Kansas
State
Wildcats
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Grant Valentine
LB 6-3 240 Burbank, Calif. (Glendale CC)
Had 14 sacks and 70 tackles as a freshman in 2006. Also named 1st
Team All-Western State Conference.
Tallied 93 tackles and 9.5
sacks during sophomore campaign... Earned WSC Pacific Division and
CCCFCA Region III Defensive Player of the Year honors... Named a JC
Grid-Wire All-American... Earned first team all-conference honors as
a freshman.
Potential Instant Impact Players
Attrail Snipes WR 6-1
180 Rainer Beach, Wash. (Bakersfield College)
Had 21 catches for 399 yards and five touchdowns in 2006. In 2007 on
the track, he clocked 10.6 seconds in the 100 meter dash, a 21.7 in
the 200-m and a 48.2 in the 400-m. His vertical leap is 40.5 inches.
In summer of 2006, the last time he ran a timed 40, he ran a 4.36.
Wade Weibert
OL 6-5 300 Hillsboro, Kan. (Butler County CC)
Athletic player who qualified out of high school. Could play guard or tackle.
Rest of the
Class
| Brandon Banks
|
WR |
5-8 |
170 |
Garner, N.C. (Bakersfield
College) |
| Dustin Bell |
DB |
6-0 |
180 |
Dallas, Texas (Bakersfield
College) |
| Josh Berard
|
LB |
6-2 |
220 |
Redondo Beach, Calif. (El Camino
CC) |
| Javonta Boyd |
DL |
6-3 |
290 |
St. Petersburg, Fla. (Northeast) |
| Kwamaine Brown |
RB |
5-8 |
185 |
Seminole, Fla. (Osceola) |
| Daniel Calvin
|
DL |
6-4 |
310 |
Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield
College) |
| Jarell Childs
|
RB |
6-3 |
216 |
Kansas City, Mo. (Oak Park) |
| William Cooper
|
OL |
6-5 |
260 |
Hayti, Mo. (Hayti) |
| Logan Dold |
RB |
6-1 |
200 |
Garden Plain, Kan. (Garden
Plain) |
| Ethan Douglas
|
OL |
6-6 |
285 |
Basehor, Kan. (Basehor Linwood) |
| Antonio Felder |
LB |
6-3 |
245 |
Warner Robbins, Ga. (Butler
County CC) |
| John Finau
|
DL |
6-1 |
295 |
Los Angeles, Calif. (El Camino
CC) |
| Tony Gillespie
|
DL |
6-1 |
298 |
Jenks, Okla. (Jenks) |
| Brandon Harold
|
DE |
6-5 |
260 |
East St. Louis, Ill. (East St.
Louis) |
| Jack Hayes
|
DL |
6-4 |
270 |
Columbia, Miss. (Gulf Coast CC) |
| Adrian Hilburn
|
WR |
6-2 |
190 |
New Braunfels, Texas (San
Francisco CC) |
| Blair Irvin
|
DB |
5-11 |
185 |
Patterson, La. (Coffeyville CC) |
| Joseph Kassanavoid |
QB |
6-6 |
215 |
Lawson, Mo. (Lawson) |
| Collin Klein
|
QB |
6-4 |
202 |
Loveland, Colo. (Loveland) |
| Billy McClellan
|
DB |
5-9 |
180 |
Torrance, Calif. (Harbor CC) |
| George Pierson
|
P |
6-0 |
180 |
Arlington, Va. (Tyler JC) |
| Ulla Pomele
|
LB |
6-1 |
235 |
Santa Rosa, Calif. (Santa Rosa
JC) |
| Edward Prince
|
OL |
6-5 |
280 |
Starkville, Miss.
(Copiah-Lincoln CC) |
| Aubrey Quarles |
WR |
6-0 |
190 |
Aurora, Colo. (Santa Rosa JC) |
| Hansen Sekona |
LB |
6-0 |
230 |
San Mateo, Calif. (College of
San Mateo) |
| Kenny Session |
RB |
5-8 |
190 |
Tulsa, Okla. (East Central) |
| Blake Slaughter
|
LB |
6-0 |
219 |
Missouri City, Texas (Elkins) |
| Daniel Thomas |
RB |
6-2 |
227 |
Hilliard, Fla. (NW Mississippi
CC) |
| Braden Wilson
|
ATH |
6-4 |
220 |
Smith Center, Kan. (Smith
Center) |
-
2007 KSU Season
-
2007 KSU Preview
-
2006 KSU Season
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 5-7
Sept. 1 at
Auburn L 23-13
Sept. 8
San Jose St
W 34-14
Sept. 15
Missouri St
W 61-10
Sept. 29 at
Texas W 41-21
Oct.
6
Kansas
L 30-24
Oct.
13
Colorado
W 47-20
Oct.
20 at Oklahoma St L 41-39
Oct.
27
Baylor
W 51-13
Nov.
3 at
Iowa State L 31-20
Nov.
10 at
Nebraska L 73-31
Nov.
17
Missouri L 49-32
Nov.
24
at Fresno State
L 45-29 |
2007 Recap
Recap:
While it sort of got overshadowed by Nebraska’s meltdown, Kansas
State was a major Big 12 disappointment in 2007. Coming off a
momentum-building bowl season, and littered with young talent, the
Wildcats failed to reach bowl eligibility four weeks in-a-row,
losing to Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Fresno State.
What’s worse, head coach Ron Prince appeared to lose his kids down
the stretch, meaning the honeymoon is officially over for the
second-year coach.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Jordy Nelson
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Ian Campbell
Biggest Surprise: For the second time in under a year, Kansas
State sucker punched Texas, 41-21, on Sept. 29. Last November, the
‘Horns played in Manhattan and without QB Colt McCoy for most of the
game. This season, however, the game was in Austin, and McCoy was
healthy, but the ‘Cats were just better, picking off four passes and
scoring two special teams touchdowns.
Biggest Disappointment: Kansas State’s inability to finish
meant there were plenty of disappointments in 2007, but none bigger
than a 30-24 loss to rival Kansas. Considered an upset at the time,
the Wildcats relinquished a fourth quarter lead, losing at home to
the Jayhawks for the first time since 1989.
Looking Ahead: All of the goodwill amassed by Prince in 2006
has been replaced by a growing feeling of concern and discontent
around Manhattan. With Mizzou and Kansas on an uptick, Kansas State
needs to patch up the defense, and regroup quickly around franchise
QB Josh Freeman.
Nov. 24
Fresno State 45 ... Kansas State 29
Kansas State got up early with a 67-yard James Johnson
touchdown dash and a 45-yard Leon Patton run, and then the wheels
came off as Fresno State scored 28 straight points with Tom
Brandstater throwing two touchdown passes and running for another.
The Wildcats got back into the game with two seconds to play in the
first half on a three-yard Jordy Nelson touchdown catch, but Fresno
State came out dominating the second half with scoring drives from
91 and 71 yards out. The Bulldogs cranked out 549 yards of total
offense and held on to the ball for 41:32.
Player of the game:
Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater completed 23 of 29 passes for 313
yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 27-41, 256 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 9-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordy
Nelson, 15-165, 1 TD
Fresno State - Passing: Tom Brandstater, 23-29,
313 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Will Harding, 22-115, 1 TD. Receiving: Marlon
Moore, 9-134, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What
the heck happened to the defense? Getting torched by Missouri is one
thing, but making Fresno State look like, well, Missouri is another.
The Wildcats had four shots at bowl eligibility and blew it badly
with three winnable games against Iowa State, Nebraska and now
Fresno State going into the tank because the defense couldn't come
up with a stop. The secondary was awful because there wasn't any
semblance of a pass rush. A brilliant season by WR Jordy Nelson, and
a great second year from Josh Freeman, were completely wasted.
Nov. 17
Missouri 49 ... Kansas State 32
Chase Daniel threw four touchdown passes, with two to Martin
Rucker, and Jeremy Maclin was unstoppable as Missouri opened up a
tight game with a 14 point fourth quarter run. Maclin caught
touchdown passes from eight and 44 yards out, and answered a first
quarter Wildcat field goal with a 99-yard kickoff return for a
score. Kansas State took a first half lead with a blocked punt for a
score and a 66-yard James Johnson touchdown run, but the Tigers took
the lead for good on their next drive with a nine-play, 81-yard
march with Rucker making a scoring catch from eight yards out.
Mizzou outgained Kansas State 427 yards to 406.
Player of the
game: Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin caught nine passes for 143 yards
and two touchdowns, ran two times for eight yards, returned two
punts for 15 yards, and returned six kickoffs for 194 yards and a
score.
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 26-44, 320 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 16-129 yds, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jordy Nelson, 9-125, 1 TD
Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 28-41, 284
yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Tony Temple, 16-75, 2 TD. Receiving:
Jeremy Maclin, 9-143, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
KSU defense did a better job against Missouri than it did against
Nebraska, but that's not saying a whole bunch. The problem was the
offense with Josh Freeman and the passing game failing to get on
track until the fourth quarter, and by then the Tigers had the game
in hand. Now a win over Fresno State is a must to be bowl eligible,
but the chances of getting a 13th game are unlikely without a little
bit of help.
Nov. 10
Nebraska 73 ... Kansas State 31
Nebraska turned on the offense big-time, rolling for 702 yards
with 510 coming from the arm of Joe Ganz, who threw seven touchdown
passes including three to Frantz Hardy. Kansas State cranked out 528
yards of its own and scored first on a 21-yard Jordy Nelson catch,
answered by a 94-yard Cortney Grixby return for a score, and had a
10-7 lead with a 31-yard Brooks Rossman field goal. And then the
roof caved in, as the Huskers scored 45 straight points with all
three Hardy scores, a five-yard Marlon Lucky run, and a 23-yard Todd
Peterson catch. Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes and ran for
a score for the Wildcats.
Player of the
game: Nebraska QB Joe Ganz completed 30 of 40 passes for 510
yards and seven touchdowns, and ran for 18 yards..
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 26-44, 320 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 16-129 yds, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jordy Nelson, 9-125, 1 TD
Nebraska - Passing: Joe Ganz, 30-40, 510 yds, 7
TD
Rushing: Marlon Lucky, 16-103, 2 TD. Receiving:
Maurice Purify, 6-108
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... All
of a sudden, an extremely promising season has gone into the tank
with Missouri coming up next. The Kansas State secondary was nowhere
to be found against Nebraska, even though there was a little bit of
a pass rush, and even though the offense did a decent job. KSU ran
into a buzzsaw, with the defense unable to stop Nebraska from doing
whatever it wanted. On the plus side, Josh Freeman had a solid day
bombing away once the game got out of hand, and Jordy Nelson once
again solidified his All-America status.
Nov. 3
Iowa State 31 ... Kansas State 20
Iowa State overcame a 194-yard receiving day from Jordy Nelson
with two short touchdown runs from Alexander Robinson in the first
half, a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown from Chris
Singleton, and a spark from off the bench in Austin Arnaud. Arnaud
came in to replace a mediocre Bret Meyer, and he got the offense
moving. Kansas State bombed away, for 347 passing yards, and got a
13-yard score from Nelson and a five-yard touchdown run from James
Johnson late in the third quarter, but couldn't get on the board
again in the fourth. Kansas State was held to 78 yards rushing.
Player of the
game:
Iowa State QB
Austen Arnaud completed five of seven passes for 130 yards, and ran
six times for 19 yards
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 28-44, 347 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: James Jonson, 14-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordy
Nelson, 13-194, 1 TD
Iowa State - Passing: Austen Arnaud, 5-7, 130
yds
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 25-61, 2 TD. Receiving:
Todd Blythe, 2-91
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
What happened to the running game? The
Wildcats all but ignored the ground attack against Iowa State and
let Josh Freeman bomb away. While he got his yards, and Jordy Nelson
put on yet anther All-America show, the offense wasn't nearly as
crisp or as productive as it's been over the past few weeks. This
wasn't a letdown game considering last week's win was over Baylor,
and now the Wildcats will have to get winning to secure a decent
bowl bid, needing one more win. Considering what Kansas pulled off
against Nebraska, next week's game in Lincoln should be interesting.
Oct. 27
Kansas State 51 ... Baylor 13
Kansas State forced seven turnovers and got three touchdown
passes and two touchdown runs from Josh Freeman in the easy win.
Jordy Nelson caught a six-yard touchdown pass and put a cap on the
scoring with a 92-yard punt return for a score. The Wildcats scored
the first 16 points of the game on a one-yard Freeman run and three
Brooks Rossman field goals, and then Baylor made it interesting for
a few minutes with a 52-yard Thomas White touchdown catch, the first
of two scores on the day. The Wildcats bounced back with a 22-yard
Deon Murphy scoring play, and the blowout was on.
Player of the
game:
Kansas State WR
Jordy Nelson caught eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdowns, and
returned a punt 92 yards for a score
Stat Leaders: Baylor - Passing: Blake
Szymanski, 15-21, 213 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacoby Jones, 6-28. Receiving: Thomas White,
4-118, 2 TD
Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 22-33,
247 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Leon Patton, 17-113. Receiving: Jordy Nelson,
8-105, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kansas
State beat Baylor with tremendous ease. Seven takeaways, perfect
offensive balance, great play from the special teams, it was all
there. The only possible knock is the inability to put the Bears
away in the first half, settling for three field goals, but that's
nitpicking. If the team really is good enough to get into a good
bowl, it should with road games at Iowa State and Nebraska before
dealing with Missouri. If it plays as well as it did this week, the
next two weeks shouldn't be a problem.
Oct. 20
Oklahoma State 41 ... Kansas State 39
In a wild game with 1,039 yards of total offense, a
career-high 404 yards passing from KSU's Josh Freeman, and 329
rushing yards from Oklahoma State, it came down to a 26-yard Jason
Ricks field goal with two seconds to play to give OSU the win.
Kansas State had scored on an 11-yard Leon Patton touchdown run with
just over a minute to go, but rather than go for the extra point and
the tie, KSU went for two, got it on a Jordy Nelson catch, and
forced the Cowboys to go for the win. Nelson was unstoppable with
touchdown catches from 17, 46 and 11 yards out, but the Oklahoma
State running game was just as on. It took a Perrish Cox 98-yard
kickoff return for a touchdown after the 46-yard Nelson score to
spark a run of 17 OSU points, but the Wildcats hung in drive for
drive. OSU QB Zac Robinson threw three touchdown passes and ran for
109 yards.
Player of the game:
In a losing cause,
Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson caught 12 passes for 176 yards and
three touchdowns, and he caught a two-point conversion
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson,
11-25, 181 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dantrell Savage, 28-124, 1 TD. Receiving: Adarius Bowman,
6-81
Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 36-51, 404 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Leon Patton, 9-62, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordy Nelson,
12-176, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Did
Kansas State head coach Ron Prince screw up by going for two at the
end of the Oklahoma State game? KSU got the two to go up by one, and
while OSU likely would've played it conservative to force overtime
if it was tied, it had to push down the field to try to win the game
after the successful conversion. This was a game the KSU defense
should've been able to pull off. All year long it's been strong, but
when it had to come through with a big stop late, it couldn't do it.
The run defense should've matched up perfectly with OSU, but it
didn't matter, getting hammered on for 329 yards. That won't be a
problem against Baylor next week.
Oct. 13
Kansas State 47 ... Colorado 20
Kansas State got up 10-0 helped by a five-yard James Johnson
run, but Colorado hung around in the first half on a one-yard Jake
Behrens touchdown catch and two Kevin Eberhart field goals. But the
Wildcats kept the Buffs at bay in the second half, with Deon Murphy
catching a 28-yard touchdown pass and Courtney Herndon returning a
blocked punt for a score. Johnson put the icing on the cake with a
68-yard scoring dash. Colorado's Jordon Dizon mad 11 tackles, while
Kansas State's Justin McKinney led the way with 12 tackles and an
interception.
Player of the game:
Kansas State RB James
Johnson ran 20 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 19-41, 223
yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Hugh Charles, 22-171, 1 TD. Receiving: Scotty McKnight,
6-63
Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 15-27, 214 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 20-159, 2 TD. Receiving: Jordy Nelson, 4-93
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Wildcat offense continues to be creative, especially in the ways it
gets its big-play runners in space, while the defense was a rock
when it had to be against Colorado, especially on third downs. The
Buffs only converted one of 12 third down chances, while the running
of James Johnson helped control the tempo. The D could've been a bit
better against the run, but that's nitpicking. With Oklahoma State's
ground game coming up, the linebackers are going to have to make
even more plays before the backs get to the secondary.
Oct. 6
Kansas 30 ... Kansas State 24
Kansas answered a halfback touchdown pass from Leon Patton to
Deon Murphy late in the fourth quarter with nine points in the final
6:27 on a 30-yard Dexton Fields touchdown catch and a 24-yard Scott
Webb field goal. Each team made several long scoring drives after
Kansas State started out the scoring with a 68-yard Jordy Nelson
touchdown catch. Each team responded to the other's big plays, with
Todd Reesing throwing three touchdown passes to overcome three
interceptions, and Patton running for a seven-yard score to go along
with his touchdown pass. KU's Aqib Talib caught a five-yard
touchdown pass, and put a nail in the coffin with an interception.
Player of the
game:
Kansas QB Todd
Reesing went 22-of-35 for 267 yards, three touchdowns, and three
interceptions, while rushing for 16 yards on seven carries.
Stat Leaders: Kansas - Passing: Todd Reesing,
22-35, 267 yds, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Brandon McAnderson, 12-81. Receiving: Dexton
Fields, 6-78, 1 TD
Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 31-48,
305 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing: James Johnson, 11-30. Receiving: Jordy Nelson,
10-137, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
The lack of a consistent running game,
and three Josh Freeman interceptions, proved to be too much against
Kansas. Freeman threw the ball relatively well, throwing for 305
yards, and was accurate, but there weren't enough good drives in the
second half. The one great drive resulted in a field goal, and with
the momentum shifting back and forth, the Wildcats weren't able to
get it back in the final seven minutes. To beat the better teams,
KSU has to win the special teams battle and can't turn the ball
over. Tim Reyer made sure KSU won the punting game with a phenomenal
performance, averaging 47.2 yards per kick with four kicks inside
the 20, but the three turnovers turned out to be more costly than
KU's three interceptions.
Sept.
29
Kansas State 41 ... Texas 21
Special teams and defense helped Kansas State blow past Texas,
with Ian Campbell taking an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, James Johnson
returning a kickoff 85 yards for a score, and Jordy Nelson bringing back a punt
89 yards for a touchdown. Texas appeared to overcome early problems with a
six-yard Jamaal Charles touchdown run in the third quarter pulling the Longhorns
within three, but KSU scored the final 17 points of the game helped by a
two-yard Johnson touchdown. The Wildcat offense only gained 272 yards, but the
defense came up with four interceptions and held Texas to 330 yards.
Player of the game:
Kansas State WR Jordy
Nelson caught 12 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, and returned a punt 89
yards for a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 22-38,
177 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 19-77, 1 TD. Receiving: Jordy Nelson,
12-116, 1 TD
Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 19-39, 20 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Jamaal Charles, 17-72, 1 TD. Receiving: Jermichael Finley,
4-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
It's not like Josh Freeman had a bad game, but the
defense and special teams play against Texas allowed the offense to get
relatively conservative and not force Freeman to do anything out of his comfort
zone. To beat Kansas next week, there will need to be more from the offense, or
else the return game will have to be special again. Don't take anything away
from KSU, though. This was a phenomenal win against a fired up team, and now,
with the defense dominating, this is a legitimate threat for the Big 12 title.
Sept. 15
Kansas State 61 ... Missouri State 10
Jordy Nelson set a school record with 15 catches, threw a
24-yard touchdown pass to Deon Murphy, and James Johnson ran for three scores,
as Kansas State rolled at will over Missouri State. The Wildcats scored the
first 24 points of the game until MSU got on the board late in the first half on
a nine-yard King Washington run. Johnson opened up the second half with two
scoring runs, Nelson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass, and Deon Murphy returned
a punt 80 yards for a score. KSU outgained MSU 546 yards to 191.
Player of the game:
Kansas State WR Jordy
Nelson caught 15 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, and he also threw a
24-yard touchdown pass
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh Freeman, 26-39,
287 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: James Johnson, 16-114, 3 TD. Receiving: Jordy Nelson,
15-209, 1 TD
Missouri State - Passing: Cody Kirby, 9-17, 62 yds
Rushing: Kingjack Washington, 10-45, 1 TD. Receiving: Clay Harbor,
4-53
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Wildcats had no problems opening it up on poor Missouri State, but it was a
needed blowout with two weeks off before playing Texas. During the time off, the
passing game has to come up with a dangerous number two receiver to pick up the
slack when everyone from here on out tries to double cover Jordy Nelson. The
other thing to work in is slowing down the penalties. KSU committed a whopping
16 sins for 162 yards against MSU.
Sept. 8
Kansas State 34 ... San Jose State 14
Kansas State had few problems getting past the Spartans as
Josh Freeman threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Deon Murphy and ran for a
one-yard score in the first half, and James Johnson and Murphy each had
scoring runs in the fourth quarter. San Jose State didn't let the game
get out of hand until the fourth, but it struggled to put pount on the
board as it only managed a 20-yard Jalal Beauchman touchdown catch in
the second quarter before getting back on the board late on a 21-yard
Jacob French scoring grab.
Player of
the game ...
Kansas State RB James Johnson
ran 15 times for 111 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 25-36, 272 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: James Johnson, 15-111, 1 TD Receiving:
Jordy Nelson, 6-82
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis,
16-20, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Myles Eden, 7-33 Receiving:
Kevin Jurovich, 10-82
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Josh
Freeman might not have been razor sharp against San Jose State, but he
was good enough in what was a nice step forward for a team that came
oh-so-close to beating Auburn. The real find was a running game that was
non-existent against the Tigers, as James Johnson was effective on his
limited work. He only got 15 carries, but he made something happen every
time he touched the ball. DE/LB Ian Campbell got a sack, but he still
hasn't been the difference maker at his new position that he was last
year. The Missouri State game next week should work out all the problems
before dealing with Texas.
Sept. 1
Auburn 23 ... Kansas State 13
Auburn got all it could handle, finally getting the lead late
on a three-yard Gabe McKenzie touchdown catch with 2:01 to play, and then
putting it away with a 34-yard Antonio Coleman fumble recovery for a score after
Quentin Groves sacked KSU QB Josh Freeman. The Wildcats used a trick play to
take a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter as WR Jordy Nelson threw a 21-yard
touchdown pass to Leon Patton, but the offense could only manage two Brooks
Rossman field goals for the other points. Auburn got three Wes Byrum field
goals.
Player of
the game ...
Auburn DE Quentin Groves made five tackles, two sacks,
three tackles for loss and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Kansas State - Passing: Josh
Freeman, 32-57, 268 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: James Johnson, 7-14 Receiving:
Jordy Nelson, 9-90
Auburn - Passing: Brandon Cox, 17-30, 229
yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 23-82 Receiving:
Prechae Rodriguez, 6-73
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... A more
experienced team, with a more experienced coaching staff, would've found a way
to pull off the win over Auburn. The running game only averaged 1.7 yards per
carry, the pass protection in crunch time was nearly non-existent, and the 16
penalties for 141 yards were a killer. Even so, and even with a loss, this was a
big day for QB Josh Freeman. He didn't throw a touchdown pass, but for the most
part, he kept his poise and gutted it out despite an apparent ankle injury. The
defense has to find ways to get Ian Campbell more involved. Now a hybrid of a
linebacker and end, he didn't make enough plays.