate about football. With a bit more physical development, he could fit that Klein-esque prototype. In the meantime, KSU has a quarterback that can really throw the vertical routes with great touch and accuracy, but struggles with the short passing game, especially the routes that rely on timing. He is a capably runner, but doesn't posses the game-changing ability that OSU faced last week in Heard, and may not necessarily be featured given depth concerns.
When he drops back to pass, Hubener will look for Deante Burton, Kody Cook and the speedy Dominique Heath. Kody Cook (the former quarterback) runs good routes and has outstanding hands. (The rest of the receiving corps has struggled with drops in the early part of the season.). His one handed catch last week was a thing of beauty. Dominique Heath is a guy that will stretch the field vertically and will get an occasional carry in the run game. Deante Burton is their most physically gifted receiver and has good size. He will lead the way in targets, especially in intermediate routes. To date, K-State has not utilized their fullbacks or tightends much in the passing game, but that is something I expect to see change this week.
With that said, it's funny how familiarity can breed contempt. There are growing whispers of a need to find a successor and that a time for retirement may be at hand. There is discontentment with the conservative play calling and frustration over the old school approach that is different from what every other conference team is utilizing.
Offensively, Kansas State is everything that they have always been: a team that marries power football with the concept of isolating defenders in space, creating run-pass delemmas, and forcing players to make one on one tackles. They utilize multiple formations and personnel groupings. When the offense is running smoothly, it is one of the most difficult to defend due to the discipline it has in attacking misaligned or out of position players. A couple different groups that have analyzed their games over the last three years note that between 75-90% of tackles made against them are solo tackles, meaning that their offensive is perhaps the most effective offense in the country in setting up individual match-ups. With that knowledge, it's pretty clear that when Coach Snyder has NFL caliber skill talent that the Wildcat offense can take their team to the top of the Big 12 standings and can compete with anyone nationally. When they have had Tyler Lockett, Jordy Nelson, Darren Sproles, Daniel Thomas, etc., that has certainly been the case. When the talent has not been as strong at the skill positions, they have relied on the offensive line, a running quarterback, and ball security.
Today, the K-State offense does not appear to have that NFL-level of skill players. They have a veteran offensive line that will see Senior Boston Stiverson rejoin the starting lineup this week that is the strength of their offensive unit. Both he and Cody Whitehair will man the left side of their line and eventually have an opportunity to play at the next level. It's amazing how little fanfare most of the skill talent for the Wildcats have when the hit the scene. If fact, both the starting quarterback and starting running back came to K-State as walkons, so they were not heavily recruited originally.
In addition to Whitehair and Stiverson, the Wildcats return RG Luke Hayes and RT Matt Kleinsorge, giving them four seniors to provide leadership. Dalton Risner is an emerging young player at center who has played well so far this season. Much like OSU's situation, their line has fared much better in pass protection than in run blocking this year. Some of that was due to an early injury to Stiverson and the adjustment to J. Hubener at quarterback, but for whatever reason, the veteran unit has not really clicked so far this season in the run game. Unfortunately, the bye week likely afforded the coaches an opportunity to fix those cohesion issues that were holding back the run game. The matchup of this offensive line against OSU's defensive line is perhaps the most important matchup positionally in the game. If OSU can command double teams on the inside, then the defense will be able to have a second defender in the box ready to make stops in the run game and reduce the number of one on one situations at the second level. (Obviously, solid tackling becomes a key defensively.)
This Kansas State backfield does not appear to have a real home-run, explosive threat. Justin Silmon (from Tulsa Union) has emerged as the guy most likely to be a bell-cow for them at running back. He has good agility and can make some guys miss, but does not possess great breakaway speed or top end acceleration into a hole/crease. Their staff thought that Dalvin Warmack would be providing that for them when they signed him, but that has not been the case. Charles Jones is the man that will rotate in with Silmon. He is more powerfully built and seems to have a bit more speed, but lacks the balance and vision of Silmon. Up to this point the coaches have been using him in the Wildcat formation, but it will be interesting to see what changed in that regard over the bye week. The Wildcat formation with Charles Jones has not been effective this year, and the passing threat out of it has been next to zero. It would be shocking if there were not new wrinkles with it for this week's game.
In some seasons, K-State has basically used the Wildcat formation concepts as a part of the base offense when it fit the quarterback (like Collin Klein). The demands for the position in that scheme is to have a player that can patiently allow blocks to set up and then be able to physically take the punishment that comes from running between the tackles. Joe Hubener actually fits into that mold, but the depth issues at quarterback right now may make the staff take a play calling path that reduces the number of hits taken by the quarterback. If the LA Tech game is any indication, there is validity to that notion. The depth that K-State thought was present at quarterback disappeared entirely through the non-conference portion of the schedule, losing starter Jesse Ertz on the first offensive snap of the year to a knee injury, and then backup Alex Delton last week. Joe Hubener and untested Jonathan Banks are the only two left.
Joe Hubener has a tall, rather lanky build, but he is also tough and passionate about football. With a bit more physical development, he could fit that Klein-esque prototype. In the meantime, KSU has a quarterback that can really throw the vertical routes with great touch and accuracy, but struggles with the short passing game, especially the routes that rely on timing. He is a capably runner, but doesn't posses the game-changing ability that OSU faced last week in Heard, and may not necessarily be featured given depth concerns.
When he drops back to pass, Hubener will look for Deante Burton, Kody Cook and the speedy Dominique Heath. Kody Cook (the former quarterback) runs good routes and has outstanding hands. (The rest of the receiving corps has struggled with drops in the early part of the season.). His one handed catch last week was a thing of beauty. Dominique Heath is a guy that will stretch the field vertically and will get an occasional carry in the run game. Deante Burton is their most physically gifted receiver and has good size. He will lead the way in targets, especially in intermediate routes. To date, K-State has not utilized their fullbacks or tightends much in the passing game, but that is something I expect to see change this week.
